A splendid semester in Ecuador

The SIT Development, Politics, and Languages Program in Ecuador was a fabulous experience. Between the interesting classroom discussions, super fun excursions, and amazing people I met, I had an incredible semester.
The academic director, Fabian Espinosa balances fun, laid-back chats with deeply interesting talks by him and other guest lecturers. Sofia, the program coordinator, was like a second mother and made sure we were always safe, comfortable, and happy. My host families (I had two during my semester) were incredibly welcoming and made me feel like a part of their family.
In terms of academics, I learned so much both in the classroom and out in the country. The experiential learning approach was an amazing way to learn about issues from multiple disciplines and beyond a traditional classroom setting. We learned about traditional medicine and community resistance strategies on our excursion to the Amazon, we studied biodiversity and environmental protection on our trip to the Galapagos (plus we got to snorkel), and we heard from amazing activists and political figures with a wealth of knowledge in our daily classes.
During the ISP period, I lived in an apartment in Cuenca with one of my friends from the program, and we both worked at organizations in the area, while simultaneously doing research for our respective projects. This independence was such an important opportunity to explore the country on my own and build deeper connections with local communities and with the other SIT students.
At the end of the 3.5 months, it was hard to say goodbye. To say that the experiences I had in Ecuador changed me would be an understatement. I felt transformed, not only by all of the things I had learned and the people I had met, but by the personal growth that had occurred as a result of all of these things.
If you want to improve your Spanish and spend several months in a beautiful and welcoming country, I highly recommend this program. I learned so much and I am so grateful to my host family, Faba and Sofia, and my wonderful friends from the program for making it an unforgettable trip.