Goodbye U.S.

Seeing as you're already here, you've most likely heard the news that I'll be studying abroad in Ecuador next semester. So far when I tell people the news I tend to get asked the same questions by everyone, so here you will find all the answers without even having to ask the questions.

All of next semester, starting August 26 and ending December 21, I will be attending school in Guayaquil, Ecuador at Universidad Casa Grande. Yes, that means Big House University. There I will take classes and live with locals. The classes will give me the credits I need to finish my Spanish degree and I'll finish my science degree when I return. My university abroad has an excellent program for exchange students that features charity projects, cultural seminars, and excursions.

I know South America isn’t the most popular study abroad destination. Everyone wants to go to Europe and so did I originally. I ultimately decided to stick to this half of the globe to learn Spanish that is more similar to what is spoken in the states. I do plan on living here long term, after all. I began looking at South America because, even though I decided not to go to Europe, I still liked the idea of leaving the hemisphere. Once I found the school I ended up being accepted to, I immediately fell in love with it.

I already mentioned the exciting things their programs for exchange students offers. I loved that the program provided me with ways to learn both the language and the culture. Some of the classes I’ll be taking will be regular classes with native Spanish speakers, but there will be one Spanish class for language learners. The pairing of the excursions with the cultural seminars is something else I love. Travel within Ecuador is very safe within groups. That’s exactly what traveling with classmates and professors will give me, plus I don’t have to do the work of organizing it.

Originally, I was nervous about living with a local family due to some bad experiences I’ve heard about foreign students in the United States having. However, many of the host families have worked with this school for years and hosted many students. That gives me more confidence in the arrangement. I like that I’ll be able to see more of the culture living with a family and that there will be extra people to help me out with weird cultural things that may pop up, but mostly I’m looking forward to the connections I’ll build.

The more I learn about Ecuador as a country the more I love it. Ecuador is on the equator; that’s actually what Ecuador means. Ecuador has several different geographic regions that meet within its borders. These regions are so different they each have their own culture and it makes traveling through Ecuador like going through all of South America to an extent. There is a lot more diversity than you would expect from its size. In fact, it has one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet within the Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon is one of the first places we’ll get to visit as its part of the orientation trip. Other stops on the trip feature the Otavalo, the largest indigenous fair, and an active volcano. We’ll also get to go to the equator; I’ve already planned how I’ll pose for the photos to be in the northern and southern hemisphere at the same time. There’s also a weeklong trip to the Galapagos Islands and many other day and weekend trips.

This semester is possible thanks to the wonderful study abroad programs my home university offers and its membership in the International Student Exchange Program. Since both my home and host institutions are ISEP members I pay the regular amount for tuition, room, board, and fees to Missouri Southern State University, while I'm abroad. That opens up a spot at MSSU for another student who pays their usual rate to their home university to go abroad for a semester. The best part is that there are ISEP member institutions around the globe. Just because I am going to Ecuador, doesn’t mean that an Ecuadorian student has to take my place here in the U.S. There only needs to be an Ecuadorian student going to any member school in the world to create an opening for me. Since I’m paying my regular amount to my U.S. school and am still enrolled there, all my regular scholarships and financial assistance apply and the Department of International Studies even gives out travel grants to cover the cost of the flights.

Throughout my four months in Ecuador I want to keep everyone updated. I’ll be posting stuff on my Facebook and will also link to all my blog posts there. I can also be contacted on Facebook Messenger or on this website. My replies may take a while, since I don’t know if I have Wi-Fi where I’ll be staying yet, but I will have internet access available at the university and different coffee shops. The time zone is the same there as in Missouri, if you can believe, so that should make staying connected easier. I’m excited to share my journey with all of you.