EXPEDITION ECUADOR

In August, 2004, fifteen of us traveled to Ecuador, guided by the Dammer Brothers. Below is a reflection on this amazing journey by Badger Johnson, one of the students.

REMEMBERING ECUADOR FROM CINCINNATI
Right now I am laughing at a song. It’s sung by Peter Pan; the refrain is “I don’t want to grow up, never grow up!”Why not, Peter? I had a blast growing up on Expedition Ecuador! I tried to memorize all the advice teachers gave us, and some of Misha’s from our last night together floats to the surface of my mind. Following it has made my life as full as my stomach. He said we should cling to the lessons we learned in Ecuador after we returned home. I hope this article will instill and remind us of some of them.

I can remember getting homesick one night on the trail between Oayacachi and El Rio Santa Maria. The mist in the air chilled my face, but my calves felt hot. My thoughts tried to escape ahead a few days. I felt like a small shirt squeezed onto a fat man, perceived misery. I mentioned this to the group after dinner. “Home is where your heart is” literally. Remember that! My heart is inside of me, in my chest, and not in a Kentucky kitchen with my family. I can have good posture without leaning on anything. I don’t even lean on myself, because I want to see the world exactly as it is. Whenever I’m challenged, whether by parents, exercise or anything else, knowing my heart can see me through.

As I stride strongly on my own, Ecuador is helping me appreciate my gifts. I learned my backpack is exactly 70 liters. By making efficient use of that space, I realized that my physical needs are much simpler than I was treating them. Making a simple life turns simply living into a game. Flicking off light switches, examining my self for cause and effect, really listening to someone’s point of view, or using free entertainment all score points. I’m winning this game since I got home. I have literally given up dairy products and sleeping in a bed, and it feels like a snake shedding an old skin.

We journeyed through Ecuador in a Kroka community, and it worked my relationship skills. A number of people had soulful conversations with me.When I was sandwiched in a bus, on the open trail and other places, I had some good ones. In retrospect, I can see that when I invested time in a personal relationship, the other person made it worth my while by sharing more. I’d never consciously realized that investing in relationships was such a wise habit.

My Dad told me 3 rules for gringos adjusting to South America that I figured out on my own. They are: fight only major battles, there are no major battles and third, if you can’t fight or flee, you go with the flow. I was already following the rules when we had to spend an extra day of our trip in Miami, because I just laid back and enjoyed the sunlight. Sometimes when I’m stressed out I forget these rules and wistfully worry about what could’ve, should’ve, would’ve happened, but usually I’ve got this down pat.