First Night At Site: Paján

(written in my journal on August 16, 2017)

My first night at site began with goodbyes & gift exchanges, hopeful hugs & teary-eyed thank yous. Goodbyes have never been easy for me, though after 4 cities in 6 years, some say I should be used to this. But every life I've encountered is unique, and each relationship has meaning. So I dreaded today -- but it came and went; and once again, I left. Goodbye Tumbaco, goodbye Quito, goodbye Pichincha, goodbye Sierra.

It was time to begin my new life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Coastal region of Ecuador, in the Province of Manabí, in the Canton of Paján.

The bus ride felt like forever. I will always opt for the night bus from here on out, lesson learned. Winding roads as our double decker coach bus hugged the sides of the Sierran mountans; a drive too scary for me to even look out the window at times, yet one of the most beautiful views I've every laid eyes upon.

I wonder: why would God make the most beautiful things feel like the most risky to experience? That'll preach.

Views from the +593

Mountains gave way to jungle; banana trees transitioned into rice farms; high-altitude became sea-level and my ears clogged up to remind me. In the country's largest city, Guayaquil, I arrived with my oversized luggage and a smile. Then I rushed to make the last connecting bus to my new hometown, Paján.

Fourteen hours after starting my country commute, I pulled up in front of the central park (now the header on this blog), and my new host Dad, Eduardo & a new veci, William, welcomed me as my bags offered them an unintended workout. I made it home and laid down on my bed in my cross-country clothes, unwilling to expose my "sangre nuevo" to the hungry mosquitoes ready to greet me and my skin.

The rest of my new host family arrived after attending a late night mass, and I fell into the spirit of saludos, Ecuadorian style.

Fresh out of the shower, and ready for bed, I realize that all days that start with goodbyes will end with hellos.