Today was our prelaunch meeting day - which started out in the Middle School Garage with all the Abroad groups. We got on our feet a bit, conducted an exercise to start to get at how clashing cultural norms can feel, and discussed different intentions and mentalities when traveling. Then we broke off into our Guatemala group where we learned a new game called "Three Things," set goals and intentions, discussed expectations, and group agreements (proudly displayed by Nicola and Kamran) and identified areas of interest and inquiry. The group did some initial research to create a foundation for the cultural observations we'll continue to make when in Guatemala. Bella helped Ms. Vann figure out what the mysterious animal was she'd seen whilst googling Guatemala (a Coati, apparently). We also reviewed our itinerary in greater detail, especially for the initial part of the trip, and answered questions, largely about packing. The group seems a little nervous, but mostly excited. We wish you all the best packing tonight - be sure to get some rest - and look forward to seeing everyone at SFO, United Terminal 3, at 8:00 am. Please double check you have your passport & wear your Dragons t-shirt.
