And now we arrive at the worst part of being a traveler: saying goodbye. The students finished up their community service portion of the trip with a reforestation day on a hill just outside of town where Putney Student Travel teams have been planting endangered, endemic trees for the past three years since our partnership with Las Tolas began. It was neat seeing the different generations of trees in a way commemorating the meaningful relationship our students have had with this community.
Our last night we had a goodbye party with the whole village. We ate palm heart ceviche, fried plantain, popcorn, and cake and brownies, which the students baked themselves! This was quite an accomplishment since half of the ingredients were not available at the store and we also had zero measuring utensils. Somehow the substitutions, creativity, and guessing worked out and the desserts were delicious. A few thank you speeches were given, we played some games that the Putney students led, and then we danced the night away.
Because the week in homestays was such a significant part of our trip, we decided you might want to hear just a bit about this experience directly from some of the students…
Being immersed in the village community was definitely a highlight of our trip. We lived with Pilar and Geovani, along with their kids Kerly, Mateo, and Joanna. It was great to learn about life in Las Tolas, giving us a firsthand glimpse into the culture of Ecuador and how it differs from our lives in the United States.
— Jordyn & Sophie
Sophie and Jordyn on the family day outing.
We have been living with Sebastian, Amparo, Joan (16), Emilio (5), and Eric (9). We loved reading and teaching the kids English. We enjoyed our day in Pacto with our family. Emilio and Eric always brightened our day. Overall, we felt very welcomed in our homestay family. Our Spanish has been greatly enriched. We hope to stay in touch and hopefully meet again in the future.
— Rachel & Rena
Rachel and Rena with Sebastian at the goodbye party.
We really enjoyed our stay with our host parents and their kids Pamela (17), Kevin (19), and Henry (24). We felt very at home and enjoyed when Cecilia, our host mom, called us “mi niña”. Our day in Pacto with Kevin and Henry was the highlight of our homestay week. We enjoyed hiking to and swimming in the river and spending time with them in the town. This experience enriched our Spanish skills and exceeded our expectations.
— Grace & Kayleigh
Kayleigh and Grace at home with their family.
It was such a good experience living in a home in Las Tolas for a week. By being in an environment where English wasn’t an option we really got the opportunity to explore Ecuadorian culture and family life. Our family was super welcoming and friendly and we are both grateful for the experience.
— Lianne & Lauren
Lauren and Lianne at the goodbye party with their homestay dad.
We loved living with Gabriela. It seemed like there was always a different sibling, child, or grandchild of hers joining us at meal times so that was a great opportunity for us to practice our Spanish. We laughed a lot during our homestay because Gabriela is such a joyful person. We were worried this might be a long week, but by the end we couldn’t believe it was over already.
— Miles & Simon
Simon and Miles with Gabriela at the goodbye party.