First week of school

Well I have started school and my kids are real people! 4th and 5th is sooooo much different than Kinder! The school is amazing and strange. The rooms are disconnected and everything is outside. You walk out the door of your room and you walk through little patios and outside hallways to get to where you are going. I still need a guide becuase I get soooooo lost! haha during recess the kids have free run of the entire campus and they can do whatever they want. There are several different bells so each group knows which is theirs. Our bell is bongos. Strange. Also, we don't teach every period. Today we had 3 free periods, we taught 1 period of language arts, had lunch, had 2 more periods of language arts and then had 2 free periods before we went home. Amazing! So much planning time I don't know what I'm going to do when I go back to the States.

Also, the food is amazing! There is a salad bar with everything you could imagine, a snack bar, a sandwich bar with like fresh roast beef and all different types of meats and additives, and an Ecuadorian food section. It is so cheap too. I am spending tops three dollars for every lunch. My teacher is so sweet and very helpful. I'm really enjoying this placement although it is different!

Con amor! Katy

Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.

Frank Herbert

Mindo and my birthday!

Wow I'm getting lazy already!


On November 1st we went to Mindo, Ecuador. After a lot of taxi trouble had by the group we made it onto a bus and arrived at the Dragon Fly Inn 2 hours later. The greyhound bus was mostly empty so to make up for it they stopped all throughout the country and picked up random people and let them off later along the line.

When we got to the tiny town of Mindo we went to do zip lines. We did 10 zip lines in the canopy of the cloud forest. It was crazy amazing! We had a nice dinner and enjoyed the quiet of the town.

Video of me zip-lining in the canopy of the Cloud forest. Please ignore my terrible face in the middle of the video!

The next day was full! We got up and hiked the forest for 3 hours and saw several gorgeous waterfalls! We got home in time to change and go to El Quetzal. These american people came to Ecuador and decided to stay and make chocolate! We toured how they make chocolate and i bought chocolate bbq sauce. Should be interesting. Finally we went to Mindo Lago restaurant for a frog concert. First we had dinner. I had Lomo a la piedra, steak on a hot stone. it was cheap and the best steak i have ever had! The frog concert consisted of us going into the dark forest with a guide and observing frogs, scorpions and supposedly snakes. No snakes were found in the dark thankfully!

On Nov 3rd we got up and saw the Mariposario, the butterfly farm. We learned about the life cycle of butterflies and got to feed them and just hang out. We wandered the town until our bus left and headed for home.



November 4th we went to the mall and did some good old fashioned shopping at El jardin. Later we made a chocolate cake for my birthday and had some wine. We took a taxi out and went to La Mariscal to the bars. It was alot of fun. After all of that fun I took the day off today and just relaxed!

I start school on Monday and i am really excited! Fourth and fifth grade is a little out of my norm so I'm a bit nervous too!

with love,
Katy

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

El Crater y El Mitad del Mundo

Wow! we had a long day yesterday :) I slept in a bit and got up and had a late breakfast with Vero ( my host mom). After a bit of relaxing we went to El Crater/ The crater restaurant. We had a gorgeous meal and we got to look down into this inactive crater that now has a population. After we went to see El Mitad del Mundo, The middle of the world. I stood at the 0, 0 latitude longitude and put one foot in the northern hemisphere and 1 in the southern. We watched some tango dancing and got to see some traditional indigenous people in their daily dress.

After that we bought bus tickets for Mindo tomorrow and I finally got a chip for my phone! I'm connected to the people of Mindo :)

Today we are going to catch a taxi for the first time and we are going to shop around town.

Con amor, Katy

To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. ~Aldous Huxley

First day in Quito

Wow! We are here! I can't believe it. Today is a day of rest due to the altitude. I felt a little bit sick yesterday and finally had to sit down, my cough isn't helping. Haha. I slept great last night and now I have a few pictures to start us out! I am living in the city of Quito. There are a few photos of our trip and a few of my home :)

My room

Our patio

What does anyone do while waiting in the Miami airport? Kyle and Megan enjoying a beer

A little chocolate helps any plane ride

with love!
Katy

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home. ~James Michener

awake bright and early. slept through the flint to chicago flight. getting ready to board to head to the miami sunshine :)

My school

This is the school I will be working in. Colegio Americano de Quito


I will be teaching 4th and 5th grade, reading, writing and social studies!

With love,