Live from the Air

We’re on our way back to Ecuador. We’ve had a whirlwind of a trip to the US, and we’re looking forward to the next four months in Ecuador. The amphibian research is up and running, the clinic is off to a great start, and we’re thinking about sneaking in a trip to Peru if time allows. We’re a little anxious about returning, but we’ve been able to make some positive changes before we’ve even arrived. Our friends Ernesto and Amanda have lined up a furnished apartment in Cuenca—we’ll have reliable electricity and, more importantly, hot water. We’ll be closer to friends and farther away from the puma.

During the past two months we were able to enjoy time around the holidays with both families, attend residency program interviews , meet with advisors, restock on supplies, participate in our annual Branches community retreat, visit with friends, eat Jeni’s ice cream, eat Graeter’s ice cream, sleep in our warm and cozy bed, drive my car over the 100,000 mile mark, fix Brad’s car (again!), celebrate my birthday, attend a potluck, crochet an afghan, drink bubble tea with the knitting group, go thrift shopping, cheer for Buckeye football and basketball, watch the SuperBowl…. Everything but the annual re-gifting party (which I assure you will DEFINITELY be a priority on next year’s calendar!)

Some highlights from our time at home:
1. Singing Kumbaya around the Christmas tree
2. Eating Christmas cookies
3. Sharing foods and spirits from Ecuador with our friends in Columbus
4. Spending our first Christmas together
5. Learning to (sort of ) replace a radiator on New Year’s Eve
6. Girls’ night / Boys’ night
7. Mom’s home cooking (x2)
8. Birthday parties and potluck
9. Getting stuck in O’Hare Airport and arriving after 2 AM before my interview in Arkansas

We were so glad to have the opportunity to see so many of you while we were home, and we hope to keep in touch with you through the blog and emails now that we’re back in Ecuador. We return on May 31, and we’ll miss you until then.

* Note: This post was written on the airplane, well before we realized that our camera disappeared at some point during the flight. A post full of consternation will follow.