Wow, the last chapter of our journey together is coming to a close!
Last Saturday we completed our semester main lesson book. It was a race to the end - Rose stayed up past midnight to finish her pages - and the book is beautiful. On Sunday we caught the first bus to Pifo and from there to Otavalo to visit the indigenous market which is the second largest in South America. We wondered for a while in the maze of stalls comparing prices and marveling. Instead of buying things for ourselves, we each bought one gift to exchange with each other so that it can be a token of our time together and our love for each other.
The next day was our graduation celebration in Ecuador. Wicho's brothers came and brought with them instruments to fill the celebration with music and dancing. The festivities went into the night and included roast pig, vegetables, chichua, ice cream, cake and a beautiful slideshow.
On Tuesday we cleaned up, packed up, said our goodbyes and headed back to Kroka. Saying goodbye to Wicho, Roberto, Mathias, Nicole and little Ayra was a heartwrenching experience. Already we are missing them, but we know that we carry their energy here as a group, and we will hold bits of their wisdom in our hearts forever.
Now we're back at Kroka, finishing academics, sliding around on the Kroka pond, preparing for graduation tomorrow and enjoying our last few days together. It has been a crazy awesome, deeply potent, beyond beautiful journey. Now we have only to carry our newfound wisdom and share it with the world.
Hasta Luego,
Mary Kate
PS: Join us at our graduation ceremony:
Sunday December 7th, 1:00 PM at the Mole Hill Theater in East Alstead, NH.
