El Fin

So this is my final blog. If you are still following this and want to keep up with my future adventures then find me on Facebook. I am moving home next week after two years living and teaching in Medellin. It has been a truly amazing adventure. I have really enjoyed the people I met here and the traveling that I have been able to do. This is a beautiful country, with great people and a lot of amazing things to see. I am so glad that I did this and am thankful to The Columbus School for making it all possible. I am also so thankful for the friends that I have made here that made this adventure so enjoyable and for my friends and family back home that gave me the support and strength I needed to be able to do this, and also have given me a good reason to want to come home. I mill miss Medellin very much, but am also going to enjoy being home again. Thanks to everyone that has been a part of this adventure

Corn Islands, April 2009

Brandi and I met in Managua, had a few mishaps with lost luggage and late planes, but finally made it to Big Corn Island in the Caribbean. It is one of those perfect tropical islands that not a lot of people know about, so it is not too developed, simple, but clean. The people were very friendly. The food was all about the fresh fish, shrimp and lobster and the water was all about being warm and beautiful. We spent two nights on Little Corn...Little being the word. There is no cars on this island, just a walking path around the island, great snorkeling and some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches I have ever seen. We stayed at an eco-lodge called Casa Iguana.
We spent 5 nights on Big Corn. The first night we stayed at Martha's, a cute place owned by a lovely retired couple. After returning to Big Corn we spent the last 4 nights at Casa Canada. It was beautifully landscaped with palm trees, hammocks and the most amazing infinity pool overlooking the ocean. It has to be about the best view I have ever seen. The rooms were also very comfortable with king size beds, air conditioning and a refrigerator to keep out wine cold. And of course we could still hear the ocean as we slept....pure paradise!!

The view of Big Corn from the little plane

The Boat to Little Corn

The beach on Little Corn

The path to Casa Iguana and our room at Casa Iguana

The view from Casa Iguana

The pool and view from Casa Canada on Big Corn

Looks like a beautiful sunset.....but it was actually a beautiful sunrise that woke us up every morning at 6:00 a.m.

Paradise!

Click here to see all the photos

yoga retreat

So Tina and I went to a yoga retreat the weekend of Feb. 28. We got a ride with an instructor on Friday night. It was about three hours from Medellin, near La Pintada, at a finca, on a long dirt road. It was pure tranquilo, in the country, hot, stars, no city noise, great views, lots of yoga and good healthy food, flowers, animals, hammocks and good people. Just what I needed to remind myself that LIFE IS GOOD!

The view from our room

Our room from the view

Yes, I was up before sunrise and thankful to be awake!

Friday Puente in February

So we had Friday, Feb 20th off from school. It's not really a holiday but they gave us the day off because there are no holidays in February and we can't go a month without some time off....seriously.
So my friend, Carolina, is married to Jose and they have a family finca (not really a farm, more like a country house) about 30 minutes outside of Medellin. We decided to go there for one night with Tina and Kristen. It had a pool and a hot tub and was beautifully landscaped. It was a very relaxing time.

This is all the stuff we brought...for one night!
I think most of it is wine

We left the finca Saturday afternoon, but Tina and I decided that we needed some more R&R. So we headed to a tiny town called San Jeranimo, about an hour from Medellin in the HOT zone. We stayed at a really cool place called San Sebastian. We spent the night, had massages and relaxed by the pool.

There was live music to keep us entertained on the bus.

San Sebastian Hotel

Me staying cool in a waterfall at the pool

Click here to see all the pix on flickr

Christmas and New Years in Ecuador and Mexico, 2008-2009

I left Medellin on Dec. 18th and flew to Guayaquil, Ecuador with my roommate, Tina. We were visiting her friends, Sarah and Mark, that live there. We immediately headed to the coast for our first week.
We began our adventure at a very cute hostel called Andaluz on the coast, beach views, pool and hammocks, great fresh fish and no crowds. It was perfect! Our first tour was to Isla de la Plata where we saw LOTS of BOOBIES...the blue footed birds, of course!

my favorite pasttime...Andaluz Hotel on the central coast of Ecuador

me doing the ziplines

Our next stop....SalinasI am happy when
I am eating fresh ceviche and drinking sangria
in my bathing suit
overlooking the beach
in December

Christmas Day, back in Guayaquil at Sarah and Mark's house

Merry Christmas to me!

All the Ecuador pictures on Flikr

I left Ecuador on December 27th and made my way to Puerto Vallarta. I was meeting Alan, Allegra, Maya and Terra there. But to my great surprise the first people I saw were Jeff and Loren. They surprised me and what a perfect surprise it was.
Happy Birthday to me!

And now the fun begins.....
SHOTS

Sunsets

Sisters

And lots of love.....

The birthday girl!

Who's that guy in the hat?

Happy New Year!

birthday dinner! Yum!

Thank you Puerto Vallarta
for the best birthday ever
and to all of you who made it possible!

oh yeah....I also spent a few days in Guadalajara

All the rest are here