Long Ago

Long ago in a far away land...

Okay, that's not really how this journey began. However, those far away adventures from the past, to places such as Peru, Kenya and Thailand, did transform me into a travel nut. I'm not the type of person who likes to spend money. Just ask my friends. However, I do save for a few splurges-traveling and photography.

The reality is that I can't pinpoint when this dream started. Various experiences and realizations all came together to form my Ecuador Explorin' trip. I started to talk about it at length in 2007 though I'd been daydreaming long beforehand. My freshman year in college I started out as a biology major, but labs were a drag, and I was extremely frustrated in one particular class. That was the end of major #1. I liked traveling and learning about cultures. Plus, as timid as I was about speaking foreign languages, deep down I wanted to expose my mind to a new learning experience. With the suggestion of a professor, I declared my major as International Studies. Realizing I would never be able to fulfill my childhood dream of training Shamu without a biology or zoology degree, I vowed to volunteer with animals throughout my life. Hence the decision to work at Santa Martha.

Throughout my college summers, I interned with an organization called Operation Smile in Norfolk, VA. I worked predominately in the education department during that time but continued volunteering with medical records after graduation. My admiration for Operation Smile grew when my family started to host patients who needed to come to the United States for surgery. In 2005, I went on my first medical mission to Kenya as a photo imagining technician. It was a fabulous learning experience, and my interest in the medical world expanded. While medical school and long-nights during residency aren't for me, I would like to garner more experience in the global health field. At Jatan Sacha, I hope to work with the community-assisting in the clinic and in local food production.

Growing up, my mom was constantly gardening. While I'm not afraid of a little dirt, I never had an interest in flowers and vegetables as a child. During my sophomore year in college I grew tired of cafeteria food, fast food and fried junk. Instead of constantly filling my body with hydrogentated oils, high fructose corn syrups and food colorings, I vowed to eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Since I grew up with a mother who never allowed Rice-A-Roni, Little Debbie snacks or TV dinners, it wasn't too hard to rid my life of them. After graduating from college, I started working at the Capital Area Food Bank in D.C. as the Coordinator of the Operation Frontline program. The Capital Area Food Bank partners with Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD to provide organic produce to member agencies and low income individuals. Over my three years working with the Capital Area Food Bank, my interest in the source of food grew as did my love for cooking and wholesome eating. That's essentially how my desire to work at Rio Muchacho was birthed. Plus, who can complain about waking up near a beach?

Though I absolutely loved living and working in the Washington D.C. area, it was time to spread my wings (so to speak). I didn't want to become complacent, but I could have stayed in D.C. longer. There are moments in life where you hear a voice inside calling you to fulfill a dream, to follow your passions, to learn new things, to grow into yourself. That's precisely what I'm going to do in a few weeks, and I am so excited.

Until then...I'll keep organizing the mounds of clothes, work supplies and pure junk that I brought back from D.C. It looks like a tornado tore through my home.

*Photo #1 taken in Sucua, Ecuador 2008
and Photo #2 taken in Quito, Ecuador 2008