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
Suck it Up and Eat the Pig
Lily Shaffer
2011-01-21
Many of my family and friends have been impressed with how seamless this experience has appeared. In uncountable ways, I have been blessed in every aspect of GCY. That’s not to say that I don’t break down regularly, struggle daily, and miss home, though. So I thought I’d share some of the bumps in my...
Read MoreA Tour of the Coffee Factory
Liza David
2011-01-19
Take a look at my photo essay touring through the coffee factory.
Read MoreSowing Dreams in Rural Ecuador
Peter Saudek
2011-01-13
Most exciting and fulfilling project so far: teaching outside of the city in the “campos,” or rural communities.
Read MoreAssumptions, obstacles, and other difficulties
Cameron Kaufman
2011-01-12
I once had a French teacher who told me that humor is the hardest thing to translate. I frequently go back to what she told me, especially when using that awkward fake laughter in order to feign amusement. I know you’ve all been there before. “Haha, I do get your joke!” Yeah… that was a...
Read MorePhoto Essay: My home and work in Ibarra
Lily Shaffer
2011-01-12
So to get a little bit of a taste of my life here in Ibarra, here's a little photo tour of my home and work at Pastoral Migratoria.
Read MoreCuy
Liza David
2011-01-11
This video was shot at Alberto’s house. Alberto’s family have a cuy (guinea pig) farm. On rare or special occasions they will prepare cuy to eat, as they did when I was there. The video depicts Alberto’s host father slaughtering the cuy and then his host mother removing the hair and the guts. ¡Buen Provecho!
Read MoreHome
Naomi Wright
2011-01-11
The morning was exactly as it always is, nothing unexpected, nothing disquieting. But that is exactly it: I feel completely comfortable with my family, in my home in Leona, Senegal.
Read MoreUtterly Delicious
Caroline Pocock
2011-01-09
One of my most recent escapades introduced me to the wonderfully simple dynamics of small-town business. Two girls I know invited me to go with them to their grandfather’s house to collect the milk. At the time I had no idea what it was for, but I was dying to get out and see more...
Read MoreBecoming 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...
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