When change is coming, I have a habit of visualizing how life will be different in two weeks from now, one month from now, etc. Of course, change often comes unannounced, but in the cases where you can see it coming, this is what I find myself doing. I am not sure it is the best habit, but I think it brings a sense of appreciation to what I am experiencing in the present moment; prompting recognition that whether the current experience is good or bad – it is unique, temporary, and should be experienced fully.

Change has been a theme since my last update, and will continue to be the theme for the upcoming future. At the beginning of March my family moved from the cool, green, tree-lined river banks of Cuenca, in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, to the warm, blue skied, sand kissed beaches of San Jose on Ecuador’s coast. Overnight my experience of Ecuador changed, and while I enjoyed many things about living in Cuenca, I was looking forward to the new experience on the coast.

I’ve spent the last few weeks waking up to the sound of waves, taking long walks along the beach, and enjoying an epicurean freedom of choice: whether or not I put on a shirt throughout the entire day. It’s been an inimitable blessing to have this time, where I’ve been free to explore the things that make me tick and gain a better understanding of myself. Writing this chapter, a chapter that has also included a deepening of relationships with my family, learning a 2^nd language, and making new friendships, will no doubt add value to the remaining story of my life. But like any good book, one chapter must lead to the next, and this chapter is coming to a close.

Two weeks from now I will be back in the United States.

The sunsets over the Pacific Ocean replaced with sunrises over the Atlantic.

The sound of the waves in the morning replaced with traffic and morning news.

The daily time spent together with family replaced with text message updates.

The freedom to choose what I want to do each day replaced with the necessity to decide.

One month from today I will be…

This is the one that is keeping me up at night. Visualizing my situation one month from today involves some dramatically different options. I can’t say for certain yet where I’ll be a month from today, but what is certain is that difficult decisions need to be weighed. A choice must be made. Decisions that will determine where my next chapter begins. But that’s an update for another day.

For today, I am going to continue writing the chapter I am currently in, enjoying these moments and making them count, as the sun sets on my time in Ecuador.