Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
A Celebration of Food-ersity
Sarah Murray
2016-01-19
Written: 26.12.2015. “Nós temos o melhor … pizza, shawarmas, crepes, sushi, cachorros quentes, carne, peixe, bolo, chocolate … do mundo nós temos o melhor de tudo aqui !!!! “ – Luana, my host sister. Divisions: Rich, poor, white, yellow, black, brown, borders, Muslims, Christians, Jewish, east, west, south, north, trans, male, female…Divisions. This is what I...
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Here’s to the Next Few Months
Gabriella Westcott
2016-01-17
Hello all, I know it has been a while since I last updated, and for that I apologize. All I can say is that these last few months have been challenging yet enlightening while inevitably filled with love and laughter. To celebrate this timing in the program cycle, about a little more than half way...
Read MoreHere in Ecuador
Makaleh Smith
2016-01-17
Here in Ecuador, you quite often start out the night with one set of plans, and end up with a night that could only be explained by, “someone looked at the wrong page of the daily planner.” My Saturday night started out with the simple statement, “we have been invited to attend mass”. Exciting!...
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Anta
Armi Katariina Kauppila
2016-01-16
Airports are ports of old and new lives – them two reach the departure hall but only one is carrying his luggage. Ports of big feelings filled with empty promises; I will see you again, but when. Four months could mean anything; read “never” somewhere between the lines or wear a blindfold. I had a...
Read MoreSign Your Name Here
Marisa Etzell
2016-01-16
*Note: I coordinated with the director of the local school in my community to assist with English class one day a week. This post was written on Tuesday, January 5th, after school got out. During the last 10 minutes of class, a girl who had been sitting in the back of the classroom and hadn't...
Read MoreStreet Art — October 29, 2015
Eve Harris
2016-01-13
Since arriving in Brazil on September 2nd, I have spent the last two months fascinated by Brazilian street art. From Curitiba, Paraná to Armação do Pantano do Sul and Lagoa da Conceição on the island of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil is covered in expressive, public art. Whether you are a distinguished artist with your...
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By April
Anita Yan Chen
2016-01-13
By April, I will have received a new name. I don’t know what it will be, but I know that person who awaits me on the other side of this journey, will be vastly different, a leveled up version of me. More resilient, more prone to laughter, more accepting of herself and of what she doesn’t...
Read MoreLil’ T
Anita Yan Chen
2016-01-13
Until a few weeks ago, I had three host sisters. But one weekend, Nene, after a visit to nearby Guinea, had a little 5-year-old clinging to her side. She was introduced to me as my tokora, one who has the same name. And like that, a little sister was added to my ever-growing family. DAY...
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Rapid Roll
Anita Yan Chen
2016-01-13
Upon our arrival in Dakar back in September, the Senegal fellows and I were all issued cellphones. These babies were OG Nokias – the indestructible, would-survive-the-apocalypse type. Besides being useful for texting messages to our fellow fellows, (letter by letter on the numeric keypad) things like: “ok u wouldn’t believe where i just found an...
Read MoreCh ch ch changes!
Gabriel Lucas Yerdon
2016-01-13
One memory has continually popped into my mind during my time in Brazil. I remember my mother saying to me, “You don’t realize how lucky we are, you have so much to be thankful for” I shot back a reply of “No we aren’t, why do you always say that?” Meanwhile, in my head, I...
Read MoreCat Hunting
Ruby MacMillan
2016-01-13
My host family likes to shoot cats with guns. Okay, maybe I can rephrase that since they’ve never actually hit one- my host family likes to shoot at cats with guns. For whatever reason, each time this happens I am in my hut or in the garden behind it reading, taking a bath, or simply...
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