Ya pasó agosto....

In Chile they have a saying- "ya pasó agosto"- August has passed. August in Chile is a winter month, and it's considered one of the darkest and coldest. Once August has passed, September comes along with the beginning of spring, and Chile's national holiday celebration on the 18th. Since I wasn't in Chile and it definitely wasn't winter where I was in August, it seems kind of weird to say ya pasó agosto, but August has passed, and it's with some bitter-sweetness that it's already September.

I spent most of August in the US, where it was most definitely and most pleasantly SUMMER. It was such a great trip! I had my doubts at first- committing to spending three weeks away from Ecuador has definitely put the pressure on to finish up my thesis by 30 September (AHHH! Prepare to address me as Master), and it made job searching difficult because the jobs I was offered weren't pleased with my immediate need for a vacation. But it was such a good decision- I had decided that I wanted to prioritize seeing my family and being home for my good friends Daria and Patrick's wedding, especially after being really sad about having to miss my other good friends Sarah and Jeff's wedding in May. Everything was worth it!

I started out in Los Angeles where I proceeded to take almost no photos, and absolutely no photos with any family members, despite seeing lots of them. I wish I had thought to take photos! I saw all of the Stolers including both of my Stoler grandparents, both of my Stoler uncles, both of my Stoler cousins, and my favorite Stoler aunt! It was so nice to see all of them, especially since it had been a year since I had seen any of the non-parental or sibling Stolers. We ate some really good food, visited my grandparents, and enjoyed touring around nearby areas, including a tour of my cousin Ryan's college, LaVerne. Nearby, I had a brief reunion with a gringa friend that I met in Ecuador who spent the summer in Claremont- it's always cool to meet up with gringos I've met abroad in the US. Later, I got to see the Orozco family, which was another highlight because I hadn't seen them in over a year either! I missed seeing my cousin Nick- he was already back up north where he goes to school- but I saw my cousin Alexander and my aunt and uncle, which was really nice. I got to hear first-hand information about the Curiosity Mars landing from my uncle, enjoyed an early morning hike with my aunt and her friend, saw my absent cousin's artwork around the house, and I got to see my cousin try on his birthday present- a Star Trek outfit that my mom and Nanny made for him! Aunt Janet generously drove me all the way over to Manhattan Beach where the non-familial part of my Los Angeles time began...a reunion with my closest friends from college!

Ever since graduating and living together in a dorm room/house for 3-4 years (shout out to Nell who I lived with for every semester of college except the semester we both spent abroad), we've tried to have an annual reunion where we all get together. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to all be together since 2010 when we reunited in Tacoma, WA, but I still love seeing the girls- even if someone is absent.

Me, Nell, Emily and Sara walking along the beach

This year, we met up at Sara's house and enjoyed hiking, beaching, cooking, Olympic watching, and just lounging around on top of each other. Right before leaving for Washington, I met up with a friend that I met last year on my Birthright trip who happens to live in Los Angeles. Meeting up in the US with friends that I initially met in foreign countries is the greatest!

Next stop on my West Coast Tour 2012: Washington! I finally got to sleep in my bed and hang out with my parents and local friends. I got home just in time to accept an invitation to go rafting with Daria's family and some friends, which is always the highlight of the summer when we can go.

Rafting!

Daria's step-dad always serves as our guide, and we all get to pretend like we can paddle. Sadly, the raft suffered some possibly permanently debilitating injuries, so I was glad to participate in the potential final voyage of the blue raft.

Cousins! Rach, Stephen, Chris, me

At some point in my two weeks home in Washington, Rachel came home and we went up north to visit my other grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. We crafted with my mom and Nanny, made the most divine lemon ricotta pancakes, and enjoyed seeing our aunt, uncle, cousins, and cousin-dog.

With Nanny and Papa

The last big event was Daria and Patrick's wedding day! It was so cool to help with the set-up and then do hair and makeup with the girls, especially since I got pampered by Julia who did my hair in this fishtail-y bun.

Girls at the wedding! Rach, me, Melia, Becky

It was incredibly special to be able to celebrate with both of them and to hang out with friends who had come into town for the wedding, so good tings all around.

Me carrying the Torah- photo by Connie, congregant

The Stolers rocking the Torah walk- photo by Brad, congregant

There were so many good things about being home- bike rides, library visits, seeing Mom's costume attic at the Fort where she volunteers, seeing Mom's new classroom, seeing Dad's new(ish) office for the anesthesia group, raviolis, new clothes, walking with the Torah from our congregation's old location to the new synagogue, a wine and jazz festival, this macaroni and cheese recipe, etc. Of course, it's good to be back in Quito. The weather is nice, produce is cheap and strawberries are fresh and local all year round, the city is full of adorable puppies for sale, and the best part is that Alvaro is (still) here! Wish me good luck in finishing my thesis!!