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
Christmas in Ecuador
Elizabeth Ollila
2017-12-30
After about two months of multiple parties every week, my family announced to me that we were about to head into “party season.” I was shocked and confused because what the hell had we been in before?? But also I was ready for it, and, I’ve got to say, Ecuadorians do not disappoint. I loveeeeeee...
Read MoreAn introduction to Ecuador
Rene Ramos
2017-12-29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFA1ybDQ0Gw&t=1s [vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFA1ybDQ0Gw&t=1s’]
Read MoreA Christmas Misfortune
Jordan Kendall
2017-12-25
For those of you that enjoy reading about unfortunate events, this one’s for you. The holidays as we know it are a time of giving, gratitude, and spending time with family. I was hoping to achieve all of these as I anxiously waited for my family to come visit me. Ever since three months prior,...
Read MoreThe Road Taken
Richard Hoang
2017-12-24
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy...
Read MoreThe Guinea Pig
Carolina Castillo
2017-12-19
The Plan Hey everyone my name is Carolina Castillo, and welcome to my blog! The plan was to start blogging before arriving to Ecuador, but of course that didn’t happen. Why? Simple. Wait, no, it’s actually quite complicated… let’s start from the beginning. I had just graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School, and was not...
Read MoreStereotypes: My Analysis After (almost!) 4 Months of Life in Ecuador
Sadie Troup
2017-12-18
Okay, so I’ve been living in Ecuador for around 3 to 4 months now, and I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of the times when I talk about my life here, I accidentally end up stereotyping my experience. Here’s what I think the fundamental problem is: When people ask...
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There’s a Third Way to Spell Hanuca
Danny DeBare
2017-12-17
It’s the age old debate: is this oil-filled eight day holiday spelled Hanukkah or Chanukah? Well, boy do I have some news for you. English isn’t the only language that uses transliteration. After skipping salsa class to take a two and a half hour bus ride to Quito on a Friday afternoon, I...
Read MoreTips + Tricks to Bond with Host Families
Phuong Nguyen
2017-12-16
Say yes more! Carpe diem! Sometimes you end up on a pleasant walk, sometimes you end up at your nephew’s Baptism (severely underdressed). My host brother Freddy, his wife Andrea, and their bootiful children Nico and Andy 🙂 Laugh. You don’t have to get the joke (and they probably know you don’t get...
Read Moreblog
Hamid Ahmed Abulrhman
2017-12-14
Hey Guys, Background Info: My name is Hamid Ahmed. I was born in Yemen , in the Middle East. I lived there six years, and then after that my family moved to Hungary. I spent the next 10 years of my life here. When I was 16 , I applied to a high school system...
Read MoreGuachapalian Gorilla
Antony Le
2017-12-12
During my first week of teaching English in Guachapala, Ecuador, I encountered my worst nightmare: a crying seven-year-old in the middle of class. Her name was Kelly, and she was one of the shyest girls at my school; I never talked to her before. So, when she started bawling loudly mid-class, I didn’t know how...
Read MoreLive From The Field
Allison Vaught
2017-12-12
Losing my grandfather while in Ecuador My grandfather was quite a character and was part of what made my family so much fun. He had the best stories, and was immediately accepting of my decision to take a gap year, since he understood; right out of high school he enrolled in the army and served...
Read MoreBottling Up the Small Moments
Elizabeth Ollila
2017-12-11
As my half point approaches (SATURDAY!!) I can’t help but have this sudden feeling that I’m not soaking up every moment the way that I should. I have this intense desire to be able to bottle up everything that I’m experiencing so that I can have it forever. I’ve started making lists of things...
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