Be intentional about building relationships. If I could go back and do anything differently, I would be more intentional about building relationships not only with other students but also with the staff members and professors of Living and Learning.
It truly was a privilege to do life alongside so many incredible people and to be under the leadership of such a wise and humble staff, but I think I missed several opportunities to build relationships within that community because I let the business of my weeks get in the way. However, as I reflect back on my semester, the sweetest memories I have are centered around that community, so if I could give a bit of advice to future students, it would be to make relationships a priority, even in the business of the semester.
For me, most days started at 7:30 am when I left the apartment for my internship. I spent most mornings shadowing an English teacher at an elementary school and then returned to the apartment around noon for lunch. After lunch, I went to Spanish class from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
In the evenings I did homework, cooked dinner, and hung out with the other girls in my apartment. As far as the weekly schedule, we had house nights on Tuesday nights which was just a time to regroup with the girls in our house, cook dinner for each other, and do something fun.
On Wednesday during the day, I had my community development class and my Ecuador History and Culture class. On Wednesday nights, we had our weekly chapel service, which consisted of dinner, worship, teaching, dessert, and fellowship.
On Fridays, I had my one-on-one outings with my resident coordinator, which usually involved just going out for coffee and talking about our weeks.
The weekends usually held some sort of excursion or activity, but for the most part, we would have Sundays off to go to a local church, catch up on homework and sleep, and call family back home.
I think my biggest fear going into my semester abroad was that I would feel lonely and isolated in an unfamiliar culture. I was nervous that culture shock would get the best of me, and that I wouldn’t make any friends. However, these fears were almost immediately put to rest as I realized how intentional the program was not only about discussing the ins and outs of culture shock but also about establishing authentic community.
The girls in my apartment truly became like family, and I quickly realized that I would be overwhelmed by the love and support shared between us as we journeyed through the semester together.
One of the most incredible aspects of this program is that it is jam-packed with travel and adventure.
We saw the Equator line and zip-lined over cloud forests. We spent a weekend in the Town of Banos where we hiked to Pailon del Diablo and swung on “The Swing at the End of the World”. We spent 5 days in the jungle and got to canoe on an off-shoot of the Amazon River. We hiked Pichincha and CotoPaxi, two of the volcanoes surrounding Quito, and I also got to explore the Antisana Ecological Reserve with my host family.
Some of us hiked down into the Quilotoa Crater Lake and then kayaked on the lake itself. And at the end of the semester, we traveled to Peru where we not only visited Machu Picchu, but we also explored the city of Cuzco, visited the Peruvian salt mines, and ATVd in some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. On top of that, we got to snorkel and scuba dive in the Galapagos Islands, and then debrief the semester on the coast of Ecuador at the beach eating the best food you could ever imagine!
***IMPORTANT: If you study abroad with this program in Ecuador, YOU MUST try the coco batido (coconut smoothie) while you are at the beach. It WILL change your life.
