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
The Venture of One Republican for Democrat
Barker Carlock
2013-03-13
With unfortunate circumstances in my apprenticeship and in my home stay, it was time for me to get out of Joal for a bit. Thanks to the generosity of our country director, Nicole, she allowed me to work at some land that she owns with her husband where they are using unique agriculture techniques as...
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The Speed of Time
Nathan Edwards
2013-03-12
Hey everybody, Life has been going well down here. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to go travel and see some pretty amazing places and spend some time with good friends. The diversity of Ecuador is amazing. After a 5 hour bus ride from the mostly gray skied/ life packed cloud forest, we...
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Cultural Differences
Gabe Jackman
2013-03-12
Having been here for a while, I have gotten an inside look at Ecuadorian culture in the cities. I live in a decent sized city, considering that some other fellows in Global Citizen Year are living in towns of 100 people. Women wear low-cut shirts and jeans or shorts instead of traditional dresses. Men wear...
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A Lesson in Language
Christopher LaBorde
2013-03-12
This one’s for you Kavy. When you’re in a place where you don’t speak your first language, you kind of have to think about what you say. What you want to say, how you’re going to say it, How you can say it. You probably do this normally, at least a little bit, but...
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The Islam I See
Becky McClements
2013-03-12
The Islam I see is not the one they said I would see. It is joyous dancing that shakes the ground you walk on. It is singing while you weep for the loss of a loved one. It is quietly washing yourself and laying down a mat five times a day. It is gathering every Friday under a...
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The Reality of Giving
Ariel Vardy
2013-03-12
“White person— give me money, give me presents,” the kids say in French. Shameless, they repeat themselves in case I did not hear them scream from across the court yard that they wanted my money. Then they grow up. “Give me your bike, I don’t have one, you can buy another easily,” the older men...
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“I forgot your name.”
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-12
“I forgot your name.” “What? Which one?” “Your American name.” “Oh, Marisa.” “Marisa, that’s right. Where did Marisa go? Where is she?” We were talking about my plans for the future after I returned home. I’m not sure in what context the question came about for my host mom, but what bothered me was how off guard it...
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Expectations
Becky McClements
2013-03-12
Expectations more often or not lead to disappointment for they are usually based on external circumstances out of our control. At some point during fall training I decided to relinquish all my expectations for the year to come to save myself from disappointment. That is, I thought I had until an expectation I didn’t even know I had smacked...
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The Expectation: A Girl Effect Post
Talia Katz
2013-03-12
In mid-January, the Senegal cohort gathered together in the region of Kedougou to partake in our second training seminar- an inspiring week filled with beautiful hikes through the Bedik Mountains, thought provoking discussions, plenty of cultural activities, and of course time to reconnect with our fellow fellows. Together with the three other Nike Girl Effect...
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