Eight Months
Lauren Holt
2013-05-08
Eight months has now come down to eight days. It’s a point that at times I never thought I would get to, a time that I never thought would come. When you have eight months ahead of you, it’s easy to say “oh yeah, I have time to visit this place” or “there’s so much...
Read MoreVending on a Bus
Lauren Holt
2013-03-26
“Papas, secos, heladitos, papa’s, secos, heladitos!” “Potato chips, chicken, ice cream, potato chips, chicken, ice cream!” This is the sound you are guaranteed to hear on a bus. Each time I am on a bus, whether I’m traveling or coming home from a day in Ibarra, vendors come on and sell food and trinkets such...
Read MoreComing Home
Lauren Holt
2013-03-06
Coming home was when my Global Citizen Year really began. In the weeks proceeding my departure, I was so overwhelmed with making final lesson plans for my students and planning out all my goodbyes for everyone who had shaped my experience, that I didn’t take much time for myself to reflect and actually comprehend that...
Read MoreFirst-Month Experiences
Lauren Holt
2013-01-15
Everyday holds something different here. Since I’ve been in Imbabura, no day has been the same. With each day comes a new experience; something new is learned, a challenge is faced, an obstacle is overcome, a bond is created with a new person, or a laugh or two is passed. The simplest things now mean...
Read MoreMoments to Remember
Lauren Holt
2012-10-09
I don’t know how to begin putting this first month into words. It’s only been a month since I said goodbye to North Carolina early on the morning of August 19, but already there are things I know I’m never going to forget. I’m never going to forget the days leading up to saying goodbye...
Read MoreCuriosity, Opportunities, and a Decision
Lauren Holt
2012-07-11
The world is a big place. I think just about anyone could come to this conclusion on their own. The world is fascinatingly large; we are surrounded by people and places we have never seen or encountered even though we’ve learned about them in school. Some say that we’re beyond our carrying capacity and that...
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