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
A Roaring Peace
Cheyenne Tessier
2012-10-10
The voice coming out of the television screams. French. 1 million words per minute: Protests. Riots. The American Ambassador, killed in the Libyan embassy. I tune in, as my family continues to nonchalantly eat Ceebu Jen from the communal bowl. An American. A Youtube video. September 11th. “Innocence of Muslims.” A blur of confusion. I...
Read MoreDakar
Israel Nelson
2012-10-10
It’s not every day you see a woman carrying a bucket on her head. It’s definitely not every day you see a woman with a bucket on her head dressed in western clothing. And it’s definitely not every day you see this woman with a bucket on her head walking down the road in western clothing texting on her...
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Ndak ndank moy japp gole ci nay
Emily Collins
2012-10-10
It is all about the pace and patience. I am learning rather quickly how slow the pace of Senegalese culture is, and how important patience is. I can already hear my family at home laughing at the idea of me living in a world surrounded by patience. Always antsy and wondering what is next on the agenda, it has become...
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Que Sera, Sera
Atsina Allen
2012-10-10
A year ago, my english teacher Mrs. Schwartzfarb gave the class an assignment of choosing a song that describes our life at the moment. Pretty tough decision at the time, I know, but I somehow “Que Sera, Sera” covered by Sly and the Family Stone came up and nothing seemed more appropriate. Here I am...
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An Open Letter to an Entity Unlikely to Respond
Avery Ashwill
2012-10-09
Dear Portuguese, You haunt my dreams at night. I wake up in cold sweats wondering how I’ll begin to decode you. You’re like Spanish’s drunk sister, or Italian’s less rhythmic mother, or French’s brother who caught a cold. You make me feel like I’ve got 27 marbles in my mouth, while chewing gum, as I...
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“I Don’t Like the United States”
Benito Aranda-Comer
2012-10-09
My stay in Capão has been nothing short of enlightening. Capão is a small town about 8 hours from my future home of seven months, Salvador. It is also within the Chapada Diamantina region that serves as an enormous source of pride for Bahia. In short, inhabitants of Capão can be said to love their rural...
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Moments to Remember
Lauren Holt
2012-10-09
I don’t know how to begin putting this first month into words. It’s only been a month since I said goodbye to North Carolina early on the morning of August 19, but already there are things I know I’m never going to forget. I’m never going to forget the days leading up to saying goodbye...
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Teaching English, sharing, and other things that have been harder than I thought they would be…
Abby Lindsay
2012-10-04
As part of our Spanish classes in Quito, we have been going to a high school in the northern part of the city to teach English. My group was assigned to work with the 8th graders (11-12 year olds, so what would be 5th/6th grade in the US), little did we know, they spoke almost...
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A Lesson In Culture
Ariel Vardy
2012-10-04
Like America’s dedication and creed towards freedom, is Senegal’s declaration of Hospitality. Americans appriciate choice and individualism, and thus their citizens like to “mind their own business”. Senegal’s Hospitality is the opposite. So proud are they to host their country, village, neighborhood, and houses, that they will indeed host you— throwing huge pellets of smiles...
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