The End!

And just like that my semester abroad is coming to a close. In nine days I’ll be sitting in my house in Geneva, Illinois with my family who I haven’t seen for four and a half months. The best word to describe how I’m feeling at this point is content. I’m happy in Ecuador and …

Resorts, Rest, and Realizations

After all of the adventures that I’ve been on this semester, from snorkeling with sharks to hiking a volcano to bungee jumping, it was okay with me this weekend when we decided to take a break and have a relaxing getaway. This weekend we went to a town called Papallacta which is located in the …

Galápagos Getaway

The trip that we’d been waiting for all semester finally came this past weekend and oh was it even more incredible than I could’ve imagined. We went on our second and final IES sponsored excursion and this time it was to the Galápagos Islands. Yes, THE Galápagos Islands, complete with crystal clear water, giant tortoises, and …

Back to the Beginning

Wow. That’s the word that keeps filling my thoughts. Wow. Wow. Wow. This past week has consisted of a lot of reflection. I’ve reflected on my time here, how my life is going to transition soon into life at camp, and how I have been impacted/changed by Ecuador. At one point I was talking to …

Soaking It In

As of today I only have 6 weeks left here. That’s a pretty crazy thing to think about. I’ve known that I wanted to study abroad since I was in high school and to think that’s it’s coming to a close very quickly, well that’s just a strange thought. This incredible, wild, eye opening experience …

Volcano Views, BBQs, & Fútbol Blues

Not going to lie, I think that this has been the busiest week I’ve had so far this semester. I’m in the midst of papers and presentations while still trying to enjoy new experiences. It’s definitely preferable to not have a ton to do, but that’s what study abroad means: doing school work while taking …

Ticket to Ride

This past weekend an Ecuador bucket list item of mine was crossed off. Since last semester I knew I wanted to take this train ride in Ecuador that goes through the mountains and was supposed to have incredible views. Luckily, some other friends wanted to do it too and so my dream came true. We …

Learning to Serve Well

Quick life update: things have been going great here! Day to day life has become normal and routine but of course there are still moments that are new or challenging all of the time. Classes are going well (yes, I do go to classes much to everyone’s surprise). Friendships are continuing to grow. I am …

Cuenca, I Love You

This just in: I have found my new favorite city. For this weekend’s adventure 12 of us headed to Cuenca, a city located south of Quito. It took about 8 hours to get there, but it was well worth it. Right away I knew I was going to love it there. The city is filled …

Reviews of the Rainforest

Well this past weekend was one for the books! We went on an IES trip to the Amazon Rainforest, yes THE Amazon Rainforest. Not many people have the chance to get there and now I understand why because it is pretty hard to travel there, so I feel extremely grateful for this opportunity. We did …