After project staff met the volunteers in Quito, we arrived at our beautiful first project site Granja Learnaya early on Wednesday!

After getting settled in, we dove into icebreakers to get to know each other better.

Soon after, we sat down for a delicious Ecuadorian meal prepared with many vegetables from the farm that we’re living at!

The rest of the day was filled with fun activities, opportunities to explore the farm, and time devoted to learning more about AMIGOS and what to expect for the rest of the program. Pictured below is a collaging activity focused on identity. We headed to bed early to prepare for the full day ahead of us.

The next day, we started with Spanish classes and farming. While half the group took discussion-focused Spanish classes in small groups and discussed wide-ranging topics from college to work-life balance to communism, the others helped harvest potatoes and herbs, wash and prep vegetables to be sold at the farmer’s market, and tend fields.

After farming and Spanish classes, volunteers took advantage of free time to hike and run on trails around La Granja.

After more delicious meals, we finished off the night with some discussions on poetry and an exciting Trivia Night!

We’re really enjoying the incredibly fresh food, learning about each other’s lives all over the US and Ecuador, and spending hours outside in the fresh air on the farm. We can’t wait for all the exciting excursions we have ahead of us as well!