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
I’m Here
Gabriella Westcott
2015-09-24
Well, it happened. I’m here. I am officially in my permanent homestay In San Bartolomé, Azuay, Ecuador. Right now my life consists of never-ending laughter with my host nephews, working with the best apprenticeship supervisor ever (looking at you, José), and daily cups of café at an attempt to keep me warm ( which unfortunately...
Read MoreA Little Random and Out There
Maxx H. Jordan Espinosa
2015-09-23
Day 5: My host family still doesn’t know I have tattoos and that I accidentally broke a telephone pole in the back linking the house’s electricity (I managed to prop it against a small cement wall and another post to keep it upright) A strong wind gust will undoubtedly be the end of my wifi....
Read MoreClearing some things up
Rosalie Bull
2015-09-23
I just want to make sure everyone has a clear idea of what it is I’m doing here. I’m not here to “help” Ecuador. I have about as much cultural understanding of this place as Buddy the Elf had for New York City when he first arrived. I have limited language ability. I...
Read MoreEl Campo, My New Home
Mila Le
2015-09-22
EL CAMPO – The countryside A very simple word to describe a tranquil and beautiful place that is my new home. Bella Union, a rural community with one big main dirt road that goes uphill. Going up the hill you can see the few small stores, including a metal workshop, a bakery, and 2 restaurants....
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My First Day as an English Teacher
Noah Hapke
2015-09-22
I woke up yesterday to the sound of dozens of howling dogs and cah-cah-ing roosters. I climbed out of bed and put my feet on the freezing, wooden floor, only to walk down the stairs and outside to wash my hair and teeth. I went back inside, got dressed, grabbed my backpack, and headed to...
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Where’s Johnny?
Noah Hapke
2015-09-21
This morning, the alarm rang at 5:00am sharp. I got up, showered, put on some clothes, packed my bag, and was off to Estacion Norte. From there, Madi, Miyo, Rose, and I transferred to another bus that took us on a two-hour adventure through the mountains. Finally, after running out of Katy Perry songs to...
Read MoreClimbing Pichincha Volcano | Quito, Ecuador
Jose Francisco Esquer Jr.
2015-09-21
16,000 feet up, the world is different. Being in the clouds brings enthrallment and humiliation. Making it to the a peak of a volcano is not easy. The journey is exhilarating but yet it takes the energy out of you. As you feel less and less air you must fight for every breath. The journey...
Read MoreLive From The Field
Desire Mulla
2015-09-21
Here I stand at the end of In Country Orientation (ICO), going through a wave of emotions. I am definitely excited about the idea of meeting my long awaited 7 months of experience. However I personally believe that my experience was jet started a long time ago. I will just be truthful and admit that the idea of change does...
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In The Middle of It All
Celina L. Ma Kwan
2015-09-21
It’s been a conflicting three weeks as far as In-Country Orientation went in Quito, Ecuador. My host family that consisted of a mother and her two daughters (who are both almost twice as older than I am) decided to take me on a visit to Mitad del Mundo, “middle of the world” this past...
Read MoreVLOG #1: Snippets from Month 1
Austin Nguyen
2015-09-19
This is the beginning of my foray into Vlogging. This first video is basically entirely just clips strung together with music – maybe in the future I will venture more into speaking and whatnot. We’ll see what happens!
Read MoreFeels #1 – Rollercoaster
Austin Nguyen
2015-09-19
To be perfectly honest, I’ve been having trouble writing this second blog post. I’ve worked through maybe 3 different drafts, all about completely different subjects – all of those just didn’t feel right. They didn’t feel honest enough. So I’ve decided I’m going to write two different types of blogs – one that’s more “story-like,”...
Read MoreMuchas Thank Yous
Marisa Etzell
2015-09-19
My host mom in Quito knows very little English, and the other night when I was washing the dishes was one of the first times I heard her speak English; she used the term “muchas thank yous” to express her gratitude towards me helping out after dinner. As I prepare to say goodbye to Quito...
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