Orientation weekend in Quito

By Hillary Harder

Arrival in Quito

On Wednesday night, May 6, our students arrived at Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport. Their travels went smoothly and we were so excited to welcome them as they walked through the sliding glass doors, looking tired but happy! Our trusted driver, Diego, took us to Casa de Espiritualidad, a retreat center in the Los Laureles neighborhood of Quito, where we would be spending orientation weekend together.

Orientation Weekend

From Thursday, May 7 to Saturday, May 9 we enjoyed full days of getting to know each other and becoming acquainted with Quito. Each day started with a delicious breakfast at Casa de Espiritualidad, followed by morning outings to see different sites around the city. On day 1, we spend the morning at Parque La Carolina, a beautiful park in the “centro comercial” (commercial center of the city) where the students completed a scavenger hunt, completing items like “find the statue of batman” and “take a picture of your group with a sculpture.”

We visited the Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum), which tells the story of the city of Quito, from the original indigenous inhabitants to the Incan empire to the colonial era to independence to the present day. We had an excellent tour guide who made the time fly by with fun, interactive activities. The tour ended with a stunning view of the Panecillo, a volcanic hill that resembles a loaf of bread (“panecillo”) and features the famous statue of the “Virgen del Panecillo”.

During Orientation we heard from several guest speakers, including our very own in-country coordinator Klever Guevara, who gave an introductory presentation the demographics of Ecuador, the different geographic regions of the country and what makes each one unique, and (very briefly) some distinguishing features of the cosmovisión or worldview of the Kichwa indigenous people here in Ecuador. We will delve into this topic in much more depth during the weeks to come, as we take a class on Nacionalidades y Pueblos Indígenas del Ecuador (Indigenous Nationalities and Peoples of Ecuador).

Another speaker, Patricia Ruiz, gave an overview of Ecuadorian customs and helpful tips for navigating life in Quito. Her presentation encompassed lots of fun and engaging activities. In one, students watched a video defining some common Ecuadorian phrases and then played a game that helped them recall them. In another,  students drew posters depicting the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario of their time here in Ecuador – both showcased the artistic talents of our students and their vivid imaginations – and, in the end, determined that neither extreme will happen and their actual experiences will be something in the middle.

Finally, our Orientation weekend included lots of group bonding time. Each evening we gathered for meetings centered around defining our group agreements, identifying excitements and anxieties around entering into SST, and looking ahead to interacting with host families. Our last session on Saturday took place at Casa Goshen, where we gathered in our cozy living room. In each session, our students shared with vulnerability, grace, and compassion for themselves and each other. Already our group is showing up with honesty and readiness to embrace the very real challenges that will emerge in the weeks to come, as well as excitement and joy! Orientation was a precious (and full and tiring!) time of preparation and togetherness.