Jack Crawford: Experiment in International Living in Ecuador

First days exploring Quito and Baños

After arriving in Miami and meeting my group, my newfound friends and I embarked on an unforgettable journey that I know will last in my memory for a lifetime. We arrived in Quito at about midnight and our hostal (a type of small hotel or bed and breakfast) after 1am. The next day we started our adventure on little sleep, but with eager and open minds. During the first few days we had orientation in Quito, allowing for us to take small Spanish classes (mine had 4 people) to acquaint us with the customs and language a little deeper than we already knew. These days also allowed us to explore the city and see indigenous markets, restaurants, and the overall difference in the culture. After a getting settled in our new surroundings, we visited a small tourism, forest town called Baños for a few days. We had the nicest accommodations we would have the entire trip in a nice hotel with a TV in each room and wifi (the difference in technology necessities was astounding). In just a short amount of time we did so many activities. We explored waterfalls, rode horses, swam in natural hot springs, and played soccer in the park with little kids in our free time. This city gave a little more rustic look into the country, but little did we know in a few weeks, we would be immersed in an entirely different type of rustic.

Home stay in Riobamba

After this exciting first week, our group traveled to Riobamba, another city up in the Andes, to have a home stay with a native family. My family was all that I could ask for. With a 20 year old brother and a caring mother, I was able to have freedom to explore, yet also a comfortable home I knew I could enjoy. The one shock that came with this lifestyle was the difference in meals. For desayuno (breakfast) they ate eggs, bread, hot chocolate or care, and homemade juice every morning. Almuerzo (lunch) was their big meal of the day and typically eaten around 2pm. This lunch usually consisted of some form of chicken and rice along with a soup and salad, yet again served with a fresh juice. The was most surprising to me was cena (dinner) because while I was expecting a feast like in the US, I was greeted with some bread and cheese and hot chocolate. Although different, the food lifestyle there proved to make me eat healthier and feel better and more energized overall. Another difference was laundry. I washed my own clothes with a cold water spout and a bar of hand soap on the roof for about a hour in order to get all of my clothes. Although the laundry wasn't what I am used to, it got me more accustomed to the culture and helped see the regularities of everyday life in such a country. Each morning during the home stay we had community service at a local school where we painted walls of the school that had deteriorated. Although this activity required labor, it was fun to be reunited with our group after a few days of separation at the beginning of the home stay. We were able to take breaks and play soccer and listen to music also which was a great time. On Thursday, 2 days before leaving the home stay, our group went to Mt. Chimborazo, the closest point to the sun in the world, to hike up the mountain and bike our way back down to the city. The lack of oxygen proved to be a challenge in the hike, but we expected the bike down to be a relief from the hiking. However, we ended up biking 33km down the mountain and all the way back to the city. Although exhausting, the ride was so scenic and it caught me by surprise at how much my appreciation for the wonders of nature grew after that day. Saturday morning we said goodbye to our families and returned to Quito for one day.

Galapagos Islands and Amazon

The last two weeks of the trip proved to be my favorite part of the entire month away from home. The first of the last two weeks saw us staying on a boat in the Galapagos islands for 5 days, traveling from island to island and exploring. The stories I had heard about how great the islands were proved to be a huge understatement in every way. These small islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean were among the coolest experience of my life. We began by exploring a beach the first day and got to relax that afternoon. Over the next few days, we had an intense and exciting schedule that consisted of multiple snorkeling expeditions, exploring the Darwin research center, and seeing the natural wildlife on the different islands and how evolution affected these animals. We had many late nights lying on top of the boat and talking under the stars until early the next morning (I got 6 hours of sleep over 2 nights). After this life changing experience, we spent multiple days in the Amazon jungle in rustic cabins in which I had use some "redneck engineering" and plug holes in the screen with toilet paper in order to be protected from bugs. We spent the days exploring the jungle on hikes, seeing incredible wildlife, and enjoying each other's company without the distraction of wifi and life at home. We got to eat fresh food, play soccer on an Amazon beach, and tube down the river as well. The last two weeks allowed us to connect in a special way that we couldn't have before.

Thank you, Wilsons

I would once again like to express my gratitude to the Wilson family and their allowing me to go on this unforgettable journey. This trip not only allowed me to meet new, lifelong friends, but also I got to experience an unbelievable culture and experience life from a different perspective. This adventure changed me as a person and altered my view on life and the world in general. I will never forget the memories I made during that month and will forever be grateful for getting to experience the richness of Ecuador. Thank you so much for the incredible opportunity.