Mini Emotional Outburst

I am home.

Most of my compatriots celebrated the 6-month marker in Ecuador last week.

I am very grateful to be home and with my family while trying to sort out my health, and to support them while others go through some major health issues.



I am also just so incredibly sad that I am not down there, doing what I set out to do.



That is all for now.

Getting Sick while Volunteering - a Saga solely about Me.

FINAL UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST - 10/31/14

A health Saga, starting late August, Explained on 9/5/14

So, I haven't said too much of it to too many people, primarily because I'm not sure what's going to end up happening, but also because the few people I have shared with have been supportive beyond measure. In which case, here's just a public update so that people know why I'm goofing off in Quito and not working in the lovely Chaguarpamba.

The first week into site, I began noticing that when I woke up in the mornings (or even at night), one or both of my arms would be numb. This became a daily occurrence, which I found strange and a little worrying, but didn't really pay attention to - it'd happened on and off during training, but stopped after I ignored it for a while. Once my legs started doing the same numb-after-sleep thing, I mentioned it to a fellow volunteer who is an RN - she (quite rightly) chastised me for not calling it in to our Doctors, so I went ahead and did so.

For a couple of weeks, I lugged myself into Loja to get Xrays done of my neck, and to work on some PT, but nothing really seemed to help the symptoms. The doctors were concerned about nerve damage and a lack of curvature in my spinal column, and eventually agreed that it would be best for me to be sent up to Quito.
Mind you, I wasn't keen on leaving my site at all, but the pain was getting out of control. I've always had a pretty high pain tolerance, but the location of the pain admittedly freaks me out, so we all decided that I should come to Quito for observation and treatment.

Upon arrival, a neurologist saw me and tried PT with muscle relaxers - this made the pain and symptoms much worse, so PT was discarded. Constant muscle cramping, electric-tingling, and occasional burning sensations throughout the body were added to the list of daily symptoms.
A few days after the first appointment in Quito, an MRI came back negative (which is good; that means no surgery), so they shipped me off to an internal medicine doctor. After another thorough exam, they weren't really able to come up with anything beyond the fact that my neck is becoming increasingly (outrageously) painful. All bloodwork appears normal, and my medical history doesn't seem to indicate any congenital conditions or interesting diseases picked up on my recent travels. So basically, after almost 6 weeks, we have a long list of things that are definitely not the problem. While I appreciate the scientific method, I'm grumpy about it using me as an example of negative-hypotheses.

Today, the information was passed back up to Washington D.C., to try and get some recommendations on treatment, tests, or advice on how to proceed. I have no idea what the next week holds in store, apart from more waiting around, reading novels, and drinking herbal tea. I have no real desire to stay in Quito (sorry kids - Loja girl for life!) or go back to the states, but at this point, I just want some resolution - after more than a month of this tomfoolery, I'm exhausted, grumpy, and just want some answers.

Along for the journey, my family and friends back home have been very sweet and supportive, even though I've been having a month-long gripe-fest.
My fellow volunteers (well, those in the know) have been magnificent, a couple of you checking in on me daily and spending your precious saldo - can't say how much I appreciate you.
And also Dr.s Serrano and Troya have been absolutely magnificent - the whole system of working with a governmental agency, and in a country where tests and exams proceed at a much slower pace than the states has been frustrating, but they've been patient with me every step of the way. Incredibly thorough and kind, I'm so very grateful to have the two of them looking out for me, even when their patient starts losing patience with the system.

SO - we'll see what life holds in store for me over the next week or two. Hopefully we'll be able to balance it out, fix it up, and pack me back down to site. Or, worst case scenario allowed, send me back to the states for resolution, and then get me back to site all healthy and ready to save the world.

Anywho, I have admittedly been very wrapped up in myself and the problems that have been accosting my family this past month - for anyone who I've neglected, or who feels that I've been distant lately, I apologize. I try not to let these things take over my life and my attention, but sometimes I don't succeed in that goal.

EDIT: The reason I've explained everything in such detail - when I tell people I'm in Quito for medical issues, everyone asks me about the symptoms, etc. Y'all are curious and very sweet to be so, but I just don't want to explain it a dozen times.

UPDATE as of Wednesday, 9/17/14

Hey Guys,

So, as my status declares, the decision has been made to Medically Evacuate me from Ecuador for the moment to try and figure out what is going on. Basically, this is no reason to panic. Please stop doing so.

This is not what I want to see:http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA2LzE4LzdjL0JlYWtlci4zOWJhOC5naWYKcAl0aHVtYgkxMjAweDk2MDA-/4a93e3c4/4a4/Beaker.gif

What it boils down to is that, after over a month of rigorous testing and coming at this problem from a lot of different angles in Ecuador, myself, our in-country medical team, and the international medical office have decided that it'll be better for me and for them to have me living at home and to have doctors here evaluate me to try and figure out what's going on with my back. I landed in the USA today (Weds 9.17) and am currently at home. My full time job at the moment is to go to doctors, get tested for stuff, and to figure out what's going on. Currently, a lot of the symptoms I've been experiencing are calming down to a manageable level, apart from the consistent and increasing pain in my back, head and neck. Whatever the cause, this is an opportunity to just step back, take a deep breath, and go at this with everything we've got, while having my family around to support me and help me through it. I'm disappointed to not be at my site and working on projects and doing what I set out to do, but this is a good chance for us to get this sorted and to not interfere with my future service.
I have no idea what my timeline is - I could be here for a week, or I could be here for the full 45-day medical leave - it all depends on what sort of alien the doctors determine I have growing on my spine. When I know more, I'll try to update you - for now, we're just assuming that most of my time will be spent at doctors getting poked, prodded, scanned, dissected, tested, and evaluated.

You are all awesome and very kind to keep up with me and to keep asking - if you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them, but a lot of my life right now is in the limbo of 'We don't know' - when I do, I'll certainly update y'all (probably here). This certainly might throw a monkey wrench in my plans for the next two years, but that's not something I know for sure yet. What I do know is that I'm getting really good care, amazing support, and a chance to hug my family. That's what matters 

UPDATE as of Wednesday, 10/8/14

OK, well, it's been a weird couple of weeks.

Two Thursdays ago, I underwent a Lumbar Puncture to rule out MS - every doctor I've talked to over the past two months has bandied that potential diagnosis about, so it's been a wee bit stressful. After having to go back in to patch up after the procedure (look up "blood patch" in association with lumbar puncture - it's not fun), I waited two weeks to find out that the results are NEGATIVE. YES - we have ruled out MS. Thank God. I've had that on my mind for too long, and I'm so relieved to not worry about that one any more.

Of the other tests that are running, a bunch of rule outs are still in process. The first and only thing that's been found to be out of whack on my bloodwork (after 2+L being taken over the past two months) is that I had a virtually non-existent level of B12, which likely is the reason for plaque buildup in my brain. That artifact is what had all of my doctors getting excitable about MS. We don't know *why* my B12 levels are so crappy, but that means that I'm taking injectable B12 on a regular basis, trying to get my levels back to a range that my doctor considers "compatible with life." That process might take a while, but we're just chugging along and pursuing other avenues in the meantime. They don't think that this is the cause for the other symptoms that have been joining in the Melinda-Party, but no one knows.

I'm going to be visiting with a Rheumatologist on Friday 10/10 for more examination, poking, prodding, and probably bloodwork. So, things continue to move VERY slowly, we continue to figure out what ISN'T wrong with me. Baby steps. Today marks the halfway point in my MedEvac period - if we cannot figure out what's going on by Oct 30, I'll be medically separated (which basically means honorably discharged from PC for health issues). At that point, it'd depend on diagnoses, prognoses, and a whole lot of other "oses" before we can determine whether I'll be able to try and reinstate (ie return to my job/site) within a reasonable amount of time, or if my PC journey will be over.

So - that's where we are. I can't tell anyone what my plans are, where I'll be in two weeks, or what I want to happen. All I know is I want to figure this out - beyond that, every other aspect of planning has to be put on hold.

UPDATE as of Friday 10/31/14

Well, here we are. The end of my grace period for MedEvac, and only a few steps closer to finding answers.

Since I last updated, I've been in to see several doctors and specialists, all of whom have come up with a lot of negative diagnoses, but nothing to explain why my B12 has been low or why I am having the other symptoms. We've eliminated pretty much any immune-system disease, a whole host of neurological diseases, and physical abnormalities.

Because no one really has any idea of how to progress now, I'm going to see an Infectious Diseases specialist next week just to eliminate the possibility of any guests that have journeyed home with me.

In the meantime, the gameplan of the powers that be is to have me on a host of oral vitamins and supplements, as well as B12 injections pretty frequently to try and normalize my levels.

For whatever reason, my system isn't absorbing B12, which has led to a decline in my nervous system - basically, if you have low enough B12 for long enough, your nervous system starts shutting down, and leave it long enough, it'll shut down permanently. Apparently, it was starting to paralyze me, which is both cool and horrifying. I was also told that my B12 bottomed out harder and faster than the neurologist usually sees, so we don't know how much damage has been done. Thus far, taking B12 a lot seems to have addressed a lot of the neuropathy that I've been experiencing, but headaches, neckaches, and weakness are still pretty severe. The gameplan is to have me on B12 for 6 months before a full workup (bloodwork, potentially another MRI, etc), and then another exam at the 1-year mark (early September 2015). At that point, if my body seems to be back to normal, they may experiment to see if we can try me on oral B12 tablets, but the neurologist doesn't like the idea, as another bad dip in the B12 could do some gnarly damage to me. B12 for life, kids!

All in all, I was complaining about symptoms, but not willing to actually do anything about it until Shelley made me, so thank you dear - apparently another month and there would have been more serious issues.

So where does that leave my work life?

Upon discussion with the health coordination office in Washington, we all agreed that at this juncture, I'm not able to go back to my site. I'd be remote enough that any complication could spell disaster - that and carrying my bags isn't really in the cards for me at the moment. 

So, I'm being medically separated (ie, honorably discharged) from the PeaceCorps starting today. 

I will have the option to apply for reinstatement over the next year, if I feel that everything is back to normal and the doctors give me the all-clear. Right now, because of rechecks required and medicine administration methods, there's not a great chance that I'll make it back down to Chaguarpamba. It's heartbreaking to see all of the effort on my part and the support your part to get me down there seemingly be wasted - at the same time, I'm choosing to follow the advice of so many wise men and women - I can always reapply to PeaceCorps, but I can't get a new body. So let's try and sort this out while I've got time.

UPDATE as of Wednesday, 12/3/14

So, the saga continues (albeit with less oversight from PC and less excitement on my end). I finally convinced them to let me go and see an infectious diseases doctor. Basically, these folks are the ones who identify bugs picked up during travel, communicable diseases, zoonotic diseases, etc. One would think, given my habits over the past year, that a visit to one of these guys early on would have been warranted - anywho, after months, I finally got my way and went to see someone here.

The doc ran a bunch more tests and cultures, and after a couple of weeks got a partial positive back on Brucellosis.

Now, it's easiest for you to just google this and go with the Wikipedia article. There are all sorts of interesting names associated with it, and some pretty harrowing long-term consequences. The issue with Brucellosis is that it's annoying to diagnose. Super, SUPER  hard to diagnose - they almost never are able to catch it until the host has been infected for a really long time, and basically has irreversible, and often fatal, symptoms. And even at that point, not all of the tests will come back positive - there simply isn't a lot of knowledge about diagnosing the disease. A good and more certain way of running diagnosis is to do a bone marrow culture - I'd love to avoid that, and he doesn't want to do it right now, so it's off the table for the moment.

Anywho, I have several of the markers, and one of the two blood tests that signifies me as having it is positive, so that's the running diagnosis. They've got me on a three month treatment (already started it a couple of weeks ago), and we'll be revisiting for bloodwork once a month until such time as I'm released from taking 10+ pills per day. It's probable that I got it from my exposure to livestock while I was down south - the last time I was treating a canine patient for this was too long ago for it to have been the cause for my illness this go-around.

Once you've been freaked out by the potential consequences of this disease on Wikipedia, our current theory is that it's in early stages, and thus can be terminated with the correct combination of antibiotics. We'll be revisiting that and checking in on it later on during treatment, but for now, this could be good news. DOESN'T explain the B12 deficiency at all (annoying..), but he's not as worried about that at the moment.

For now, after just two weeks I'm feeling more like a person again, with energy and a memory, and all of that amazing stuff. Exciting.

So, we'll see how this goes and where this leads. For now, I'm starting a contracting job (and doing any house/pet sitting jobs that folks would like me to do) and will be hopefully moving into an apartment at the beginning of January. A long and unexpected road this has been, but we'll get to a healthier stage of it eventually. What I can say for sure: It isn't/wasn't all in my head. And the fear that I was just going insane was a very real fear of mine, so that's an amazing relief.

Fun Fact of the Day: Brucellosis is a disease that I studied pretty intensely in my Biological Warfare Course, because it's been developed as a Bioweapon. YEAH.

---

To those of you who fought hard for me to work up the courage to dive into the PeaceCorps - Thank You.

To those of you who showed such incredible support and generosity on my way down, and once I was already there - Thank You.

To those of you who have supported me throughout the process, whether by praying, offering advice, or just listening to me gripe - Thank You.

As someone who's always considered herself pretty much invincible and hardy, it took me giving up my pride to admit that maybe I can't do this yet. It stings pretty fiercely, but life will teach us lessons and give us silver linings in every situation. Luckily, I am blessed more than many with friends and family to help me through this, so I know I'll get back into fighting form before long. The biggest silver lining is that I will be able to be here for my dad's open heart surgery in November, which was a huge concern of mine.

So, while I search for jobs and an apartment to tide me over while I figure out what the future will be looking like here, it's time to spend with people I love and to keep on growing and learning, even if it's not in Ecuador.

Thank you, PCVs, for being an amazing set of people to get me through training and the first little bit of time I had at site. I miss you loads, and am already planning on getting back into fighting form to rejoin you, or at the very least visit you.

A Shift in Expectations

When we first arrived in Ecuador, we were warned that there would be similarities to our own culture, as well as differences so vast that they boggle the mind. Luckily, I was raised by parents who toted my sister and myself along in their vast wanderings across the globe, so to me, parts of this new world almost seem a little farcical. For example:

It's strange to be wandering through a mid-size city in a south American country, and suddenly to hear the music of an ice cream truck break through the bustle and shouts of the every day.

It's even stranger, and endlessly delightful, to discover that there are in fact no ice cream trucks here - no, that music emanates from the trucks with tanks of water or gasoline driving around.

I'm unsure of why this being the norm fascinates me so - it makes complete sense for this to be the natural order of things here. Not many people have their own cars, tap water is generally non-potable, gas is used for cooking and heating, and both types of tanks are incredibly heavy.
It's a genius idea, really - but considering that my subconscious expectation of music flowing from a truck means excessive goodies just shifts this fact into the realm of hopelessly strange.

After learning about this truck and music combination, I've started noticing it everywhere I go. And it continues to make me grin and appreciate those little absurdities in my everyday life.

Jogging at Sunrise with the Critters

So, I need to take pictures of my jogging route at some point.

I run right at sun up (or a little after) along a mountain road that runs from my town, Chaguarpamba, over to the next, Olmedo. This route is very rural and winding, with a house or two strewn every half kilometer or so, and a goodly amount of traffic, so as to make it safe for me to run alone (as I prefer doing).

The mornings here usually consist of several phases - overnight, clouds build up in the valley, and around 5am wind comes through and start shifting them about - the clouds remind me a lot of whipped cream at that hour, and right as dawn is starting to creep over the most distant mountains we can see, the clouds are being pushed up the mountain, covering us in fog, and falling back down in a beautiful "whipping the butter" sort of formation.
Dawn comes about and the clouds in the upper half of the valley dissipate around 6:30am, giving us a beautiful, clear sunrise. This leaves the bottom half of the valley hidden, looking like a bowl of risalamande (Google it, if you don't already know what that is) - that's usually when I'm out on the road. Over the course of the next hour, those lower clouds dissipate, and the whole valley gradually fills up with sunshine.

I've only done it a few times, but it's just so incredibly beautiful to run on that road. From the border of Chaguarpamba, it's approximately 11.5 km to Olmedo, which is the perfect distance for my half marathon training - the goal at the end of these two years is to be able to jog/run a 1/2 marathon sin pausa. We'll see how that goes! Right now, 5 km (2.5 out and 2.5 back) is my starter distance, and I'm enjoying it. Because the road runs along the edge of the valley, for at least the first 3 km you can see how far you've actually gone - once I get as far out as I'm planning each morning, I am both proud and distressed about how far I've got to jog home!

Dodging cow droppings and the occasional angry dog is pretty standard on that route. The confused looks I get from the locals as I gasp and sweat... I mean triumphantly jog past their houses amuse me - hopefully over the next two years, I'll get more smiles and good morning wishes in return for mine.

This morning, for a good 20 yards of my run a flock of bright yellow birds that look a bit like large sparrows were flying just ahead of me - fluffing up, resettling, seeing that I was still running towards them and moving another 5 feet further up the road. They were all watching me curiously, but didn't seem to be afraid at all - it was pretty awesome. Reminds me of the time in Acworth when I was running through the woods and a herd of about 15 deer were running in the woods alongside my path, keeping pace with me - it felt very Pocahontas. [insert obligatory 'Colors of the Wind' break]

Another little bird, a fat, brown, sparrow-ish creature also made an appearance along the road - he flew out of some bushes and decided to land on a very long stalk of grass - sadly, it wouldn't bear his weight and cartoonishly bowed down to the ground almost immediately. Realizing that he was too fat for the grass, the bird decided to try... another long blade of grass... and then another. After a few rounds, he settled back onto the fence and watched me run past. That was one of the single most precious things I've seen while I've been here. Watch out, Aurora - my love for naps and list of cute-critter stories may overtake your title in the next two years!

A day in the early life of a PeaceCorps Volunteer

It's not every day that you can see a nun in full habit, wearing a baseball cap, driving a beat-up old truck and getting it stuck sideways in the street while failing to execute a 3-point turn... well actually, it's every day for me.

Chaguarpamba has many quirks and intersecting lives that I'm only barely beginning to scratch the surface of. I'm still in the process of trying to meet people, get to know the area and culture, figure out how I can fit in (Read: stand out) here. I've bumped into dozens of youth, and kind of know the family of my counterpart and host family, but networking is going incredibly slowly apart from that. Some of the shopkeepers know me now, and a couple of random people, but introductions by my organization members isn't something they really do. In the next few weeks, I'll be going to visit all of the families of my youth group, so that'll skyrocket the number of people I know - until then, daily walks and brief "How ya doin'" conversations will have to do.

I went to my first Red Cross events the other day, which ended up being two long First Aid courses for local teachers. It was fascinating to have all of this information repeated in Spanish (I probably could have given a good 75% of the presentation without notes, but only in English...). The side-tracking conversation-starting was starting to drive me nuts, but I hear that's pretty common here. Something to get used to, I guess. I've gotten on the schedule to do charlas with one of the regional high schools in the next couple of weeks, in collaboration with the Catamayo police. They'll be addressing drug and alcohol abuse issues, while I'll be working with the consequences of sex (it's a catholic school, so contraception isn't really an option). From what projected plans look like, I'll be doing the same and/or more for two more high schools over September and October, and then coordinating a full school-year worth of efforts with the Catamayo police for 2015, depending on the results of the surveys at each of the schools. BOOM - some sort of project set up! It's going to be tough to figure out how to mobilize the women and girls in the community, as they tend to be pretty housebound in the local culture, but I'll do what I can! I have two years to figure it out. I've got two years, so no worries.

Need a schoolbus in rural Ecuador? Grab a chiva! Picture found online.

On my way back to town from one of the Red Cross charlas the other day, I had a great moment of realization. We were all hot and sweaty, gross, tired, and pretty hungry. We jumped into a chiva full of school kids, and rode through the Ecuadorian mountains for about 25 minutes. It's amazing what having a vehicle full of arguing and giggling kids can do for your mood, while having the wind comb your hair and dry your sweat. Once the majority of them were off and we were just sitting quietly and enjoying a bit of a rest, it struck me that I'm actually here!
I'm a PeaceCorps volunteer!
I'm living in Ecuador!
I'm tired, I'm scared stiff, overwhelmed by language and culture differences, and so very excited about it. If nothing else, this is showing me some of the limits I didn't know I possessed, and presenting me with a lot of very real and very important growth opportunities that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.

There have been so many instances in which I've wanted to thrown in the towel and just not deal with all of this hard work - find something comfortable, something easy, something I know I can do. But then I think, why? Completely apart from really having drunk the KoolAid on the PeaceCorps mission, I want to grow. Whatever I was missing in the states, whatever I wasn't finding in my life there, I'm being pushed towards it here. Complacency and boredom in worklife aren't for me - and I'm pretty positive that I won't have the option of that here.

A nutsy couple of weeks to close out PST

Where oh where to begin? It's been an intense couple of weeks, with a ton of roller-coaster emtions, so I'm going to try and catch you up briefly without mentioning each and every little thing... here we go!

First off, I got to do the tourist thing in Quito! We visited several museums, several gorgeous churches, including the Gothic Basilica and La Compania church (reputedly the most beautiful in all of South America). The lovely SJs and I took the tourist-y double-decker bus around Quito on our last weekend in town. Though I usually avoid those types of things, I very much enjoyed being able to see a lot more of the city, including the modern art museum. There was a stupendous alternate-reality exhibit called 'Améxica', which explored what the world would have looked like if manifest destiny had occurred in the opposite direction (ie, Incas and Aztecs conquering Europe). Just well drawn and fun to see.

La Compania church in Quito. Nope, I didn't take this, but isn't it GLORIOUS? Almost anything yellow is gold-leaf.

Among other things that have crossed my path, I've gotten a couple of news-es (just go with it - my language addled brain wants to say it) from home that have just been keeping me on an emotional cliff the past few weeks. My grandfather had a stroke several weeks ago, and is finally home, but due to the severity of the stroke and having rather advanced Parkinsons, he's having a really tough time with recovery. My grandmother is also having a difficult time adjusting to it, so I've been worried about them a lot (thus, to anyone at PST who I snapped at or was just not helpful to, I'm sorry...).
I also found out a couple of hours before leaving for my site that a close family member is probably going to have to have cardiac valve-replacement surgery within the next couple of months. Even if my travel companions could tell something was wrong, I'm pretty sure I kept it together better than I expected I would. So far, it's unclear how this situation will unfold, but we'll find out for sure towards the end of the month exactly what's going to have to happen.Overall, I didn't want something to make me want to go home, so if someone notices me being self-pitying the next few weeks, tell me to buck-up, lock it up, and go for a run. Jogging is better than peanut butter (or so I've been told).
To all of you who have listened to me vent, or have lent me a shoulder to cry on (in person or e-shoulders), you are vastly appreciated. I couldn't have survived the past few weeks without you.

On a brighter note, as many of you have seen, I am officially a PeaceCorps volunteer now! We had our swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, which was fun to attend. A lot of families came out to watch us graduate, and several of my co-volunteers gave absolutely smashing speeches. Overall, after three months of exhausting training, it was really motivating to launch us into our new worlds. I'm still sad about leaving my buddies, but the next two years are going to rock, I'm certain of it!

America and Ecuador - the crossing of my two new worlds!

Though my site is very, very, VERY far away (due to some hiccups, it took over 22 hours to get here), it's gorgeous. The people are a little leery of the strange gringa wandering around, but those to whom I have spoken have been friendly and interested, so I'm hoping my novelty status helps me through the awkward. As soon as I have some time, I'll take pictures. My new host family is lovely, and though it'll take time to get used to one another, I think I'll really enjoy living with them. My counterpart invited me to her coffee shop/plantation last night to have dinner and to see their home - also beautiful! I was unfortunately not able to join her to learn about her roasting process this morning, due to more-serious-than-I-realized dehydration catching me unawares, but she's promised to have me over soon.
The next couple of weeks are jam-packed with work and meetings and learning - I'll be a sleepy Melly, but luckily I live deep in coffee country, so I'll have something to help me combat the weariness!

As far as updates go, I know I've missed a lot of fun things. My fellow trainees and I spent a fair amount of time hanging out before heading to our new sites over the past few weeks, which was delightful. Our training staff spent a lot of time making sure that we knew we were appreciated, as well as mentally preparing us for site, which has been magnificent. My friends and family at home have been spectacularly supportive and encouraging over the past few weeks. It was hard to say goodbye to my host family in Collaqui, but they were also encouraging and made sure to see me off with many warm fuzzies.

All of this combined? I'm ready to launch into an incredibly intimidating (from this end) two years of service with the PeaceCorps. It'll be tough, fun, and life-changing. Let's do this!

Mailing Address for the duration of PeaceCorps Service

Heya Folks!

Alright, it's time to move to a new home! That means new life, new world, new address! And despite this country being full of amazing things, there are definitely a couple of small things that I miss, or that make life easier. Your letters and care packages during training were absolutely magnificent and just made my weeks so much better!

Things that I'd like or would be super useful?

• Earl Grey and English Breakfast Teabags
• Contact Lense Solution - check the mailing size limits, but this is super super needed!
• Sunscreen!!!
• Nutter Butters and Take 5 candy bars
• Cajun seasoning, Montgomery Steak seasoning, Blackened Seasoning
• Almonds (raw or roasted.. they're insanely expensive here)
• Tums / Anti-acids
• Duct Tape
• Kotex Light Days XLong Pads (so.. expensive.. and great to put some in a package and list first)
• Dark Chocolate
• Pens from Dearborn, DramaTech, and Mountain West (seriously - best pens EVER); blue especially!
• Mechanical Pencils
• Parachord
• Letters and postcards with your love <3

I know those all seem odd, but are sorely missed!

Also, for mailing anything to me, the guidelines and recommendations and address are below.

Sending Packages:
Family and friends like to send care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. You may use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member until she has informed you of a different address:

Melinda Ellington PCV
Casilla 11-01-569
Loja, Loja
ECUADOR

NOTE: If you are awesome and send a package, please do not send anything weighing over 4lb. And please refrain from declaring the true value, if possible, as this leads to insane tariff taxes. Declare items at minimal value, such as $1-$2.

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed and opened more frequently. If you are sending items that come in bigger packages or multipacks, removing them from their packaging and packing them flat is usually the best way to go. A relatively foolproof way to not get the package checked? Include a couple of feminine products (ask me about brands), and list them first under declared items.

***SO - according to new information that we were given today (Weds, 7/30/14) by our admin team: apparently a new law has been passed that will potentially take effect in one month. This law basically says that a customs fee of $42 may be collected on every package entering the country.

I adore the care packages that you all send my way, and am incredibly grateful for each and every thought, but if the prices indeed hike to that level, I will not be able to pay for the packages - I just don't make enough, honestly. So for anyone who's been waffling on sending a care package, or would like to send something else, please do so within the next week!

Pushy? I feel like I am. But really, y'all are awesome, and I just don't want you to send me anything that'll end up being left in customs because of outrageous fees! Let me know if you have any questions - the things I want/need the most are all posted.***


There you go - needy Melly has made her case to the internet.
Honestly, most everything listed above is just a silver lining, but if you're feeling like contributing, I'd be a grateful Girlie! If you're thinking of other things, or have questions, feel free to let me know. I've gotten pretty much every package that was sent my way during training.

Love you all!

Sunshine Predicted

The past few days, I have been feeling peculiar - pretty different from the past couple of months. After several comments passed my way about how oddly I was acting, it dawned on me that chipper, bouncy Melinda was back in the house. I felt energetic, cheerful, engaged, and... well just lighthearted. Two and a half months into training, I finally felt like myself. 

And the peculiar thing is, that made me sad after realizing it. 

Throughout this whole training period I've been feeling somewhat stifled (though I've been doing much better over the past month) - it was jarring and sad to realize that this whole time I've just not been myself. I would definitely attribute lots of that to culture shock, the departure from my norm, and getting sick. And generally, though I can force myself out of that habit, I consider myself pretty shy - so completely rebuilding my social network  has put a bit of a strain on me.

It's hard to realize how much of a rut I've been in, and just how differently I've appeared to a lot of new people in my life, all of whom I've come to care greatly for. I feel almost like I've been deceptive about myself to the people who didn't know me before. I know it's not true, and if anything, I was doing a good job portraying the emotions I felt, but even so... I just so wish that joyful Melinda would have rolled in a good deal earlier.

That being said, having my normal self clock-in unexpectedly this week was uplifting beyond belief. Amusingly, the last comment that really made me reflect on myself was when someone mentioned that I was completely "cracked out" on the coffee that I'd had today (admittedly, there was a lot, and it was delicious). I laughed it off, but realized how good it felt to finally be goofy and merry with no effort.

In summary:

I miss being the girl called 'Sunshine.' I miss my mirth and the ability to always find a silver lining and have a good attitude about what I'm experiencing. I miss always finding something to make me laugh. I miss being joyful without having to try.

Beware world - I had a kick of Sunshine this week, and I don't plan on letting this high escape me for long. Challenges may come, but good gracious - I like being myself. Ridiculous laugh, bad timing, annoying optimism, awkwardness, and all. 

Site Visit - My New Home to Be

The time finally arrived last week for us to all scatter to the winds and visit our sites. As the first truly solo adventure in Ecuador, it was a big departure from the past couple of months.

My journey started off with a 15-hour trip down to my future home - Chaguarpamba, Loja! It only took three buses, one of which was an overnight 10+ hour drive from Quito to the capital of the province... not my favourite thing in the world, but manageable. My journey wasn´t quite what was planned, as my counterpart was unable to travel down from Quito with me - that thrust this little birdie out of her nest a lot earlier than expected! Thanks to the help of several very kind people, including the other counterparts and volunteers coming to my province, I was able to make it down and meet up with my host family without incident.

To start with, the province of Loja is magnificent - if people come to visit me in Ecuador, I know it´s a drag to get all the way down there, but it´s the prettiest place I´ve seen in Ecuador - the mountains don´t seem to end, and are covered in a huge array of vibrant flora.
My town is small and generally pretty - the the church in the center of town is relatively old, and absolutely gorgeous. I think the most interesting aspect of my town, up until this point, is that it´s situated on the side of a mountain - going anywhere is a workout. If it were flat, I could walk the circumference of my town in a little less than 30 minutes, but as it is, I´m very much out of shape and it takes at least an hour.

The church in Chaguarpamba - the colours change every other season, or so, to keep it spruced up!

My host family is small, but very nice - the mother works in the external auditing office of the local government, her husband works for a pharmaceutical company in Loja city (and lives there during the week), and the 13-year-old daughter stays at home, as she has Down Syndrome. They have a housekeeper who stays in with the daughter and takes care of cleaning and cooking, as the mum usually pulls 15+ hour workdays. Once I move down, I´ll be sure to share pictures of my new digs and family!

I´ve also had the opportunity to meet the youth that are members of the Red Cross in the province, and they´re all very nice young folks. They range from 12 - 18 years of age, and live scattered throughout the state. I think the main stumbling blocks at this point are that my Spanish is only so-so (I´ve had to ask people to repeat themselves or explain more often last week than in the past two months combined), and that I´m generally the most awkward person alive in regards to making small talk with new people. These powers combined have made for a spectacularly maladroit week of forced conversation - all of my youth are kindof shy, so trying to pull information and conversation from them has demanded herculean efforts - but so far, I still want to go back, so I guess that´s a good sign!

I arrived in Chaguarpamba on Tuesday, and left on Saturday. My counterpart came back into town early to give me an opportunity to sit down with her and chat about future projects. She owns a rather sprawling coffee and peanut plantation, and is a mover and shaker in the region - I love interfacing with people that have a good work ethic, and it seems that I lucked out with her!


OK, that was a giant spill of information that really can´t encompass my week... There were a lot of things that came about, including me being worried that I might not survive - but I have!
Time to hit the ground running for exams and presentations - the final intense little leg of our training semester!

Time is flying... like a Tortoise.

Well well well - we're done with the last week of training before I visit my site! *LE GASP* We've had a ton of paperwork tossed at us this week, and keeping it all in order while I travel is going to be an interesting experience, to say the least. After several weeks of imagining, trying to research, and learning more about my site, I'm overwhelmed with the possibilities and chaos to ensue... I'm ready to see what my future holds!

I know for sure that I'll be travelling down by nightbus (for 14 hours...) to my site with at least two other volunteers, and possibly our counterparts on Monday night. I've called and left a message for my new host family (which was probably garbled and insane-sounding), and have piled a large amount of [heavy] stuff into my duffle bag to leave down in Loja. I've decided to take the cautious route and rest up when feeling ill this week instead of pushing on through (I swear, I've been pathetic and sick more here than I was over a year in the USA - new world for the body to adjust to, I guess), and have been taking the time to recharge my friend-conversation tank with some loved ones at home.

It's amazing to me how quickly this new world has become my 'normal' - only two months since I left home, and I'm already afraid of leaving this comfort zone for my long-term assignment.
We've had a lot of rocky spots, but the people I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know during training are amazing. How else could you describe almost 40 people who have left their friends and families to try and make the lives of others better? Or the trainers and other volunteers who are giving their all to make sure we're ready to enter a strange, new world for two years? It's a group of people as varied as the grains of sand on a beach, but all with a drive and desire for adventure and helping others. The difference I've seen them make in one another and in my life over the last two months has been incredible - I can't wait to see the countless lives that they will impact over the course of two more years!

Speaking of awesome people and two months, I got several letters and packages this week (because, again, my friends are too awesome), one of which came from an incredibly talented friend of mine who showed up and took photos of my going away party in May. Posting the photos she sent me seemed like a blast to the past. The time that has passed seems like so much and so little - just the thought of two more years without seeing my families is mind-blowing. I'm excited for my time here and the community that I'll get to know, but am aching to get some of my Rennies' bear hugs again. You remember how much I railed against them, guys? Now I miss them. Irony. The love and support that I'm continuing to receive from home, though, is incredible. Between my home-support and the peer-support here, there ain't no way I can fail.


In the grand scheme of things, life is chaotic here - I feel like I constantly run from one sense of being busy to another with little rest (despite the obscene amount of sleep I get). There are so many people to meet and know, so many perspectives to learn, and always one more thing I could get done. That's the way I've always done it, but Ecuador is doing its best to teach me to slow down and enjoy the moment I'm in. Melinda has always been guilty of pushing forward and looking for the next big thing - as I reflect, I realize that this has no doubt caused me to miss many amazing opportunities to love what I was doing, as I was consumed about what might happen tomorrow. Regretting leaving my families behind, wishing time to speed up to reunite us, and hoping it doesn't hurt in the meantime - all of these get in the way of me enjoying today. Valuing the 'Now'.

Time to tilt my perspective, enjoy the memories and look forward to the future, but let them come as they so choose. The longest races are won slowly and surely - my families will always be there waiting for me, so there's no need to wonder if I'll ever get back to them. I've signed up for a marathon, but instead of running through it as quickly as I can, let's take it at a leisurely walk - well, maybe a brisk hike. The flowers in my path are meant to be appreciated, and the people currently in my life to be blessed.


Well, that was a wide range of rambling... Happy Weekend!

A request to my Space Pirates and Cowboys

Heya Strangers!

So, my harddrive has derped and dumped most everything in terms of movies and shows I brought down for my soul's comfort food... I'm going to reformat it and pull off anything I can prior to that, but my entertainment for the next two years now depends on those people much smarter than I at finding things on the webs. When I get down to site, apparently I may have a fair amount of 'nothing to do' time, and probably won't have internet access in the evenings... so....

The following are some of the films and shows that make me smile when I'm having a tough time - or are new things I'd like to see - if any of you can find these and send them my way via dropbox or another means you find convenient, that'd be spectacular!

Listed in order of what I miss the most:

Much Ado about Nothing - Branaugh AND Whedon versions ^_^
Hook
Warehouse 13 - Savage Seduction - Season 5, Episode 4
The Emperor's New Groove (Disney)
Guardians of the Galaxy
Avatar the Last Airbender - whole series


OK, that's my list of 'would likes'! Now back to productivity...

A Tech Trip Summary

Whew! A bunch happened while away from the internet... that always seems to be the case, but this week even more so. I'm going to sum up our TechTrip in a play-by-play - bear with me. Also, forgive the wee number of photos, as I was more concerned taking my time enjoying myself rather than sitting behind a camera! I'll try to scrounge up some more from other volunteers and facilitators to add as time goes on.

Day 1:
Our trip was off to an early start - we met in the town square at 6:30am to depart - the trip usually takes at least 30 minutes, but my awesome co-volunteer Shelley and her family drove me into town. We had a bunch of hiccups occur, as a giant reorganization of bus terminals had just happened throughout the country, but were finally in the bus on our way by 8:30am. Instead of one bus, we ended up having to cobble together three buses, and eventually reached our destination around 7:30pm - we were dog tired, but ready to go!

Day 2:
We got to do our first charla (lesson) at a local public school - I survived a lesson on non-verbal communication with 40 8-year-olds all to myself! Some things you can plan for, and others you really can't... Little did we know that this was about a closely to plan as any of our lessons would go for the entire week - improv is rapidly becoming a friend of mine.

Joe being mobbed during a game of KeepAway

Tony braving the oncoming storm during the aforementioned game of KeepAway

After our bout of teaching, we were swept off to visit a museum of the oldest remains found in Ecuador (though I believe they also held the claim that they're older than most in South America) - it was a neat museum, with a lot of fun information about the pre-historic peoples that inhabited the area. That evening we got to watch the USA game (sincerely sad that we lost) at our hostel, and were gifted free beers and free pizza from a bunch of expats at the bar to thank us for our service - it was a lovely surprise to help wrap up a jarring day of energetic youngsters!

Day 3:
I wasn't feeling great, but made it through several cultural activities that took us to a park looking over the edge of Santa Elena (in the background, you can see the westernmost point of South America).

The westernmost tip of South America!

Immediately after that, on to a rock quarry where artesians mine rock throughout the day, and carve it into various souvenirs or blocks for tourists or local buildings.

Quarry workers, showing us how to break large rocks - the rock is composed of seabed deposit, and is a very rough version of sandstone, from what I could understand.

After the mine visit, we dashed off to perform a surprise charla for a group of about 40 parents and 40 kids - they divided us into two groups to execute the lesson, which (considering we pulled the entire thing together in less than 10 minutes of planning) went pretty well. I'd been feeling pretty ghastly throughout the day, but the adrenaline kicked me back into gear, and I felt fine for the rest of the trip. That night, we jumped into the ocean and watched the sunset while in the water, and were then treated to a round of tequila shots by the owner of the hostel before bed. Let me tell you, I was very sad that we were leaving that place! It was a bunch of fun!

Day 4:
We pulled out nice and early and journeyed to Puerto el Morro, the site of a current PC Volunteer. It was his last day, so we were treated to a goodbye party, and also to an estuary boat-ride to see some Dolphins! I've done lots of these boat tours, but we had a solid halfhour of between three and five dolphins (including a calf) swimming alongside our boat - it was awesome! That afternoon, another charla for adults took place, and then we split off for dinner, puppy-dog adventures, and sleep.

Our view out the hostel window around 6am

Day 5:
An early start to Guayaquil! The largest city in Ecuador, this place has a reputation for thieves and trouble, so unfortunately no pictures were taken. Though the entire trip has been refreshingly hot and humid, Guayaquil was oppressively muggy - I was so gross just halfway through the day.. We rattled off another charla at a private school, and got our stuff dropped off to our hotel around 3pm - lunch was a welcome site! We had chinese food in Ecuador, while watching soccer and drinking beer on the 4th of July. Seemed about as American as we could make it. After a long culturally informative wander down the historic riverside, we were informed that we'd have to leave by 5:30am the next morning, so partying was minimal. That just means I'll have to return to see more of the city soon!

Day 6: 
Bus

OK, I know that was a long summary, but it was a ridiculous week! I've left a lot out, I know, but suffice to say that it was stressful, sweaty, and really fun.

This week - lots of work. Next week - site visit!!!

The greatest expression of Rebellion is Joy

The above quote was uttered by a hero of mine, Joss Whedon. The man has masterminded several shows and stories that continue to stick with me and make me question who I am, as well as push me towards who I'd like to be.

Over the past weeks, my mood has been fluctuating pretty wildly - from a passive nothingness, to elation, to complete disbelief and dejection at the choices I've made, flinging myself so far away from my family and friends. Though I've had countless opportunities to cross the world and see wonders that many people will never even be able to imagine, I've never taken a journey of this magnitude without my family by my side - that has made the transition more difficult than I expected. Well, maybe not more difficult than expected, but certainly not the most comfortable experience. (So far, I've had pretty consistent access to internet, meaning that my family and friends aren't so far away. But who knows if that will change when I move to my site!)
In addition to my homesickness (just a testament to how awesome my F&F are), training has been a trip. The preparation for service is incredibly rigorous, but when adding in the 24/7 living in a new culture with new expectations and norms to adjust to, I've never been so tired in my life. I'm delighted that I've found myself able to rise to the challenge for the most part, but at the halfway point, I feel both like I've been here for mere moments and for many years. The stress and constant barrage of information makes time slip past, but the ever increasing levels of lessons and the amount of growth demanded makes me feel like I've aged a decade.

A comment that I've heard over the past few days is that, despite adversity, I've "got a really good attitude about this." At first I ignored it, but I've heard it from four distinct people about distinct situations. How I've ended up with a better attitude than others is beyond me.
Sure it's easy to become frustrated, to complain and rail about perceived inefficiencies and problems with the situation or with people I encounter - but why bother? Why not jump onto the problem and address it? Challenges present themselves to see if we will rise to the occasion. I am a champ at whinging, but I want to be the champion of overcoming obstacles, and that's why I put my effort into making the best of situations.

I'm certainly not always able to achieve it - heck, compared to the Sunshine that left the states in May, I feel like Puddleglum here. But I am driven to continue forward, to be cheerful in spite of myself, and that is what will make the difference. Fortunately, I'm a naturally contrary person - so when I'm told that I must be stressed, unhappy, discontent, outraged, or overwhelmed, I take it as a personal challenge to prove you wrong. And in so doing, my act of rebellion is a splash of joy.

So come hither adversity, challenges, and rainy Mondays - bring your discontent, disorganization, and disarray. To those of you who won't change your minds, feel free to swim about in the unhappy soup - wallow in it, and let your fingers get all pruney.
I prefer the challenge of joy - the constant work to shine a little brighter than the day before - to be a little warmer when the people around you are chilly. Mirth and peace are outrageously hard to achieve, but since the world is telling me I can't get there, I guess it's time to prove the world wrong.

A Motivational Prayer

This is a beautiful blessing that my pastor referenced a few sermons ago, that I feel is perfect for my life as I dive into a new world with the PeaceCorps.

~~~

May God bless you with a restless discomfort

about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,

so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for 

justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer

from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may

reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that

you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able,

with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,

Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Savior,

and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you

and remain with you, this day and forever more.

Amen

A four-fold Benedictine Blessing - Sr.Ruth Marlene Fox, OSB 1985

~~~

Time to change someone's world. Because I can do that.

Lucky am I

Over the course of the past five weeks, I've come to appreciate many wonderful things about Ecuador, as well as miss many precious luxuries in the States. To be honest, the amazing and good things here so far outweigh what I miss that it doesn't really affect life too much - but I'll still be grateful if and when I get back to such luxuries!

What things do I love and enjoy here?

The food. Oh heavens, ALL of the ridiculous amounts of delicious food.
The Ecuadorean people - generally, super friendly, interested, and sweet. This is genuinely the friendliest nation of people I've had the pleasure of being with.
The vistas - this is a spectacularly beautiful country. The mountains, the lakes, the sky (and eventually the other bits of the country too!)... breathtaking.
Weekends - actually relaxing and not being rushed... a novel concept.
A Family-centric Culture - It's lovely to be back in a world where family really is the center of peoples' lives, and they value their relationships above most everything else.
The availability of ice cream EVERYWHERE. I've already said food, but this needs to be stated very specifically.
The public transportation - it's a pain in the butt to use the buses, many of our trips are seemingly endless, and it can be dangerous, but dangit - I enjoy it. One day, I'll get a picture of a crazy-crowded bus to share my new reality - it's insane.
Business Casual = Not scruffy/skimpy clothes. I'm going to HATE going back to the dressy office gauntlet of business casual in the States.
Finally... My fellow Volunteers. Seriously, I keep running into amazing people, and these folks are some of the most inspiring and courageous people I've had an opportunity to work with.

What sorts of things have I learned to miss and value more?

Microwaves.
Drinking tap water.
Coffee machines.
Driving a car.
Paper Towels.
Joann's.
Flushing paper down toilets (Yup - miss it).
Washers and Dryers.

But oh, that which I miss the most? Hot, clean showers.

Sing hey! for the bath at close of day
that washes the weary mud away!
A loon is he that will not sing:
O! Water Hot is a noble thing!

O! Sweet is the sound of falling rain,
and the brook that leaps from hill to plain; 
but better than rain or rippling streams
is Water Hot that smokes and steams.

O! Water cold we may pour at need
down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed; 
but better is beer if drink we lack,
and Water Hot poured down the back.

O! Water is fair that leaps on high
in a fountain white beneath the sky;
but never did fountain sound so sweet
as splashing Hot Water with my feet!

- JRR Tolkein, Fellowship of the Ring

Site Assignment in Ecuador!

They definitely were making us more prone to nervous breakdowns this morning - we had two sessions of training before they'd tell us where we were placed! The way that they showed us, however, was awesome - in the field behind the training center, they laid out a map of Ecuador, using rose petals as the borders to each state.

Once everyone was outside and waiting to go, they announced one by one our town and region, and had us stand in our spots on the map - it was precious!

And my site assignment is taking me to..........

Chaguarpamba, Loja! I'll be in one of the southern-most states, on the border with Peru!

 Down south in Ecuador...

I'm the bright green county in the top, middle bit!

In my site, I will be partnered with the Youth Program of the county Red Cross (Programa Juventud de la Cruz Roja Cantonal de Chaguarpamba)! I am *so* excited - that is the assignment I'd been hoping for! I am the first PeaceCorps volunteer at this site, so it's up to me to make a good impression, and to really figure out what this site will be like for future volunteers! Fun fact: Chaguarpamba is apparently Quichwa for 'Valley of Jaguars'.

Team Loja (with my derpface) - 4 Omni112 PCVs for this province!

What will she be doing, you wonder?

Primary project proposals: 

• Strengthen individual capabilities through leadership, self-esteem, personal empowerment, decision-making trainings and strengthen each of the programs that are operating within the Canton (county).
• Conduct a community diagnostic through home visits to find those areas of need and interest of the community.
• Develop workshops on preventing young pregnancies, alcoholism, and drug addition, and HIV/AIDS.
• Conduct institutional visits to create strategic alliances and work seamlessly in all areas of the Ecuadorian Red Cross.
• Promote Volunteerism amongst the Canton.

Secondary project proposals:

• Organize courses and activities for children and youth that provide them with the opportunity to participate in positive activities during their vacation times.
• Develop and conduct Escuela para Padres (school for parents) trainings.
• Support the "mingas" organized by the community, and also work with recycling projects.

The above are what is currently envisioned for my work in-site - basically, county-wide needs assessment, doing trainings with youth and families, workshops and summer camps, professional networking, and community & recycling projects. ERMAZING. I'm delighted by this!

I don't know much about the region, beyond it supposedly being one of the most beautiful in Ecuador, being in the foothills of the Andes (thus warmer), being in COFFEE COUNTRY, and being about 12 hours south of Quito by bus. My community is about 9,000 people, so I'll have plenty of relationship building to do! I will also have access to internet (at least at work) so never fear! There are 4 volunteers (denoted PCV from now on) going to Loja, and many others within 5 hours of me, so it's going to be a southern Ecuador party!

Alright! We know where we're going! CELEBRATION TIME!

OK, that's enough exclamation points for now... back to homework!

Care Packaging for Training

Heya Folks!

So, I generally don't post this kindof thing, but I've had several people very kindly ask me recently if there's anything I'd like sent to me.
We're in training until the beginning of August, and despite this country being full of amazing things, there are definitely a couple of small things that I miss, or that make life easier. I am not able to carry much more with me when I move to my site, so if there are things that you'd like to send me that I won't devour straight away, those should be sent in September, when I have a new address (My bags are full-to-busting right now, and I can't fit much more onto my back for travelling). Anything you mail down, please mail before July 1, to ensure that I am still at this address when it arrives.


Things that I'd like or would be super useful?

• Earl Grey and English Breakfast Teabags
• Loperamide HCl Tablets (anti-diarrheals that are SO much better than what we have here)
• Sunscreen
• Nutter Butters (unecessary, but never turned down)
• Tums
• Kotex Light Days XLong Pads (so.. expensive.. and great to put some in a package and list first)
• OB Tampons - Super (yellow) or Heavy (purple) - I have found them here, amazingly, for $0.60 per 
• Dark Chocolate
• Pens from Dearborn, DramaTech, and Mountain West (seriously - best pens EVER)
• Mechanical Pencils
• Parachord
• Letters and postcards with your love <3

I know those all seem odd, but are sorely missed!

Also, for mailing anything to me, the guidelines and recommendations and address are below.

Sending Packages:
Family and friends like to send care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. You may use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member until she has informed you of a different address:
Melinda Ellington PCT
Cuerpo de Paz
Casilla 17-08-8624
Quito, Ecuador

NOTE: If you are awesome and send a package, please do not send anything weighing over 4lb. And please refrain from declaring a value, if possible, as this leads to insane tariff taxes (ie, the first tax step is almost $200). Declare items at minimal value, such as $0-$2.

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed and opened more frequently. If you are sending items that come in bigger packages or multipacks, removing them from their packaging and packing them flat is usually the best way to go. Relatively foolproof way to not get the package checked? Include a couple of feminine products (ask me about brands), and list them first under declared items.

There you go - needy Melly has made her case to the internet.

Seriously, though - y'alls love and support so far has meant the world to me - that's the only thing that has kept me on an even keel down here, so that's really the only thing I need. Thanks for always encouraging me! And more important than care packages is the occasional howdy-do by email or Skype.

Love you all!

What do we do for adventure? TRAINING!

We've returned from our Tech Trip! I'm a cad and didn't bring my camera along, but as other volunteers post photos, I shall appropriate them here, to give a little idea of where we were staying and what we saw.

Monday, the Youth and Families program went to a small town on the outskirts of Quito called Lloa (pronounced Yo-a), where we were divided into groups and led classes of kids in various activities for about 45 minutes. It didn't quite work out for my group, as our class was running very, very late, but since all three of us were sick, we didn't mind having a shorter class. We spiraled out of there, got back to the center, got paid (YES - paid. Let's just say that 1 month is netting me a little less than a week would in the States), were reminded about having extra work to do, and then ran home to pack.

The next morning, we met up in Tumbaco and then split the group: Community Health headed to some towns in the south, and Youth & Families headed north. I was amused and delighted by the fact that a bunch of us started hugging one another goodbye... we were one day shy of only having known each other for three weeks.

After a couple of hours on various buses, we arrived in the small city of Otavalo. This area is primarily inhabited by indigenous folk, and houses one of the most famous street markets in Ecuador. I shall return as soon as I'm able to souvenir shop!

Note: Not my photo - the internet provides.

While in town, we visited two local clinics - the first one concentrates on fusing both modern and traditional medicine, while the second almost exclusively deals with modern therapies.
At the first clinic, we were delighted by having one of our volunteers examined using a ceremony involving an egg (apparently she has a lot of mal aire, or 'bad air'), and another was examined by guinea pig. The latter involves using and later killing a live guinea pig, to see what may be wrong on the inside of the individual being examined. Long story short, we watched as my fellow volunteer Alex had a rodent rubbed all up and down him, and then as the same rodent was killed, skinned, and gutted. It really was a treat to watch both ceremonies, as they're traditionally only performed between the examiner and the patient - we were allowed to take pictures as well! Unless I get very ill and am in a very rural area, chances are I shan't be seeing either ceremony again.
After visiting the clinics, we grabbed lunch (I had the best BBQ burger of my LIFE... you heard me), and then headed split into two groups for easier-gringo-management. My group went out to El Chota, a rural dry valley that is primarily inhabited by Afro-Ecuadoreans. The people we stayed with were lovely and lively, and it was a fun day-and-a-half. Lively dancing in the evening (look up 'Bomba'), interviewing locals and heading to our next destination on Wednesday.
The couple of hours of driving through the mountains to Ibarra were absolutely spectacular - I will certainly post pictures here, once they are available. Several of the views were just unreal, they were such a spectacular array of colour and scenery.

After checking into our expensive hotel ($19 per night is apparently outrageous here), we spent some time bonding and crashed. Our work the next day consisted of them assigning each of us an organization, giving us a map, and telling us to get there and back within two-ish hours. Granted, most locations were within walking distance, and anyone with iffy Spanish skills had an admin go with them, but still... I went to the Red Cross, and chatted with/interviewed a couple of the directors about their programs for about an hour. I've wanted to work with that organization for years, so it was neat being able to see a regional office outside of the USA. Apparently it didn't go so shabbily, as I walked out of there with a tentative 'if PeaceCorps doesn't work out..' job offer, as well as the number of one of the guys I'd be chatting with.
Thereafter, I found a delightful little coffee shop, and then we all reunited to get lunch and do a scavenger hunt. Dinner was wine, PizzaHut, and a lovely couple of hours getting to know 4 of my co-volunteers - I really am working with the coolest people.

The next morning, SJ and I went back to the little coffee shop from the day before, and spoiled ourselves with good coffee and cake for breakfast - the ladies remembered me and were sweet as could be - I shall visit them again if I return to Ibarra.

After presentations and some drama, we were all reunited (well, Y&F was) and piled back into buses to Quito, where we were set loose to find our way home. I haven't talked to everyone, but I assume that the majority of PVTs are back where they should be... if not, we'll find out on Monday!

I enjoyed being able to see more of Ecuador - I like where we are, but it was just so nice to see more of a spectacularly beautiful and friendly country. My wanderlust is back after this week, making me antsy about waiting a couple more weeks before being able to go on our second Tech Trip. We've got a lot going on in the meantime, but I'm still looking forward to being able to visit the coast - let's get some hot, muggy, humid weather back in my life!