Amelia here 🙂 Hello to everyone at home! We had a great time today and are excited to be heading back to you all tomorrow. Conditions on Mount Chimborazo were luckily near-PERFECT with sunny skies and gentle winds that gave us a clear view of the summit, and we warmed up beforehand with coffee and tea in the cafeteria. (The tea was an herbal blend brewed specifically to help us acclimate to the altitude). Our tour guides even taught us a song to sing as we entered the park and provided some much-appreciated knowledge of indigenous culture and local wildlife. The vicuna (a high-altitude cousin of the llama) was a personal favorite of mine, and we saw quite a few! The lengthy bus rides gave us time to take in all the natural beauty of the pastoral farmlands. This evening, we wrote postcards thanking the program’s supporters; how inspiring is it to know that so many of our donors belong to our very own communities, and maybe GG alumni themselves?! When it came time to eat, our meals were delicious as always- all thanks to our wonderful provider Isabel and everyone at Roma Santa. We finished the night with one last all-out dance party. I was surprised by the group’s energy after such a long and exciting day, and it was so rewarding to lead such a positive group! Huge thank you to everyone who remembered their inhalers on Mount Chimborazo, too. (Global gasp!) The collaboration of guides, GGLs, and Glimpsers making the day possible was heart-warming, to say the least. The responsibilities of the Leaders of the Day are eased by everyone’s support, which, today, was endless. I’ve loved this group wholeheartedly and I think it’s safe to say we made our last day together worth it.

Hi, it’s Isabella <3 Being an LDD (Leader of the Day) was definitely a challenging but eye-opening experience! I was able to step out of my comfort zone and get closer to people I would usually never approach. Today we had a difficult, but exciting day climbing Chimborazo. As a person who’s scared of heights, it was definitely worth the hike up the volcano. I have so much respect and love for everyone for making it up there and also taking the cutest pictures. After we got back we all were able to rest and spend our free time picking up some last-minute souvenirs. I want to give a shoutout to Flory as she has been such a ball of sunshine for all of us and the best roommate Amelia and I could ask for. Being homesick was hard, but with them, I was able to overcome it. ( also can’t wait to see my family <33) I’m so grateful for this experience and we were able to write postcards to the supporters who helped make this happen. I will never forget this experience and the people I have grown to love through this trip.