Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
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Class Year
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Tupi Guaranì: a history of resistance
Marco Barracchia
2019-03-24
During my experience in Brazil, I had the pleasure to visit two Tupi-Guarani aboriginal communities. This experience opened a new world to me, and deeply intrigued my curiosity. In homage to this beautiful, resilient, admirable, brave, and extraordinary community I decided to write a blog, completely in Portuguese, describing a bit of my understanding and...
Read MoreA guide for gap yearers
Marco Barracchia
2019-03-22
I wish I had a booklet in my pre-departure preparation with some advice on practicalities encountered on a gap year. This might be limited to my own (and other fellows experiences), though potentially useful for everyone considering a gap year. 1. Be a curious observer. Curiosity before judgment. Be open to cultural relativity to unlearn...
Read MoreRunning as in Life
Marco Barracchia
2019-03-22
It’s about the trail, not the destination Few times it happened to me to be seeing run-races here in Brazil, to the extent to which they seem to be a popular thingy. Although it might be something cultural here, I was keen enough to go running for the pleasure of running, instead of racing, and...
Read MoreWhy a gap year?
Marco Barracchia
2019-03-22
Why a gap year? “Why a gap year?” “Why would you take a gap year and volunteer on the other part of the ocean?” “Why would you volunteer, If you could be paid while working?” Having lived in a UWC in Norway in the last two years of my education, I realized there was a...
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Leaving?
Julia-Braunig
2019-03-22
It’s been a couple of months since I have updated this blog last and a lot has happened. I changed my host family, I went to Rio on a Solo-trip, I have been accepted to universities and am slowly figuring out the next step of my life, I have been sick for a long time,...
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The Best of Florianópolis
Grace Sander
2019-03-21
After spending over six months in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina I’ve finally familiarized myself with some of Brazilian culture and cuisine. I say “some” because the island I live on doesn’t properly reflect the demographics of the country as a whole since the majority of residents here are of European descent and huge groups of international...
Read MoreA List of Firsts:
Sophie Auvin
2019-03-21
-First time in a Portuguese-speaking country -First time living with a host family -First time living near the ocean and mountains -First time living on an island -First time with a sister -First time trying: farofa, pastels, chimarrão, acai, brigadeiros, goiaba, yucca, etc. -First time going to a club and dancing to funk -First time...
Read MoreSaying Goodbye
Sophie Auvin
2019-03-21
I thought I’d be ready to leave when April rolled around. I thought I’d be excited to come home, to leave Brazil, to start a new chapter. But, I am not ready nor excited. I feel like a toddler who’s about to throw a tantrum and scream “Give me one more month! Just give me...
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Voce Fala Portugues?
Sophie Auvin
2019-03-21
One of my least favorite questions when I first arrived in Brazil was “você fala português?” or “do you speak portuguese?”. At the beginning, I used to resent the question knowing full well my answer was only a half-truth. Saying “yes” meant ignoring the fact I would get to a point in the conversation where...
Read MoreWet Paint
Laura Harvey
2019-03-21
I was settling into painting in the warehouse on the botanical gardens of Floripa when the percussive introduction of a very specific song began to ring out of my phone’s tiny speaker. “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes. A little random, I know – I’d recommend a listen though. I love painting because it completely focuses one...
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The “why” I was looking for
Ida Nydelius
2019-03-20
With this post, I aim to tell you 2 things – that taking a gap year changed the way I look at education, and my next step in life. To begin with, my volunteer work is at a public elementary school Since the start, I have been without any fixed work tasks instead free to...
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About hikes and travels
Lynn Drescher
2019-03-19
Here are some pictures summarizing nature explorations, the Carnaval in Laguna, trips to Curitiba and the waterfalls in Iguaçu.
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