LoveMaqui: Chapter 1, Part Dos: The Lost Lady

"I arise in the morning

torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.

This makes it hard to plan the day."

- E.B. White

After time, practice and patience I set out to work on my goals:

Learn Spanish and find a place to Volunteer in Ecuador.

Daily, I settled down on my porch overlooking my beautiful Florida backyard, practicing Spanish for an hour or so with the program my brother got me, Rosetta Stone.

I also began researching volunteer opportunities throughout Ecuador.. Though the search seemed never ending and always too broad.

Time was passing.. as it does best.

Did I know anyone in Ecuador? I began to think…

I had a friend I had met in Europe, Pamela.. Well, technically I had met her in the state. For we first encountered one another on the airplane. She was on her way home to Brussels, where I was flying to begin my year study in Europe. After a five-hour delay because of a treacherous storm, she and I became close friends.

Connections and trust can be created in the shortest amount of time, just so long as you feel it. And Pamela and I shared this, so much that she offered to have me for Christmas in her home in the French Alps, a dream I thought this was and I was extremely pleased when this actually happened.

The beautiful French Alps is where Pamela told me of her planned adventure to travel South America for a year.

I contacted Pamela when I was preparing my trip to Ecuador, wondering if she would be in this part of the continent by April.. and as it turns out, she would be!

So now I had a friend to meet in Ecuador to begin my travels.

With a sad heart, I quit Ceviche in March.

Traveled to Charleston, SC to see my Gannie Kitsy, as I always care to do. And decided to make a quick visit to New York City to see my Uncle Rip and his family and to explore any prospecting opportunities in the big apple that would help with my adventures that lie ahead.

Fortunately for me, there was.

I was able to have a meeting with a couple in the United Nation, a place where I would be very happy to work one day.

There, I told them of my adventure to Ecuador and my difficulty with finding a volunteer organization that allowed me to learn and grow while helping, they suggested researching NGO (nongovernment organizations).

Once I was able to, I did just that. Sending an email to every NGO I could find in Ecuador in English and Spanish (googletranslate) regarding myself and my desire to use my business degree to help an organization while learning Spanish.

Many responses came fast, although with organizations that I believed I was not quite fit for, i.e. an English teacher or an orphanage.

So I waited, as I hear patience is a virtue.

Fortunately for my patience the right opportunity presented itself, Maquipucuna. The research of this organization, in which I noticed right away, was remarkable! A 16,000-acre reserve in the Cloud Forest/Andes of Ecuador. Where I would use my business skills to help organize the operations of the EcoLodge.

Well, I didn't know much else about what it is I would be doing, but I was all game!

Just a few days before my departure I had my birthday.

And what a lovely birthday it was!

Friends and family together in my backyard near the lake. Playing games and eating food, laughing and enjoying the wonderful moment.

The night ended long, as did the next day..

And of course to my mistake.. packing was the waited till the last minute. Not really putting much thought into materials I needed, I packed the essentials.. hiking boots, camera, Spanish dictionary, cargo pants and an old bikini.. anything but flattering items, so I could be as basic and unnoticed as possible. This later, as I came to find out.. was a bit of a silly mistake.

As the day approached, I drove down to Miami with my amazing father for the night to catch my flight for the next day. My dear friend Christie offered us her apartment and my dear friend Ryan his company. So my father and I enjoyed a lovely time together before I departed, for he was quite sad to see my go.

The day was April 1^st and I was off to Ecuador.

With no lack of contemplations...

Long lines for check-in, changed airline, running completely across the Miami airport, no time to check my bag, passing security with my enormous pack, somehow getting through with all my equipment, and sprinting to .. of course, the furthest gate and luckily making it to my airplane for the last call.

My seat was next to a lovely Ecuadorian women, who was quite surprised to see a young girl traveling alone in her country.

Cuidate was her last words (take care).

Which for the first time struck my realization of what I was doing… voyaging to Ecuador, alone.