Explore::Travel.:Enjoy. - An adventure with my banjo-playing mathematician boyfriend

Sit in a beautiful place with a beautiful person.

Travel to a magical land where giant tortoises, sea lions, and penguins roam.

Have all the fun. Find joy. Bring a wheel to the giant tortoise farm.

Do the awkward turtle.

Practice your Spanish. Meet like-minded adventurers. And always be nice to the man who is driving the catamaran.

Sit in a sacred space. Discover an old Jesuit building. Be sneaky about taking photos where you are not allowed to.

Smile more. Love more. And  be grateful for having a best friend you can have all the fun with.

Study art. Learn about creative inspiration. Breathe.

Stare up into the skies. Sit in wonder and curiosity. Choose MindFULL exploration instead of  MindLESS desperation.

And, study more Spanish. Ponder the Spanish interpretation of an old Chinese proverb. Rosetta Stone your situation.

Let the mountains inspire you to be creative. See a city unfold like a blossoming rosette.

Drink fresh juice. Chillax. You're on vacation.

Make Anthony Bourdain proud and explore the local market. Eat some sheep intestine.

Then pay $2 to eat some freshly made pork rinds. Savor them while you explore the streets and people watch.

Admire the local graffiti. Ask your boyfriend if he wrote you a love note.

Be in inquiry about what South Americans love about North Americans. You can learn so much by reading the writing on the walls.

Jump in a sea kayak. Swim in the Pacific Ocean. Play with sea lions in the water.

Be Kate and Leonardo's stunt double.

Play some reggaeton. Sit on a speedboat. And choose your own adventure.

With the whirlwind of the holidays and an overly ambitious work schedule, I packed my things in my little red suitcase. The loyal and reliable Ai Wei Wei dropped me off at IAH and I was off on another adventure. I entrusted mathematician boyfriend to be the activities coordinator since December was a pretty full plate - filled with holiday parties, a fundraiser, the whooping cough and the flu, and my yoga teacher training graduation. Sigh.


A TSA agent at IAH had to check my hoodie and my ponytail for weapons. Really?!? Whatever. I'm on vacation now. The Avianca agent at MIA only speaks Spanish. Really?!? I thought I was going to ease into this whole Spanish speaking situation. I haven't even left the US yet, and I wonder what the hell I've signed up for. Everyone on the flight to Bogota is speaking Spanish. Awesome. I may as well have signed up for a silent retreat. I look Latina and I speak Spanish like a 2 year old child.

I am searched by a woman in military gear with a machine gun in Colombia. She asks me if I have any other electronic devices. I smile and tell her, "Solomente electronicos" waving my kindle and iPhone. I breathe calmly wondering if I was suppose to declare the security equipment and web camera I stuffed in my suitcase. Awkward turtle trying to pass off as some grubby college kid in a hoodie. Sigh.

It's 12:30 am and after 7 hours of travel, I arrive in UIO and my best friend is at the other side. It's easy to spot him since there's not a lot of gringos. I board another flight. Part of me wants to drink good coffee and another part of me wants to pop a melatonin. So, I decide to do both. Hmmm....

Our plane lands in the Galapagos. I was surprised that Baltra looked like a desert - a bit like New Mexico sprinkled with strange looking cacti and a dusty red surface analogous to Fahrenheit 451. Maybe Georgia O'Keefe's ghost will make an appearance in my exhausted and fatigued mind. Our driver meets us and takes us to the port. The other side of the island is filled with tourists, locals, and a more tropical landscape. The Galapagos has multiple micro-climates. It's crazy. One second it's cold and wet and then the next second you're in a desert. Sea lions and crabs are napping on random sidewalks. Iguanas are walking around like poodles on a Parisian sidewalk. The animals are not bothered by humans.  It was pretty surreal especially when you haven't slept in 12 hours.

We jump on a speedboat (aka the vomit comet) that takes us to our catamaran. We meet our fellow travelers representing various countries. I felt like I was in the Olympic Village: Team Switzerland, Team Korea, Team Slovenia, Team Ecuador, Team Germany/Columbia, and of course, Team America. The other bit that made me feel like we were in the Olympics was the fact that we had some physically demanding activities: swimming, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and of course I had to throw in some tomfoolery and yoga antics.

We had to wake up early for breakfast which was served at 7am. In order for us to get to our morning adventures and have all the fun, apparently sleep was not part of the itinerary. I began to wonder if we were on a Latin American fat camp.It was interesting to connect with people on a teeny tiny boat. Each time we hit land, I still felt like I was on a boat. My body felt as if I was swaying side to side even though I was standing still. We went to Floreana Island, and our nature guide dropped some evolutionary biology knowledge. The boyfriend and I totally nerded out. I busted out my Sharpie pen, drawing birds, tortoises, and started taking notes. Yeah... it got really nerdy up in the Galapagos.

Not only were we physically challenged each day, the Galapagos got me re-introduced to my love for biology and field studies. We were able to identify all sorts of animals: blue-footed boobies, flycatchers, finches, sea lions, penguins, stingrays, tropical fish, and sharks. A sea lion scared the crap out me when it torpedoed towards me and swam under me. We scared the crap out of a sea turtle who was swimming in the ocean. Having all the fun - sitting with all sorts of animals. And, no I did not steal an iguana or touch a giant tortoise. I respected Mother Nature because I was a nerdy biology student again.

In the evenings, we enjoyed multi-course meals featuring local Ecuadorian fare. Lots of fish, fresh fruits, and bread. Ecuadorians love their bread. I was in carbohydrate heaven. (Shh... Don't tell my Weight Watchers leaders about that bit.) With all the walking, exploring, jumping, crows, and wheels.... you can basically eat and drink whatever you want.

After our lovely adventure on the islands, we returned to Quito. We explored the city. And my best friend showed me all the amazing things and people: his host family, the panderia, the lavanderia, the Super Max grocery store, and all sorts of various street foods. I'm pretty sure good ol' Anthony Bourdain would have been proud of us. We explored a church decorated in 23 carat gold. I've never seen so much Jesuit bling in a sacred space before. I got to visit the Chapel of Man and learn more about Guayasamin. I found joy in doodling, listening and exploring all the artwork. There are so many places to explore and discover. I was convinced that I was definitely going to have to say "Hasta Luego" and NOT say "Adios!" Ecuador - I shall return.