A Final Reflection

Well, I made it back to the USA. I've been home for about three days now and I've had some time to think about how this whole experience has really affected me in the long run. At first coming back to the US was definitely a reverse culture shock. Being back at home almost made me feel like my ten weeks in Ecuador was merely a dream of giant proportions. However, getting to show all of my pictures to my family and friends and explain my different experiences to everyone has helped put everything into perspective. I have never been so appreciative of what I have at home and the conveniences that living in the United States brings. Being able to flush the toilet paper, use the internet whenever I want to, and speak freely in a language that I know everyone understands are just the tip of the iceberg.

I always knew that I had a strong support system at home, but I never fully realized the immensity of it until I got ready to go to Ecuador. I was constantly amazed at how much everyone supported me and how interested everyone was in what I was doing there. Throughout the two and a half months that I was abroad, I saw the effects of my support system on a daily basis. Without my supportive family and friends at home there is no way that I could have lasted through the first week. I was so overwhelmed when I first became fully immersed in the culture and began to learn Spanish. Even though I was halfway around the world I still felt all of the support and encouragement from the States. I cannot thank everyone enough for that. It really made my experience so much more special to me.

I had a wonderful experience with my students, family, and fellow volunteers. I learned a new language, and made friends from all over the world. I cannot wait to keep in touch with all of the people from Ecuador and use my experience to make other connections. The feeling of being back in the US is like nothing else I have ever felt before, and being able to share my experiences with other people will keep the memories alive for me and it is a continual reminder of the work I did in Ecuador, the friends I made, the students I taught, and most importantly... the people that supported me back home. Thank you to everyone!

I have included pictures above of my school, students, and some other last tid-bits of my time in Ecuador!

Some Sad Goodbyes

Today is my last day in Riobamba. Yesterday was my last day of classes at UNIDEC, and it could not have been a better send-off. We had a party in both of my classes, and all of the students were extremely generous. There was so much food! Everything from pizza to cake to bologna (it´s like a delicacy here). I took tons of pictures of my students to put on here as soon as I can. However, my camera and flash drive are not cooperating, so I need to use someone else´s computer to put everything up. That´s why it´s been taking so long with the other pictures of the school and whatnot. Anyways, during my second class the guys brought in a guitar and sang a bunch of songs for me (in Spanish, plus some Titanic so they could hear my not-so-lovely singing voice) as a small Despidida (going away party). It was amazing and they actually have great voices. I recorded them on my camera so that I could have it later. After the parties, Sarah and I were whisked downstairs to this board room full of UNIDEC administrators. That was definitely one of the most intimidating experiences of my life. However, the Director of the university gave a little speech and presented Sarah and I with certificates and gifts to show their appreciation for us working at the school. It was really sweet and I definitely started to cry towards to end of it, which is of course when the newspaper man decided to take pictures of me. Oh well. But then I saw my students again outside and definitely had a little breakdown. They were really sweet and told me that they were very sad that I was leaving and some of them even started to cry too. It was extremely humbling and it made me realize that I really did make a difference while I was here in Riobamba. I will take the gifts that the school and students gave me back to the US with pride knowing that it was such a good experience. (And no one will second guess where I´ve been when I walk into the airport with two Ecuadorian duffel bags, one given to me last night).

It is definitely sad knowing that today is my last day in the city where I´ve spent my whole summer. My host family is making my favorite foods for lunch today (pan-cooked fish, rice, lentil soup) and I am gathering up the last of my things here, trying to figure out how to stay under the weight limit for two different airlines in two different measuring systems... all without a scale. Haha we´ll see how this goes. Thankfully I´m able to leave a lot of stuff here that took up a lot of weight coming down to Ecuador. Yet I have also fully taken advantage of the cheap prices in this country and the markets in every city, hence my needing to buy another duffel bag to use as a carry-on.

I have one more week in Ecuador before I head back to the States. Saying goodbye to everyone here is really hard, but I´ll agree with my mom who said that that just means it was a really successful trip. Despite the goodbyes, I am definitely ready for a hot shower, moist baked goods, a meal without potatoes, and being able to communicate freely in a language that I´m fluent in. And I know that I´m going home to a lot as well. I can´t wait to see all of my family and friends and show everyone all of the pictures from this amazing summer. This trip has been the experience of a lifetime, and I would not have been able to do it without all of the support from back home!

I´ll write again before I go home, but I will see everyone in a week! :)