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
The Reality of Culture Shock
Conner Evans
2013-10-02
During my first three weeks in Ecuador, I was living in a bubble. My host family in Quito was well off and provided the comforts of Internet, plumbing, and a warm shower. My daily schedule consisted of spending time with other Fellows, which involved speaking English and being with people who I knew and could connect with. Needless to...
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A Seed.
Emily Brett
2013-10-02
There was an unusual buzz in the room as I was making my all too familiar turkey and swiss sandwich, I heard that there was going to be a presentation that day over lunch. I sat down and began to eat my sandwich quickly as I knew I also had to go to church that...
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Starting My New Life in Imbabura
Charles Hill
2013-10-02
Hi it is me Chuck again, and I am now living in Ibarra, which is the capital of the Imbabura Province. I am working at a credit union called Buscando Un Amigo. I was told that I am going to be talking and helping out with a lot of market vendors, which I have been....
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The Magic of Barks and Bread
Amanda Langan
2013-10-02
Every morning I wake up to the sound of dogs barking. Then I hear the blender. After that, there is a light rap on the accordion-like door of my converted office bedroom. My name echoes louder and louder until I realize that my host dad is about to barge in if I don’t make some...
Read MoreMount Pichincha
Cecily Montgomery
2013-10-02
The world is an extraordinary place. Though this statement seems obvious enough, I have realized how often I would forget it as I got caught up in the stresses and hustle and bustle of my life back at home. Meeting the fellows and arriving in Ecuador has brought this message back to me. The most incredible experience I have had...
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Quito, the capitol of the center of the world
Calvin Ross
2013-10-02
My favorite part about Ecuador so far is the way culture shock has affected me. I have a lot of friends around me who have lost their appetite and can’t bring themselves to eat hardly anything. I, on the other hand, don’t remember being nearly as hungry as when I left. So far, my appetite has been insatiable. My...
Read MoreTraining for Vulnerability
Aitran Doan
2013-10-02
“Organize logistics for medical brigade, deliver charlas for the community, gather malnutrition statistics, help with administrative duties when necessary….” These are my assigned tasks when I found out I was going to Napo, the main entrance to the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, two weeks ago. During the elapsed time as I underwent further language and cultural training to prepare...
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Saying Good-Bye
Florin Langer
2013-10-01
I want to start off by thanking all of my supporters for helping me to reach my goal of 2500 dollars for the Fellow Fund. I reached out to all of you in my time of need, and I was pleasantly surprised by the support you all returned. I found more support in some of...
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A Clearer View
Isabel Burns
2013-09-19
The first day that I got onto a bus in Quito, something seemed off. It wasn’t that no one looked like me, or that I couldn’t understand anyone around me. It wasn’t the fact that I was clutching my bag out of terror that someone would slash it if I looked away for even a second. It wasn’t...
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Oda a Quito
JT Su
2013-09-19
Querida Quito, You are a big city–the “capital at the center of the world.” Your buildings make the clouds seem tangible. Your lighted night skyline is reminiscent of a million candles. Your weather fuses the span of four seasons into a few hours–sunshine, haze, rain, and more sunshine. The dichotomy of clear skies and dark...
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Climbing Pichincha
Leah Mesh-Ferguson
2013-09-18
On my first free Saturday in Ecuador, one week after I’d moved in with my Quito host family, I took the gondola up Pichincha. Pichincha is the active volcano that lines the Western edge of Quito and the last time it erupted, in 1999, it covered Quito in several inches of ash, but no more....
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Protected: The World That You Need Is Wrapped In Gold Silver Sleeves
Simone Fillion-Raff
2013-09-18
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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