Adelante Abroad: Ecuador

I chose this program due to its affordability and because I only had to be at an intermediate level of Spanish before starting my internship. I got so much more out of this program than I expected! The first two weeks, I took Spanish lessons in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. My teachers were friendly and inviting, and my host was always eager to show me around the city and provide me with recommendations for things to do. As a vegetarian, I was extremely happy with how accommodating my hosts and program directors were. I made two new friends one week into the program, and we had a wonderful time exploring the city. Our teachers took us on excursions once a week to see more of Quito and to practice our Spanish. My internship focus (medicine) took me to Ambato during the third week of the program. Working and living with people who speak Spanish and are eager to help their volunteers learn added exponentially to my ability to speak the language. The people who live here are extremely friendly. My work assignment was very flexible, and allowed me to travel on the weekends and take the occasional day off to extend my weekend excursions. I would highly recommend this program to others. For my first time traveling to another continent, I was very comfortable here. The staff of Adelante Abroad was always there to support me and answer my questions.