September-October

Thank you so much for reading this blog! :)

I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in Ecuador for nine months thanks to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA).  The program's mission is to promote respectful intercultural dialogue between the people of the U.S. and other countries, and here in Riobamba I will be assisting with English education at a university, auditing indigenous language classes, and getting involved with the local community through volunteer work through June 2023.  Ever since I heard about this opportunity on a college tour in 2016, I couldn't wait to apply.  I chose Ecuador specifically after having a fantastic experience working virtually with The Tandana Foundation, a non-profit based in northern Ecuador.  Through my internship, I met so many wonderful people and realized I wanted to learn more about Ecuadorian culture in person. 

To prepare for this year, I started my essays in spring 2021, submitted my Fulbright application in October 2021, and found out I was a semi-finalist in January 2022.  I was on spring break in Lake Como eating pizza watching Eat Pray Love with my friend Bianca on April 1st when I found out I was a finalist, and I cried happy tears when I saw the acceptance letter!  After committing to the program, I applied for my visa to legally reside in Ecuador at the Manhattan consulate while I was working in New York City this summer.  It was definitely a lengthy process (and I am now a quasi-expert on proving my clean criminal record with as many documents as possible), but so far it's been very worth it!  

On September 19, I flew from Cleveland to Quito (Ecuador's capital) for orientation and met three of the other ETAs (Rachel, Riley, and Halee) in person later that evening.  The next morning, we went to the Mitad del Mundo (center of the world) to see the official equator marker at zero degrees latitude!  We had gorgeous views of the Andes Mountains and sprawling city on the way to the park, and I definitely felt the effects of the altitude (Quito is the second highest capital city in the world at over 9,000 feet above sea level compared to Erie, PA's 700 ft.).  I found myself out of breath going up small staircases or even just tying my shoes for the first few weeks and generally felt more lethargic than normal.  Luckily, I am feeling a lot better now, but the elevation really is no joke!  Lots of people use coca leaf tea or candies to treat altitude sickness.

During the orientation week, our cohort got to meet the Ecuador Fulbright Commission administrators and staff, and two Ecuadorian Fulbright alumni who had studied in the U.S. gave sessions about teaching methodologies and the Ecuadorian education system.  We also visited the Fulbright Commission's office, which is located in a beautiful historic home in Quito.  Apart from the trainings, we took a tour of the old city with an herbalist guide focused on traditional medicinal plants and Ecuadorian history, rode a cable car up to a lookout spot in the mountains at 13,000 feet of elevation, and ate at amazing restaurants, including a rooftop dinner in the city center to see Quito lit up at night.  I am vegetarian, so while I did not indulge in any typical Ecuadorian chicken-, pork-, or guinea pig-centric dishes, I did enjoy plenty of delicious vegetables, soups, cheese empanadas, new fruits such as tree tomatoes, and the best fresh juices (especially passionfruit) I have ever had!  

I was assigned to work at Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH) with Rachel, another ETA who is now my roommate.  UNACH is a public university in central Ecuador in the highland city of Riobamba (population ~150,000).  The school is named after the Chimborazo Volcano which towers over the city at 20,548 ft. of elevation--the closest place on the planet to outer space (considering the equatorial bulge even though its height above sea level is less than that of Mt. Everest)!

On the last day of orientation, our mentor from UNACH (Mónica, who is in charge of the English education department) came to Quito to pick us up.  We drove about 3.5 hours south to Riobamba and thanks to the amazing weather were able to see tons of green mountains and snow-capped volcanoes on the way.  For the first week here, Rachel and I stayed with a very kind couple whose daughters are professors at UNACH.  The family showed us around the city and took us to visit their farmhouse in Chambo, a small town in the mountains above Riobamba.

After a week or so of real-life House Hunters International, we found a cozy, bright apartment to rent in the city center, thanks to help searching from my friend Janeth.  As the Spanish saying goes: el mundo es un pañuelo ("the world is a handkerchief" -- the equivalent English expression is "it's a small world")!  In 2019, I studied abroad in Costa Rica at EARTH University and met Janeth, whose family is from Riobamba!  It was so great to reunite with her after more than three years and meet some of her family at an academic ceremony for her sister that Rachel and I attended.  I also reconnected with my family friends' Rotary exchange student, Emily, whom I met four years ago in PA!

Classes at UNACH don't start until November 7th, but Rachel and I have kept busy exploring the city and participating in online trainings.  We attended one week of Kichwa (indigenous language) classes and another week of special education seminars, and this past week we led a training for the English professors focused on Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) methodology with an emphasis on translating and interpreting.  The university's research director also invited us to a baptism at an indigenous community called Columbe Grande which is about an hour's drive from the city.  We are hoping to volunteer with the community's school teaching English and also to have an opportunity to practice our Kichwa once the semester starts.

Two weeks ago, Rachel and I met up with Riley and Halee, our ETA friends assigned to Loja in the south, for a beach weekend in Montañita on the Pacific!  We took a nine-hour bus trip and stayed at an amazing hostel with yoga and a surf camp.  Before this trip, I had surfed a few times and loved it.  We took two lessons and went out once on our own, and I had an amazing time!  I definitely haven't mastered the barrel roll technique to avoid getting absolutely crushed when a big wave comes, so I had a few not-so-great wipeouts where I got hit by my board.  Our instructor also had us swim out to where the waves were initially breaking pretty far from shore, and even though I got a little overwhelmed by the current sometimes I was always motivated to paddle when the thought of any marine life crossed my mind.  Apart from the beach, Rachel and I also took a day trip to the nearby city of Guano, where we met the last iceman of the Chimborazo Volcano and rode a slightly sketchy but very fun cable car.

The adjustment to living in Ecuador has definitely come with challenges, and I think adapting and learning will be an ongoing process.  I had a bit of a cold when I first got to Riobamba, and living in a new place with different customs and norms has of course come with some difficulty.  However, I feel so grateful to have such great people supporting me and for this incredible opportunity to experience life in an exciting new city surrounded by the stunning Andes Mountains!

Thank you to my parents for all their support, my amazing roommate Rachel and fellow ETAs Riley and Halee, everyone at the Ecuadorian Fulbright Commission (especially Karen for all her help), and the English professors at UNACH for welcoming me to Ecuador!  

Credits to Rachel Dyl for many pictures and Halee Fritsch for blog inspiration!