Summer 1979, 18 years old. I had returned from 6 weeks spent in Ecuador visiting the student who we had hosted during the 1978-1979 academic year through AFS (American Field Service), Pilar. I wanted to visit her and her family, and that summer, just before going to college, provided the perfect opportunity to go down there and stay with Pilar and her family, a wonderful bunch of people who embraced me like I was one of their own, just another family member (although one who didn’t speak Spanish very well).
That was a fantastic trip. Ecuador is a beautiful country of three parts — the jungle, which I really didn’t see, the mountains which are absolutely stupendous in their beauty, and the coast which is also amazing. I loved the mountains most, the beautiful green lushness, the majestic way the mountains rose into the air.
The family had two houses and I spent time at each house. The main house was up in the mountains in a small town, Ibarra, not too far from Quito. It’s a beautiful town, one that I came to love during my time there. They also owned a house in Quito where, at that time, the older kids in the family were attending the university so they lived there when classes were in session.
This picture shows me on my return from Ecuador back to my house, wearing some of the Ecuadorian items I bought there — a wool hat and poncho, both made out of llama wool. I’m also standing in front of an Ecuadorian woven hanging that I believe Pilar gave to my parents.
There I am, mugging for the camera and I’m sure full of stories of my adventures in Ecuador, the first time I left North American soil and the first time traveling by myself. That was big for me. And obviously a successful trip, judging by the look on my face and my warm and happy memories of my time there.
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Posted in Foto Flashback Friday, travel
