Today, as I was walking home from the grocery store the ground shook slightly under my feet and I realized that I hardly even notice those tremblors anymore. I've become so accustomed to their regular occurrence that I almost find them as ordinary as shopping for groceries. Although actually, they're just as extraordinary as looking up from my daily walk only to have my gaze meet the snowcovered top of a volcano. That view always makes me appreciate how incredible this world really is.
Last weekend was filled with wonder as my friends and I decided to go and visit the village of Quilotoa and its associated crater. The rain was pouring down when we first arrived but it stopped eventually and we were able to walk down to the bottom of the crater just as the sun set and the moon came out. It was an enchanted evening, wandering around the inside of a volcanic crater in the moonlight and then falling asleep under a thick blanket next to the fireplace at our hostel.
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| Laguna de Quilotoa |
The next morning, we woke up early to hike around the crater. It's a trek that goes up and down, down and up... not unlike my life here! It looks easy before you start but once you're on the path there will be times when you wonder if you're ever going to make it all the way around. In some places it's hard to see the trail, there's no safety net and some of those stubborn hills are absolutely brutal. But then again, I can't tell you how amazing it is to reach the top and breathe in the magic of it all. Minerals make the water shift in color from blue to green and the stunning view makes your heart skip a beat. It's definitely worth the climb.
The hike around the crater takes about six hours and somewhere halfway I started guessing which one was going to be our ultimate uphill.
This has to be the last one, I said at least ten times to my worn out friends. It looks really steep but once we're over this one the rest will be easy. I promise.
Nevertheless, I was wrong every time. As soon as we got across one hill, there was an even steeper one waiting for us on the other side. Eventually, I stopped guessing and walked on in silence instead, allthewhile reflecting on life. It never gets easy, does it? Some steps are always going to be hard but once you get going all you really have to do is just put one foot in front of the other. Pretty soon, the hike will be complete and you will find your tired but happy self right back where you started. Your feet may be touching familiar ground again but something inside of you has shifted. And that shift changes everything.
A year ago, I decided that I would go to South America in 2016 and here I am, with no regrets. Despite the uphills battles, I can honestly say that coming to Ecuador was the best decision I ever made. The year is about to end, the ground has stopped shaking (at least for now) and my heart is content. The circle is full.
Even so, my only wish is that you were here to share the magic with me. That's all I want for Christmas this year.
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| Time to spread the eagle wings and fly |
