Arrival in Quito and Day One of Orientation
Good morning (or whenever you are reading this)! After a few delays, interrupted sleep, and moments of uncertainty, the SST Spring 2024 group started orientation with a burst of energy, enthusiasm … and some silliness!
As the students were leaving home, Ecuador’s people suffered moments of tension, sadness, and fear. News outlets suggest that we should be extra cautious. Thankfully, we also know that the foci of violence is far from our sphere of action and our families and partners are judicious, trustworthy, and very protective of our students.
By Thursday morning, it was hard to contain our energy, so we proceeded with orientation at the rooftop Templo de la Sabiduría, part of the Casa Goshen.
Klever Guevara, our on-site coordinator extraordinaire, imparted his deep and sophisticated knowledge on Quito’s culture, families, and food, as well as other insights. He was pleased to collect student names, academic interests, and motivations to be here.
After our initial discussions at Casa Goshen, we hopped on a bus to the 300-acre retreat center El Refugio. No trust falls here! The tasks were more difficult than we expected!
At the end of the long first day of orientation, we decided that a treat was in order to reward our tired brains and bodies – hence helado de paila, homemade ice cream featuring some of Ecuador’s most delicious flavors!
Orientation included a visit to the Basilica Metropolitana, a Latin American replica of Notre Dame de París, learning how to navigate the city, take buses, walk from home to school and back and find local eateries.
