Crossing Paths
As I was hiking up Pasochoa in Ecuador, I decided that I wanted to start documenting some of the people I have the good fortune to spend a bit of time with as I travel. Part of traveling is not just the places you go, but the people you get to know along the way, so I feel like my blog wouldn't be able to paint a complete picture of my experiences without this page. This is not the most original idea, but I think it will serve me well in telling my story. And alas, there is still not enough time in the world to create a narrative for all the wonderful I people meet. I wish there was.
Secret Garden Hostel - Cotopaxi
LEFT: BRANDON, RIGHT: DAN
Say yes. Say yes as much as possible. That is Dan’s wonderful travel advice for the world, and his words now echo in my head every time an opportunity presents itself. As a result of this philosophy, Dan fondly remembers getting a free tour of Varanasi, India on the back of a local’s motorcycle simply in exchange for practicing English with him. He is also a fan of canoeing, and once he had to spend an intense forty-five minutes wrestling with his canoe to yank out of the rapids. Dan jokingly requested candles for our last dinner at SG Cotopaxi, and when his wish was granted it made for a very romantic dinner for twenty-eight.
Like Dan, Brandon is also a fan of spontaneity. On a bitter-cold day in Calgary during college, he was walking from one building to another talking on the phone to his brother, and after a while he realized he couldn't feel his hand. Fed up with the weather, he thought, “Africa. Africa is hot,” and that was all the inspiration he needed to take a six week study abroad in Ghana that same winter. He hopes his next adventure will be the Rickshaw Run in India, a two or three week race in a tuk-tuk with no route from start to finish. Brendan just wants to enjoy life as he lives it, and he hopes you will try to do the same.
Dan and Brandon currently work in Calgary as consultants and spent their three week vacation in Ecuador. At SG Cotopaxi, we got to share the experience of jumping off a waterfall into freezing cold water together. It was great getting to know these two!
Like Dan, Brandon is also a fan of spontaneity. On a bitter-cold day in Calgary during college, he was walking from one building to another talking on the phone to his brother, and after a while he realized he couldn't feel his hand. Fed up with the weather, he thought, “Africa. Africa is hot,” and that was all the inspiration he needed to take a six week study abroad in Ghana that same winter. He hopes his next adventure will be the Rickshaw Run in India, a two or three week race in a tuk-tuk with no route from start to finish. Brendan just wants to enjoy life as he lives it, and he hopes you will try to do the same.
Dan and Brandon currently work in Calgary as consultants and spent their three week vacation in Ecuador. At SG Cotopaxi, we got to share the experience of jumping off a waterfall into freezing cold water together. It was great getting to know these two!
LEFT: MIKE, RIGHT: JAN
It's often hard to ask the right questions to learn the most about someone. I'm lucky that the perhaps unassuming Jan and Mike, based in Arkansas, talk about each other so fondly that even when I don't know what to ask, they share some of the best parts of each other with me. Mike was the first to tell me that one summer, Jan biked all the way from Virginia to Oregon, carrying everything she needed on her bike. Jan was the first to mention that Mike used to fly helicopters. He learned how in the U.S. Army and then flew commercially until he retired last year. Flying took Mike all over the world, but it has actually been in his retirement that he has realized there are so many things to do!
One cool thing Mike and Jan have done since Mike’s retirement is take a motorhome across the country to ten different National Parks in the U.S. They enjoyed renowned and lesser known parks alike, commenting that they can't chose a favorite because at a certain point, you can't compare one beauty to another. Jan and Mike are living their lives in a way I hope to emulate, using each moment to its fullest capacity. I hope our paths will cross again someday!
One cool thing Mike and Jan have done since Mike’s retirement is take a motorhome across the country to ten different National Parks in the U.S. They enjoyed renowned and lesser known parks alike, commenting that they can't chose a favorite because at a certain point, you can't compare one beauty to another. Jan and Mike are living their lives in a way I hope to emulate, using each moment to its fullest capacity. I hope our paths will cross again someday!
COURTNEY
Courtney and her boyfriend, Joel, have decided to travel for as long as possible for as little money as possible. When I met them they were working at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi Hostel; volunteering at hostels for about a month at a time in exchange for food and lodging is a great way to learn about an area and save money! Their method is what I would call slow travel, which will allow them to really get to know each place they visit. They started with a road trip in the US from July to September, and launched their South America journey in Colombia. So far, traveling has allowed Courtney to realize that she wants to spend more time on the things she enjoys most, like working on her artwork and improving her yoga practice. Joel and Courtney will keep traveling until they find something they truly want to stop for.
Courtney led the hike up Pasochoa the day I decided to do it, and that's when I took this picture and first vocalized that I might do a series like this on my blog. She also held a 6am yoga class on my last morning at Cotopaxi, which was a wonderful way to end my time there. It's also pretty cool that she grew up just twenty minutes away from me in Columbia, Maryland! Thanks for everything, Courtney!
Courtney led the hike up Pasochoa the day I decided to do it, and that's when I took this picture and first vocalized that I might do a series like this on my blog. She also held a 6am yoga class on my last morning at Cotopaxi, which was a wonderful way to end my time there. It's also pretty cool that she grew up just twenty minutes away from me in Columbia, Maryland! Thanks for everything, Courtney!
Stay tuned; more stories are on the way!