The other day, my friend and I were talking about common travel misconceptions and I felt inspired to bring the discussion to my blog. Some of these I’ve always known to be misbeliefs, while the rest I’ve learned while traveling or planning for travel. 1.You have to leave your home country to TRAVEL. Not always. TravelContinue reading “6 Misconceptions about Travel”
Clear Blue Skies
Sunday, June 25, 2017 The Ecuador Journals #6 On some mornings, very rarely, the skies up here in the mountains are an almost crystal clear shade of blue. On days like this, if you’re in the right spot, you can see the peaks of mountains and snow-capped volcanoes. But every day isn’t like this; onContinue reading “Clear Blue Skies”
Have you been to Baños?
“Conociste a Baños?” “Have you been to/ visited Baños?” For the past few weeks, my answer to this question had been no. In response to this, I would often receive a reply saying I had to visit Baños. Now, I know why. From hiking up Ilaló mountain to spending a relaxing weekend at the beachContinue reading “Have you been to Baños?”
La Vida Ecuatoriana
The Ecuador Journals #5 Monday, June 19, 2017 L & C had invited friends over to their home for pizza, drinks, and dessert. As we ate, I tried to follow along with the conversation that eventually became so rapid and filled with novel words that I struggled a bit. Before I could translate a phraseContinue reading “La Vida Ecuatoriana”
Ecuador: The Country of Love
Sunday, June 11, 2017 The Ecuador Journals #4 I had just hit my toe on a rock while trying to say hello to some kids on the street. Note to Self: Look where you’re going. As I sat at the bus stop trying to stop the bleeding, an older man walked up to me findContinue reading “Ecuador: The Country of Love”
The Middle of the World?
What do you do when you find out everything you’ve ever known is wrong? Okay, I’m being a tad dramatic here. I had only known about this place for 2 weeks, and it’s hardly everything I’ve ever known. ∗∗∗ On a particularly sunny and clear Sunday afternoon, a few of us interns arrived at Ciudad MitadContinue reading “The Middle of the World?”
The Kids Are Alright.
Sunday, June 4, 2017 The Ecuador Journals #3 It was time to clock out from one of my shifts at the Centro (center) where we work, when a little kid who wasn’t even as tall as the table walked up to me, stretched out his hands towards mine and said “ciao!”. He hadn’t spoken toContinue reading “The Kids Are Alright.”
The Stretch Zone
The Ecuador Journals #2 Sunday May 28, 2017 C drew three circles on the white board.The innermost one represented the comfort zone, the next one was the stretch zone and for when you’ve gone too far, the outermost circle represented the danger zone. Okay I can’t remember if she called it the danger zone, butContinue reading “The Stretch Zone “
Altitude Changes Everything
The Ecuador Journals #1 Nerves and excitement built up as the airplane’s tires lifted up from the ground. Everything hit me at that moment; for the next two months, I’d be living in a new country and speaking a different language most of the time. It didn’t matter whether or not I was ready, it wasContinue reading “Altitude Changes Everything “
The Start of Something…
Hey everyone, Happy Friday! Tomorrow I will be moving to Ecuador, South America for 2 months to conduct some public health research. While I’m there, my goal is to learn from my experiences, from those of others and create something that will impact people’s lives positively even after I’m gone. As I do all ofContinue reading “The Start of Something…”