I spent a month this summer waking up at 6:00 a.m., backpacking for 6-8 hours – sometimes in the blazing sun – then sleeping in a bunk bed in a room with strangers. And I loved (almost) every minute of it. My quest was to walk over 500 miles on El Camino de Santiago. Beyond the sense of accomplishment in achieving this, it also provided an opportunity to explore much of northern Spain, eat delicious food, and meet interesting people…
Overall, I love living abroad, as I always suspected I would. The opportunities to explore and to be fully immersed in another culture continually delight me. And I’m grateful I landed in Quito, as Ecuador is a fascinating, endless mystery to unravel. Yet I’ve decided not to return to South America after this school year. I am excited about my future plans and eager to be reunited with my family and friends. But I am trying to stay present and…
A few moments this week vividly reminded me of the excitement I felt when first arriving in Quito. I’ve been so focused on my routine for the past few months that, to some degree, I lost sight of the fact that this experience has been a lifelong dream. And I love being immersed in a culture so fascinating to explore. Environs of Quito The landscapes in and around Quito continue to amaze me. I hiked with a friend to the…
Living in a foreign country has its challenges, but it also makes me feel more alive. I’m immersed in opportunities to learn about another culture and language while gaining insights about myself. For example, when I recently visited the eye doctor, I could not figure out what the receptionist meant when she asked something about “segura” (Am I safe? Am I sure?). I finally realized she was asking for my insurance information. Then, in the waiting room, a little boy…
As part of the Language and Knowledge Unit with my 11th graders, we have been exploring the power of language. We had an interesting discussion this past week on the implications of the term “developing country.” One student shared that when traveling abroad, she told someone she lived in Ecuador, and his first question was whether her house had running water. To be honest, I had my own misconceptions about the conditions I would encounter upon moving here. Quito is…
Life here keeps me busy, in regards to both my daily responsibilities but also the opportunities to explore this beautiful country. Here’s what I’ve been up to since my last post… Work “We are the students’ clients.” My colleague stated this to me the other day, which shed light on what I’ve been struggling to articulate about the culture of my school. I teach in the national division, meaning that all of my students are Ecuadorian “legacy students” (whose older…
Work has been keeping me very busy these last few weeks, from acclimating to a new school culture, getting up to speed with the international baccalaureate program, and designing a new curriculum. Outside of school, running errands en español is similarly exhausting. Yet, I try to preserve my weekends for relaxing and exploring. My friend Maurissa from Denver is living with me for three months, and I’m really enjoying her company. She’s a great partner-in-crime for adventures as well as…
I’m one and a half years late, but I finally made it to South America. This blog entry is structured a little differently than those in the past, largely because my circumstances are quite different. Those of you following my sabbatical adventures might remember that my journey was cut short as the pandemic exploded in March of 2020. In fact, I was lucky to board a flight on the day before Guatemala’s borders closed for over six months. Since then,…
The past three weeks have been pretty surreal, watching the coronavirus explode into a pandemic while abroad. Guatemala felt like a world away – both in this regard, as well as in some of my experiences here. After studying Spanish for three weeks in Antigua, I was ready to switch it up and do some sightseeing in other areas of the country. Adventures in Transportation I was nervous about using Guatemala’s transportation system before I arrived. My guidebook includes a…
This portion of my trip has been completely different from the rest of my journey, mainly because my focus has been on learning Spanish. I’ve always been mystified by foreign languages and admired people with the ability to converse in them. So, I signed up for an immersion program for my first three weeks here and will be building on this foundation as I travel to various Spanish-speaking countries for the remainder of my journey. Antigua, Guatemala I chose to…