I’m accustomed to taking multi-week vacations, but my first two weeks here in Ecuador could not be described as such. There is, of course, the stunning Pacific Ocean view from my balcony paired with a lovely mile-long malecon (boardwalk) that hugs the beach bordering Salinas Bay.  Add to that scene the invigorating morning walks, fresh fruit and seafood, and relaxing afternoons with the sound of waves hitting the nearby beach all combining to make me think I’m on vacation.

But then …

On Day 6, …

My friend invited** me to her local Rotary Club meeting and introduced me as the Guest Speaker! {insert the sound of screeching brakes}
** To be fair, Amy did ask me a few hours before the meeting if I’d like to go and introduce Trifecta Arts. And I agreed. Why not?

Well, thank heavens that the Salinas Rotary Club is conducted in a fully bi-lingual manner! With almost non-existent Spanish communication skills, I needed an interpreter for my brief introduction and description of Trifecta Arts. Amy graciously assisted with that and at the conclusion of my short speech, the room was full of smiling faces. The Club’s President (fully bi-lingual herself) stated that I was the first guest speaker in their club’s history to offer them the possibility of financial assistance instead of asking for it! We all had a good laugh at that observation.

I had a couple of short conversations after the conclusion of the regular meeting with members who had ideas about how Trifecta Arts could support arts education opportunities for local students. And that, dear readers, was the end of the vacation illusion. {Did I just hear a balloon pop?!?}

Since that evening, I have had three introductory meetings, received two grant requests for assisting local arts educators, participated in an afternoon art lesson with local children, and began evaluating the necessary materials for creating a beginning ballet program and beginning instrumental music program in conjunction with the Rotary Club.

I’m making new friends here and leveraging old friends from the states to bring it all together — and having fun everyday!

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Thank you once again for your continued support!