The Final Update
Greetings all! I am afraid that this is the final time you will be hearing from our amazing, little community. However, be assured that we have been a happy bunch over the past couple of weeks since the end of our last expedition. Our time has been spent in a flurry of conclusions—the spirited, whole-hearted effort to complete our semester book; the finalizing of the rocket stove’s structure; the closing of our big jobs; and our last Spanish and permacultura (the concept of living a life centered around caring for yourself, the earth, and the community at large) classes. The results entail a joyful, grounded community, a beautiful semester book, a working stove, our increased expertise in permacultura, and a satisfied feeling regarding what we have learned about the Spanish language over the course of the semester.
Furthermore, we voyaged to Quito one night to watch a play that Marcela recently produced, not only to support her but also to get an idea of what putting on a theatrical performance is like; to get a bearing on what we might want to include in our own performance not long after. The play, though not all of us understood it in its entirety as it was completely in Spanish, focused on the importance of water throughout Ecuador. A remarkable aspect of this particular play was that all the actors had special needs, and Marcela had been working with them for weeks to enrich their lives through the beauty of theater. Just two days ago, we had the slightly overwhelming experience of taking part in the largest market in South America: Otovalo. After a two-hour long bus ride, for which most of us stood the majority of the way, we were able to brandish our bargaining skills. Equipped with the Spanish that we had learned throughout the semester, we were each able to purchase many a beautiful gifts for our loved ones as well as a few goodies for ourselves. And now we know that everything in Otovalo is composed entirely of “baby alpaca” (or so the vendors claimed).
Although our spirits have been soaring these past two weeks, the general health of the group sunk to new lows. Sadly, our band of Krokans was struck by a stomach bug, which resulted in all but three of us spending a night vomiting (certainly quite the scene). Thankfully, most of us are in far better health now and are looking forward to the long day of rest and rejuvenation that the plane ride will provide for us during our voyage to New Hampshire.
On a different, much lighter note, yesterday was our first of two graduations—a most beautiful, heartwarming celebration of our time here. Everyone whom we had met throughout the semester attended: our families from San Clemente, teachers we had learned from, the farm workers at Palugo, a friend or two from Shiwacotcha, Francisco and Adela, and various friends and guests alike made the journey to our lovely little chozon to celebrate with us all that we have accomplished during our time here. In preparation of such a worthy occasion, we had purchased two sheep to provide us with plenty of meat for the amount of guests we were expecting. A day before our graduation, we slaughtered both and roasted them on a spit over an open fire until cooked to perfection—quite the treat.
In addition to the sheep, we had an ample amount of papas, mote, and ensalada, and we were also gifted by the people of San Clemente with a wide variety of native fruits and the sweet delight of homemade breads. The presentation of the food gifts took the form of song and dance led by the people of San Clemente. The men wore masks and traditional chaps made of the fibrous hide of alpaca and lama while they filled the air with the music of guitar, fiddle, various drums, and voices—a fantastical performance to witness.
After eating a hearty lunch, complete with a wide array of desserts, most of which were created by our dear Adela, we performed for our guests our graduation presentation, an exhibition of all that we have learned and achieved throughout the semester. We dressed in our graduation shirts, which we had embroidered a month prior in San Clemente and illustrated an experience that is impossible to capture in words. For the past few days leading up to our graduation, we had worked with Marcela, theater producer extraordinaire, to put into motions and song the entirety of our semester. Although I do not want to give away any of our presentation to all of you fine folks who might come and see it, I will say that it was a success at our graduation, and we can barely wait to share it with you all.
In just a solitary day, we will return to New Hampshire. In just a day, we will leave behind the icy comfort of the glacial mountains that greet us each dawn, the spiked spines of the century plant, the solemn wisdom of the eucalyptus trees that surround Palugo. In just a day, we will be plunged headfirst into the intensity of the New Hampshire winter and then back into the differing lifestyles that exist at our homes. However sad it is to part with those whom we have loved and appreciated for the past four months, those whom we have biked great distances with, sang with each day, shared giggles of joy and tears of exasperation, traveled great distances with both physically and within our hearts—in light of each and every connection we have made with one another and the love we have shared, parting from one another will be a difficult task. Yet, it is simply a chance for a new door to be opened, a new chapter to begin in our lives. We now have the opportunity to take what we have learned, reap the benefits of how we have grown as individuals, and go back into our worlds anew: complete, grounded, changed. And we can do so knowing that we are never entirely alone, that we are always loved, that we will never cease being a true, beautiful community.
¡Bien viyhay toros!
I have opened up, and everything, my thoughts, fears, dreams have come rushing out.—Zoe
Nothing belongs solely to us. Everything is borrowed. Only our thoughts belong to us and they are not just our own.—Robert
I have pushed my body and mind to new limits. I have seen landscapes and wonders I never thought I’d see and have had adventures I never thought I’d experience. So many childhood dreams have come to life on this semester.—Clayton
It is a beautiful thing to be able to say that you have gone so far, worked so hard, loved a community of people so fully, and lived this life so completely joyfully.—Nelly
I feel accomplished and satisfied. I’ve learned how to be part of such a close-knit community, I’ve learned how to be a leader, how to work hard and how to live an incredible adventure. I will miss this place with all my heart, but I am ready to go home.—Kestrel
People may ask me what the NH-Ecuador Semester was like, and I could tell them about the birds in the jungle, the trekking through the paramo, the exhilaration of getting to the top of Cotopaxi, but that would not explain the deep connection I have made to the land, to the strong community around me; to a whole different way of life that cannot be explained.—Isabelle
I have had such an amazing time here at Kroka and have done things that most people have and never will get the opportunity to do. I appreciate every moment of it.—Noah
Goodbye, Ecuador. Your hard eyes have touched my soul. You’ve taught me to swim with the tides of time, shown me journeys are finite, but cycle like the sun and the moon. Today, I greet winter. Tomorrow, I greet you again.—Hytham
A short burst of love, life, and pure happiness can last awhile, perhaps a lifetime. We can’t be sad that the end is here. We can only take what we’ve learned together and make ourselves a new beginning.—Leah
How wonderful life is—all you have to do is walk around a corner to see something more beautiful, more incredible than what you left behind. And if you keep looking ahead, knowing that the dawn is coming, you can travel any distance.—Ezra
I have learned so much here, from the mountains, the sunrises, the communities we’ve visited; from the family we have become. We have lived life so fully, loved so deeply, and now my eyes have opened, my heart has opened, and I am filled with gratitude.—Hila
This amazing journey is coming to a close. It is time to wrap up the bundle and head home.—Leo
The sweet magnificence of the mountains, the gentle gleaming of the stars, the sway and rush of the wind—all of such pieces and parts of the earth have held me throughout my experience here, taught me what I needed to know about myself and the world around me. Through this support I was able to grow, to dig my roots down into myself, and spread my branches wide toward the never-ending sky. And, most importantly, as I grew within myself, I grew part of the most beautiful, amazing thing I could ever ask for in life: I grew part of a community.—Aster
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