GIRLS IN THE HALL GOES INTERNATIONAL

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Have you ever taken a leap and done something completely out of your comfort zone? Tried out for a sport you have never told anyone you were interested in doing? Auditioned for the school play even though you have stage fright akin to a deer caught in headlights? Submitted a letter to the editor of your school paper about a hot topic at school, worried what people would think about you? If you haven't, I am sure you have thought or even dreamed of conquering a fear and going for "it"--what "it" may mean for you.

In a few weeks, I will be conquering a major "it" on my list. With the Girls in the Hall mantra of every girl being themselves while surviving the hard times of teen years, I will be flying to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and volunteering in an orphanage with at risk teen girls. What does that mean? There will be 30 girls, ages 13-22, who want to learn about the arts and, in turn, about themselves. Some of these girls were left at the orphanage as babies and don't know any other sort of life. Others were left by their parents later on in childhood, and remember their families. The older girls in the group are moms themselves, and their babies live at the orphanage too.

The plan: to get together every day for nearly two weeks and learn about ourselves and each other through writing, expressing emotions and sharing. Then, I will blog about it for all of the English speaking Girls in the Hall to hear about what life as a teen in Ecuador really is about--the real scoop.

The catch?

My Spanish is bad. I mean, really really bad. MUY MALO! So, this is probably the biggest experiment of my life. Will I be able to share the Girls in the Hall spirit with these girls without knowing all of the words and communicating through emotion and understanding, and then accurately relay the journey to all of you? Time will indeed tell.

Here's where you come in! Have you wondered what it is like to grow up in a country so different from your own? We are collecting questions from teens here to ask the girls over there. Then, we will blog the answers to your question directly from the girls in Ecuador. Leave a comment on this post with your questions or drop us an email at girlsinthehallblog@gmail.com. We want to hear from you to ask real questions, from teen to teen.