Why I Travel... and Why Most Don't Understand...

Everyday, as I draw closer to my trip to Ecuador, someone asks me, "Why Ecuador? Why South America? Why alone?" I've been told my choices to travel away for so long are both random and selfish, and yet, I don't see it at all that way.

Why do I travel? For what reasons...

1. I'm on a mission to find myself...

"In a world filled with people and demands, the sudden emptiness of being alone can be disquieting, yet also liberating, as we slowly remember again who we are as individuals." - Holly Morris

In order to truly understand yourself, I feel that we must expose ourselves to all things foreign. I want to know more about who I am on the inside- about what truly makes me who I am. I don't feel that you can actually learn anything about yourself when you're surrounded by all the things that make you comfortable. Your home life is surrounded by pressures and demands from those around you trying to get you to act or be a certain way. When you finally dive into the unknown, these pressures and comforts slowly blow away, leaving you truly alone for the first time.

Alone, you learn just how strong you are. You learn what you can and cannot deal with. Traveling alone to a foreign and seemingly unsafe land exposes you for who you are. Can you handle traveling by yourself, knowing all the things that could go wrong? I look at this as a test for myself- a test of faith, if you will. Though, not a spiritual faith, but rather a faith in my self.

2. I want to feel connected with the rest of the world...

Our world is filled with so many different kinds of people, cultures, and places. I believe that in order to be a responsible human being you have to be exposed to more than just the place you were born. I believe that being exposed to different places allows you to prevent the feeling of stagnation in your life. Culture shock is a necessary thing in life and something every person needs to experience in order to understand their place in the world. I believe world travel is a humbling experience which will make you a better person.

3. I was raised this way...

Luckily for me, I grew up in a military family which allowed me to see more than the average person. In my 21 years of life, I've lived in 5 differents states and have traveled to more than 15 of them. I am one of few who can say I lived in Hawaii for more than a third of my life.

I truly believe that the military lifestyle in which I was raised is why I desperately want to continue traveling. I'm so used to living somewhere for a couple years and then moving on. I like the uncertainty of traveling and the planning needed to do so. I'm a planner, which I believe makes me a great traveler.

4. I've fallen in love with the unknown...

There is something terribly alluring about foreign countries and I truly believe it is the "unknown" factor that surrounds them. Sure, you can read as many guidebooks as you can, but you'll never truly know what it's like until you get there- until your feet touch foreign soil.

5. I'm on a mission to better myself and the world...

On my trip to Ecuador, I hope to make a positive impact on the conservation project I'm working with. I hope to learn about the things I can live without and the things I take for granted. Going to such a poor and quiet country will hopefully teach me how to have a smaller impact on the world. I want to look for the things I need to be happy, not the things that make my life comfortable. By traveling to foreign lands, people can share their stories and teach eachother about their homes, their families, and their passions for life and travel.

Love and Andean Bears,

Ashley

Meeting Some Senior Citizen Bears at the Pittsburgh Zoo

My mother and sister in front of the Pittsburgh Zoo Sign. Can you see the Gorilla and Snow Leopard in the Tree?

Over the weekend, my sister, mother, and I traveled to Pittsburgh to visit the Zoo there and to see the four bear species the Zoo had to offer. It is a beautiful Zoo with a lot to offer and it is almost as though the Zoo was carved right into the side of a mountain with lots of hills to climb to get to the different exhibits. I had an amazing time and met the Bear Keeper there, Mo Brown. He was very nice and gave me his and some of the other Zoo staffs' information to talk to about acquiring biological samples from their male Andean Bear, Rizzaro, for my senior research.

Rizzaro, the Andean Bear, being all cute and groggy after taking a nap.

At first, when I reached the Bear section of the exhibits, I was excited to see the Brown Kodiak Bears, Andean Bears, and the North American Black Bears. However, I was struck by the first two empty enclosures which were meant to contain the Kodiak Bears. I later learned from Mo that their male Kodiak Bear, Rocky, had to be euthanized in August 2010. He was 28 years old when he had to be euthanized due to severe arthritis and spinal problems. This bear lived to be a senior citizen of a bear and I felt Mo's pain as he described the decision he had to make over Rockys life. Mo was Rockys caretaker for quite some time and I'm sure the pain of not seeing Rocky everyday is all but unbearable. However, this is the life of a zookeeper and this is the field I plan on entering. Sometimes, we must live with seeing our beloved animals at their worst only to remember what made them so great to begin with. Seeing them in all their magnificence makes seeing the bad a little bit easier to deal with, knowing that their is or was a light at the end of the tunnel. Rocky, this goes out to you! I hope I have my own Rocky one day.

This might look like a roar, but it was actually a yawn. Mister Lazy Bear.

The next bear I met was a beloved Andean Bear named Rizzaro. He was a very lazy but beautiful Andean Bear. I learned that Rizz, as his keeper call him, was a 21 year old Andean Bear making him a much older bear than his wild brothers and sisters of South America. His exhibit mate, Roxanne, was euthanized a couple of years ago.

A nice shake and stretch after waking up.

It seems the zoo has been plagued by old age (if you consider long-lived animals a plague). The most recent loss, which did not go unnoticed to me, was their 21 year old Male Lion, Juma, in March this year. This male lion was among the five OLDEST male lions in captivity. Like many older cats, Jumas liver began to fail. Prior to the loss of their Lion, they also lost Rocky and Roxanne, the bears.

Despite the loss, the Zoo has also experiences some new life in recent times. With the birth of 3 Amur (also known as Siberian)Tiger cubs, a baby elephant, and a baby sea lion in the last year, it is definitely not all doom and gloom.

A very cute Amur Tiger Cub on exhibit.

Now, back to my favorite Rizzaro. While talking to Mo about Rizzaro, Mo mentioned that he'd be giving the bears boxes of fruit at 1:15pm that day and that I should come by. The most I'd seen of Rizzaro all day was his backside as he slept all day, so I was anxious to see the big guy in motion. When Mo threw the box of fruit into Rizzs' enclosure, the great bear barely moved, waiting till he was sure the fruit was a good enough reason to move.

Rizz getting ready for another nap.

Mo told me that Rizz hasa serious sweet tooth and didn't like anything that wasn't sweet. I asked if he ever fed the bears sweet corn, seeing as Maize Crop Raiding is the leading cause of Bear Poaching in Ecuador. Mo replied with a "never" and explained that the corn just wasn't sweet enough to Rizz. The box of fruit Mo threw into the enclosure included Cantelope, Grapes, and Blueberries. From what I saw, it seemed Rizz enjoyed the blueberries the most. This made me happy, because wild Andean Bears enjoy blueberries too (called Mortino berries in Ecuador).

Walking to his fruit box that landed magically in his enclosure.

I was surprised by the gentle nature with which Rizz ate his fruit, taking small bites as he went along. He was a truly beautiful creature and I am anxious to see him again soon. I will likely return to Pittsburgh after coming back from Ecuador in order to collect scat samples from Rizzaro. Using the samples, I will attempt to amplify Rizzaro's fecal DNA. As far as I know, this has never been done sucessfully done with Andean Bears before. If I am sucessful, it will be a very exciting moment in my academic career.

Num num. Cantelope.

The next set of bears I met were North American Black Bears names Susan and Stanley. These bears, like the other bears on exhibit, are also very old for bears with Susan at the age of 20 and Stanley at the age of 25. These bears, too, seemed to be very lazy bears. Both sleeping the entire time I saw them... that is, until the food came.

I was particularly fond of Stanley who was resting at the top of his exhibit. Occasionally, he would look down at me taking his picture and give me the softest expression with the cutest doe eyes you'll ever see on a bear. He was beautiful. I couldn't get many photos of Susan because she was sleeping in the doorway with her butt hanging out, but no face to be seen. I loved seeing them.

Stanley.

My bear adventure ended with a trip to the Polar Bear exhibit, which is separate from the other bears. I'm uncertain of which Polar Bear I was looking at, considering the zoo has two. I believe his name is Koda, because in photos he does not have a black spot above his eye (which is how the zoo says you can tell Nuka and Koda apart). However, my pictures could be deceiving.

Koda.

Koda (I think!) was exceptional. I got to see him both on land and in the water. The keeper even threw in some kind of floatation device that was filled with fish (I think!). He was bouncing the float around trying to get the fish out and when he did, he would dunk his head in the water to get it. It was very cute.

Koda with his floaty filled with fish.

I, unfortunately, didn't get to meet the Polar Bears' keeper, Kathy Suthard. I would have loved to because I beleve that Kathy has my dream job. Kathy is the head keeper of the Polar Bears and the Large Cats at Pittsburgh Zoo. I believe her job mixes my two favorite kinds of animals: bears and cats. As I say in my bio, the phrase, "Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh my!", truly represents me.

Taking a dip.

I took many, many photos on Saturday at the Zoo. Many came out lovely, but I am still learning to use my DSLR camera. Sometimes, I don't get the focus just right, but many came out beautiful. I hope everyone enjoys them and that I'll have more beautiful pictures of Ecuador to share not too long from now.

Love and Andean Bears,

Ashley

RIP ROCKY! You will be missed!

Nothing but a Journey...

It's really time for me to get out of here. America is too dramatic for me right now. I can't wait till it's just me, my bag, and nothing but a journey. This place is just too small for me and my life is just starting. I can't wait to be LIMITLESS... and it's 21 days till freedom.

Right now, sitting in a hotel room in West Virginia dealing with my irrational and irresponsible sister for a whole day has left me feeling a little like I don't belong in this lifetime. In a world or place where one can just be so desperately irresponsible, it just reminds me of how incredibly different I am from her and just about everyone my age. My sister could not do what I'm about to do... she couldn't even dream it.

I'm living my life on a shoestring and she lives her life in an imaginary castle where her world is so diluted and she's lost sight of what's really important. Family, friends, love, and life. My family is the world to me but we have to learn to live without one another. My friends will always be there no matter the distance. My love will survive this and I know we are strong enough to spend this time apart and to grow. My life will go on just as I've planned it too.

Within my power, my feet will touch every continent on this planet and every country I can. In a matter of days, my feet will touch ground in the same places as Darwin and the other great biologists of all time. I will not let the negative things keep me from reaching these dreams of mine. Without a doubt, I will see this world and this world will see me, touch my heart, and turn me into something far better than I'll ever expect.

Wishing some life lessons would land their selves on my sisters doorstep. Wishing some truth would reach her incredibly deaf ears. Wishing something more beautiful than her own reflection would make itself visible. This world is more brutal than she knows and one day, it is going to creep up on her and she won't know what to do.

She is years older than I and yet still only five on the inside. Maturity is not something she will find here in Morgantown, WV. I can't find anything here except beautiful landscapes taken for granted. How could she expect to learn anything about herself in a city so shrouded by uselessness, libations, and frivolity?

There comes a time in everyone's life where you have to grow up; where you have to realize what the world has planned for you or what you have planned for yourself. Sometimes, you must realize that the world is bigger than you- bigger than everything. If you don't respect it, it will ruin you...

There is no room in this world or on this journey for selfishness. In the end, it'll be selfishness that ruins us. And we'll have no one to blame but each other. This world has got to change and it has to start at HOME.

Hoping my journey will affect another... In the end, this is nothing but a journey. And mine is only beginning.

Living life LIMITLESS...

Love and Andean Bears,
Ashley

Quito: Bound and Ready! Mi corazon esta en Ecuador!!!

My trip to Ecuador is growing ever closer. A little over 3 weeks remain until my feet touch ground in South America for the first time. I will land in Quito on Saturday, June 4th in the late PM. From there I will enjoy my last day of comfortable living in a lovely Quito hotel with a comfy King Size bed and a nice restaurant inside.

One of the rooms at the hotel... hope it looks like this. Really nice!


Spicy Bistro (Yum!)

I planned to arrive in Quito a day early to give myself some time to actually be a tourist for a second or two. I definitely don't want to miss out on the Quito experience due to scrambling to get to the village I'm volunteering in.

I'm hoping to visit the Quito Zoo on my down day before getting picked up by my group. The Zoo seems to be named incorrectly though, considering it's not really in Quito at all and is actually in a quaint village called Guayllabamba which is a couple miles out of Quito.


Cannot wait to see some Jaguars and Andean Bears up close!

The Zoo seems like it's a big maze of animals and I'm excited to see what a zoo is like outside of the US. However, I'm definitely a little concerned over what the animals conditions will be like. I hope they won't be in poor condition. Being near poorly cared for animals will not be easy for me, so let's hope they're nice and fat! Haha.

I've seen pictures of Guayllabamba and I can't wait to see it. It's gorgeous in photos. Especially the Guayllabamba River and all the mountains and volcanoes I'll surely see on the way there.


Gauyllabamba River - Just Look At It!!!

Another place I'm hoping to see while there is San Pablo Lake and the Imbabura Volcanoe. I'll hopefully see these on my last down day before flying home on July 4th. I'll probably see these on the way to the Otavalo Market, which will likely be the highlight of my trip. There, I hope to get some keepsakes to remind me of my time spent in this beautiful country. I can't wait to see the handmade textiles and Jewelry. I will definitely be bringing home gift for my family and friends. Everybody deserves a little piece of Ecuador.



San Pablo Lake and the Imbabura Volcanoe - how gorgeous is this? I haven't seen a Live Volcanoe since I lived in HI.


Otavalo Market - look at all the color! And they're hand-made too!!

I hope my piece of Ecuador will stay in my heart, because I know a piece of my heart will stay in Ecuador.

With Love and Andean Bears,

Ashley

You Won't Know About It Til' It's Over...

As so many may know, I will be leaving for the Cloud Forests of Ecuador in June. As of today, I am exactly 4 weeks out from my trip and it is really starting to set in. I feel like I'm going to the end of the Earth by myself with nothing but a rucksack and a day pack on my back. It's so nerve-racking, but oh so exciting too. I can't help but think of all the things that could go wrong, but I also can't help but think of all the things that could become the best memories I'll ever have.

My awesome new rucksack... which is already full.

I'm diving into the unknown for an entire month with nothing familiar to me. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to contact home the entire time I'm there. Apparently, my cell phone will be roaming during my entire stay there. I'll be able to call home at the rate of $5/minute. So that... likely will not happen. I can text home for 50c/text and receive texts for 20c/text. So... that'll be limited too. Those of you who contact me regularly via text, please try not to text between June 4th and July 4th unless I text you first.

I would really love to bring my laptop along with me, but I don't know if I'll be able to. I would love to, so I can keep everything logged in, including photos and logs. However, I'm going to a very poor country and I'm concerned it may disappear. Plus, I won't have internet access where I'm going, so it's not like I can contact home with it anyway. More development on that later.

I'm really going to miss everything here. I think the hardest thing will be leaving Klause behind for so long. He's my partner in crime... I'm going to hopefully survive on the few pictures of him that I've stuffed in my day pack. I'll of course miss Ben and Mom a lot too. I know they both better bring my dog with them to pick me up from the airport... Haha.

My Awesome, Amazing Dog, Klause-man!!!

It's definitely setting in, now that I've packed just about everything. Life is going to be so different. 4 changes of clothes for an entire month? Showering outside? Living out of a rucksack? Can you say the word "CHANGE"? It all is going to happen so fast!!!

Excitedly nervous... defines me in this moment. And I wouldn't have it any other way...

With Love and Andean Bears,

Ashley