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
On Control (or lack thereof)
Maya Foster
2019-03-17
Our brains are pattern recognition machines, fine tuned to process our surrounding stimuli and create predictions and respond appropriately. When we are given stimuli A and B, we are inclined to respond with action C, as opposed to any other letter. We are constantly intaking, analyzing, and synthesizing, all faster than a supercomputer and on...
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Wherever You Go: Judaism in Ecuador
Macy Lipkin
2019-03-16
*This post was originally published on December 9, 2018. * *Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish* *You’re never alone when you say you’re a Jew* *So when you’re not home and you’re somewhere kinda newish* *The odds are, don’t look far, ‘cause they’re Jewish too* *The odds are, don’t look far, they’re Jews just...
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Thank You, Ecuador
Sarah Montross
2019-03-14
I have sat down on ten different occasions (literally) to write this blog, so hopefully this time sticks. I’ve been really struggling to put my emotions into words, especially given the fact that we only have 21 days left in our communities with our host families. After 193 days living in Ecuador, I’m not really...
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Tips for Future Fellows
Anna Sophie Tinneny
2019-03-13
#1- Get comfortable talking about your bowel movements. Even the shiest Fellows in my cohort broke by week four, discussing their gastrointestinal issues at length. The worst part of all of this isn’t even that you’re hearing about other people’s poop. The worst part is that you’re genuinely interested in hearing about other people’s poop....
Read MoreOpen Your Eyes to the Teachings of Time
Natalie Toops
2019-03-11
Recently I have been putting myself into perspective, that means I have 11 weeks left in Ecuador, 30 days at my apprenticeship, and eight more Spanish classes (taking traveling days into consideration). Therefore, I have been in Ecuador for 19 weeks, spent 45 days at my apprenticeship, and have had 12 Spanish classes (counting traveling...
Read MoreThe “G” Word
Natalie Toops
2019-03-11
The “G” word, this is not some new teenager slang for an explicit word, this is a way of life. It is gratitude. Almost two years ago I discovered the power of gratitude, and I have not let go of it since. I figured since the holiday of thankfulness and giving is upon the United...
Read MorePopping Bubbles
Natalie Toops
2019-03-11
There is this term used for the perspectives we have for our lives, this reference is commonly compared to living inside a “bubble.” Growing up in the same place for long periods of time allows us to become comfortable and develop ignorance. It is a quality that is applicable to everyone, including myself, and it...
Read MoreMy First Steps
Natalie Toops
2019-03-11
As babies take their first steps, they fall, then get back up and try again. That metaphor is applicable to almost everything in life, for me, I was the baby falling and trying again my first week with my new family. Driving up the hill I new I was close to my new family, I...
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Feasting on Graves
Maria Bossert
2019-03-10
Throughout my life, death has always been taboo. I think much of this feeling comes from being raised in the Western world, where we as a society often hide the fact of dying. We don’t really talk about death, we do everything we can to slow the inevitable process down, and once it does happen,...
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To Give You A Sense
Maddy Gibson
2019-03-08
I realize I’ve done a poor job of sharing the day-to-day experience of my life in Ecuador. To paint a picture (and to document for my future self) I’ve made a list of some sounds, tastes, and smells. 🙂 S O U N D S – Musicians walking from restaurant to restaurant playing music on...
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Journey to the Galápagos (My Family Came to Visit!)
Jeffrey Fishman
2019-03-06
I recently got back from the most amazing trip with my family to the Galápagos Islands! My parents and my sister, Claire, came to visit me in Ecuador for a week, and it was so great to have them finally see my second home. We had so much fun during our action-packed vacation, and I’m...
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Canceling the End
Sophie Meltzer
2019-03-06
[image: MVIMG_20190214_121234.jpg] For six months I have thought of the end as unreachable. It’s been a fleeting glimpse in my imagination; a speculative date that always lay months and months away. So many rice dinners, church services, Spanish classes, and workdays always stood between where I was and the end of my gap year. I...
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