Ecuador Explored

From Nate in the UP Office

On January 2nd 2008, I arrived in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where I would be spending the next five months of my life. I am going to be a senior at Boston College, and decided to spend the second semester of my Junior year studying abroad in Ecuador, a decision that changed my life. My program was coordinated through Boston College and combined a full semester of classes, trips, and volunteering with a local organization of our choice. Like most students who study abroad in Ecuador, I took classes at La Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, located in a valley called Cumabaya, a short bus ride outside of the Ecuadorian capital. The school is made up of 3,000 students of which approximately 300 are international students (mostly from the US). This mix allowed me to become good friends with both Ecuadorians and non-Ecuadorians who were interested in many of the same things as me. During the semester I lived with a family whom I became very close to as the semester progressed and as my Spanish developed. Living with a family provided the invaluable opportunity to become intimately connected to the culture: eating the local food, listening to Ecuadorian music, and sharing stories with the family during the long weekend lunches. The family that I lived with had two sons around my age so it was very cool to be able to spend time with them and learn how life is for a 21 year-old Ecuadorian.

At the university, I only had class four days a week, which allowed me to travel any weekend that I pleased. Ecuador is a very small country, roughly the size of the state of Colorado, but is very rich in biodiversity. Inside the small borders of Ecuador are the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and a large stretch of coast on the Pacific Ocean. During my travels, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit all three regions of Ecuador several times. My favorite trips included white water rafting in a small town called Tena at the beginning of the Amazon Rainforest, climbing the second highest mountain in Ecuador and the highest active volcano in the world called Cotopaxi, an adventure in the Amazon Rainforest to a small indigenous village, and my trip to the world famous Galapagos Islands.

Throughout my semester, I volunteered at a home for children whose parents were suffering from alcoholism, were in jail, or simply no longer around. At El Hogar Suizo, The Swiss Home, I worked with the carpenter that is in charge of repairing and maintaining the classrooms and the sleeping areas of the children. Volunteering with this organization was very rewarding, but frustrating at times due to the lack of resources available.

The Ecuadorian people are very nice, outgoing and very proud of their beautiful country and what it has to offer. If you are lost or simply trying to practice your Spanish, every Ecuadorian is very eager to offer a helping hand or have a friendly conversation. After spending five months in Ecuador I feel as though I have a second home, and have really grown to understand and love the culture. During my travels in the future, I know I will end up in Ecuador again, hopefully sooner rather than later.