#bacichxinquito

If I was going to write personal ads for my sisters, here is what I would say (this is a silly exercise because they both already have intelligent, sweet, hot men on their arms, but still...):

Lindsay Marie
Passionate realtor and mother of two adorable and brilliant little girls. You'll often find me at Caribou, sipping my skinny mochachino with no whip, chatting with my clients or laughing with my best friend. Crazy, sexy confidence. I got it. Envious eyelashes that I bat over my hazel eyes. I got 'em. Toned legs recognized for their ability to run marathons. Got those too. The stamina to keep up with me...You got it?

Cassie Michelle
Here's the deal: I'm sassy and classy. I can throw on a pair of big boots and grab my gun to stalk some prey in the forest by day and don my designer jeans and stilettos to groove on the dance floor by night. My biggest sis says I'm crazy-cool. The youngest of three girls, I made it my job to push boundaries when I was growing up, but I've generally set the rebel aside as I've become a deep old soul. (I did say generally.) If you wanna curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea (perhaps spiked with some whiskey) and flip on the latest episode of Game of Thrones you could be the one for me.

Yep, I love mis hermanas, these two intelligent, silly, spunkified women. Their four-day stay was altogether too short, but we managed to hit up some of my favorite locales in Quito and hang with my friends that stayed in town for the long Easter weekend.

I picked them up from the airport late Wednesday night. While Hannah and Eric and Mom and Dad have already experienced a bit of Ecuador and my life here, bridging my two worlds continues to feel so surreal to me. When Linds and Cass appeared through the doors of customs, I had to question if they were merely a mirage. To my delight they did not disappear when I threw my arms around them en un abrazo fuerte. Arriving back at my place around midnight, we munched on chocolate chip cookies and engaged in some much needed sister girl talk until 3 am. Curling up with my sisters in one of our rooms to chat about life, boys, and sometimes the fruits of Shakira and Gerard Piqué's coupling is still one of the best things of being part of this trio.

Quintessentials Millenials taking Sister Selfies. 

Comically, if I might say, Linds and Cass quickly discovered the Dunkin' Donuts at the mall to get their fill of iced coffees. Speaking of the mall, the fashionistas also sniffed out the Zara at Quicentro. I humored them a bit (really I had to because I do benefit from their shopoholic ways--ever heard of hand-me-ups?) before declaring that they did not fly 3, 247 miles to go to a mall. 

Linds in her happy place...

After their first full day in Quito, we set out for Pobre Diablo para la cena. I love Pobre for its live music and delectable meat. Pork loin in a mustard brandy sauce. Delic. We didn't end up lasting long enough to listen to the tunes that night, but Cass tried her first Pisco Sour and we had the company of Ana (who Linds and Cass hadn't seen in, what, 10 years?!), hometown boy Peter and Carolina boy Tom, which made for some good banter and good times. (I believe we coined the phrase Que Locs! this night, which is now among Peter's favorite phrases.) 

Never would have thought the four of us would be rendezvouing in Quito when we met Ana so many years ago. 

We made it to a soccer game as well one afternoon, though the stadium was rather quiet as Quito was something of a ghost town during the holiday weekend. 

Notice Cass's exposed forearms? Burnt to a crisp...but she can make any look part of the latest fashion.

One of my peaceful places in the city is Parque Metropolitano. Another afternoon my friends Alli and Charles and Rebecca and Patrick invited us along for a picnic in the park, which was quite lovely. 

We feasted on Alli's baked ham and Rebecca's special potato salad and my garlicky asparagus.

After a day in the sun, we planned on a low key evening, though a little dance party at the unusually quiet Bachelor Pad turned into a night in the Mariscal, the area of the city that houses many bars, restaurants and hostels.

Tom, that lucky dude, had the ladies to himself before we hit up Finn McCool's. 

Linds and I have always been close. One of my favorite sister stories is about the time that one of us was with Dad at home and the other with Mom in Superior, separated over a weekend. When the four of us were reunited Linds and I just ran towards each other and embraced. I see this bond between Natalie and Giatta now and it's the sweetest. As Cass is five years my junior, we weren't as close when we were younger, but as we've grown up, I feel increasing blessed that she's my littlest sis. In a tribute to her I say she is one of the most open-minded, accepting, and just generally coolest people I know. As we were getting the party started at Finn's I was loving her awesome energy thinking, "Daaang, my sista's got moves!" 

It is indeed a blessing that I am part of such a close-knit family. It is imperfect as all else, but our love and loyalty run deep. I'm everlastingly thankful that my dad proposed to my mom after 3 months of dating (at the ages of 21 and 23 respectively!), mom got knocked up with me accidentally (after the wedding, because there was nothing else to do in Podunk, Montana), then got pregnant again (mostly another oops) 9 months after my birth, and finally planned to have a third child. Third time's a charm, Cass. 

Life is good here, but I'm sure looking forward to much more sister time this summer.

Todo mi amor,

Jame

The Mind of Absolute Trust

I'm a bit restless tonight. After being a sleeping reina most of the weekend, my mind is turning circles and currently keeping me from the long slumber I thought I would enjoy for a third night in a row. You know, the irony of feeling more at home, more safe, more secure, and definitely more social in South America is that the trajectory of my future at once seems more uncertain. Will I stay or will I go now? And if I go, will it be home to which I return? In recent years I have made peace with, and come to appreciate, that life is unpredictable, unplannable really. I think there's a lot of beauty in that. Often sorrow too. My plan--if there really was one--was to fly away for two years and return to my family, friends, dog, job and condo when my contract was up...perhaps that will still be in the stars...and perhaps not.

So, the thing about being this Highly Sensitive Person (which, hey, comes with some kick-ass super powers) means feeling emotions intensely. It can be pretty rad because when you feel intense emotion you also feel tanto alive, right. It can also be exhausting, all of that intensity. Trying to turn my mind off while all sorts of competing sentiments course through my veins is really cramping my sleeping style here. Perhaps the silliest part of the deal is that I don't have to make any decisions tomorrow, or the next day, or next month, yet already I am reeling.

Por eso I turn to books. Sliding open my nightstand I find ten poems to last a lifetime, gifted to me many years ago from one of my dearest friends, Kelley. The poem that catches my eye tonight: The Mind of Absolute Trust by Seng Ts'an. Working on internalizing the words, and they're worth sharing:

The Great Way isn’t difficult
for those who are unattached to their preferences.
Let go of longing and aversion,
and everything will be perfectly clear.

When you cling to a hairbreadth of distinction,
heaven and earth are set apart.
If you want to realize the truth,
don’t be for or against.

The struggle between good and evil
is the primal disease of the mind.
Not grasping the deeper meaning,
you just trouble your mind’s serenity.

As vast as infinite space,
it is perfect and lacks nothing.
But because you select and reject,
you can’t perceive its true nature.

Don’t get entangled in the world;
don’t lose yourself in emptiness.
Be at peace in the oneness of things,
and all errors will disappear by themselves.

If you don’t live the Tao,
you fall into assertion or denial.
Asserting that the world is real,
you are blind to its deeper reality;
denying that the world is real,
you are blind to the selflessness of all things.

The more you think about these matters,
the farther you are from the truth.
Step aside from all thinking,
and there is nowhere you can’t go.
Returning to the root, you find the meaning;
chasing appearances, you lose their source.

At the moment of profound insight,
you transcend both appearance and emptiness.
Don’t keep searching for the truth;
just let go of your opinions.

The whole poem is powerful and deserves multiple readings, but the last lines are the kicker tonight. Don't keep searching for the truth; just let go of your opinions. Let that be my mantra now...