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
Dear Ecuador
Joseph Brett
2019-01-31
Dear Ecuador, You have taught me more than I even thought you would. I can not thank you enough for showing me the people and places that I now love. You have provided the space that I needed this year to develop into the person I am today. With each new day I wake up...
Read More¿Conscious Consumption?
William Shain
2019-01-28
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? How many of the products in your meal could you have driven to with a tank of gas and harvested yourself? I’m going to be presumptuous and assume few if any of the products were grown close to you. I’m also going to assume that not only...
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On the Road
Jeremy Chan
2019-01-16
After our wonderful retreat at the beach of Atacames in Northern Ecuador, I went on another adventure. This time it was without any team leaders, but just other fellows. As a fellow from the northern cohort of Ecuador, we travelled all the way down to the middle of Ecuador, to a beautiful city called Latacunga....
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Photos of December in Ecuador
Bihotza James-Lejarcegui
2019-01-15
Host brother Pedro’s 11th birthday Performing with my dance academy “Paradigma Dance Crew” at a Quinceañera 4) Walking through the city of Cuenca Retreat on the coast of Puerto Lopez. Along with presentations, speakers, and discussions about the various effects of “voluntourism”, we got mud masks, played soccer on the beach, and visited a National...
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Responsible Storytelling
William Shain
2019-01-10
“Expectation vs reality” is one of the most iconic GCY catchphrases, on par with “you get the year you need, not the year you want,” “curiosity before judgment,” and “discovering a world ahead.” Yet I find that the more I experience here in Ecuador, the more I identify with the meaning behind the phrase “expectation...
Read MoreA Tale of Two Mothers
Macy Lipkin
2019-01-09
Note: To read my posts right away and see photos, subscribe to my personal blog: wordsofstargirl.wordpress.com/ Before I came to Ecuador, I didn’t consider what it would mean to live with another family. I knew my host family would be important, so I paid more attention to the descriptions of families than the corresponding apprenticeships...
Read MoreDancing in the Clouds
Katarina Guillot
2019-01-09
Ever Since I was a little girl, dance has consistently been a part of my life. Throughout the process of applying to GCY, I knew that choosing a country that would allow me to learn a lot about different styles of dances would be the main factor in my decision. After lots of investigating, Ecuador...
Read MoreBella Unión y Mi Familia SanMartin!
Dena Muething
2019-01-09
In my last blog post, I talked a little about my host family and the community that I’m living in. I’m a little over halfway done with my year in Ecuador and I wanted to give you all a glimpse into my little rural town, Bella Unión, and my absolutely amazing host family. Enjoy this...
Read MoreHolidays!!
Holly Shankin
2019-01-03
I want to make a blog post about the recent holidays that we have celebrated here!! For la Navidad we didn’t do anything during the day, and I mean until probably 4 or 5 literally nothing happened. At 6 I went to my old host family’s house and gave the two boys some toy cars...
Read MoreAll in the Mindset
Bihotza James-Lejarcegui
2018-12-31
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written my last blog post, but finally, here I am. I know you’ve all been waiting for this! So much has happened since the last time I’ve published that I don’t really know where to start. At first, I just couldn’t find inspiration- so much was happening in...
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Gap Years Don’t Go According to Plan
Anna Sophie Tinneny
2018-12-30
Before coming to Ecuador, I had it all figured out. I knew where I wanted to go to college, what I wanted to do for a living, and where I wanted to live post-degree. The one thing I didn’t know was why I was doing GCY. Despite being so sure of myself in most other...
Read MoreMaktub
Bridget Wickiser
2018-12-24
Along crawls the sharp forgotten feeling Your feet managed to seep into the dirt Gasping for life while your mind is wheeling Pushing papers and wanting to divert The shattered countenance lied to your face So it went, you packed your brown carpetbag Loathing the constant and gradual race And your white laces will no...
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