About the girls - from Jennifer

Hey Parents!
We´re back from Machu Picchu. What a great trip. The girls were amazing hikers and campers. They trudged up and down the steep Inca trails happily, gobbling up news of the US, listening to the history of our surroundings, and interacting endearingly with the visiting parents and friends on the fundraising trip. I am so impressed with all of your daughters. They have formed an incredible bond with one another and are so fun to be around.

One notable memory I have was on the last night of the hike, because we were such a big group (32 in all), we had to eat at the restaurant/bar, which was amazingly at our last campsite. It felt a little awkward to me, having all the group in this place with others celebrating their accomplishments on such a tough trail. The girls, however, were completely in their own world. We had a big line of tables on the lower level of the establishment. They started playing one of their group games together and were laughing hysterically at each other until the rest of the people present couldn´t help but enjoy their fun. The porters were lined up outside at the windows as the finalists in this game had to move from merely talking silly (trying to make each other laugh) to a quite serious dance off. In the end, it came to a vote, and the entire restaurant joined in! (I´m not kidding!)

Anyway, we have one more day with your girls. Some of my group has left for a few days of biking in Peru. Still others are here with me in Cusco and will get to join in on Claire´s history class this afternoon as they tour Cusco. Then, we´re off to Puno and Lake Titicaca. I will meet up again with the girls on April 28th and stay with them around Lake Titicaca until May 2nd. We feel so honored to be allowed a glimpse of this wonderful semester your daughters are experiencing. They are incredibly engaged and excited about what they are doing. Their teachers are inspiring to watch; their careful and creative planning, fun-loving spirit, and unwavering leadership has brought these girls together so magically. I wish you could all be here to witness the program and hope this message brings a tiny inkling of what the semester is like for your daughters.
Cheers,
Jennifer Royall