South America, Spring 2024
TTS40 Semester Blog
NOTE: To access the blog in chronological order, please read from the bottom up.
The content on this blog will remain private throughout the semester. Please do not re-post entire blog entries or share pictures/locations on social media until the semester concludes in December.
However, feel free to share our public updates on Facebook and Instagram!

Thank You!
It is Monday, officially our fourth day out of the South American continent. I was reflecting with a friend that less than a week ago we were experiencing labored breathing as we reached the top of Austria Peak at 17,600 feet, and just three days ago we sat through a...

A Prom to Remember
For many high school students, prom typically involves flower bouquets, scouring the internet or local thrift stores for the perfect attire, and dancing the night away in the school gym. While all of these elements can be a fantastic time, TTS took a different...

“The Best Days of our Lives at The Navel of the World”
This installment of our updates comes from many authors - some student artists, Mary Reid, Meredith, and Jenna - all working to capture a bit of the many adventures from the past weeks. CUSCO As some of you experienced, flying into Cusco felt like an immediate...

Academic Updates
Throughout the last several weeks, academics at The Traveling School have jumped borders, endured the whirlwind of midterms, and are once again gaining momentum as we dive into the second half of our semester. For many of us, it’s difficult to believe we are already...

Santa Cruz Trek
This past week, our TTS crew tackled the Santa Cruz trek, named for the 20,535 foot Santa Cruz mountain. The Santa Cruz Trek is a popular 32 mile one-way trail in Huascarán National Park in the Cordillera Blanca area of the Andes. It ascends about 13,000 feet and...

Worth a Thousand Words
From Otavalo, Ecuador, to Huaraz, Peru - we cover some serious distance in these photos! I hope these snapshots give a peek into our days of class outside, celebrations, fashion shows, meals, and adventures into nature. A photo says a thousand words... but our...

Adventures in the Amazon
Week four complete and what a week it has been. From white water rafting, to landing in a jungle lodge deep in the Amazon rainforest, this week was packed with high-pitched shrieks and full body laughter. It’s hard to believe we fit in as much as we did in just seven...
Send letters to TTS40
Send us snail mail for your student by April 1 – The deadline for us to receive student mail is 4/1 so Chloe can take it over when she meets the group in Peru. Our hope is that each student will have at least one piece of mail for our...

Academics So Far
*Updated March 9 - see section in italics below, plus a few new photos!* What are we learning? More like, what aren’t we learning? Students are deep into their studies, learning from the world around them and making meaning of their experiences. Below are glimpses...

Living the High Life (in the Highlands)
We have spent the last week nestled between two volcanoes, Imbabura and Cotacachi. We drove north from Quito to this highland zone, and the road traversed fields of greenhouses as far as the eye could see. Over the loudspeakers, Arden pointed out this flower...