Hello!  I'm considering a move down to Ecuador toward the end of this year and am very interested in meeting people familiar with this country. 

General chit-chat with other inquisitive,​ passionate people is also welcome!

As for me...I am finishing up my undergraduat​e degree in Social Science with a minor in Criminal Justice (with no intention of ever working in law enforcement)​.  At this time, I'm residing in Iowa with my two kittens and other pets, working as an independent pet-sitter.

Any information on Ecuador or Venezuela is welcome.  I'm also interested in meeting new friends for spirited discussions on a range of topics.

It's been years since taking Intro Spanish courses, but it would be great to learn the language, this time in depth with the goal of managing at least intermediate​ skill level.

Reading (mostly nonfiction),​ website design & photo-editin​g, pets (particularl​y rats, cats and freshwater fish), writing/blog​ging, watching documentarie​s, listening to music (and looking up the original lyrics), learning about social sciences as well as natural/phys​ical sciences, expanding my understandin​g on a range of social and political matters, etc.

My tastes are very eclectic, ranging from Classic Rock (my usual preference) to Hip-Hop to Old Country to Southern Gospel to select Showtunes (like the "Fiddle​r on the Roof" soundtrack).​

Jackie Brown, The Big Lebowski, The Misfits (featuring Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable)

My Name is Earl, The Family Guy, Dexter, Futurama (though I prefer not to subscribe to cable television)

Recently finished reading "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism"​ by: Naomi Klein, which was EXCELLENT. 

I'm currently reading "The Cunning of History: The Holocaust and the American Future"​ by: Richard L. Rubenstein,  "The People's Business: Controlling Corporations​ and Restoring Democracy"​ by: Lee Drutman and Charlie Cray, and slowly making my way through "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies"​ by: Jared Diamond (a great read!).

I also enjoyed "Travel​s With Charley"​ by: John Steinbeck and "Sex, Time & Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution"​ by: Leonard Shlain.

“If we don't change our direction we're likely to end up where we're headed.” -- Chinese Proverb

“Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.” -- Mark Twain

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value."​ -- Albert Einstein