It was early last June, and the weather on the Ecuadorian coast was mild. In a seaside home named House of Gates, a courtyard garden overlooked a quiet beach, where fishermen brought their catch to shore each morning. Down the road, the earthy scent of palo santo wafted from a gift shop, and not far, a village in a tropical forest was growing, harvesting, and processing the fragrant native tree.
My time in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, was a rare interlude, a lull between a former and new career. I had just finished my doctorate, and when my mother first offered the trip as a celebratory gift, I was wary to accept. While the excitement of graduation was expansive, the uncertainty of the next steps weighed heavy. But everyone encouraged me to go, so I went.
During our week in the small village, we unplugged and watched waves lap the shore. We boarded a boat to see humpback whales, and I rode a mule down muddy forest slopes. Mom and I caught a bus to a nearby city, and I floated in the ocean. We swam in a sulfur pool and had mud massages, and we collected sea shells and coral from the beach. I read and I wrote, enamored by simple joys.
A note from my last day of the trip says, “Find paradise in home.” I was partly inspired by a new place and partly frustrated by a difficult trek home. The morning of our departure, citizens had blocked roads to protest rising costs of living. Bus stations were closed, we had to piece together a voyage to the airport, and I was feverish with a bug. And then, the flight home was delayed again, and again, and again.
The voyage to and from a place isn’t always easy—delays feel inevitable—and it can be tough to find the time to simply get away. But without the voyage, and without finding the time, I never would’ve found what felt like paradise—what I needed to hold onto and bring back home. And despite my hesitation to accept the trip, it turns out that traveling to Puerto Lopez was the greatest gift of all.
This month’s issue invites you to all kinds of escapes: zooming through mountain trails on ATVs in West Virginia, lounging beside the crystal clear waters of Key Largo, or treating yourself to a staycation in Greenville’s historic Westin Poinsett, managed by the recently named Hotelier of the Year. Whether you’re looking for adventure or to find repose, we invite you to find your piece of paradise to bring back home.
For more experiences close and far away, check out the digital issue of TOWN.
