Missing Ecuador 😢

In 2018 we visited Clara and her family in Chugchilan, Ecuador. We were so excited to go back this month.

We made the really hard and really sad decision to bypass Ecuador on this trip. It’s heartbreaking. Matt and I lived and worked in Ecuador 20 years ago and while we’ve been back a few times, we were really excited to spend time with our friends and godchildren in the country. But, the day we left New York, there was major disruption in the country – a coordinated terrorist attack by narco-traffickers leading to a declaration of a 60-day State of Emergency by the president, a nationwide curfew, and the US Department of State warning against travel to certain regions. 

We knew things would remain peaceful in the community where we’d be spending most of our time – Chugchilán is a quiet, farming community in Cotopaxi Province where things are pretty tranquilo all the time. So we went back and forth on what to do. In our younger years (and before kids), we would’ve gone. But this time around, we decided it was not our time to see our friends Andy and Michelle (owners of the Black Sheep Inn), stay with Clara and fam at Hostel Doña Clarita, and take in the peaceful beauty that is Chugchilán. Our hearts are hurting that we could be in that magical corner of the world with our beloved friends this week, and honestly, we aren’t sure if we made the right call. But we’ll get there again soon. 

We’re staying in touch with our friends there, and everyone is safe. The Ecuador we know is such a vibrant, welcoming place, and we hope the whole country returns to peace soon.