The Voreis Family Heads to Ecuador!

We just got back from 2 weeks in Ecuador as a family, and it was full of adventure and magic. There were very few folks there who spoke English, and so it was a delight for the whole family to leap into learning more Spanish together. Even our kiddos were into it, speaking broken (though earnest) Spanish when asking where a bathroom was, or if they could please have an empanada.

This delight in learning a new language highlighted how important and primal our need to connect and build relationships is. Even across languages, oceans and cultures, we were drawn to connect deeply with the folks we encountered, and vice versa. Though our time in the Amazon with them was short, I can say for certain that our guides/hosts Gustavo, Bruno, Edith, Henry and Josuelo became our friends - and would be welcome in our home as family any time.

Our time in Ecuador also reminded me how universal and important HOME is. We had the great honor of being welcomed into a native Kichwa home, built by the 'villiage mammas'. We learned about how they braided the palms for the roof, and how it took about 10 of them 2 months to build the whole home. Whether it's got a thatched roof and rough bamboo floors, is made of concrete, adobe or 2x4s - home is a place to hold our lives, our dreams and to build community.