Tomorrow is Dec. 1. It's winter in Boston. When I left for Ecuador, the date was Aug. 20. Hot, sweaty, summertime. It is incomprehensible that I have spent the last three months of my life in a tiny country in South America and not in Boston, the only place I have ever called home. In these three months, I have met unforgettable people, greatly improved my knowledge of another language, made myself part of a new family, learned a great deal about another country, and equally, learned a great deal about myself. I am, however, one of the lucky ones; I will be here for four more months, from January until April, but this halfway point still warrants reflection of my experience thus far.
Sometimes I think Ecuador is nothing like the United States, while sometimes I think the two countries share many commonalities. I have spent three months seeing television shows from my childhood dubbed into Spanish, clothing I would find at home on the bodies of innumerable citizens, and "American" food being advertised on every major street. This city is completely Americanized, and, being a U.S. citizen, seeing how my country is perceived and how it has influenced another place has been a mind-blowing experience.
As much influence as the United States has had here, Ecuador still holds its own unique and beautiful aura. Walking by someone in the street and not greeting them is unheard of. People are happy, friendly, and generally very accepting. The actual city is built on a mountain and provides breathtaking views. Driving out of Quito offers gorgeous countryside and indigenous cultures that have maintained a simple and unique style of living, vastly different from the city that is so close in proximity.
Being here, I have learned a lot about my own country as well. It is true what they say: A lot of people around the world think that U.S. citizens are overweight, lazy, and unintelligent. At my university, every student has to pass an English placement exam before they are accepted. Many are fluent and all know some amount of the language. While teachers know not to speak English with the exchange students - we need to practice Spanish - students and other employees pick us out as "gringos" and often address whatever question or instruction they may have in English. This frustrates me. Just as they should learn to be proficient in another language, I believe I should too. Maybe we are lazy because we can be. Most U.S. citizens haven't been challenged to learn another language because no matter where they may go in the world, some population will most likely speak English. As it is in Europe, it is very common here (for the upper class especially) to grow up learning three or even four languages. When I was in middle and high school, that thought had never even crossed my mind. Being outside of the United States has helped me to think critically about how I ought to live my life in my own country: with much more awareness of the entire world.
Sometimes I think this is a country of paradoxes. I speak of my wealthy school and of all my fellow students with their cars, their expensive clothing, and their outstanding education, but it is a double-sided coin; I have also seen the worst poverty here. Kids sleeping in boxes on the streets; an old woman hunched over a wooden flute, playing for a few cents; and, of course, my sweet students at La Macarena who are either growing up knowing that money will always be an issue in their neighborhood or are sleeping on mats at the school every night because their mothers are in jail.This is the poverty I have seen in this particular Third World country, and it has only made me think of these problems on a global level. Poverty is tremendously globalized. To have the opportunity to see it firsthand is much different than hearing about it.
And of course, there is the traveling. There is no unattractive place in Ecuador, as far as I have seen. The beaches are clean and warm with the turquoise water of the Pacific Ocean always glistening. The Amazon rainforest is as cool as you may have imagined it; monkeys swing above your head while you walk by leaves that are larger than your whole body. There are farmlands built on the mountains, creating outstanding patchworks that appear to be out of a fantasy land. Waterfalls, rivers, public parks, and hiking trails are all abundant and accessible, guaranteeing that one will never get bored.
I can't believe the seven other Boston College students who are here with me right now will be leaving in December. I am so blessed to almost always find myself in good company no matter where I am, but this company has been exceptional. When you are sharing something as special as exploring another country with other people, tight bonds develop and I will miss the people sincerely.
As Thanksgiving came and went last week, I felt a little bit sad. I have missed my family since I left them, but for the first time since I have been here, I yearned to be home at that exact moment. Maybe this desire only proves how lucky I am to have support in my life, and now even internationally. Whenever I feel that tinge of desire to head home, I just look out the bus window and see the snow-capped volcano Cotopaxi standing tall - proudly and quietly - behind the colorful city, and I remember how lucky I am. Home and BC are not going anywhere; I will return to them, but this experience is once in a lifetime. ¡Aprovecha!
Be the first to comment on this article!