Spring 2005 Trip Reports

The School was in South America for Spring 2005

Click or scroll down to see Trip Reports from the following dates:
February 7, '05 - Gennifre Hartman, Principal
February 17, '05 - Lander Purvis, Program Director
February 26, '05 - Becca, Senior
March 6, '05- Anna Taft, Spanish and History Teacher
March 17, '05 - Becca, Courtney & Liz, Students
March 21, '05 - Students


February 7, 2005
Dear friends and families,
The South America Spring Semester is in Ecuador with a band of 10 wonderful girls and 3 enthusiastic teachers! Let me thank you for sharing your daughters and friends with us this semester. We have a wonderfully diverse group of girls who are all very excited and eager to experience the cultures and activities here. They are having a blast!
The semester began with our orientation in Miami – pizza-eating, slide-showing and story-telling for two days while girls trickled in from around the United States. As the girls quickly covered every topic from food preferences to prom dresses, the time disappeared and the girls quickly left Miami for Ecuador.
Lander Purvis, Program Director wrote from Ecuador, “We arrived from Miami late Wednesday night. The girls muscled their bags and the group gear through customs and we hopped on a private shuttle to a mountainside inn in the Andes near Otavalo, Ecuador. We spent the first few days getting to know each other, familiarizing ourselves with Traveling School procedures and beginning all of our classes. This morning, the girls visited a world-renowned market in the town of Otavalo, where they are using their Spanish skills to haggle with all of the craftsmen and women. This weekend, we will visit Anna´s host family in a nearby village and participate in a community workday, or minga, to help clean the water tanks that filter water for five different communities. Next week will be our first full week of classes. We will also be visiting a school to teach English during an Academic Activity Day, and the girls will do their first science field study by completing a stream quality survey of a nearby stream. We are off to a wonderful start, and this group is quickly becoming savvy travelers. We will keep you updated with details of our adventures!”
This group is wonderful troupe from all over the United States (as pictured from left to right, top to bottom in the photo above):
Bria from New Hampshire is going to find it hard to live without all of her stuff from home, but with her big smile and determined attitude, she is going to do just fine!
Courtney from Washington State decided to leave the cold at home last minute to explore the world. Her family works in coffee distribution and they are setting up a connection for the girls to visit a women’s coffee growing cooperative in South America – and sell the coffee as a Traveling School blend!
Erica from Washington State is smart, confident, and willing to tackle this adventure headlong. With her gentle spirit and athletic enthusiasm, she is going to lead the pack in morning workouts!
Courtney from Montana is spirited, self-assured, and ready to experience South America. Her flexible attitude and willingness to tackle difficult issues will make her a valuable part of this group.
Bernadette from Rhode Island is an individualist, a free spirit, and an innovator who is determined to get the most out of this adventure. The other girls are drawn to her quiet confidence and sense of fun.
Jocelyne from Montana is a great listener, a good friend, and cares deeply for people around her. Her contribution in this group will be immeasurable as she feels things with her heart and explains them eloquently with her head.
Sarah from Montana is beautiful, courageous and spontaneous. Her enthusiasm about the world and interest in others draws other people to want to hear her stories and share in her adventure!
Lindsey from Montana is confident, an individualist, and a free spirit. She enjoys telling stories and easily makes others feel comfortable in her presence.
Liz from Vermont is gregarious, outgoing and sociable. Her easiness with the other girls and openness to the prospects for the future will make this semester very successful for her.
Becca from New York is clever, natural and intellectual. Her quick wit and quiet charm draw others into conversation with her, and her physical strength will be an asset during morning workouts!
The semester has started with lovely emails, community service, and struggling Spanish-speaking skills. The group will continue to post their adventures from the road! Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Gennifre Hartman
Principal
Bozeman, Montana

February 17, 2005
Dear Families and Friends,
We spent the first two weeks of getting-to-know-you games, classes, hikes, and afternoon yoga sessions with the Andes as our background at our orientation site, Casa Mojanda, in Otavalo, Ecuador. Now, our group has spread its fledgling wings and set off for Quito, poised to experience more incredible parts of Ecuador.
Today we settled into a hostel in the capital city where we will prepare for several days before we head into the Amazonian region.
ACADEMICS
During our first two weeks, students dove into classes wholeheartedly.
In Beginning and Advanced Spanish, students have been practicing phrases that help make a good impression when meeting new people. Of course, they get to practice every day! They have entered simulated market places in class to purchase goods from their teacher Anna and then visited the gigantic market in Otavalo on two consecutive Saturdays to put their skills to use. Each student composed a letter introducing themselves to their host families that we will send this week. Also, students put together lesson plans to teach English in a local school - who knew you needed to know so much Spanish in order to teach English!
The History and Government of Ecuador and Peru class has included through discussions of the origin of history and how to consider perspective when studying history. The class moved on to begin focusing on the history of Ecuador from the Incas to Spanish exploration and colonialism. Tomorrow afternoon, students will visit the Museo del Banco Central (Museum of the Central Bank) in Quito to visualize timelines of cultural development in the diverse regions of Ecuador and to glimpse a stunning collection of Inca gold jewelry.
In Natural Science, the girls have discussed principles of field science and completed a stream survey near the Mojanda waterfalls. There is no excuse for not getting dirty in science class! So far, Courtney Scherting wins the award for the muddiest science student - she took a few spills getting to he stream and kept a great attitude the entire time! Students have also begun reading “Savages,” a book by Joe Kane, which chronicles the effect of foreign oil prospecting and development in the Amazon region of Ecuador and its effect on a small indigenous group called the Huaorani. Students will document observations of oil impact and interview indigenous people regarding this issue while in the rainforest next week.
In Mathematical Applications, students are learning about decision-making styles and how different ones may affect financial planning, values, and goals. After studying the budgeting process, students designed their own budgets for this trip and will be keeping a weekly tally of spending. Lindsey has proclaimed to everyone her goal is to stick to her budget every week – we all wish her the best of luck! :)
The Literature and Composition of the Andes course is deeply immersed in reading and discussing “The Alchemist,” a fictional novel of following your dreams, written by Paulo Couelo. The story provides a wonderful platform for reflecting on their own travels here in South America. The girls are also learning about different writing styles and have begun writing descriptive essays. They are studying technical aspects of writing and working on peer editing each other's drafts.
For Physical Education, students are participating in daily morning workouts. The days alternate from strength and plyometric workouts to running to playing Ultimate Frisbee to stretching and yoga. Each student composes a personal P.E./health goal each week and evaluates her performance in her P.E. book. Students are also keeping a workout log that includes all physical activity they do during the week. Whew! We're getting some serious exercise down here!
In Global Studies, we have worked to get to know each other better and create our own community standards that our group will uphold for the semester. We have discussed appropriate cultural interaction and the "art of traveling" so that we can make as positive an impact as possible on the communities and places we visit during the semester. We are now studying culture and exploring our own culture in order to better understand the new ones we have encountered here in Ecuador.
ACTIVITIES
During our first two weeks, the girls had many opportunities to interact with local people and communities. On our first Sunday, we woke up early and joined in a Minga, or community workday, in the nearby community of Larcacunga. This minga was focused on cleaning the sand in the water filter that purifies water for five different towns in the area. When we arrived, the girls jumped right in, pouring water over dirty sand as it tumbled in makeshift filters. After the minga, Anna's host family (from her first visit to Ecuador 6 years ago) cooked us a delicious lunch and hosted us in their home. Their hospitality was incredible!
We also had an opportunity to experience Carnival, Ecua-style. Here, instead of huge parties and parades, people gather in the streets and have a gigantic water fight. Armed with buckets and squirt guns, we hopped on a packed bus and headed to the Peguche waterfall - the center of Carnival "playing" in Otavalo. As we hiked up to the waterfall, we got pelted with water and foam spray from all directions. Jocelyne was "lucky" enough to experience the tradition of getting an egg broken over her head - and lived to tell about it with a huge smile on her face. At the waterfall, there was a huge line of people with buckets just drenching everyone. Bernadette hopped in to fill her squirt gun and join the offensive. Our experience was certainly one that not many travelers get!
While at Casa Mojanda, the girls had the opportunity to help pick vegetables from the garden and groom the horses. One afternoon, some of the girls went horseback riding to explore the terrain surrounding the hacienda. Because of her riding experience, Liz got to ride a beautiful, prancing horse that led the way. On our last Saturday night at Casa Mojanda, a traditional band with guitars drums and pan pipes played a concert in the main hall. It was then that we discovered what talented dancers we have in Courtney Smith and Sarah who danced up a storm.
Our last day in Otavalo, we visited a school in the community of Panecillo to teach English for a few hours. The girls split into small groups and carried out the lesson plans they had devised to teach colors, numbers and other simple phrases in English. Becca led the way with her advanced Spanish skills and willingness to communicate. The school echoed with happy voices screaming "Blue!" "Red!" "Yellow!" After classes, of course, there was recess. It took all of two minutes before Erica had a horde of 20 kids chasing her around the playground. Shortly thereafter, Bria headed up a conga line of sorts that turned into a snaking tail of kids.
Tonight, Jim Hammer, our Vice-Principal, will arrive to Quito to join in on the fun we're having. We will ride a bus into the Amazonian town of Tena where we will continue classes and prepare for our rainforest trek. After experiencing the jungle and rafting the Jatun Yacu River in the area, we will return to Quito. We'll send more word of our adventures at that point!
Sincerely,
Lander Purvis
Program Director

February 26, 2005 - from Becca, Senior
So, the Amazon? Hot, humid and awesome. I actually made a list of things to remember to mention to everyone so I wouldn’t forget anything:
Got to our cabin place by motor canoe... that was interesting. Thought we might tip a few times, so I was slightly worried about my cameras. But canoe was our made mode of transportation for 3 days, so I got used to it.
Saw a lot of cool plants obviously... trees that move their roots to get to the light--they’re called walking trees. HUGE trees that are just... really cool... made the Bedford Oak look pretty puny. Saw some orchids, maybe five or ten of the 3,500 that there are in Ecuador. Pretty crazy.
Tried eating some interesting things... Cacao fruit is sweet and good and tastes nothing like chocolate. Also tried some other fruits like guayabana and some others whose names I can’t remember, most of them start with g for some reason. I tried these little ants that taste like lemon. There’s a tree whose sap looks like blood (it’s called Sangre de Drago--dragon blood--I think) but tastes like... I don’t know what. Not blood. And chicha, the traditional drink of the Quichua people that they make with yucca (same as manioc, it’s a root vegetable) tastes kind of like beer.
Cool things we did... tubed down the Napo River (a tributary of the Amazon), swung from a vine, tried shooting a blowgun, hiked through the jungle for about five hours through mud and creeks and other stuff while wearing rubber boots... the hike was actually really great, I learned a lot along the way.
As for animals... for one thing, there are a lot of big spiders in the Amazon. Especially water spiders... I thought they were kind of cool, but some people I know would have had issues. Didn’t see a whole lot of wildlife actually in the wild, but we went to this place called Amazoonico where they take care of animals from the black market and try to re-introduce them into the wild. I saw peccaries (which was exciting because I did a report on them in third grade and never really thought I’d actually see one), ocelots, jaguarondis, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, a caiman, capybaras (Princess Bride fans: Wow. There really are ROUS´s and they’re weird), and a bunch of parrots. It was awesome.
I think that’s about it... oh, and my hair is curly in that kind of humidity, which was weird.
Yeah, Amazon was cool, still kind of hard to believe I was actually there. It kind of marked the beginning of the "adventure" part of our experience here. We’re in Tena now, and tomorrow we’re going white water rafting. Monday we’ve got classes,
Tuesday we head back to Quito, and a few days after that we go back near Otavalo for our service project.
Anyway, hope all is well at home or college or wherever...
I can’t believe it’s been almost a month. One of our leaders, Lander, said at the beginning that the days are long, but the weeks are short, and it’s definitely proving to be true.
Miss you all, hope it hasn’t been too cold there...
-Becca
Senior, New York

March 6, 05
Dear Parents and Friends,
We’ve had some great adventures since our last trip report. We’ve overcome illnesses, gained the skills we need to travel by bus, encountered new plants, animals, foods, and challenges, and developed ever-deepening friendships. After a few days in Quito, when we welcomed Jim Hammer, our Vice Principal to the group, we packed our bags (more quickly this time) and boarded a bus for Tena, gateway to the Amazon rainforest. Enjoying our hostess Norma’s delicious food, we got to know Ecuador’s “Oriente” region and the perspectives of people there. Soon, we traveled deeper into the jungle by motor canoe for four days of adventure, culture, fun, and biodiversity. Upon our return to Tena, we bid farewell to Jim and held classes before rafting the Jatunyacu River and returning to Quito.
Academics
In Beginning Spanish, students learned the uses and conjugations of the verbs ser and estar, which both mean “to be,” and employed adjectives to create sentences describing people. We also learned about families and possessive adjectives in preparation for our upcoming visit with homestay families in Riobamba. In Advanced Spanish, we reviewed the nuances of ser and estar use, and practiced the preterit and imperfect tenses, describing the experiences of our past two weeks. The girls interviewed Tena locals about their families, practicing new vocabulary. Both classes then joined together to study Quichua, the Inca language that is spoken by many indigenous people around Ecuador, learning greetings, basic vocabulary, and important points of Quichua’s unusual grammar. With her intuitive grasp of language, Becca is spouting funny and relevant sentences in Quichua, which will surely impress the people we will work with on our service project.
In Andean Literature and Composition, the girls finished reading and discussing The Alchemist, analyzing its literary techniques as well as applying its themes to their own “personal legends” and experiences. They also wrote descriptive essays about special places, gave each other feedback, and wrote second drafts. Soon they will produce final copies and present these essays to the group. They have also read a short story by Tim O’Brien and several Latin American folktales, which have enriched their appreciation of local culture.
A natural classroom enhanced Natural Science classes, as the girls studied rainforest ecology, and then put the principles to the test of direct observation in the Amazon. They completed canopy studies, observing in detail a particular section of the rainforest and learned the uses and characteristics of many plants. Applying their learning from Savages, they sought the perspectives of locals from the Amazon region about oil development and its effects. They also studied climate and improved their understanding of why the different regions we are visiting have such strikingly different temperatures and precipitations.
Mathematical Applications has focused on making money and the skills that are required to earn an income. The students prepared resumes and had mock job interviews to practice presenting themselves well to employers. They have been keeping up with their budgets and learning that sometimes it’s hard to stay within the limits they’ve set. Recently, they began a unit about living on one’s own and the costs involved in furnishing and purchasing a house.
An overview of Ecuador’s history has dominated recent History and Government of Ecuador and Peru classes. Students managed a tremendous amount of information, keeping track of the important figures, events, and concepts of the Pre-Inca cultures, the Inca conquest, Spanish colonialism, and the many changes that have occurred in Ecuador’s government since independence. They have sharpened their skills at detecting bias and analyzing authors’ perspectives, and have moved into a study of Ecuador’s important industries and recent economic challenges. Sarah’s awareness of world events and experience from Model U.N. are bringing fresh insights and a global perspective to our class.
Strength and cardiovascular workouts in Physical Education have been accented by a number of physical activities including long hikes, swimming, and paddling rafts. We have all gotten stronger and increased our endurance, learning to adapt better to the environmental challenges of air pollution in Quito and humidity in the rainforest.
In Global Studies, we held a “social” on the banks of the Pusuno River to demonstrate important aspects of communication. Delving further into this theme, we practiced the arts of giving and receiving feedback, learning to make our messages understood by our listeners. Courtney (from Bozeman) has been setting a great example, applying these skills well outside of class. We have also studied habits of mind that can help us become more successful problem solvers and are moving into an exploration of leadership. In the rainforest, we had opportunities to learn about Quichua culture and customs.
Activities
Taking motor canoes down the Rio Napo, we left behind the familiarity of cities and streets, immersing ourselves in the wonders of the rainforest. We swam in the rivers, hiked through the forest, learned to climb trees using a Quichua-style friction technique, swung on a vine, harvested yuca, and immersed ourselves in a new world full of life. Our guides Jerson and Tomas and our cook Azul shared a wealth of information about the plants and the local way of life in addition to their personal perspectives and plenty of jokes and good times. One day, we visited a Quichua family’s home to learn how to make chicha, the local traditional drink. On our last day, we visited a museum about Quichua culture and a rescue center for endangered rainforest animals. The bugs, the heat, spiders, and the long hikes provided challenges and excursions from our comfort zones, but we all persevered, overcoming the difficulties with grace and a sense of appreciation for what we were experiencing. Courtney (from Bellingham) set an admirable example with her positive attitude during the hike. Liz, meanwhile, made great progress in her comfort level with spiders. We decided that Jocelyne, the vegetarian, nevertheless could survive as a hunter in the rainforest, at least judging by her blowgun skills.
Back in Tena, we spent an evening dancing and were joined by Azul who had become our friend during the days we spent together. All the girls impressed us with their style, and Bria especially pulled out some stellar moves on the dance floor.
Soon we joined Tomas again for a wild day of rafting on the Jatunyacu River. It was an exciting adventure for all, including some first-time rafters who experienced the waves a little closer than they had expected. Lindsey led her boat in a powerful rhythm, counting so everyone could paddle together. Erica’s calm, always dependable, presence was a great asset during the startling and difficult moments.
Leaving Tena, we took a bus back up to the mountains and re-acclimated to the hustle and bustle of Quito. We’re excited about our service project this weekend, and Bernadette’s enthusiasm for helping others has spread to all of us. Tomorrow we’ll travel to Agualongo, a community near Otavalo, where we will work with locals to lay a water pipe that will make a great improvement in the town’s water system. Next Monday we’ll return to Quito and prepare for our homestays.
We hope you’re all doing well and will fill you in soon about our next few weeks of adventures.
Sincerely,
Anna Taft
Spanish and History Teacher

Mar 17th, 05 - Students
Becca from New York
“The Things We Carry – Home is Where Your Stuff Is”
In late January, when I was squabbling with my mom about how much bug spray to bring, debating the comparative virtues of sweatpants vs. pajama pants (pajamas won!), ad turning my room into a cluttered extension of Eastern Mountain Sports, I had no idea that the “stuff” I was buying and piling and packing would become a collection of comfort objects. Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve come to appreciate my photos, my Gortex raingear, my iPod, and my nylon stuff-sacks more than I ever thought possible.
People gawk when they see me lugging around our huge internal frame packs, daypacks, and group gear. We may not be travelling light, but my experiences over the past month and a half have affirmed that everything I brought was worth bringing for one reason or another. My raingear has often kept me dry, and during our Carnival experience, it protected my more stain-prone clothes from flour, foam, and who knows what else? My stuff-sacks have kept me organized through our seemingly constant pattern of packing and unpacking. My photo album and iPod keep me sane, for they have become valuable touchstones for me during times when I need to feel closer to home.

Frequent packing is not a new thing for me; I’ve been moving between my mom’s house and my dad’s for almost ten years. But, what is new is the idea that “home” is defined by where my possessions are. I’m finding that when I’m away for an extended period of time, I feel more at ease if I think of my belongings and the places I bring them as home, rather than some place I happen to be staying, or some lifestyle that I’m testing out. This way, I can feel settled, and it’s easier for me to focus on the present.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I never think about my far away, more permanent home. Like in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, a chapter of which I reread for English class recently, the things I’m carrying go far beyond what’s in the backpack that’s taller than I am. Along with my down sleeping bag, wicking t-shirts, and my almost-filled journal, I’m carrying memories, countless emotions, and constant thoughts about the million things that might happen after I get home.

But for now, home is where my notebooks, gear, and a few clothes are, and each day, I’m carrying more and more as I collect souvenirs and experiences that I won’t soon forget.

Liz from Vermont:

Reading Savages has influenced my thinking about Ecuador, the US, and the way I live at home more than I ever imagined. I didn’t think it was possible for a book to educate and influence me as much as Savages has. After reading this book, I felt ashamed because before, I was completely oblivious to all of the issues discussed. The Huaorani tried so hard to inform “the entire world,” but the oil companies managed to keep the issues on a relatively low profile.

Learning about oil drilling, ethnocide, and policies of companies representing our country, has made me extremely aware of the way I live at home, and even here. I (as well as almost every other North American) rely so greatly on oil and petroleum products. In science class, we did an activity where we put everything we had with us, which was made from a petroleum product, into a pile. This included all plastic and fleece products, so this was almost everything I was wearing or using for class. Afterwards, we brainstormed all the things for which we use oil or some product from petroleum. I realized that it would be impossible for me to continue living my life the way it is today without oil.

I believe that instead of relying so heavily on oil and its products, we should invest our money and time into alternatives, such as solar power and hybrid cars. Oil is a limited resource, and some day, it will run out. We have relied on oil since the early 1900’s and have become so accustomed to this way of life. We have already destroyed so many cultures and vast amounts of land - - must we continue doing so just so that we can run all of our gadgets 24/7?

We as North Americans live so excessively, and often believe that cutting back doesn’t make a difference. We all need to start realizing that using less oil really does help. Often, we don’t see how much the way we live affects others. I know that in the future, I will reduce my use of oil and petroleum products, and be more aware of how my life impacts others. All of us need to start informing others of the issues and begin working towards a better future for all.

Courtney, from Washington:
Well, here I am - - almost the middle of our adventure. Looking back to 6 weeks ago, I am aware of how much I have changed.

I can recall sitting on my squeaky bunk bed in Casa Mojanda, tears running down my face, because I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life. This was leaving everything I called home, and venturing off into an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces, for what seemed like a never-ending three and a half months.

But now, those 12 unfamiliar faces have become the faces of my 12 new traveling companions, who I have come to know and love.

The places we go are new, almost weekly, but traveling alongside this group makes all the challenges we face seem like a piece of cake. I have seen how we can make it through anything. We have all shown how quickly and well we can adapt to new, and sometimes unexpected, situations.

I came on this trip with ideas of what I thought it would be like. I didn’t know how much this program would exceed my expectations, and I am pleasantly surprised daily by our new adventures and how we all conquer obstacles with ease and smiles on our dirty and sun-burned faces.

Now that I have put all of my worries and fears aside, all I can do now is enjoy the ride. I look forward to all the things to come and all the knowledge I will gain from the 12 wonderful women with whom I am traveling.

Mar 21, 05 - Students
Erica from Olympia, Washington
“Oh! The places you’ll go. -- Dr. Seuss”

Seven weeks ago seems like such a long time ago, like another lifetime. Before we left, the trip seemed like one big blur of an adventure, tons of different places and a whole new group of people. I was excited, sure, but I had no idea the depth of what I was about to encounter. It’s been a month and a half now since I left home and everybody in it and the experiences I’ve had since then are nothing I could ever compare.
I’ve walked side by side with people who have never known the feel of shoes, eaten at a home with a family who’ve never used a fork, eaten an Amazonian ant that tasted like lemon, worked side by side with people of a community that we were helping to supply water to on top of being away from home for the first time, parting from my friends and family, and living with strangers who are now my best friends for an extended amount of time.
As I was talking with Courtney last night in the home of our new Ecuadorian family, we realized how much more we have gotten out of the trip than we expected. We’ve traveled to so many places, learned so many new things, and experienced more than we could’ve hoped for in a lifetime. Sure, we miss home, but at the same time we know how significant this trip is for us and how much fun we’ve had.
“Oh, the places you will go!” says everything you can say about the trip as a whole.

Jocelyne Francis from Montana
Our service project in Agualongo was the most outstanding segment of our trip so far. Before this trip, I have traveled frequently with my family. Despite our efforts to blend in with the cultures we visit, there is always a sense of separateness; we never cease to be tourists. Our stay in Agualongo was the first time that I felt completely connected to a culture that was not my own.
The language barrier that divided the Traveling School students and the people of Agualongo was intimidating at best. Not only did we experience our routine trouble understanding Spanish; the people of Agualongo speak Quichua as a first language. Therefore, whenever we communicated, everyone was using his or her second language.
Impressively, both groups of people were able to overcome these differences as well as the staggering disparities apparent in social classes and appearances. I believe this was possible because of the mutual understanding that everyone was working toward the common goal of supplying Agualongo with water and learning and enjoying ourselves in the process. The connection between two groups of people who couldn’t communicate verbally was intriguing and inspirational.

Bernadette from Rhode Island
It has been six weeks. Walking into this family of all females, I felt there would be nothing but catfights and jealousy. I can’t even express how wrong I was! Of course, we all get into our moods and PMS stages, but overall I don’t think a group of strangers from all over and such different backgrounds could get along as well as we do. We have been through intense mosquito bites to frogs and other things jumping on us or in our room while in the depths of the rainforest. We have tipped our raft while going through a set of rapids during whitewater rafting. We have gotten completely covered in shaving cream and sawdust during the suspenseful week of Carnival and worked and hiked through the sweltering heat. In the end, we were to deal with hand and sun blisters all over, be we dealt through it all. We kept a positive attitude throughout each adventure and were excited for the next. From Otavalo’s relaxing Casa and Saturday markets to Quito’s polluted blue skies and reckless driving, to the long bus rides to Tena and the exhilarating experiences traveling in the backs of trucks; from the long treks through lush and mud and the amazing Amazon surroundings to the hard work replacing a water pipe to help 38 families with their needs to the welcoming artsy family which I am now a part of; these past six weeks have been such an experience. On top of that, we haven’t even left Ecuador yet.

Courtney from Montana
“Teaching in Panecillo”
Panecillo is a small town near Otavalo and it is where Anna's host-family lives. There, we were fortunate enough to teach English to little kids. It was amazing and by far one of my favorite experiences so far. I remember walking up this huge hill lined with broken-down houses having no clue what to expect at the top. When we got there, it was a deserted piece of concrete. I was confused and wondered where all the kids were while we waited for Anna to come back out of the school. I got lost in my thoughts and fears until I was suddenly jolted back into reality by the excited screams of "Anita, Anita, Anita!" Then I watched them one by one as they peeked and pushed around corners and statues, squealing and giggling. We were so foreign to them, aliens. I was unsure of what to do, but a beautiful second-grade girl reached for my hand and led me to her classroom, as if reading my thoughts. Then we just stood there in front of those big, brown, eager eyes, trying to get started while keeping their attention. I didn't think I'd be nervous, but, once I got up there, I was. I now have a new appreciation for teachers; it is harder than they make it look! However, once we got started, it was easy, and the kids loved it. They just loved to learn, and it was amazing to watch. Although teaching was fun and great, it is not what has stayed with me; surprisingly, it wasn't recess and playing with them either. It was that first moment when we saw them and they saw us. You could see the fear, uncertainty, and timidness in their eyes dissolve right into curiosity. They went straight into learning mode. It was like a light clicked on in their tiny brains and said, "I want to learn about you and be your friend!" I have never had anyone feel that way about me just for being me, even when they don't know me. It was a very strange and different feeling. We were wanted and appreciated so much for not even doing anything yet, and that was such an eye-opening experience. We went there to teach, but in reality we were just as much of students as they were. Lindsey from Montana
Covered in water, foam, eggs, and cornflower! What do you think we could possibly be doing to get covered in all that stuff? Carnival! Carnival is a week out of the year where all the people in Ecuador throw water and this stinky foam all over you.
On the last day of Carnival all the locals go to the waterfall where you have this walk up and everyone is throwing things on you. There was dyed water, and on the way back, Jocelyne got egged and a lot of us got sawdust and corn flour in our eyes and hair!
Carnival is a big deal here and it was so much fun. If you ever come to Ecuador, you to need to come over Carnival and experience it for yourself, because you don't get the real experience until you are there!
Bria from New Hampshire
Through my experiences at The Traveling School I have grown a great deal. Confidence, strength, and knowledge have been slowly creeping up on me through the course of the six weeks I've been here. Each experience I have withstood leaves me standing a better person, and I've learned to work better either as a team or solo. When I go home I am going to have one brand new perception of my town and everything around me. I am going to miss South America greatly, and I look forward to coming back some day. Thank you, Traveling School.

Sarah from Montana
“Transitions”
This trip provides a great bridge to the world of college. As a senior, I was a little hesitant to come on this trip. Now, I couldn't be more glad I did. It has taught me so much academically, but perhaps the most important and relevant lessons aren't the ones learned in our makeshift classrooms.
As an only child, I experienced living with up to ten roommates. Living with only one next year will be a breeze. In addition, when you don't have class from 8:00 to 4:00 every day of the week, I found myself to be more motivated to do well. Here I actually do my homework and (gasp!) study for quizzes and tests. (If you know me, you'll know that is a feat.) The result is I am getting A's instead of B's, and I am at the top of my class.
The fine balance between academics, traveling, and all the activities we pack in parallels the balance of the social and academic aspects of college lie. Aside from organic chemistry, most people look back on their college years and remember their weird roommate, the parties, the people they met, not what they did during lectures. College is a time to grow socially and figure out how to live on your own, and what you want to do with the rest of your life. There just happen to be lectures stuck in every day and some late night cramming here and there. That is exactly how I feel about the classes here. I am learning, but it doesn't feel like school. Of course, it's not always easy to keep the balance, getting off a 7-hour bus ride to have study hall, for example, or staying up until 2 a.m. to get homework done because your homestay family threw a party that lasted until 11 on a school night. Yet the balance is definitely exceedingly more prevalent here in The Traveling School than in a traditional high school setting.
Overall, I feel significantly more confident and prepared to face college. The lifestyle change will not be quite as severe after this experience.