The Journey of a Friendly Giant

I remember hearing the word "6 months" during my pre-departure training and feeling a bit scared everytime thinking " wow thats a very long time ". Now here I am 6 months later wondering where the time went! I'm wishing I had more time to continue contributing to projects within Puerto Hondo, to keep working with the kids from the environmental club, and simply keep enjoying this beautiful's country's music, food, language and people. But alas, tomorrow is the day I hop on a plane and head back to Canada. My last month has been a bit crazy because I moved from my apartment, which made internet a rare thing to come by. Today is my official "despedida" Which means official farewell , and is usually associated with a goodbye party. It will be a sad day full of tears, at least on my end, but I'll be prepared with a full roll of toilet paper. I also plan to hand out goodbye letters that I spent last night writing for the people I've go...

Cerro Blanco is a part of Bird Life international and is considered an important area because of its several bird species that are critically endangered and rely on its environment.  For those that do not know him, Eric Horstman, my boss, is extremely passionate about nature and its protection.   “I have personally noticed his love for birds. He often attends international conferences, and has developed quiet a name for himself through several different international networking events.” -Tania Rios, supervisor at Cerro Blanco Yellow tailed Oriole  Two years ago, Eric received a message from a woman named Jane Johnson. She was in the process of completing a children’s book about a Grey Cheeked Parakeet that they owned named Tangerine. He was happy to help Jane Johnson with anything that she needed to know about the bird. After a few months of emailing back and forth, Jane and her husband Clifford Johnson finally decided to visit Cerro Blanco to see the colorf...

I've been sick for the past 5 days, and haven't been able to eat a solid meal for a  while. I never knew my stomach was so sensitive until I came to Ecuador. It was bound to happen, I was warned about this before my arrival. I will write a proper blog once I'm fully recovered. For now, my health is the most important thing. Send positive thoughts my way!

The shortage of landfill space across the globe has made waste an important issue that every nation has to deal with. In Canada, recycling is promoted as way to reduce waste and contribute to a greener planet. I’ve always been a fan of recycling; it even became second nature to me. When I have garbage, I’m used to sorting it and placing it in the recycling box. But to my surprise, my apartment here in Ecuador didn't have one. When I asked my roommate why he didn't recycle, his answer was “nobody recycles at home Cassie, that's something some people do at work .” I convinced myself that his opinion could be the exception, and decided to ask more people. By reading my blogs one may gather that I'm a very curious person. I like to know why , things are the way that they are, and am never scared to ask. That's one of the reasons I chose international development as a field of work, because I learned some reasons “ why ” the world was the way that it was, and I wanted...

Without inspiration, I don’t believe someone can ever truly reach his or her full potential in life. Inspiration encourages motivation, determination and hope. It shares the same word with the action of breathing in, and poets often use it as a metaphor, “without inspiration , we are not breathing” in other words, it keeps us alive, keeps us going. Even an underdog can become an Alphadog simply by finding the inspiration that drives them and motivates them despite their small size. We can all think of a person, place or thing that inspires us in our lives. For me, art, people in my life, books, and movies, are things that Im inspired by on a regular basis. When I think of a list of people that inspire me, there a few people that always come to mind such as my mother, fiancé, mentors and some of my favorite authors such as Dr. David Suzuki, and Dr. Jane Goodall. “We have the choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place – or not to bother.” – Jane Goodall ...