The Decision

One of our most recent posts detailed our decision to pursue a new job and a new opportunity. Due to the nature of international teaching, we were required to make that decision in the early fall. We spoke with our head of school and asked some of our friends and colleagues and those who fit both profiles for advice. As I said in a prior post, this upcoming summer will mark our last days in the beautiful city of Quito.

That decision set off a whirlwind of events including late nights researching new schools and vacancies, checking job search websites multiple times per day, and if we’re being honest here, a borderline unhealthy fixation on figuring out what was going to come next for us. It’s hard not to dive into fully since it is literally a complete change of everything. One way or another we were going to end up in a new country, in a new school, probably in new roles, surrounded by new language, new experiences, and new everything else.

We used a job search engine that many international schools world-wide sign up for. We posted all of our resumes, letters of recommendation, and nice little headshots of us. (Very handsome and beautiful I might add) Schools posted snapshots about their vacancies, benefits packages, philosophies, and the entirety of their information. In a weird way, the whole process is kind of like some sort of online dating process.

We were told early on, that while we had to make our decision early on (Sept. 1), every school is on their own timeline. Some schools don’t ask their teachers to announce their intentions until January, while others like to post vacancies, and make their hiring decisions in September and October. This makes it a little tough, because unlike at the stressful job fair, we were forced into a position of “pursue this vacancy hard” or wait for whatever unknown may or may not come open behind the proverbial “door number two.” To counter this challenge, Shannon and I made the decision to only apply to schools and situations that we would say yes to. That way we would always be prepared to move towards a final choice while also preserving some of our flexibility.

The only downside of this approach is it led us to really think hard about every single positional posting that fit both Shannon and I. If a school in Prague made a post, we thought long and hard about whether to apply or not. Would the school match our philosophical views on education? Would the positions be an adequate challenge for us? Would they be too similar to what we were doing? Would they be too different? What is the weather like in Prague? What is the benefits package? We asked ourselves all of these questions. Inevitably, this process allowed us to weed out some options that weren’t right for us. But it also led us to strong potential connections. Every time we chose to apply somewhere, we envisioned that it would become our lives. We were no longer sending out feelers for jobs. We were applying for a lifestyle we had conjured in our heads. The jobs were a huge part, but it was applying for the complete picture of a life we had cultivated through the question process. We didn’t apply to a specific international school in Prague, we were applying to life in Prague.

Let me just say, the whole idea of preaching patience when your life is in the balance is easier said than done. Logically, both Shannon and I realized that the process was likely going to take a few months. Yet, every time a colleague had an interview or went through the same process, it ramped up my anxiety. If a friend accepted a job, I was torn between true unbridled happiness for them, and a slight twinge of jealousy that their process was over. I had a series competing thoughts in my mind. Logic and emotion battled it out.

We went through the process and interviewed with schools here and there. We applied to some and didn’t receive much interest back. We were approached by others that weren’t good fits for us. We even made it pretty far with one school and we thought we had our solution, but it didn’t work out. After a few months of this, we resolved to book flights to the job fair in Boston if we didn’t have anything with traction within a week. Then, low and behold, traction.

During that week, Shannon and I were approached by three schools offering very different things. One school would have provided Shannon with the opportunity to begin her career in school administration as an Assistant Principal. Another, a chance to do meaningful work building something strong, with the added bonus of life in Europe. And the third, was a better match with our educational philosophies, with a school where Shannon knew people, and with a school that fostered the most growth opportunity for us. It was a crazy week. All the week before Christmas break on top of it!

We began our interview process on Wednesday of that week. Oh that’s a nice added surprise bonus. I forgot to mention. Interview times are weird. You are interviewing with schools around the world so if they are 9 hours ahead of you, interview times are scheduled for afternoon their time and insanely early of you. It’s hard to have your A game before the sun comes up. I had one at 6:00am our time on that first Wednesday. Shannon had hers at 8:00. By Thursday, she had her second interview with the first school. On Friday, we had a joint interview with the second school followed by a second interview with the first school. Then the third school came in for an interview with Shannon. Essentially, from Wednesday through Friday, we had 6 interviews. Shannon had three in one day! On the Friday before Christmas break! It was madness. In fact, I believe due to the late nights spent researching schools, intense concentration during the interviews, lack of sleep for early wake-ups, and some stress, Shannon got a cold. In the middle of an interview. There was a sniffly nose. Maybe even a snot bubble that popped mid-interview. I cannot confirm nor deny that. The point being, we were run through the ringer that week.

On Friday afternoon, we left for the airport to visit our friends and family in the US for Christmas. We were confident that we would have offers from all of the schools, and we were badly in need of some downtime.

Promptly after arriving in NJ, Shannon heard from the third school, looking for an opportunity to interview on Saturday. She had her interview and was fairly confident in an offer for that as well. Sunday morning, we again interviewed with the second school as a couple and received an offer and a 24 hour window to accept it. I interviewed with the first school and then they offered. We were down to our final three schools and under a time crunch. Man, after four months of hot and cold doing research and waiting for things to happen, it was refreshing and overwhelming to have everything happen at once.

Shannon and I had some long conversations, asked our family and friends for advice, and really prioritized what we want out of life in the next two to three years. We ultimately made a decision, so our process is over.

Wait...that's the wrong one. This is the right one.

After a lot of consideration, we decided to go to school two. We will be moving to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s a little scary to say and everyone we’ve told has needed a few minutes to process and a few questions answered, but it’s the right choice for us. We will be moving in August and walking into a situation that is going to fulfill us professionally, push us, and afford us the greatest opportunities to grow. We will be going to a school where Shannon already has friends in place in an open and friendly community. It will also give us the best chance to succeed in our personal and family life with regards to our individual and collective goals.

The next few months are going to be spent focusing on squeezing the very most out of our experiences in Quito and South America as a whole. Sprinkled in here and there we will have a whole new process and new hurdles to jump with regards to medical exams, visa paperwork, selling our Quito stuff, and shipping what we can take with us. We’re very comfortable with the decision, amazed at the process, and thankful that it yielded us a truly wonderful experience to move on to our next adventure.

Stay tuned for whatever comes next…

Home(s) for the Holidays

Part 1-New Jersey aka the Frozen Tundra

In the previous post, I addressed the manic lead up to our Christmas vacation. At least the job stuff. Scattered throughout the month of December, we also had a nice work holiday party, lots of Christmas movie watching, and our annual ugly ornament white elephant party. (Derived of course from our friends Bethany and Meg) Anyway, the festivities, the job search, countless holiday events, basketball season, and just general stress made our Christmas break well needed and deserved.
We decided that we wanted to make sure we went to visit both of our families in their respective locations and enjoyed our trip immensely. At the moment, I am typing this from the plane on our way home. The plan is to write this post as a two-parter. I’ll write about our time in NY/NJ/PA and Shannon will write about our time in Florida.

So to begin with the very beginning of our trip, our last week of school before the holiday break went by quickly. We had interviews and events all week. As soon as we got out of school, we rushed home, finished some last minute packing, and hopped in a cab to the airport. We were wasting no time. We wanted to maximize every minute we could with our families.

We flew from Quito to Bogota, Colombia where we had a three hour layover. Then we hopped on a plane at midnight and took a 5 hour flight to NYC. We were greeted in the city that never sleeps with a nice white dusting of snow on the ground, a heavy snowfall on our heads, and a temperature to match. To me, it felt like Christmas. To Shannon…well I don’t think she could feel anything. The Florida girl isn’t used to cold weather.

We hopped into a cab at the airport where the fare reminded us that we weren’t in Quito anymore. We took a short ride to Shannon’s sister’s apt. and the cab fare was about $60 (which would have been closer to $12 in Quito). When we got there, we immediately crashed on her couch. It was 6am after-all.

The next morning, our plan was to take a few trains to NJ to see my family, but our friend Justin, being the angelic Christmas saint he is, refused to let us do that, and instead drove 2 and a half hours each way to come pick us up personally and drive us to NJ. What a guy. (In general, I think Justins have a tremendous track record of being good people, but I digress) Upon arrival at his house, where we would be staying, we immediately wrapped some presents and hit the road for our first Christmas party hosted by our friends Jamie and Jen. It was an amazing time with good food, music, and friends who I hadn’t seen in years. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with everyone. It made me realize how much I miss holiday gatherings. It’s hard to be so far away from such a large group of people who I love so much. But we got a chance to make the most of our time with them.

The next day, we had some skype job interviews in the morning, followed by a big family day planned. Shannon and I went to my mom’s apartment to spend the morning with her and my stepdad. It was a really cool experience for me since I hadn’t been to her new place yet. She didn’t have the chance to join us for our wedding due to some health concerns, so it was really nice for us to go over our wedding album with her and my stepdad. That night, we all went over to my Aunt Natalie’s house and had a big old fashioned family dinner. My Nona was there (grandmother), my sister, niece, her husband, parents, cousins, and aunt were all there. Everyone chipped in a little something including a masterfully cooked turkey by my sister and the collaboration pumpkin cheesecake by Shannon and my mom. It was incredible food, and more importantly, a chance to spend a family Christmas together. There were presents, and playful arguments, and catching up. It was great.
The next day was decision day for our job search so the majority of our day was spent weighing options and making a decision. At night, we met up with our friends and their kids for a brisk (25 degrees or so) evening at Storybook Land, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. In between chattering teeth and sips of piping hot coffee, I joined a gaggle of children ranging in between age 2-6 in a series of teacups, train trolleys, mazes, and the like. It was absolutely frigid, but a really good time.

Because we are gluttons for punishment, disinterested in rest, and interested in spending every possibly minute with our families as possible, we woke up early the next day to take my sister and niece to the Ben Franklin Institute and Science Museum in Philadelphia. Jessie, my sister, and I grew up going to the museum so it was really cool to take my niece. Oh and on top of that, they had a JURASSIC WORLD exhibit! This was proof that divine intervention is a real thing. We roared at various robotic dinosaurs, ran from a few, and checked out all of the exhibits. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, we did lots of experiments, made jokes, and generally had a good time.

When we were done, we drove back to NJ to meet up with our friends to go BACK to Philly for a Sixers game. This was a really cool experience for me because, well…I’m a big Sixers fan. When I was in college, I used to scrape whatever money I had to go to games all the time, however, it had been years since I was in the NJ/Philly area for winter and for basketball season. A group of 9 of us got together and watched the game. It was pretty much perfect for me. Like a Christmas present. Plus, it was a nice little bow on top of our trip to NJ.

The next morning, we drove to my mom’s house to have a nice goodbye and present exchange over breakfast. After that, we took Nona out to lunch and made our way to the airport to go to Florida. It was an action packed, festivity laden, busy, fun, loud, trip. And it was perfect.

Part 2-Christmas in Orlando

Christmas in Orlando is great for 3 reasons: 1) my family is there, 2) the weather is in the high 70’s, 3) Chik-Fil-A. My dad and Meagan and Franklin scooped us up from the airport with a cooler full of Jeremiah’s Scoop Froggy Frog gelato and we hit the Chik-Fil-A drive thru on the way home for what was to be my first of 5 Chik-Fil-A chicken sandwiches of the vacation. We were off to a great start!

Over the next 2 days as we waited for Christmas to arrive, we did some shopping and what was basically a tour of all the Target stores in the greater Orlando area.

We also got to sleep in almost every day which was a great treat. On Christmas day, we had a leisurely blueberry and banana pancake breakfast and took our time opening presents. Then, the sisters went back to bed and Justin cooked a second breakfast of New Jersey pork roll for the parents.

The day after Christmas we had a very special family reunion and Christmas party. Everybody brought a dish or two or three! And we spent the afternoon eating and chatting. It was nice to be able to see some of my aunts and uncles and cousins who I don’t really get to see that often. My mom compiled a cookbook from all our family recipes - many of them from Nanny herself. I think both Nanny and Pepa were probably smiling down on us that day and loved to see us all together for an afternoon.

I got to read a fantastic book over this break as well, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This story was absolutely beautiful, moving, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at once. I can easily say that it is the best piece of literature I’ve read in the last 5 years and I would highly recommend you read it.

Something else special that happened in Orlando is that I officially changed my name and I am now a Muenker!

I tallied up our time in Florida and can sum up our visit as follows:
10 hours of sleep a night
8 Starbucks lattes
5 Chik-Fil-A chicken sandwiches
4 Jeremiah’s gelatos
3 Target stores
2 sleeping sisters
1 lovely novel
And a partridge in a pear treeeeee!

A Weekend Away in the Cloud Forest

For the first time in our time in Ecuador, our school gave us a 3-day weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday. We worked a half-day on Thanksgiving and then had a small “Friendsgiving” with about 10 of our work pals. Then the next morning we drove the two hours down to Mindo with our friends Brian and Delaney for the weekend.

Not a bad weekend

We checked into Sisakuna lodge where we had each reserved a cabin and were pleased to find that at least for the first night, we had the place to ourselves!

Justin and I have only been to Mindo on one other occasion when my family was visiting for Christmas two years ago. Seeing as how it was a Thursday and Thanksgiving is not a real holiday in Ecuador, we seemed to be the only visitors in the small town this evening. It was nice to see the sleepy town as it must be on a normal weekday evening. Brian and Delaney recommended a little restaurant that specializes in quinoa dishes, and that is where we went for a late lunch. I had a quinoa burger and it was delicious!The rest of the afternoon was spent back at the cabins, swinging in hammocks, snoozing and reading.

We also learned how to play Cuarenta, a Quiteño card game popular during Fiestas de Quito, which was happening the following weekend. Brian taught the 3 of us the rules of the game, which is played in pairs to get a total of 40 (cuarenta) points. We drank warm red wine on the open air deck and played until about midnight.

Yeah...that's probably safe...

The next day we had hiking on the menu. Again, we seemed to be the only tourists in town so when we drove up to the Tarabita (which is essentially a jungle teleferico) we were able to get right on and ride over the canopy. There are 2 main hiking trails on this side, one that leads to a large waterfall, La Reina, and the other trail that leads to about 5-6 smaller waterfalls. We started out at about 9:30 on the first trail to the bigger waterfall. We were the only hikers on the trail and I walked in front. This allowed me to see some really cool wildlife. First, something that looked like a large cat with a long tail dashed out from the bushes and ran right across the trail. We never really found out what the animal was. Bobcat maybe? Later, a bird flew out of the leafy cliff to the left of where we were walking and came close enough to almost brush my hair. As the bird seemed to have flown out of the side of the cliff, we took a closer look and discovered a little nest hidden behind the foliage with 3 tiny pink eggs inside! After about an hour we reached the big waterfall and unlaced our hiking boots to wade in the clear, crisp water.

Snack break

Then, we walked back down the trail and went in the other direction to reach the trail of smaller waterfalls. The hike down this trail took about 40 minutes and then we stopped to eat some snacks and rest our feet. I was just about ready to call it a day when our friends suggested we try to reach one more waterfall so we ventured out again. And I am glad we did. When we reached the next waterfall we saw that it was surrounded by a cave and poured into a charming little lagoon about 10 feet deep. Justin said we should all jump in! Delaney and I sat on the rocks while the boys took off their boots and waded into the water. We could tell right away it must have been really cold water based on their whooping and shouting. Not to be outdone, I also unstrapped my boots and started wading into the water. I dared the boys to swim across the lagoon and touch the rock wall on the opposite side where the waterfall was coming from. But before anyone had a chance to accept my dare, I dove into the water and made a swim for it!

Justin came swimming after me and we were the first to touch the wall. Then Delaney jumped in and we all enjoyed several minutes of youthful spontaneous frolicking. But man, was that water cold!

We found ourselves vibrant and refreshed after our dip and happily hiked back up the trail to the tarabita. Then we went back to the quinoa restaurant for more quinoa burgers and milkshakes and another evening of playing cuarenta.

Nice bike ride through the cloud forest

Sunday was our last day in town and we wanted to visit the famous butterfly farm. We rented bicycles in town and pedaled up the 3 kilometer trail to the mariposario. I’ve never been to a butterfly farm before so this was a really cool experience for me. Once we stepped into the garden it was like a scene from a fantasy movie. Hundreds of colorful butterflies fluttered through the air and perched on every flower and sugar feeder. Almost immediately a butterfly with wings that looked like the eyes of an owl perched on Brian’s shoulder and remained there the whole time. We got to see rows and rows of pupa in various stages of unfurling. These were amazing. Some of them were in a milky jade green color that looked like jewelry. Others were completely transparent where you could see the colors of the butterfly wings inside.

Slowly waking up

In the garden they had trays of smashed ripe bananas to feed the butterflies. You could smear a little banana on your finger and hold it out for a butterfly to land on. It was so cool to see their little face straws uncurling to reach down and probe the banana goop. Cool stuff!

Cool stuff indeed...

We pedaled back into town and made one final trip back to the quinoa restaurant and in addition to our usual quinoa burgers we loaded up on quinoa cookies for the road. It was a lovely weekend and it was great to be able to relax with friends and be in nature for a respite.

The Best Field Trip

When I was young and growing up, my family went through a wide variety of tough circumstances and maladies, as any and every family does. I say this not to get into past circumstances, but instead to frame the context of a personal and professional interest of mine. Depending on the context, the degree program or school your in, or your criminal record, it goes by many names. Service learning, community service, court ordered service, and the like. Past family experience, my own mom's career as a social worker, and trips as a child to local soup kitchens and the like instilled a strong desire to help others within me.

 When I was in college, I was typical kid vacillating between mature budding adult and immature poor decision making teenager. I found myself in a class that provided a community service opportunity teaching and tutoring people who lived in a local homeless shelter. It is something I jumped at the chance to join and it was a program that I was involved with throughout all four years of my college experience. It was an experience that I consider to be profoundly formative in my life, and the bonus, ten years later my love of teaching and service that was born in that homeless shelter still lives on today.

My first teaching job was at a public school in Orlando. My first order of business after figuring out how to lesson plan and establish rules in my class was to establish a community service based after school club. Thus, Freedom Films was born. The idea of the club was that on Friday we would meet and watch a movie. The following week, we would pick a community service job related to the movie we watched. For example, watching Iron Man would lead to a discussion focused on heroism within our community and we would write thank you letters to military members stationed in the Middle East. We had a variety of activities and it changed every week. I paid for snacks out of pocket and enjoyed my small group of 3-5 kids and one adult. Then something happened and the group grew to 10 then 20 then 50. By my last year at that school, our club had more than 110 members and we were biting off chunks of larger projects. The club later spawned other branches at local schools around Central Florida.

In my second year at my current school, I was approached by my principal about leading a service learning initiative at our middle school. The idea behind it was we would start at a very base level and hopefully build a program from the ground up. We would require students to complete a very modest number of hours doing service work in the community. I jumped at the chance, made a website, and immediately began reaching out to the local community.

While doing this work I began to research similar programs around the world. I found some truly inspiring programs around the world but a nagging question kept popping into my head as I dove deeper and deeper. Do requirement programs do anything? Does a requirement kill natural initiative and the desire to do this sort of work? My main goals were to help the community and instill within my students a love and desire to participate in sustainable projects that could benefit their own development and programs that inspire them. I read a few articles arguing that requiring service hours had the same impact as overloading kids with homework, it killed the love to help. Others suggested that exposing students to new opportunities they wouldn't have come across anyway can spark interest in service projects.

I was torn on the issue. Creating and fostering a sustainable program designed to help the community was something I was deeply passionate about but I wanted to avoid the creation of a requirement to be checked off or trivialization of such programs. So I did what made the most sense to me, I asked the kids. For one of our writing prompt assignments, I gave students the opportunity to sound off on the topic. Should schools require service learning? The results were yet again split. Many students wrote about the very things I was wrestling with. The idea of requiring service and the benefit of potentially sparking a natural interest remained.

Let's jump ahead a bit. Throughout this introspective period our school and our students continued with the program as is. With the help of my school's CAS Coordinator, we set up a trip to a local orphanage. Specifically, we visited an orphanage that houses students with special needs. Within a day of posting a sign up sheet for the optional trip, I had maxed out my total amount of students I could bring and I had a wait list ten students long. The results were the same with the CAS program. Regardless of whether it was due to requirement or simply student interest, we had our trip filled.

The morning of the trip, all 26 students met on campus at 7:00am (on a Saturday!) and we set off for the trip. Our work was simple. We played with the kids and took them for a walk. With many of the kids living at the orphanage struggling with wheelchairs and needs that made it impossible for them to walk without support, they didn't get out a lot. We had middle and high school students carrying infants, pushing wheelchairs, and walking arm and arm with kids with muscular dystrophy. The afternoon was full of laughter and smiles from all those involved. When we returned, our kids helped the orphanage feed the kids lunch. For many of the orphans with severe needs, our students had the opportunity to help feed them and wipe their mouths. After lunch was served they cleaned the kitchens and continued to play with them until it was time to leave. The maturity, leadership, and willingness to do whatever was required on the part of my students was remarkable. I left the field trip inspired and hoped that it had a similar impact on our students.

For many of those students, they were simply fulfilling their required hours. For others, it was an eye-opening experience. The trip only took place a little over a week ago. Since then, I have had students ask me to set up another trip to the orphanage. Some have already reached out to local affiliate orphanages closer to our school and scheduled trips on their own. I've had kids propose fund raisers designed to help raise money for supplies needed at the shelter. I've had students begin putting toy drives together for Christmas and others do the same for school supplies and books. It all filled my heart and truly inspired me. But as with most things, I realize that sometimes the initial momentum of a recent trip can fade. However I am full of hope that these programs will be sustainable and inspired by the initiative that my students have shown.

However, amid the chaos of 26 students or more getting involved, the thing that made the most impact on me came from one student who came on the trip. The day after the trip, this student's mom came up to me and told me that the trip impacted him deeply. She told me how this student went home after the trip, sat down with his parents, and described what he had seen, what he had done, and how he wanted to continue to help. She told me that her son, herself, and her husband spent the better part of the evening talking about it all while crying. The next Monday, we started our creative writing assignment in my language arts class. The  protagonist of his story was a kid with Down's Syndrome. He wrote from the perspective of one of the kids he had met on the trip. Perhaps this trip was a moment that will resonate with him and his family. Perhaps it becomes formative for him moving forward. But even if it's not, it was reassuring and impactful for me. It helped lend clarity to the service learning debate raging in my own head.

I am not telling this story to simply talk about cool stuff I've had the opportunity to do, or highlight the work of my students. But rather, I am sharing it to frame the context of this my own reflection. I think all professionals should be reflective in their work, whether that be teaching, construction, or providing medical care. There were 25 pre-service teachers who were a part of that first program at the homeless shelter. It was required for many of them and voluntary for others. I have no idea how many later became teachers or social workers, or folks who regularly contributed to the community. Maybe all of them. Maybe only me. But what I do know is that one experience, shaped my perception of the world. Since that first day at the homeless shelter, I have led or participated in programs focused on engaging students to participate in the same opportunities. By my count I have been in organizations with, and worked alongside more than 600 students doing community service projects so far. I deeply hope that if even 1% of those kids find a love doing service work, maybe they grow up to be adults who have their own 500 students and doing projects. More would be better, but if that can be achieved, it seems like the program as it stands is enough.

Voting Overseas

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.

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.

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.

Hacienda Los Mortinos

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.

She Peaked Out Eventually

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.

Good Morning Cotopaxi

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.

Justin and Joe Ralph

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.

Cotopaxi, the Neck of the Moon

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.

Day 6-13 Cusco and Machu Picchu Adventure

Guest Writer-Meg

Baby llamas

Hello, I’m your guest blogger Meg, here to talk about our trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu. I will admit that most of what I knew about this city was based on the animated Disney classic, The Emperor’s New Groove. I was slightly disappointed to find no talking llamas with David Spade’s voice, but it was still a pretty interesting city full of street meats, markets, stray dogs, and a healthy dose of history and culture.

Downtown Cusco

On our first afternoon in the city, we did some sightseeing and finally discovered that South America can actually make a decent pizza, thanks to La Bodega 138.

On our full day in the city before heading to Machu Picchu, groups split up for different activities. Bethany and I explored the city, touring the Cusco Cathedral and Museo Inka. Our more adventurous group ventured to Sacsayhuaman - also spelled Saqsaywaman, Sasawaman, Saksawaman, Sacsahuayman, Sasaywaman or Saksaq Waman- a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city. Their tour of ruins there prepared them for the big show coming up.

Llama selfie

We traveled on Peru Rail to Aguas Calientes, the city at the base of Machu Picchu. Most everyone wandered the city, some exploring the hot springs and market. Note to any future travelers - choose your restaurants in Aguas Calientes carefully. We had some absolutely terrible food at more than one location there. Cat food does not equal tacos, let’s leave it at that.

Photo Bombs!

Our fearless tour guide, Sol, suggested we arrive in the Machu Picchu bus line at the ungodly hour of 4am, which we did. Even at that hour, we were still a few hundred people back. We waited patiently and slowly awoke as we found breakfast treats and coffee. Then we were off on our bus ride to Machu Picchu, one of the new seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Crew at Machu Picchu

Upon arrival, we started the hike up the cloudy ruins. Sol lead us to a secluded spot and told us the story of Machu Picchu and shared her passion with us. As she finished up her story, the clouds started to lift off the site and we got to see the full glory of Machu Picchu. It was a breathtaking sight and almost seemed unreal. We had some fantastic views, then followed Sol on a close up tour of the ruins. It is truly amazing to see all that remains there from the 15th century.

I'm not quite sure what's happening here.

After bidding farewell to Sol, most grabbed a bite to eat then wandered the site a bit more. Bethany and I took the leisurely route, relaxing on the grounds, napping and taking llama selfies. Our adventure group took a hike up to the Sun Gate to get some beautiful views of Machu Picchu.

The Ruins

By the time it was time for our train ride back to Cusco, we’d all had a full day of fun. Little did we know we were in for a FASHION SHOW on the train ride back. The crew showed off their alpaca ensembles to try and tempt us all to purchase them. There was also a terrifying clown that danced around the train car and successfully inserted himself into most of our nightmares. Who knew a train ride could involve so much entertainment?

Overall, Cusco and Machu Picchu did not disappoint. Huge thanks to Justin and Shannon for doing their homework and booking our tour and hotel. It was an amazing time!

Day 5- Mitad del Mundo

Guest Writer-Jessie

It is impossible for me to describe my experience at Mitad del Mundo without giving somewhat of a background of who I am and how I relate to the epic saga that is Justin and Shannon’s wedding.   First, allow me to properly introduce myself  (being that this little tale will be written in the first person narrative) my name is Jessie and I have the sole privilege of being Justin’s only sibling.  Many people are inclined to believe that he is my older brother however this is a popular misconception which I am sure has to do with Justin’s natural leadership and delegation skills, which consequently is also a major factor in most of our childhood physical altercations.  I digress.

To be perfectly honest, geography was not my best subject in school so when I first heard that Shannon and Justin were moving to Ecuador, I was not even sure what continent that country was on. I remember thinking “well that sounds extra foreign” and also like a once in a lifetime adventure that I was extraordinarily grateful that I was not a part of it (I’m not a fan of foreign foods; this single factor accounts for much of my hesitance with travelling outside the US).   I inquired with Justin and Shannon about where the country was, its economic standing, we touched upon the cultural a minuscule amount; however the one thing that really put the entire experience in perspective was that the Equator runs right through Ecuador.

The invitation to the Wedding came after I was already informed on the basic particulars (i.e. that they were getting married and that the ceremony would take place in South America).  I knew that although on paper it didn’t appear to work out; there was absolutely no way I was missing this wedding. Even though I was somewhat fearful of being kidnapped and forced into various forms of slavery (clearly an indication of my ignorance but hey I’m trying to be honest. Please don’t let it reflect too negatively on me).  After all, this was my YOUNGER (emphasis is for your benefit Justin) brother’s wedding and also because I really like Shannon as well.  So I began my travel experience from New York, NY to Quito, Ecuador- alone.  Which, as an aside, I think was tremendously brave on my part.

I could continue into great detail on the various adventures and tours that were planned, with great detail, on our behalf by Justin and Shannon. However, I was instructed that this could be as short or as long as desired but since I know that typically people get discouraged when looking at something rather long; I’ll do my best to keep it to a minimum from here on out.

Upon our arrival in Quito, we were given a breakdown of what the group would be doing every day and my initial reaction was that I could not wait to visit the Equator, i.e. Mitad del Mundo for those Gringos that don’t know.  I thought that while this entire trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity; that the visit to the Equator is something that truly not many people will ever get to experience.

Heather and Berto on the Equator

We departed from our lovely accommodations at the Hacienda Cusin in Otavalo, Ecuador on a brisk Saturday morning.  We took the several hour trip to the Equator and although I was beyond excited to visit this worldly monument, it was bittersweet as some of our group had either already left or were shortly departing to start their journey home.  I really did not know what to expect from the Mitad del Mundo.  Ecuador is a strange place of profound beauty and extreme poverty, this mix is what I find so fascinating about Ecuador.  I was not sure if it was simply going to be a simplistic giant line in a field or if it was going to be some extreme display of cultural pride.  I was just really excited to take pictures of me standing on the Equator and to be able to say that I truly was in two places at one time.
When we pulled up I saw that the Mitad del Mundo was indeed grandiose and clearly something much more than I expected.  It seemed to be situated at the top of a slight incline within the Andes Mountains.  The Mitad del Mundo had a walk way with a bright yellow line down the center that was the famous Equator.  The line ran straight up to the actual monument.  Running alongside the walkway were various tourist shops as well as a few restaurants (this is important, it will be incorporated later) and a museum that from what we understood housed various exhibits about the indigenous people of the area and there was a rumor that it also contained shrunken human heads.  This seemed to be a huge selling point for many people, but as someone who has seen human heads (the Mutter Museum in Philly, if anyone is interested) they really aren’t that interesting. After some moderate research I can tell you that this was done by “removing the skull, sewing the eyes and mouth shut, then cooking the skin for an hour or so and filling it with hot rocks” and it looks exactly the way you imagine- like a freeze dry Verizon of a head. (Here's an example).

Meg and her new boyfriend

There were large glass (or at least it appeared to be glass) statutes that also worked as a sitting spot for visitors that were made to look like giant hummingbirds resting on a solitary leaf.  They are beautiful; the artist uniquely utilized the natural colors that one seems to see solely in Ecuador. The curvatures of the glass are intricate; it makes you a little hesitant to want to sit in them.  They are a beautiful ornament that enhance the over-all feeling that one has when visiting the monument and are worthy of notation.

The Mitad del Mundo was also aligned with various little statutes that acknowledged that you were now at 0 degrees Latitude.  Most interesting were a variety of exhibits that show you the significance of the Equator; how it differs from pretty much every other area of the world.  A few notable examples worth mentioning are the fact that there are always 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night on the Equator.  There are also examples of the Coriolis Effect which is a natural phenomenon in which various elements react in the different hemispheres.  For example: water tides, hurricanes and wind patterns rotate one direction in the northern hemisphere and another direction in the southern hemisphere.  Interestingly, however, when a sink plug is pulled on the equator, the water does not swirl into the drain, it gets pulled straight down.  There were also demonstration tables in which one could test the infamous egg of a nail experiment.  Although I was eager to participate in this experiment, I wasn’t able to do so as another group of tourists, hell bent on accomplishing this task, tried for quite some time with little success however they were undaunted and continued, unfazed, to try despite the long line of people waiting about.  After witnessing their lack of success and growing impatient I decided to abandon ship.  Besides, I really did not want to be the one responsible for cracking the solitary egg that was provided for the exhibit- which would have surely been inevitable.

Bethany and Baby Bro

After wandering and exploring the monument I decided it was time to hunker down and get my requisite pictures- after all when afforded with the opportunity of a great selfie, it is almost a crime to let the moment pass. The Mitad del Mundo provides from some fantastic selfies as well as an opportunity to pose for some silly tourist photos.  With the assistance of Justin and Shannon we took some photos with either foot in each hemisphere and general silliness that is entirely too predictable but also great fun.  It was around this time that Justin informed me that as tourist trap, several of the stores would stamp your passport with the Mitad del Mundo stamp.  I had my mission.  Of all the well-seasoned travelers I have met in my lifetime, not a single one of them could claim that they had a passport stamp from the center of the world.  A few of my constituents and myself must of stopped in about 5 stores and consequently received about 5 confused looks along with some under the breath mutters about being Gringos before finally being able to locate someone who had the said passport stamp.  Ironically it was in one of the restaurants and it was not advertised as a service they provide however their kindness in providing it to us was rewarded when we decided to eat there.  I ordered French fries.

CUY!!!

Our time at Mitad del Mundo was limited but there had been whispers or flat out declarations throughout the entire trip (I’m referring to you, Tim) of excitement and precipitation; several people were not planning on leaving the country without trying the native delicacy of Cuy.   To save you a trip from Google I’ll just tell you what it is- it is guinea pig.  Yes the furry little creatures that resemble enlarged hamsters. Mostly of pleasant demeanor and primarily used as pets for small children in the United States. These animals appear to be prepared by skinning them and roasting them over a grill.  Although I had absolutely no intention of diverting from my already pre-assigned diet of French fries; I decided I really need to bear witness to several people from our group trying this delicacy for the first time.  When the dish was placed in front of us, it is not how I expected it to look.  I thought perhaps it was cut or garnished in a way that would not remind you that it was once an animal such as popularly prepared in America.  Clearly I was mistaken.  It was placed on our table with a stick through its body and skinned other than that it still resembled a small animal, albeit one in extreme agony.  It was at this point that I decided that no matter how much I was pressured, I would not succumb to eating the Cuy.  It was rather humorous to watch everyone else eat it. Some seemed to struggle through eating it; others seemed to revel in the foreignness of it.  Although I believe the consensus was that it tasted like dark meat chicken but that the skin had a “weird taste” and although I could be wrong I do not think anyone was looking forward to eating again.

Yum

The departure from Mitad del Mundo was bittersweet as I knew it would be the last time, or at least for a very long time, that I would see many of these people including my brother and new sister in law.  I felt very much like a stranger when I first came to Ecuador.  Most of the people I had never met before but by the time I left they felt more like family.  I think that overall we all came to Ecuador to celebrate the wedding of Justin and Shannon.  All of us travelling many miles to support them, be there to watch them get married and start their new lives as husband and wife and as an testiment of the love that we all possess for them both- individually and as a couple.  However ultimately I think that Justin and Shannon gave each of us a much greater gift.  They took the most significant event in their respective lives and turned it into such a great adventures for all of us. They planned things so that many of us, who were strangers to each other, felt like family by the end of it.   It was truly such a selfless thing to do.  The wedding week was probably the largest testament of love that I have ever seen, not just for Justin and Shannon to each other but for all of us who came to their wedding and got to partake in the incredible adventures they planned for everyone.  I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed to have been a part of it.  It was truly the trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Day 4-Cuicocha Hike

The Corky Campuzano trail hike. July 22 0700 hrs

Guest Writer-Justin K.

Cuicocha Lake

So there we were. We had just finished up with quite probably the most awesome wedding any of us will ever attend in our life time. Barely 4 hours had passed since we layed our heads down and tried to recoup from the festivities of the night before when the alarm woke us up. But it didn't take long to realize that the early wake up was going to be well worth it.

Justin and Shannon having successfully navigated the hike in an earlier recon mission knew the trick would be to start the hike at the "back" and work our way toward the "front". This allowed for a more gradual introduction to the hills and would render the steepest grade a nice decent right at the end of the hike, in stead of an abrupt uphill start.

Some sort of foolishness

After some persuasive bilingual convincing, the bus driver (insert name) agreed to Justin's reverse start plan and drove us to the end of the hike. The terrain seemed gentile enough to start. The first half mile or so brought us through a field of grass where cows were grazing.  Some beautiful scenery for sure, but it wasn't until about 10 minutes in that the beauty of the mountain and the lake below revealed itself. Any lingering grogginess from the early morning start were all but dissipated by that panoramic view. The first glimpse of the lake and mountain range were breathtaking, and it wasn't just the 10,000 + feet in elevation talking.

After several rounds of picture taking that will inevitably fail to do justice in the sharing of this experience, we bagan to chip away at the 14 kilometer trek that lay before us (8.4 miles, but it sounds more impressive in klicks). The first few miles consisted mostly of relatively easy uphills and gradual downhills. The temperature, as it was for most of the entire trip, was perfect for hiking. Justin hung toward the back of the pack and let the gringos, with their questionable altitude acclimation drive the pace. Clearly Heather, a personal trainer by trade and likely the most fit among us was the natural choice to take point. She drove the pace hard and only 4 of 10 of us would make it off of the mountain that day. Actually we all made it, but you get the point.

Group Shot

Everyone was cruising along and we were making excellent time, even with frequent stops to capture the scenery...look for my entry on the next "shot on an iPhone" commercial btw. The grade was beginning to steepen quite a bit about 1/3 of the way through. You know you are starting to climb some serious hills when Ecuadorians feel the need to put steps on the trail. Back to back flights of stairs slowed the pace considerably. Alberto treated us to an epic retelling of the exploits of "Chad", aspiring Air Force drone operator and everyone's spirits were sufficiently lifted for another flight of stairs.

At the highest point in the hike we were approximately  10,350 feet above sea level, and 10,349 feet above the Eastern shoreline of the U.S. where most of this group normally resides if you were keeping score. At what appeared to be about the summit of the hike we stopped for a well deserved break and bagged lunch from the hacienda. The food was great and the view from under the pavilion at the top was even better.

As promised by resident expert and tour guide Justin, the second half of the hike was kinder on the hamstrings than the first. The back side of the mountain provided a different and equally beautiful view of the landscape, along with the stiff breeze that inspired the  "condoring" that ensued. We couldn't help but tap our inner Joe Namith by attempting to the throw rocks what we will call thousands of feet to the crater lake below. The success rate was questionable but no one fell down the mountain so we will call it a win.

We made short work of the last few miles and pulled into the finish with an impressive total time of 3:45. In an absolutely uncanny display of planning and time management, we walked up to the visitor center literally within 5 seconds of the bus ferrying the second half of the wedding group. At this point in the trip, I don't know why any of us were surprised. The level of detailed planning and forethought by Justin and Shannon and all those that help plan the entire wedding week was incredible. The hike was an experience of a lifetime that none of us will soon forget.

Editor's Note: One other group did a short hike to the beautiful Peguche Waterfalls while we were hiking Cuicocha. There is no narrative for that trip, but some pictures are below.

Day 3- Wedding Day

Guest Writer-Jamie M.

Officially Married!

As we headed to breakfast, the morning sun and crisp air pushed out the fog of the previous night’s open bar. Familiar faces, new friends and old, wandered the lush gardens of the monastery. We added about a thousand more pictures of lamas and exotic plants to our camera roll before playing a quick pick-up game of basketball. Since it was the wedding day, I decided not to completely humiliate Justin and the other groomsmen. I kept the dunking to a minimum… they might refute these facts, but probably just to save face.

Groomsmen and Groom

It was still quite early, but at this point the women had already retreated to their makeup fortress. Brandishing curling irons and mascara, they began the secretive process of “getting ready” for the wedding. The men also began preparations, mostly Cuban cigars and fine whiskey.

The bride's beautiful sisters

We reconvened not long after lunch, headed to the rooftop, and cracked the bottle of Blue. With our Panama hats and Cubans, we looked like men from a different era (or at least we would have if I didn’t wear my Spiderman t-shirt). After a couple hours of manly silence, a meaningful nod from the groom dispersed the group. It was time.

Justin, Megan, Jen, Jessie, Jamie, Brian, and Suzy

 As previously planned, the guests were allowed a generous amount of time to take in the picturesque garden venue where Justin and Shannon would soon be exchanging vows. The bridesmaids emerged, looking beautiful of course, and we began our march down the rose petal aisle. Escorted by her father, Shannon made her way down the stone steps to meet her groom. Thankfully her radiant beauty took the spotlight, so not many got to see the stupid grin on Justin’s face. (Editor's Note: Fact) Their family and closest friends watched with smiles as Justin and Shannon joined hands and, with their heartfelt (and hilarious) vows, joined their lives together.

Shannon and Uncle Richard

Ashley, Delaney, and Mark

After the usual post-wedding pictures and some rose petal frolicking, it was time to celebrate. We rejoined the rest for a cocktail hour in the garden. There was rum, humitas, and an excellent guitarist. Tim also cemented his blossoming friendship with a lama. The food and festivities were just beginning. The staff herded us inside for dinner, which was quite delicious. Speeches were made. Some brought laughter and others brought tears, but all were delivered with love. The rest of the night was a blur of dancing, partying, and some unforgettable dance moves (that some people would probably like to forget).

No explanation needed

David, Jen, and Kevin