At Altitude in Ecuador | January 2026

Did you think I would catch up on sleep in January? Did you think time would move more slowly? 

Nope and nope.

You should have seen me staggering through the Seattle airport to get to my last flight home on my return trip from Ecuador. The moral of the story is don't ever again START your journey home at midnight. Nope. 

The very last three days of 2025 found me in Palm Springs (a kinda boring, but kinda nice place) with plans to take the tram up and then hike to the top of Mt. Jacinto. Cool plans, right? Well, the tram was delayed until way too late in the day, so we enjoyed a different, shorter hike. This trip will definitely need a do-over. We got some cool shots in Joshua Tree NP though. :) 

Okay, then January. I worked six sub jobs at different schools. I enjoyed a few days off over the long weekend, getting to spend time with family and visit Peter. And then I took off for ten days in Ecuador. 

The whole reason for visiting Ecuador (besides the fact that it is a very cool country in South America with four incredible and diverse regions -- Amazon, Highlands, Coastal, and the Galapagos) was to meet the child who I sponsor through Compassion International. I've always wanted to go on a trip with Compassion, to get an inside view into the work they do and learn more about their programs. 

It was not disappointing! The way Compassion works through local leadership and local churches is really compelling. There's a ton of organization and oversight, but I would also say their work is done quite efficiently and effectively. The local staff I met were so genuine and so full of heartfelt dedication. Very sweet people. And having the leaders in local churches be the ones to identify community needs and meet them really works. 

We visited three centers and three homes of local families. Many people do live quite remotely, making school and medical care harder to access. We delivered baskets of food staples and just bore witness to the contrast between small houses with limited amenities but incredibly tightly woven and loving families who work hard to support each other. 

I wouldn't say 2026 is off to a terrific start, but it's not all bad either. There's a lot to be happy about and be thankful for. :) As the days get longer and the weather warms again, there's promise in the air. 

CURRENTLY

Eating | banana dark chocolate muffins 
Enjoying | sunny weather 
Watching | Jacob Collier in San Francisco
Thankful | for the Compassion International team around the world
Planning | a spring trip to Japan
Anticipating | Survivor Season FIFTY!!!!  

Goal setting | clean up the backyard and repair the fence