One final trip in Ecuador to debrief our time spent abroad at the stunning beach of Same.
Per Living and Learning law, we left from our Quito apartments for our final trip of the semester at the crack of dawn. During our six-and-a-half hour bus ride, I drifted in and out of sleep as we drove from the mountainous terrain of Quito out to the fertile terrain that characterizes the awe-striking coastal region of Ecuador. Arriving at our hostel in Same (pronounced saw-may), we unloaded our bags into our paradise-esque beach huts that we were to stay in for the coming three nights. We then started off on the short trek along the sandy ocean shore to our lunch spot. Served alongside hot patacones (fried smashed plantains) and fresh popcorn, I enjoyed a bowl of shrimp ceviche and a pineapple, strawberry batido which cost a mere $2.50 at the beach.
With stomachs full, we returned back to the beach right in front of our cabins and seized the opportunity to swim in the warm, clear water under the hot sun until dinner came. We swam for hours this first day in the overwhelming waves like children and boogie boarded like our lives depended on it. We had few cares in this water and little to fear as the only possibly harmful thing in the water was small jellyfish whose unlikely sting hurt no more than that of a bee. After swimming our afternoon in paradise away, we swam in for dinner at the hotel where we enjoyed open ocean views and God’s ocean soundtrack playing in the background. Following the fruitful conversation that sharing a meal together brings, we started our first debrief session where we reflected on our semester in community and the reality that we will be facing the confusing transition of returning to the states in a few short days.
The reality of returning to the states is that I’m extremely excited to see my friends and family again that I miss horribly, but I’m also going to thoroughly miss the rhythm of life that I’ve grown so accustomed to and the family that I’ve grown to love so deeply during my four months abroad. This debrief session simply and powerfully revealed to me that I’m deeply confused about moving back, but the reality is that this transition is coming in a few short days.
Following debrief and a customary Living and Learning dessert, I played some fiery rounds of Dutch Blitz before heading to bed.
Waking up to the morning sun and the sound of crashing waves, I headed over for breakfast on the shaded, open hotel patio to enjoy banana bread, fresh fruit, and coffee before our morning devotional and worship session. After worshipping through singing this morning, we were taught by Loren of Biblical examples of how to say goodbye and leave well. Following this session, we headed over to the sand for a competitive game of wiffle ball on the beach with the entire cohort. We then washed away our glistening sweat with the refreshing salty ocean water in which we carelessly played until the time for lunch crept up on us.
By routine, we walked along the beach once again to the same lunch spot where I feasted on the flavorful Ecuadorian shrimp that the country is world-famous for in a coconut sauce. Immediately after this meal, a friend and I idiotically attempted to swim back against the current to our hotel. We ended up seriously wearing ourselves out through the meager progress we made against the relentless waves, and we ended up walking about half of the way back. Returning to the hotel, we played a few more games of Dutch Blitz and then decided to spend some time reading in the numerous hammocks situated around the hotel grounds. Tied between palm trees, I read little in a hammock right along the shore before dozing off for a lazy beach nap on Ecuador’s coast.
After waking up, I figured out the time in my nap daze, decided I had enough time to boogie board in the taunting waves for a little while, and got soaking wet just in time to help prepare for dinner. Our normal nighttime beach routine followed during which we shared a delicious meal together, invested ourselves in a debrief session where we reflected on how to tell our story from our time abroad, and wrapped up the night together with dessert. After this sweet time in fellowship, we found sufficient opportunity to begin creating nighttime chaos. We let a frog loose on our friend’s table in the midst of their card game, and jumped at the opportunity to knock coconuts loose from the palm trees all around. We sneakily snatched the beach stick away from the hotel guard when he was distracted and returned to knock a single coconut down that night which we celebrated with as much emotion as Chuck had for Wilson the Volleyball in Castaway. We slept content in the presence of our unbroken coconut that night.
We arose the following morning to once more enjoy a tropical breakfast before spending sweet time in devotional and worshipping through music together. This morning we were reminded of the imperative truth that worship is not simply confined to singing together in a church community, but we should view worship much more wholly as everything that we do. If we are to truly consider ourselves followers of God, we are to view every aspect of our lives as a form of worship to God. This is an important truth I’ve grown to understand this semester. Specifically, in order to not grow weary of striving towards a goal, it is necessary to fully place my goals in the hands of God and to view all of life, including hard work, as a form of worship to the Creator.
After our devotional time this morning, we spent some considerable time knocking coconuts from trees until we had harvested a considerable bunch. With a plentiful quantity, we asked the grounds-keeper if he would be willing to do us a favor by splitting open our coconuts with his machete. Relying on his skillful experience, he easily split our numerous coconuts and the sweet hotel owner generously brought us plastic straws which we used to drink straight from our coconuts. After yet another primal celebration, we jumped straight into the ocean in front of the hotel from which we then swam to lunch.
After yet another midday seafood feast, we walked back to the hotel and shared a short talk with Loren, our spiritual director, during which he generously agreed to teach two friends and I how to drive his manual car. The only two things that we needed were our licenses and $20 in case we needed to bribe the cops (which was guaranteed to work). With the windows down and the invigorating coastal breeze blowing on our faces, he drove us out to a less-frequented road that led out to a small, impoverished fishing town. All three of us drove for the first time in four months as we comedically attempted to learn the delicate art of shifting in his patient presence. A friend of mine so unfortunately managed to run over a chicken during our short time driving which made the trip especially memorable.
After returning from our driving lesson, the same two friends and I decided to swim about a half-a-mile down the beach to a striking peninsula which we called “little Greece” because of the enchanting, rich hotel buildings towering upon the hill that backdropped the peninsula. After swimming down to the peninsula and walking out to the end, we decided to run back along the shore to our hotel in order to make it in time for dinner. This short run along the shore as the sun kissed our faces and the stray beach dog ran alongside of us was surely one of highlights for the beach trip. Sufficiently warmed after our run, we jumped straight back into the refreshing water and swam for a few minutes before heading back in to eat dinner in our swimsuits. This dinner was deeply memorable as we enjoyed easy-flowing, rich conversation with the stunning backdrop of an ocean sunset. This evening was filled with joy as it was one of our final opportunities to sit in the meaningful presence of each other.
After dinner, we formed a circle of chairs and grabbed a long piece of beachwood which we then passed around and used as a means to offer each other affirmations as part of the process of beginning to say goodbye to one another. After this reminiscent and fruitful time spent together, we all met at the beach where we jumped into the dark, nighttime ocean. I’ve never swam in the ocean at night before, and there was certainly no light from the moon to illuminate the crashing waves on this evening. All together, we swam and were consistently knocked around by waves crashing unexpectedly and comedically upon our heads. Playing in the water, we realized that there was fluorescent bacteria in the water which we marveled at as it stuck to our swimsuits and swam all around us. From out in the water, a gleam of fire appeared on shore which was shortly followed by a firework that arose from right in front of our hotel. After marveling at the firework show right above our heads whiles wading within the ocean waves, we swam back in for the night.
Our final morning in paradise, a group of friends and I decided to wake up early and swim before breakfast. We waded silently for sometime as the current pulled us where it wanted then we reflected on some of our favorite semester memories together. After swimming we enjoyed our final coastal breakfast, shared time in worship and devotional, and made one final pass on the beach where we all danced together one last time before loading the buses for the drive home.
One of the most important takeaways from this trip was learning how to tell my story well. Having left for my semester abroad without knowing anyone, I likewise won't be returning to my university with friends who shared this experience with me. Additionally, having moved to a Spanish-speaking country with a starkly different culture, our cohort of students from all across the country grew considerably close. When the outside world grew to be confusing and frustrating, we could always confide in one another in language, culture, and our faith in God. Considering these realities, I want to be able to relay my story and experiences abroad in an inviting way, although explaining four months abroad well seems that it will be difficult. Amongst feelings of both joy and sorrow to be leaving, I want to view even this time of saying difficult goodbyes as an act of worship to God. Worship in the sense that I want to praise God for the blessing of invaluable fellowship and lifelong experiences during my time spent in Ecuador.