Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
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A Digital Time-Capsule of My Life Post-Travel
Sadie Troup
2018-04-02
Hey everybody. I figured that since I started this blog back on August 23rd with “A Digital Time-Capsule of My Life Pre-Travel” I might as well end it the same way. It’s insane to be sitting in my kitchen right now writing this, knowing that six months ago I did the...
Read MoreTLTD Vlogs: Day 12
Marissa Emerson
2018-04-02
The Last 30 Days (Day 12): March 18, 2018Today I ate encebollado, played soccer, dropped my phone a thousand times, and got some college news. It’s one of those days I’m glad I have an OtterBox phone case as well. (Some random text at the 1:07 mark. Sorry ’bout that)Memory of the Day: Ramona...
Read MoreTLTD Vlogs: Day 11
Marissa Emerson
2018-04-02
The Last 30 Days (Day 11): March 17, 2018Today I drank a lot of tea, wrote some blog post drafts by hand, and did a Q+A because I didn’t have enough footage.Memory of the Day: Seeing some solid representation on children’s’ television. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkE3aVEvm6c [vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkE3aVEvm6c’] Please DONATE to my Global Citizen Year...
Read MoreTLTD Vlogs: Day 10
Marissa Emerson
2018-04-02
The Last 30 Days (Day 10): March 16, 2018Today I was mistaken for a dog, went to a festival on a mountain, and dragged a student out of my class by the ear.Memory of the Day: Getting back to the school to see 9 students in the main office just balling their eyes out....
Read MoreTLTD Vlogs: Day 9
Marissa Emerson
2018-04-02
The Last 30 Days (Day 9): March 15, 2018Today I ran into some familiar faces, had Spanish class, and visited an Otavalo-style shop.Memory of the Day: Dancing in the living room for about an hour before bed. I danced alone, but my music was pretty snazzy. Gabriela laughed at me on regular intervals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R40WnrXYyIY[vc_video...
Read MoreSaying Goodbye
Callista Helms
2018-04-01
This year has been a constant cycle of goodbyes— starting off by leaving our family and friends to start off our adventure in Stanford. This cycle continues as we prepare to say goodbye to our communities, new friends, host families, and apprenticeships that we have experienced for the past eight months. During high school, I...
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My Open Letter to My English Students
JuliaGrace Walker
2018-03-31
Mis estudiantes chistosos, locos, amables, risueños, divertidos, pacientes, y sonrientes, Estos siete meses han sido… No puedo creer que hace siete meses yo estaba parada, nerviosa, en frente de sus salas alistándome a presentarme por primera vez con ustedes. El entusiasmo para aprender inglés que ustedes tienen ha mejorado...
Read MoreWakcha Karay
Maria Lanza Arancibia
2018-03-29
*Feliz Jueves Santo! *Every year on this day the *Wakcha Karay* is celebrated in Peguche. The people from the community prepare *morocho, colada* and other traditional foods and stand in front of the *capilla* to share with the rest of the families. Some of the people that come are called *rezadores* (reciters), they approach the...
Read MoreLong hair in the Indigenous culture
Maria Lanza Arancibia
2018-03-27
Have you ever wondered why most Indigenous men grow their hair and wear it in a long beautiful braid? Check this video out! It presents some interesting facts about long hair in the Kichwa Indigenous culture. ENGLISH SUBTITLES AVAILABLE This video was made by my apprenticeship APAK (http://www.apakotavalo.tv/) many years ago. Now we are developing a...
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The Renaissance Time
Christopher Maloney
2018-03-26
I finally feel like I have my life here figured out, I mean more or less. There will always be those moments that remind you that, although you have been here for 6 1/2 months, you still lack the lifetime of experience of those around you. Those moments such as when the sunlight has...
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10 Reasons Why This Gap Year is NOT a Trip
Danny DeBare
2018-03-25
“Let’s hang out when you get back from your trip!!!” one friend texted me. Another, “Danny, how’s your trip going?” It happens every so often; someone refers to the seven months I’m spending in Ecuador as a “trip”. While one can assume that they mean no harm, it puts me on edge, even for...
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