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
Becoming Alex
Joe Giallo
2011-01-09
Let me tell you about Alex. Imagine a bear. Then make this bear look human, and then Ecuadorian, and then you have a basic idea of how muscular Alex is. Textbook definition of someone you don’t want to mess with. Ever. Under any circumstances. That bit aside, imagine this Ecuadorian human bear scowling consistently. Check,...
Read MoreA Birthday Party
Liza David
2011-01-09
I’m pretty much used to prayer services that are held in one’s home, because I am from an observant Jewish family in the US. It does not seem that weird to me if people want to gather together and create their own worship place. I just was not expecting it to happen in my house...
Read MoreIdentity Crisis
Lily Shaffer
2011-01-04
I want you to take a minute and think about what makes you you. We each have our own story comprised of experiences, friendships, families, opinions—our histories that have gotten us to where we are today. These backgrounds can be compartmentalized into what makes our identity. There are the physical aspects that may affect the...
Read MoreChristmas with my host family
Alberto Servin
2011-01-02
I wake to a knock on my bedroom door. My host dad says, “Son las seis y media, ¡Vamos!” (It´s six thirty, let´s go!) At that moment I am recalling that I promised to help him gather “leña” (firewood) for several elderly neighbors. I was supposed to be up and ready at 6:30 A.M., so...
Read MoreA Snapshot of a December Morning
Joe Giallo
2011-01-02
It’s December 30th, and still not even noon. I’m playing over this morning’s events in my mind as I sit in my room playing Free Cell on the computer, stepping outside my life for just a second to relax and reflect. I woke late, having been excused from work the night before by my boss...
Read MoreI Will Always be a Gringa
Lily Shaffer
2011-01-02
I am white. I am a young woman. Luckily, I’m about the same height as most Ecuadorians. My hair is just reaching a point where I can put it in a ponytail. I don’t stick out too much. But nonetheless, I am clearly an outsider. It doesn’t matter that I call this place home right...
Read MoreIt’s About Changing Myself
Lily Shaffer
2010-12-30
For a long time, I thought Global Citizen Year was about changing the world. It always bothered me when my friends or family applauded me for “saving the world”—that’s not what I’m doing at all. But, part of my intent of taking a bridge year was to make sustainable, systemic change. Part of GCY’s intent...
Read MoreJambi Huasi: Providing Affordable Healthcare for All
Alberto Servin
2010-12-30
For my GCY assignment in Ecuador I feel very honored to serve as a volunteer at a health clinic here in Otavalo. The place is called Jambi Huasi that means Health House in Quichua, an indigenous language of Ecuador. Jambi Huasi was created in 1984 by a private organization called Federación Indígena e Campesina de...
Read MoreHow to Cook a Cuy
Alberto Servin
2010-12-29
Warning: The videos below may be disturbing for some people. Refrain if you think that will be the case! “Here’s the cuy, I hope you enjoy it!” says my host-dad as he puts plates down in front of Joe, Liza, and me. The plates of just-broiled meat and vegetables steamed in front of us. At...
Read MoreTracing back to Peguche
Alberto Servin
2010-12-20
Saturday morning in Otavalo, the downtown is flooded with locals and tourists alike. People from all over Ecuador and the world come here on Saturdays to buy souvenirs in the famous market. Starting with the nucleus in the Plaza de los Ponchos, the market sprawls down several blocks in the city of Otavalo. Some of...
Read MoreReflections from Zuleta
Omar Arteaga
2010-12-20
As I look back on all of my mistakes, I ask myself if the path that I have chosen to pursue is the right one for me. All of a sudden I shed a tear, I soon wipe it of my cheek and then I begin to listen to my conscience. Little by little I...
Read MoreMy home in Cayambe
Chloe Bobar
2010-12-13
This is probably a biased statement, but: my house and neighborhood are absolutely gorgeous. Here follows picture-evidence: [slidepress gallery=’my-home-by-chloe-bobar’] Note: Move your mouse over each photo to see the captions!
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