Home at Last

So I guess I wasn't super good at updating my blog while I was in Ecuador. I didn't get to use the Internet as often as I thought I would... So I guess, now that I'm home, I should update as to how my trip went. It was AMAZING! Well that's it... JK hehehe OK so the Spanish lessons in Quito (Ecuador's Capital City) were real cool.

We got to do some sight seeing and such as well.

Then I was off to the rain forest. I got to do a lot of hiking, swimming and planting. I planted coffee, native trees, orchids and bermillias. I also helped make 4 sets of bamboo stairs, a live fence and a tree fern pot. I took part in many discussions with topics such as conservation, organics and green energy.

I got to shower in a waterfall more than once.

I also got to hang out with some really cool people! I went to the center or the world and to a sweet market. I had a very loooong flight home...

Well that was the brief version... I can elaborate for you if you ask me to... hehe

Hola from Quito!

Well I´ve made it safe and sound to Quito in Ecuador! I am staying with a family here for the next few days. I am with two girls from ISV one of whom is also on my project. I´m taking Spanish lessons this week nad I did a salsa lesson today as well. I dunno what I´m doing tomorrow but I´m sure it will be just as adventurous! Ok well this was short and sweet... Maybe I can post again befor I leave for my project... Love ya all!!!

Excitement in my life...

So there is definitely a lot of new stuff to say since January 20th...

Firstly, I am now working at Starbucks! I pretty much love it too! Also I am going to Toronto with ACE-TRU, a business "club" I'm a part of at school in a couple days for a couple days.

And the biggest update from last post is I'm actually going to Ecuador instead of Costa Rica now, IN TWO WEEKS!


In Ecuador I will be at The Maquipucuna Reserve which is a non-profit natural reserve. Here are some cool facts about Maquipucuna:

Maquipucuna´s mission is to contribute to biodiversity conservation and responsible management of natural resources through actions including: research, protection, education and
production based on the principles of participation and equity.

It's inside the bio-region of the Andean Choco, which is considered one of the 18 most important "hot spots" of biodiversity on the planet, according to Conservation International.




In the Maquipucuna Reserve there are approximately 2,000 species of plants, of which 350
species of orchids alone have been identified.

The Reserve has at least 45 species of mammals, such as the Andean Spectacled Bear, the Armadillo, and the Guanta, 366 species of birds have been registered and as such Maquipucuna Reserve is part of the IBA or "Important Bird Area" as assigned by Maquipucuna-Rio Guayllabamba and it contains over 250 species of butterflies, many of which are considered exotic, such as the Blue Morpho.

Here are some of the cool things I could be doing:

1. Reforestation for carbon sequencing, CHOCo2 project in the Maquipucuna Reserve
• Collecting seeds for natural regeneration
• Nursery maintenance: Cleaning and Irrigation
• Bagging seedlings (first term of the year)
• Planting
• Following up harvesting and planting

2. Cultivation and Management of shade Coffee, birds friendly and organic.
• Collecting seeds
• Constructing nursery
• Preparation of substrates
• Bag filling for seedlings
• Seedlings
• Transplanting
• Tracking of the planting
• Harvest Coffee
• Post Harvest
• Maintenance of the coffee plants (clean, pruning, pest control)

3. Improvement of the Organic Farm
• Cleaning of the Farm
• Planting
• Harvesting
• Maintenance

4. Collaborative community work groups in support of their School

So, some of the things I'm looking forward to most are the orchids (my FAV flower), working in the coffee plantation, and working with the school.

New Year News

Well since it it now 2008 I figured I should give an update on my life:

* I am now also working at the Travelodge.

*I just attended my first PCMA conference and LOVED IT!

*I got an A-, B+ and 2 B's last term.

*I'm going to Costa Rica in the summer.

*I'm going on a cruise in December.

That's all that I can really think of...

Not my cup of tea...

So earlier I talked about going to England, I've since then discovered that in order to study at that school I would need to be there for nine months. I feel like that is a super long time so I'm looking into some of my other options. One such school is in the city of Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands. I don't know much about this school yet but I'm checking it out.
I also realized that I've landed a new job since my Oct. post. I now work at Sun Peaks Resort doing ticketing. It's a pretty cool job and I get a season's pass for free.
I am finished two of my exams now, and I have two more to go. I also have two really big assignments that I should be working on... OK well I should go work on those...

I'm giving a WHOLE new meaning to the word Procrastination

OK so I should be studying for my TMGT 115 (marketing) exam which takes place tomorrow morning at 9am but I just CAN'T! I am soooo unfocused and tired and lazy... I am going to severely regret this tomorrow but I can't make myself sit down and study. I just realized that I missed the entire month of November in my blog as well. Also much of October. My life as an E&C student is CRAZY! I am more busy than I can ever remember being! Strangely enough, I really enjoy it. I admit there are some days where I just want to hide under my bed so no one can find me, and I can just be alone and quiet but most of the time I love being in the midst of everything. Well, that is all I can muster up since thinking about my exam tomorrow has sent me into a panic stricken state, so I better go TRY and study something...

School, life and things..

Right so first matter of business is my tree seeds died. None of them sprouted. I guess I am just not cut out for seed growing.
So as for school, I am getting behind as I type since I should be working on papers and such and I'm not. I am really enjoying my program though. I really think I've found the right career for me. Now I can't really tell you what type of job I will really be getting, but I think I'll like it based on the stuff we are learning to do. I applied for co-op which is working during the summer or a semester in your field of study so after I get one term under my belt I should have a better idea of what I will be doing once I graduate. Also, I am going to a conference with some classmates in January. This is a conference for conference planners! Haha, how cool is that? And I'm helping out a lot with that stuff.
Life. Well it's going I suppose. I have joined the young adults group at Alliance and so far it's been great. Devon is now staying at Blockbuster... He got a raise because of it. Now for those who don't know, he was kinda offered a job at the TV station and then we dunno what happened but he had it but never got called about it. So he told BB that he'd stay if they gave him a raise and they did so yay! He starts welding January 7th and that's pretty exciting. I am working with Parks and Recreation just doing random things right now and in October I start teaching swimming lessons out at Quaaout Lodge.
Some things with me are, I'm helping to plan a high school youth rally at Calvary Church for a school project and I will also be helping with a children's literacy festival in January. I am still looking in to studying in England next year and I've been in touch with people from that university. I think I've found the courses I would be taking and I've also found an option for my accommodations. I am going to meet with the Study Abroad Director at TRU in the next few weeks.