Adventure – My life is one!
¨Enjoy your adventure!¨
¨It will be such a great adventure!¨
¨Cannot wait to hear about your adventures!¨
These were some of the encouraging comments from friends and family before we moved from the US to Ecuador in 2013. Adventure was a word I heard many times. My very supportive, encouraging Mom wanted to hear about our adventures.
To me, adventure had always meant an exciting, awe-filled, wonderful experience. I was not so sure if what we were doing qualified as an adventure. I hoped that we would find a home and a place to buy chicken once we arrived. And perhaps a little adventure here and there.
The first months of exciting, awe-filled, wonderful times were interspersed with frustrating, miserable, soul-searching times. It was an adventure, alright! Some days felt like the wrong type of adventure to me.
Being on a burning boat in the ocean is surely an adventure, but is it the kind you want?
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| Burning boat, Puerto Lopez, Manabí, April 4, 2016 |
On one of my frustrating, miserable, felt-like-my-boat-was-on-fire days, I opened an email from Mom. It ended with ¨Looking forward to hearing about your next adventure!¨
I do not remember what it was that had me so down that day – could have been anything really. Perhaps it was one of these:
- A steaming hot day without power, which meant no fans and rotting food in the fridge
- Another day when I could not find the lady in town who sold chickens so I could make dinner
- It may have simply been a day when I forgot mosquito repellent and had one too many bites
Whatever it was, I was having a pity party for one when I read her email. My response was rude and inexcusable.
¨My life is not an adventure! It is a normal, every day life with ups and downs exactly like everyone else´s. I just live in a different country!¨
I am certain I never apologized to my mom for my terrible response. I have no excuse. Life went on and neither of us mentioned it. She has not used the word adventure with me since.
Dear Mom: I am sorry for my rude reply and my extremely tardy apology. You are right – my life IS an adventure! Ask anytime about my adventures – I will share the fun ones and the burning boat ones, too. Perhaps I will even have a story about a baby monkey on my head!
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| Cojimies, Manabí, Oct 29, 2013 |
Follow me as I share some of my adventures with you!
Emily Bloomquist
I am a US Expat in Ecuador. I grew up on a Minnesota farm, worked in IT in California's Silicon Valley, then moved to a coastal Ecuador fishing village. My goal is to share Ecuador with you, one snippet at a time. Topics include attractions, compassion, ecotourism, Ecuador products, everyday Ecuador, and flora and fauna. Please let me know what you would like to read more about!
42 Comments
Jz
I'll watch this space for a comment from mom!
Let the adventures begin… 🙂
Emily Bloomquist
I will, too!
Danielle L Zecher
You're right that some adventures are definitely more desirable than others.
Emily Bloomquist
That is so true.
Rajlakshmi
Love the honesty in your post. Yes, at time life does get the better of us … but it is an adventure after all 🙂
Rajlakshmi from a to z challenge
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you, it took me a while to realize that it is all an adventure.
Alicia M Rodriguez
Hey Emily, you never know where life will take you so it's well worth embracing all of it! Keep writing and exploring. Come visit when you're back in Puerto Lopez!
Emily Bloomquist
True words, Alicia! Will keep at it and will stop by to say hi when we are back in town.
Susan Arthur
My husband talks about moving to Ecuador every single day. I am looking forward to your blog posts. Who knows, you may be the reason I say yes!
Susan
FREEZERBURNED
Emily Bloomquist
That would be cool! We are glad we made the move. Keep reading and see what you think. There are so many beautiful areas in Ecuador and people are extremely kind and welcoming.
Leslie Moon
They are always adventures when someone else is living them.
Looking forward to reading about life in Ecuador.
Join @moondustwriter for A Piece of Uganda
Emily Bloomquist
Yes, true! I will check out your blog. It will be interesting to learn a bit about Uganda.
Sonrisa
I spent 10 days on an adventure in Ecuador, so can only imagine what daily life is like for there!
Heidi, perspectives absent of sound @ Decibel Memos
Emily Bloomquist
How cool that you have been here! It is such a beautiful country.
crgalvin
Well done you! I hope you've sent the link to your Mum. Living in another country is challenging but a life changing experience. In later years you'll be thankful that you've made this effort to document your experiences.
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you, crgalvin! I have sent her the link. Looking forward to hearing from her 🙂
Aidyl Ewoh
Haha yes! I look at life as an adventure, too, but at times when I'm in some place like the mountains of South America with really cold temps and no heat, I begin wondering if adventures are overrated. Looking back though, I know they aren't. 😉
Emily Bloomquist
Too funny – I am currently sitting in the mountains of South America wishing I had a heater!
Crowing Crone Joss
It's funny that we rarely think of our own life as an adventure, even when we move to a new country! Right now I'm looking forward to sunshine, after so much rain. Kinda feels like walking along the river would be just the adventure I need.
Emily Bloomquist
Yes, Joss, it is funny how our own lives rarely seem like an adventure to us, even when they are.
Anonymous
Life really is an adventure! Esp love that monkey on the head pic! I can't wait to hear all about yours in Ecuador, dear sister! Love you so much!
– Lisa K
Emily Bloomquist
Hey Lisa, Thank you! You know, you were on the receiving end of my rude email too. The blog got clunky when I included you and Heidi in the apology. I do apologize to you both, too. Looking forward to sharing my adventures. Love you!
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Emily – sometimes life throws us wobblies … I'm sure your mother understands now, as do you too … I'm looking forward to seeing more of Ecuador and your 'adventures' … cheers Hilary
A for Aurochs
Today’s A – Z Challenge 2017 post
Emily Bloomquist
Hi Hilary, I love the word wobblies. It is used far to little in my life. I am going to incorporate it. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy my adventures. I am off now to read about Aurochs.
Narayana Rao
Interesting. Musings about adventures.
A to Z: 2017 Blogging Challenge – Top Management Challenge Areas
Prof. K.V.S.S. Narayana Rao
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you for reading, Narayana. I will check out your blog now.
Scarlett Braden
I have been accused of wearing rose colored glasses, being an ostrich, a PollyAnna. I LOVE my life in Ecuador and I've never gotten over the honeymoon. I live in Cuenca and for 2.5 years, I have not had a single solitary day of regret. Maybe my life was just THAT bad in the U.S. but I love my crazy, topsy-turvy, adventurous life in Ecuador. I think things are probably easier in Cuenca than on the coast. Here's to many happy adventures and fewer burning boats. Good luck with the A-Z!
A is for Automatic Writing
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Scarlett! I am glad that you also love this beautiful country. Coincidentally, I happen to be in Cuenca now. It is lovely and I am enjoying it. I will be returning to the coast in a few months.
Donna B. McNicol
This is going to be a fun read for us. Whenever someone asks about our time in Ecuador and why we went there, we always tell them it was our Grand Adventure!
DB McNicol, author & traveler
Theme: Oh, the places we will go!
Emily Bloomquist
I love that – your Grand Adventure! That is perfect.
Sreesha Divakaran
We all have those days. I hope your mom reads this post.
In a way all our lives are adventures, irrespective of where we live. I think we just have to look at that way. Even on the off days when we wish it was just normal and uneventful 😀
Emily Bloomquist
Yes, all of our lives are adventures. It is a good way to look at life!
Susie
Everything we do is an adventure, sometimes not the adventure we want. I look forward to reading more of your #atozchallenge
Emily Bloomquist
You are so right, Susie!
Arlee Bird
I'm not quite the adventurer that I used to be when I was younger. These days I prefer my daily adventures to end up in my own comfortable bed or at least a bed in a nice clean hotel.
As for a monkey on my head? Not sure about that.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out: It's About Time
Emily Bloomquist
Sleeping in a warm bed is much better than cold dirt or tile, that is for sure! Come back later to hear more about the monkey 🙂
John Davis Frain
Decided I might as well start at the beginning! I hope you're loving life because it sure looks and sounds like it!
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you and yes, I am loving life!
Courtney Turner
Love that reality check. Yes, rotting food and no power is not fun. One always imagines tropical places never have problems. Maui Jungalow
Emily Bloomquist
You have the same conditions on Maui so I know you get it.
Nilanjana Bose
Here now (only a few weeks late!) to catch up on your unadventurous life. The no power, rotting food, missing chicken lady and mosquito serenades sound quite familiar btw, story of my mum's life as she grew me up in West Africa 🙂
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks for coming back to catch up on my unadventurous life, Nilanjana! I suspect that many around the world can relate to these things 🙂