Photo by Jerzy Andrzej Kucia from Pixabay
We are moving to Quito, Ecuador! Yes, that’s right!! After (what will be) 9 amazing years in Hong Kong, we are moving on to a new school, city, country, and time zone! (We will only be 3 hours ahead of family and friends back home in the Pacific Northwest!) Kevin has been an associate principal for 8 years now here at HKIS; there comes a time when the next step up the ladder is inevitable, and Kevin got it! He will be the middle school principal at Academia Cotopaxi. I also will have a major change: I’ll be the librarian for Kindergarten through the 12th-grade. Ten years ago I never would have been interested in a K-12 position, but after all that I’ve learned here at HKIS, I feel ready for this new challenge.
Photo by César Viteri on Unsplash
The family member who isn’t as excited about the move, and understandably so, is Gigi. As a junior, she was hoping to finish her high school career at HKIS, but unfortunately we couldn’t make that happen for her. It is very hard on her, and us, but we needed to embrace the opportunity that was in front of us. Because Gigi is such a great young lady, confident and kind, I think she will be okay in the end. She’s adventurous and strong; both Kevin and I have faith that she will end up on the top because that’s just who she is. Of course none of this helps right now in the actual moment of transition. Her sadness is tangible, and as her mom I’m trying to help her as best I can.
Photo by Chandler Hilken on Unsplash
Kevin and I, with baby Vincent and Gigi in the womb, have actually traveled to Quito back in 2002 for a long weekend. We were so enchanted! I can remember the lovely boutique hotel where we stayed with unique fresco paintings decking all the walls. That hotel actually had a peacock on the grounds that wandered around; it was the first peacock I ever saw in real life, and they’ve been a fascination since. On Sundays, artists display their artwork along the main walk of the city park. Ironically out of the many paintings we’ve collected from our travles, the magical one from Quito is the one that hangs in our Hong Kong living room–a serendiptous sign!
Photo by Mauricio Muñoz on Unsplash
Here’s what I’ve learned about Quito so far: the weather is the same every single day, AND to top it off, all four season are experienced in a day! Talk about a style conumdrum. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the weather and more specifically how I will dress for it. The reason for this weather routine is twofold: Quito sits up at 9000 feet, and it lays on the equator, hence the same weather day in and day out. The high each day is 68° F while the low each night is 48° F. Interesting isn’t it? Imagine all the styles for all seasons every single day. I’m looking forward to figuring it out! And of course I’m excited for the new adventures that lay ahead of the Krembs!
*Top Photo by Simon Berger from Pixabay
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