Prior to moving to Ecuador, I was a social studies teacher in Florida. Specifically, the course I taught was civics. I have always had a special place in my heart for the political process and democracy as a whole. In addition to a personal interest, our time living in Ecuador (also a democracy but a bit...different) I have developed a stronger affinity for a country's governmental system that theoretically allows all citizens to have a voice. While clearly not perfect, I think the fact that the U.S. has a democratic system of government is something that, while I always appreciated, I now appreciate more.
That brings us to this year's...election cycle. We have had an interesting and quite unique experience with this election. We still read the same online articles and keep up with the issues, the opinion pieces, and the general...tomfoolery that this election has brought forth. However we have been spared the undoubtedly vicious and ridiculous commercial cyclone of ineptitude and negativity that usually goes hand in hand with election season. I will say...it's kind of nice. We have been able to focus on the issues while insulating ourselves from a lot of the propaganda and hate spewing.
One thing we were worried about when we moved abroad was whether we'd be able to participate in this election. We knew of absentee voting but didn't know of the regulations. We didn't really have an address and mail isn't a thing that Ecuador does so we didn't know how to go about having our voices heard from afar.
After a bit of research we found out that we were able to participate in the election from Ecuador. After registering as absentee voters in our home of record in Florida, we were sent our ballots online via email. We found out from some other friends that the process for each state is vastly different and quite difficult in some states. (I'm looking at you Minnesota)
We happily filled out our ballots and tried to fax them in as per the Florida Voter Registration instructions. That didn't work; mostly because it is 2016 and no one uses a fax anymore. I was quite frankly surprised they didn't let us vote via carrier pigeon but that's neither here nor there. We printed out our security envelopes and got our ballots to the embassy via our school courier. It was nice to see that voter participation at our school is close to 90% even though we live far away. It was refreshing to see that these issues and the future of OUR country matters to our friends and colleagues even if it isn't the country we are all living in.
So, there you have it. We voted. From another continent. Without hassle. While I have no certainty that our vote made it there successfully and will be counted, I do have faith. I have faith and appreciation in our electoral process. I have tremendous kudos to bestow upon the Overseas Voter Registration. We've officially and successfully navigated yet another step in the sometimes difficult process of living overseas.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Time to Search for What's Next
Over the summer, Shannon and I were faced with a tough decision (among all of the other stuff we had going on this summer. Our decision was whether to stay in Ecuador or to explore other options in another country. It's a little strange to think about, because in the U.S. you aren't required to decide whether to stay in your school or move to the next school until April or May of the school year. In international teaching, due to the demand for early information, and scheduling for job fairs, you are required to give your answer in the fall of the year before.
It was an incredibly tough decision. Our school had given us incredible opportunities over the course of two years. We have build curriculum, explored new work, and been valued as contributing members to quite a few meaningful changes at our school. Not to mention the country which has been our home for two years. We've explored the beaches, mountains, the jungle, and everything in between. Ecuador has become our home and a place that will be forever dear to us. Ecuador was the first place I ever traveled to out of the country. It's the place where I proposed to Shannon. This summer it was the place we were joined by our family and were married. However, after a lot of deliberation, we came to the conclusion that we're ready for the next adventure.
We made an appointment with our Head of School and had a really nice meeting with her. We expressed our appreciation for the opportunities she, and the school offered us over the previous two years and she expressed her appreciation and admiration for some of the work we did at our school. During our last job finding process, we ended up with a broken car in 1 degree weather in the middle of Iowa. We interviewed with countless schools in 30 seconds or less, and if we were successful, we were granted the esteemed honor of awkwardly interviewing for a half hour in their hotel room. We hope the process is a bit different for us than it was the first time. However despite the head start, our result is the same. We're stuck in a weird and exciting limbo where we have no idea what country we will be living in next.
The process this time around is to sign up for one of the many online international school job headhunter services. If we are a fit with a school that has matching needs and interests us, we'll reach out to them and hopefully be granted a Skype interview. This time, unlike the first, I promise to wear pants with my shirt and tie during the interview.
No matter what, our next few weeks to months are going to be tremendously exciting. We might end up back in North America. We might go to Europe, or the Middle East, or Southeast Asia. We're open to anything that seems to be a solid fit for us professionally and personally. In the meantime, we'll keep looking. We'll keep reaching out to friends who have gone back out into the international school world and we'll be excited and patient as we search for whatever comes next for us.
It was an incredibly tough decision. Our school had given us incredible opportunities over the course of two years. We have build curriculum, explored new work, and been valued as contributing members to quite a few meaningful changes at our school. Not to mention the country which has been our home for two years. We've explored the beaches, mountains, the jungle, and everything in between. Ecuador has become our home and a place that will be forever dear to us. Ecuador was the first place I ever traveled to out of the country. It's the place where I proposed to Shannon. This summer it was the place we were joined by our family and were married. However, after a lot of deliberation, we came to the conclusion that we're ready for the next adventure.
We made an appointment with our Head of School and had a really nice meeting with her. We expressed our appreciation for the opportunities she, and the school offered us over the previous two years and she expressed her appreciation and admiration for some of the work we did at our school. During our last job finding process, we ended up with a broken car in 1 degree weather in the middle of Iowa. We interviewed with countless schools in 30 seconds or less, and if we were successful, we were granted the esteemed honor of awkwardly interviewing for a half hour in their hotel room. We hope the process is a bit different for us than it was the first time. However despite the head start, our result is the same. We're stuck in a weird and exciting limbo where we have no idea what country we will be living in next.
The process this time around is to sign up for one of the many online international school job headhunter services. If we are a fit with a school that has matching needs and interests us, we'll reach out to them and hopefully be granted a Skype interview. This time, unlike the first, I promise to wear pants with my shirt and tie during the interview.
No matter what, our next few weeks to months are going to be tremendously exciting. We might end up back in North America. We might go to Europe, or the Middle East, or Southeast Asia. We're open to anything that seems to be a solid fit for us professionally and personally. In the meantime, we'll keep looking. We'll keep reaching out to friends who have gone back out into the international school world and we'll be excited and patient as we search for whatever comes next for us.
Weekend Trip: Cotopaxi Volcano
To celebrate finishing our first month of school, Justin and I booked a weekend trip to Cotopaxi National Park. This time, we were going to try staying at a different place - Hacienda Los Mortinos. (Mortinos are the wild blueberries that grow in the area, and that Justin always yells at me for trying to eat on our hikes). We loaded up the car Friday morning so that we could leave right after school let out. Luckily, it's a short drive to Cotopaxi, and even in the rainy Friday afternoon traffic, we arrived at our destination in under two hours.
The last 20 kilometers ride up into Cotopaxi park is along a cobblestone road that winds around farmlands and ranch houses. You have to take this part of the drive quite slowly, to prevent against jarring something loose in the suspension, as well as anticipation of the random cow, dog, donkey or horse that may wander across your path.
When we finally made the last turn into the hacienda property, we found ourselves on a wide dirt driveway, framed on both sides by rows of paper trees. These trees, identifiable by their reddish brown peeling park and delicate dark green leaves only grow at high, misty altitude, and are also found in the paramo surrounding Papallacta. The driveway led us past a horse pasture where several white horses were grazing and watched us pass with mild interest.
The sun had set and with rain still drizzling, the climate was wet and cold and foggy. But I had come prepared with my knit wool leg warmers from Cusco, fleece leggings, and ½ a bottle of something perfect for warming one's bones next to a crackling fireplace.
We were greeted by Pablo, the owner of the hacienda, who served us steaming hot cinnamon drinks while he checked us in. Although the famous Cotopaxi volcano was located directly in front of the hacienda’s dining room windows, any views were completely obstructed by the sheets of fog that had settled around us.
Our room had an enormous picture window on each of the exterior walls, and we immediately noticed three small grey rabbits hopping around in the dusk. And the shower! Hands down the best shower I’ve had at any hotel or hacienda in Ecuador. Scalding hot water that filled the whole bathroom up with steam, and strong water pressure that blasted away all the week’s stress. After happily roasting my skin pink in the hot shower, I snuggled into all my soft fleece and wool and sweatshirt and settled myself in front of the log burning fireplace with my book for the weekend, The Poisonwood Bible. I decided that even if the rain didn’t let up all weekend, and were were never even able to see Cotopaxi, I would be quite content spending the next two days in front of this fireplace, reading my book, and sipping intermittently on my smoky drink.
It was right at this moment that Justin got the unfortunate news that some of our friends who were also on their way up were having car troubles and were broken down about 40 minutes back down the cobblestone road. Justin and I spoke with Pablo who was able to contact a mechanic in the nearby town of Machachi and had him dispatched within 30 minutes. Justin bundled back up into his jacket and boots and left to go pick up our friends while their car was towed back into town.
Finally, at about 9:30 he had returned with our four friends, and the six of us ate a sleepy warm meal together in the quiet dining room before bidding one another goodnight.
The next day, I woke up early at about 6:30 and peeked out the window to see a wonderful crisp view of Cotopaxi in the dawn. I smiled and then went back to sleep for a couple of hours. By the time we joined our friends for breakfast, the clouds had rolled back in and Cotopaxi was almost invisible. Nonetheless, we headed out for a hike into the national park. We were joined by the owners happy little puppy, whom Justin named “Ralph” but we later learned was actually named Joe. Joe followed us all the way into the park, about a 45 minute walk until he was apprehended by the park ranger (as dogs are not permitted in the park, and Joe refused to go home) and the ranger put Joe into a holding cell until we could return to retrieve him. Sorry about that, Joe.
After about another hour of walking a thunderstorm rolled in and we were caught in the rain. Luckily this happened just as we came upon a backpackers hacienda and we ducked inside for cover, and as it turned out, a delicious lunch of grilled trout and chicken. At this point, our group split in two and half of us returned to the hacienda since it was clear the weather would not be cooperating today. The other half continued to hike into the park to check out a nearby lake. Then we retrieved Joe from the park ranger. Luckily he wasn’t too upset with us and he cheerfully escorted us back to the hacienda.
When we finally reached the property I stopped at the fence where the horses were grazing. Much to my delight, one the grey-white horses walked right up to the fence and allowed me to scratch his neck and stroke his main. For a good 15 minutes I stood there, petting the horse, marveling how he was equal parts serene and beautiful yet also slightly terrifying in his size and strength. It was a peaceful and joyous encounter, and as I left I promised him to return tomorrow with the extra apple I had in my lunchbox.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent reading by the fireplace, and playing card games with the rest of our friends who had arrived that morning. We shared a meal and wine together and played cards into the night until we were all too sleepy to stay up. The rain continued through the evening.
But just as I had given up all hope of ever getting a decent view of Cotopaxi, Sunday morning came. The rain had stopped, the clouds had evaporated, and there she was in all her glory. Cotopaxi, the marvelous volcano, right outside our breakfast window - huge and covered ⅔ of the way in gleaming white snow. We were giddy with excitement, all of us adults, and we dashed outside to take pictures and get closer to the marvelous giant. And were gifted for the rest of the morning and early afternoon with a clear view and crisp air.
When it was finally time to head back to Quito, we loaded up the car and I shoved the apple in my pocket for the horse. We drove back out the driveway, up to the horse pasture where I jumped out and bit the apple into pieces to share with all the horses that met me expectantly at the fence. Feeding a horse by hand - also slightly terrifying but deeply satisfying. I gave the grey horse one last stroke along his broad, silky nose, wiped by sticky apple hands on my jeans, and hopped back in the car. It was a well deserved, relaxing weekend, capped by a long awaited view of Cotopaxi. Definitely, we will come back for one more visit before leaving Ecuador, and next time, I would come prepared with a whole bag full of apples - one for each horse.
 |
| Hacienda Los Mortinos |
When we finally made the last turn into the hacienda property, we found ourselves on a wide dirt driveway, framed on both sides by rows of paper trees. These trees, identifiable by their reddish brown peeling park and delicate dark green leaves only grow at high, misty altitude, and are also found in the paramo surrounding Papallacta. The driveway led us past a horse pasture where several white horses were grazing and watched us pass with mild interest.
The sun had set and with rain still drizzling, the climate was wet and cold and foggy. But I had come prepared with my knit wool leg warmers from Cusco, fleece leggings, and ½ a bottle of something perfect for warming one's bones next to a crackling fireplace.
We were greeted by Pablo, the owner of the hacienda, who served us steaming hot cinnamon drinks while he checked us in. Although the famous Cotopaxi volcano was located directly in front of the hacienda’s dining room windows, any views were completely obstructed by the sheets of fog that had settled around us.
 |
| She Peaked Out Eventually |
It was right at this moment that Justin got the unfortunate news that some of our friends who were also on their way up were having car troubles and were broken down about 40 minutes back down the cobblestone road. Justin and I spoke with Pablo who was able to contact a mechanic in the nearby town of Machachi and had him dispatched within 30 minutes. Justin bundled back up into his jacket and boots and left to go pick up our friends while their car was towed back into town.
Finally, at about 9:30 he had returned with our four friends, and the six of us ate a sleepy warm meal together in the quiet dining room before bidding one another goodnight.
The next day, I woke up early at about 6:30 and peeked out the window to see a wonderful crisp view of Cotopaxi in the dawn. I smiled and then went back to sleep for a couple of hours. By the time we joined our friends for breakfast, the clouds had rolled back in and Cotopaxi was almost invisible. Nonetheless, we headed out for a hike into the national park. We were joined by the owners happy little puppy, whom Justin named “Ralph” but we later learned was actually named Joe. Joe followed us all the way into the park, about a 45 minute walk until he was apprehended by the park ranger (as dogs are not permitted in the park, and Joe refused to go home) and the ranger put Joe into a holding cell until we could return to retrieve him. Sorry about that, Joe.
 |
| Good Morning Cotopaxi |
When we finally reached the property I stopped at the fence where the horses were grazing. Much to my delight, one the grey-white horses walked right up to the fence and allowed me to scratch his neck and stroke his main. For a good 15 minutes I stood there, petting the horse, marveling how he was equal parts serene and beautiful yet also slightly terrifying in his size and strength. It was a peaceful and joyous encounter, and as I left I promised him to return tomorrow with the extra apple I had in my lunchbox.
 |
| Justin and |
But just as I had given up all hope of ever getting a decent view of Cotopaxi, Sunday morning came. The rain had stopped, the clouds had evaporated, and there she was in all her glory. Cotopaxi, the marvelous volcano, right outside our breakfast window - huge and covered ⅔ of the way in gleaming white snow. We were giddy with excitement, all of us adults, and we dashed outside to take pictures and get closer to the marvelous giant. And were gifted for the rest of the morning and early afternoon with a clear view and crisp air.
 |
| Cotopaxi, the Neck of the Moon |
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