HIGH, LOW, HIGH GO!
Chimborazo has not been the easiest place to live. Basically the last 4 months have been a struggle. From people switching families, difficulty with apprenticeships and weight gain. But through all these struggles we have grown closer as a group. In our group we refer to the good things as “highs” and the not so good things as “lows”. So in this blog I will be sharing some highs and lows that I’ve had in the last for months in my community with you.
We always start with high and end with high to end on a positive note, so here we go!
HIGH:
One day while I was teaching, one of my kids asked me “Que es esto?” pointing at a picture of a chair. I tried to spell the word out for him thinking he would know the letters because in earlier weeks I had taught the alphabet. When I tried to spell it, he looked at me with confusion; he had no clue what I was saying. I was really shocked and very disappointed in myself because these kids did not know something I taught my first week in my community. With frustration I stopped the whole class and made them take out their notebooks and write as I spelled out words in English. For the rest of the class I had the kids spell words in their notebooks as I dictated letters. This way I made sure they knew their alphabet. That day I went home extremely proud of my kids and myself. It was the highest high I’ve had at work.
LOW:
Feeling lost… since living in Colta, I have become familiar with the terms “depression” and “solitude.” Since I got here in October, I have been left alone more than I ever have in my life. It isn’t that my family is not kind, they are, but they are never home due to the fact of their hard work ethics. Usually this would be a teenagers dream come true – no parents – YEAH! But when you are living in a different and very new culture, having someone familiar by your side can make a world of difference. Not to mention this has seriously taken away from my integration progress. Other fellows have developed strong and sturdy relationships with their host families, and honestly it is something I envy. I have found ways to cope with this, and I am proud of myself for keeping pretty busy on my own or with other friends. On a happy note, next weekend there is a possibility that my family and I will take a trip together to Cuenca!
HIGH:
I am so excited about my final community project! I have always been good at doing projects but never before have I had the opportunity like this one, to give these kids an option of furthering their education in English. Also I am hoping to inspire a need for curiosity in the world outside of Ecuador, and hopefully helping them realize how many options for their future life are achievable. Basically the sky is the limit, and anything is possible if you put your mind to it and want it bad enough.
These are just a few of my high’s and low’s, and with these last 6 weeks in my community there will be much more in store!
