Okay, imagine it’s Monday, May 12th, 2025, and you finally get to try what was advertised in the syllabus: chocolate! Alright, I’m going to set the scene—it’s 8:30 a.m., and it’s time to go down and get breakfast in Quito. It was a relatively quick feast as the group headed out to go chocolate tasting at a place called Yumbos. We entered this building with flowers hanging overhead and headed upstairs to begin our tasting. There were lots of different tastes that were consumed, and I ended up spending $40 on 6 bars of chocolate. This number only got higher as we continued on to another chocolate establishment later in the day. We visited Bios Chocolates, where we saw the inner workings of how chocolate is made in Ecuador. We taste-tested a variety of new flavors I had never thought to combine before. There was tangerine and dark chocolate, raspberry and macadamia nut with milk chocolate, and so much more. You already know I dropped another $20 on this one-of-a-kind chocolate. My cash supply may have been depleted, by my tastebuds were not. It was some of the best chocolate I have ever had in my life.

After our tour and tasting of Bios, we began our travel past the equator to Cayambe, where we stayed at a beautiful lodge with wildlife surrounding all sides. That night, we had a fire, played music, and danced with an absolute legend who worked there named Antonio.

I always thought that waking up to the sound of a rooster was strictly found in cartoons. Oh, how wrong was I. 5:30am, sun not even up yet, a rooster began singing and made it all of our problems. However, once I got up and stepped outside, any hostility I felt toward the creature subsided as I was met with the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. The sun was kissing the Earth around me, and the sky was blue. Everywhere you looked, there was life. Chickens, ducks, dogs, horses, cows. I felt like I was back in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. I never felt more at home than when I was in another country, almost 3000 miles away from home. Today, we were going to visit a rose business! During the Rose’s expedition, we toured a company called Ecuaroscanada, where we got to witness the amount of effort that goes into curating a rose for consumers’ enjoyment. We traveled through several different greenhouses, and each time we were met with a city of roses, all varying in color, height, and size. We learned about the farming process and the different techniques used to grow a rose ready for export. Between each greenhouse, we would travel through the company’s land, where we were met with a beautiful view each time. The sky was movie blue, and the mountains were unlike anything I have ever seen. To top it all off, there was a dog that followed us throughout the tour, and the whole trip was right out of a fairytale book. At the end of the tour, we got to pick our own roses! I now rock a pink and red rose combination. I couldn’t be more pleased.

We had two expeditions this day, the rose industry and a field trip to learn from the community about the rose workers and the structure of the industry. After the learning portion was done for the day, we headed back to the lodge to play the local kids in soccer! It was raining a generous amount, and it was time to whip out my rusted soccer skills from middle school. Like a sleeper agent, my skills busted out of nowhere. Jokes: I walked on the field watching as the Ecuadorian children worked the ball across the field like it was absolutely nothing. However, disregarding the two wipeouts our team had, we WON!!! Dramatic American celebrations spread through our half of the field before we lined up and congratulated the other team on their efforts (they looked way better than we did out on the field, I must say). The sports just kept coming after this grand success. We played volleyball with the same soccer ball we won with, which means that we were going to win this volleyball game. Right? Nay nay, the volleyball win fell straight into the laps of the kids on the other side of the net. We were played for fools; they were quick, agile, and they handled the weight of the soccer ball with ease.

After all this traveling, running, and winning, the crew was hungry! It was time for dinner, which was spaghetti with what seemed to be buffalo sauce and chicken. It stood no chance; it was devoured instantly. Once people were refueled, we packed our bags and headed out to our home for the next two days, Otavalo. We were welcomed by this beautiful hotel perched atop a great hill. It was complete with many terraces and balconies that overlooked the vibrant city below. It was a perfect way to end our long days of learning, travelling, and just for the sake of bragging– winning. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the trip plays out!