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
Learning to Be Vibrant
Alexi Strike
2017-10-04
If asked to describe my style, the words boring or plain would not come out of my mouth. I tend to stick to a few basics: blacks, whites, grays, and greens. Yet when i asked my host mom to describe it, expecting her to use chato (boring), she laughed, saying morto… Brazil is vibrant. you...
Read MoreTaking Note: SEEN, FELT, DONE…
Kara Esplin
2017-10-02
It's been a month now since I've left my cozy home tucked in the mouth of the Ogden canyon. At times I find myself reflecting on my year abroad in Germany, and slipping into a mindset of "Oh- I've experienced this before. I've lived with a host family before, I've struggled with a...
Read MoreDear Class of 2018
Trevor Hall
2017-10-02
I was stuck under an endless rainy cloud, with no idea of the intentions for my education.In high school, I was rarely learning lessons applicable to my future. I was memorizing information, not retaining it.I felt like I learned more about how to study the structure of the standardized mess rather than the proper why...
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Bem Vindo au Brasil!
Zoe Ward
2017-10-01
Today completes my first month in Brasil. What a journey it has been so far. I met so many incredible people and greatly enjoyed listening to their stories. I feel so fortunate to have landed where I am. This beautiful island is my home for the next six months and I can’t wait to see...
Read MoreBefore I forget my English…
Elise Steenburgh
2017-10-01
There's no word for it. The feeling is… awkward. But it's mind-blowing. It's uncomfortable, but exciting. It's all these words that I need to look up (thesaurus.com!)… because I've forgotten them. It's exhilarating, inspiring, invigorating, uplifting, and also, unfortunately, exhausting. My heart races when I feel words form in Portuguese on my tongue. It stops...
Read MoreThe Unknowing Gringo
Sophie Winter
2017-09-30
In the month I have lived in Brazil I have had a few “oops” and “oh shit” moments, a few more than I care to admit. My limited Spanish vocabulary has changed my language to a blurry mess between English, Spanish, Português, and a few wild hand gestures. Most likely the reason my conversations with...
Read MoreBlog II
Nicolas Livon-Navarro
2017-09-26
I moved in with my host family and they have been so welcoming it’s insane. I think I’ve been able to adapt really well this beginning because of a lot of things I’ve learned through my life. Every day my understanding skills skyrocket exponentially as I learn new words and see new things, while my...
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What is up with Brazil?
Sophie Winter
2017-09-26
As my posts on social media bring on an onslaught of questions about my days, what I am doing in Brazil, why I am taking a gap year, and more. I have realized that I have not disclosed exactly what I am doing living in a foreign world for seven months. No it's not to...
Read MoreFive Reasons Why College Can Wait
Patil Khakhamian
2017-09-25
You just graduated high school, what’s next? Going to college/university. You finished your undergraduate degree, what’s next? Get your master’s degree, what’s next? Get your PhD, find a job, buy a house, build a family, etc… This is the mindset I have grown up witnessing from the people around me. In between finishing school,...
Read MoreMonkeys, Portuguese, and Lots of Love
Sophie von Muench
2017-09-24
Hello all! I have been told that I am very behind on the blog, so here are Sophie’s updates in one long swoop. On my host family: They’re the cutest! I have a mom (Lorena), dad (Vicente), a little sister (Dainara), and a younger brother (Manuel). Also a very cuddly and patient cat named Memo....
Read MoreHeart Full, Brain Fried
Kaya Van Dyke
2017-09-22
Brazil is Bright. There are colors, smells, food and flowers everywhere I look. My fingers are constantly sticky with the juice of fruit, and I seem to not be able to fully wash the sand out of my hair. Brazil drips with culture. There is dancing, yelling, cooking and moving down every street....
Read MoreMystery of the Sambaqui
Nick Cleveland-Stout
2017-09-21
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOlhh5uTki0′] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOlhh5uTki0
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