The Weekly Award Ceremonies
“Miami. February 1st. About 7:30pm. I walk into the hotel room, the last girl to arrive. I get my first glimpse of the girls I would spend the next 3-1/2 months with. As we would later learn in Global Studies class, we were at Step One on Cogg's Ladder: The Polite Stage. We asked each other what kind of music we liked, what our hobbies were and made other such small talk.
Those days are long gone. I think somewhere in the middle of the second week the incessant laughter began... and it never stopped. It's been one 58-day-long slumber party complete with lights out at 10 o'clock, morning workouts at 6:45, and Award Ceremonies every Monday night.
Oh, Award Ceremonies. I just have to tell you. So the first Monday we're near Otavalo, Ecuador and the “estudiantes” were sitting quietly at a table when suddenly the three stooges (that would be Anna, Lander and Jennifer, our teachers) walk in -- backwards with sunglasses, clothes, everything backwards and we could hear a very distinct squeaking. "Welcome to the 1st Annual Traveling School Awards Ceremony!"
We were in tears just from the sight of them! But then came the Academic Award: a groovy pair of reading glasses given to the most academic-est of persons that week. Next the Athletic Award: a neon orange, child-sized pair of swimming goggles that suction-cupped to Cari's face when she won them the first night. Then the Happy Traveler, a stuffed tiger that Laura named Jasper. And lastly and most desirable, THE (squeaking) BONEHEAD AWARD.
The “profesoras” always give out the Academic Award and give us very detailed hints about the recipient. "OK... it's a Traveling School student. And... she's a girl!" (Gasps of astonishment) "And she is here right now!"
In Quito, they filed into our room although we had heard them rapping down the hallway. "Boom boom, ch, boom boom, ch." The gangstas had arrived "Ya ya!" for the "2nd Annual Traveling School Awards Ceremony."
Other such silliness followed at the presuming "annual" awards ceremonies. They're taken extremely seriously. Absolutely no giggling allowed. Not. With this group, that would be an impossibility.”
-Annie, Idaho, sophomore