When Amelia and I lived in Olón, Ecuador, we often took evening strolls on the beach to watch the sunset over the ocean as the soothing sound of foamy white waves lapped the shore. The colors of the sky transitioned from yellow to orange to pink to purple.

We arrived in Loja, Ecuador just as darkness was falling. It was cloudy and a light rain fell, forming puddles on the street. We were worried that our first day in Loja would be more of the same, but we were pleasantly surprised when the sun woke us up the next morning.