2019-05-24
It’s hard for me to believe that I left Ecuador almost two months ago. As I sit in my house in the United States writing this blog post, everything still feels a little weird. I spent the last seven months creating this second life for myself halfway across the globe. Then, on April 3rd, I...
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2019-04-02
I can’t believe that my time here in Ecuador is coming to an end! The days have truly flown by in the blink of an eye. I have learned so much over these past seven months, and I know that I am returning to the U.S. as a better version of myself. Before leaving Ecuador,...
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2019-03-25
It’s crazy how much can change in a year. I began my senior year of high school as your typical overscheduled, overstressed, and overworked student. I was president of the National Honor Society and Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper. I played the flute in my school’s band and soccer for my travel team. I was taking...
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2019-03-06
I recently got back from the most amazing trip with my family to the Galápagos Islands! My parents and my sister, Claire, came to visit me in Ecuador for a week, and it was so great to have them finally see my second home. We had so much fun during our action-packed vacation, and I’m...
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2019-01-31
It has been awhile since I last posted to my blog, and I don’t really have a good excuse. Honestly, I have just been trying to soak up every moment of my life here in Ecuador, and I lost track of time. Through the good days, and even the bad ones, I try to stay...
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2018-11-18
As I sit on my bed writing this blog post, I am currently stuck in my house due to a citywide transportation strike in Ibarra. Not only are the taxi and bus systems not running, but the taxi drivers have also lined up their vehicles to blockade the highway and other parts of the city....
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2018-09-27
I can’t believe that it has been about a month since I have left the United States to spend a year in Ecuador, living with a host family, learning Spanish, and working with a local organization in my new community. After leaving Pennsylvania, I spent a week at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, for...
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2018-08-23
For my entire high school career, I tried to be perfect. I strived for perfection in my grades and in my extracurricular activities, and I felt as if any little mistake could ruin my chances of getting into college. I think that I put a lot of this pressure on myself because I wanted to...
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