Wow!!! I can't believe that it is already November. It has been a busy start to the school year, which has made the days, weeks, and even months fly by rapidly. At this point in the year, I have already had to decide my plans for next year. I can officially say that I am currently unemployed for the following school year. I have decided to not renew my Guayaquil teaching contract. Instead of returning, I will be looking for another international school somewhere in Latin America. It was an extremely tough decision to make, but it definitely feels like the right one. The biggest downside (as always) is being away from friends and family for a longer period of time. My only hope is that my family understands my decision and realizes that they are extremely important to me and of course that I love them with all my heart and will never take them for granted.


With that being said, mixed feelings have already started. It feels extremely strange thinking so far into the future when it is only November. However I am already excited about the great schools and amazing places that could possibly be my new home. At the same time, I can't help but think of Ecuador and InterAmerican and this incredible experience. It has been, and will continue to be, a wild amazing ride. One that I am extremely pleased with.  I have experienced some amazing things and met some incredible people, a few of which have become my extremely good friends.  My next step in looking for employment is to attend a job fair in Atlanta the first week of December. It will be my first time heading back to the states in a year and a half.


This past week, we had a bit of a vacation. With five days total off, I headed to Riobamba with some teacher friends. Rory and Joanne are a couple from South Africa. They are really kind, interesting, and fun people. We spent the first few days checking out the markets and heading to a celebration of the different provinces of Ecuador. We quickly learned that Riobamba is a very sleepy town. We actually got bored, which was a nice, relaxing feeling. My girlfriend met us there on Monday. Yes, I said girlfriend. I'm not sure how it happened, but we have been together for a month now. Her name is Leonela. She is cool and things are going well. It definitely tests my Spanish, as she does not speak English. Anyway, where were we?? Oh, yeah. The last, and most exciting thing that we did was that we all biked down Volcano Chimborazo. Before we started biking, a few of us hiked to the last refuge of Chimborazo.  The refuge was at 16,500 feet. I reached it and went a bit further, making it the highest I have ever been. The bike down was fun! There were parts that I had a smile from ear to ear and even let out a few shouts. Here are some pics:

Chillin' with some donkeys with Chimborazo in the background.

Market action on a clear day.

Checking out the animal market.  It was so crowded . . . filled with all sorts of sounds and of course smells! Making canelazo (a typical drink from the mountains).  It was free! My very first time ever singing karaoke . . . it definitely wasn't good, but I didn't get booed. Laguna de Colta near Riobamba. Getting ready to ride the teleférico in a town called Guano. Getting ready to do some biking. A lone vicuña. At about 17,000 feet. Rory, Joanne, Leonela, and I On one of the single tracks.  After zooming down the path with a huge smile on my face, ran into this cool scene. The surrounding scenery while fixing a flat tire. Time to leave the mountains.  Do I have to?!?!?!?!?!