Greetings Everyone!
I hope you’re all doing well. As some of you already know, I am one of the three leaders who will be traveling with you to Ecuador. My name is Carlos but you can call me Los. Im currently an academic counselor at The Academy SF @ Mcateer High School (I work with Brendan). I am really excited for our trip and the adventures that we will experience. I look forward to meeting all of you and immersing myself in a different country and culture. I am of Mexican descent born and raised in San Francisco so I have very basic knowledge of Ecuadorian culture, specifically Andean culture. Being fluent in Spanish, as well as appreciating my mixed ancestry, particularly my indigenous roots, I believe will allow me to connect with the people of Ecuador and to also appreciate their culture on a deeper level.
Some of the things that I enjoy and am passionate about are learning about different cultures, traveling, reading/writing, hiking, and working out. A few of my favorite subjects are psychology, cultural geography, history, ethnic studies, and basically anything else that is humanities based. My goal is travel to Ecuador through the lens of the subjects I just listed–all with the intent to expand my horizons. On top of that, traveling with 29 adolescents and another adult leader that I have never met in person, plus a co-worker/friend, will make it an even more exciting experience! Like Brendan stated–don’t stress–we will become acclimated with our environment and with one another. The key is to get outside of our comfort zone and that in itself will contribute to our growth and development as constructive citizens of the world.
With that said, this may sound corny but lets not forget to have a good time, live in the moment, and make the best out of this experience. Experiences like these don’t come around too often and this one in particular will be life changing for sure.
Looking forward to meeting you all next week! Take care.
Warm Regards,
Los