I spent the first 8 weeks of my trip as one of 24 Social Entrepreneur Corps interns based out of Cuenca, Ecuador. Throughout my time in SEC I lived in 4 distinctly different homestays for anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks and was able to experience firsthand much of the culture of Ecuador, along with much of what makes it a developing country (delicious meals that might make you sick and a seemingly country-wide lack of toilet paper, to name a few). This was the point at which I learned that university level Spanish classes, while prestigious, do nothing to prepare you for daily conversation or tasks such as ordering food, and so my first meals here were very much surprises! I’ve now been out of my program for two weeks and have been in contact with one family and have visited another- the term homestay family proved to be quite accurate.

Work-wise, I was tasked with a jumble of projects that ranged from creating financial literacy workshops, to teaching English in schools, to consulting for local businesses. Some of this was, of course, typical intern grunt work intended to build relationships and spread the name of SEC, and many of us were quite disenfranchised with the program. Our disappointment culminated in a large meeting at which we discussed the difficulties of development work and generally whined before getting McDonalds and considering the gathering a success. (Was it the venting or the nuggets that made us feel better? We may never know.) Meetings with supervisors and open discussions led to a much more productive second half of the job, at least in my eyes, and I had the chance to conduct a Behavioral Economics analysis of the program that I hope will help increase its efficacy in future years.

As I’m writing this I’ve been on the road for two and a half weeks now with a friend and have, at least so far, managed to avoid robbery and disaster but not sand flea bites. Traveling for fun is a strange, strange world where you can do whatever you like (within reason and financial bounds) and your only job is to enjoy yourself. That said, it has increased my confidence in my capabilities by leaps and bounds and has taught me more about the world than I knew there was to learn. All in all, it definitely took some time to adjust to but is nothing to complain about.

Some highlights thus far have been: 

Making friends in Quito and joining their soccer team, hiking up to swim in multiple waterfalls outside of Tena, feeding the monkeys and finding actual New York style pizza in Misahuallí, playing against the 4 time ping pong champion of Baños (I lost by a landslide), befriending a group of incredible musicians in Mindo, and getting lost/overwhelmed in the Otavalo market, the largest outdoor market in South America. Like I said, nothing to complain about! From here we return to Quito and fly home to New Orleans in three days.

 

And, finally, an abbreviated list of lessons learned (there have been many): 

People will assume that because you’re from the states you may be voting for Donald Trump. Your sarcastic response may not come across as sarcasm. Be wary of this.

It’s surprisingly difficult to train yourself to not throw toilet paper in the toilet.

Never buy Budweiser in Ecuador (shockingly expensive).

The monkeys can and will take your food.

Always carry rocks at night to ward off vicious dogs.

The packs of geese are scarier than the dogs.

As counterintuitive as they may seem,  electric shower heads are really a thing.

Singing Disney music will get you through freezing showers when the aforementioned electric shower heads do not work.

Some portion of freezing showers taken are probably due to user error.

A pocketknife is never a bad investment.

Even if being queer is completely taboo in a city, queer people will still smile at each other when they see each other, and this can make a seemingly hostile environment much more bearable.

Refraining from playing with said pocketknife in crowds is probably best.

If you shear a sheep the sheep’s baby may not recognize it afterwards, and this may be as funny as it is disconcerting.

Gift-giving is a fantastic way to support artisans and small businesses without accumulating a mountain of stuff.

Sharing food is a universally accepted gesture of friendship.

Nothing good ever happens in Guayaquil.

Don’t trust the bus schedules.

Definitely don’t trust store hours.

Same for telephone numbers.

Really just don’t search for any information online.

Pedialite is your friend.

Amoebas are not.

Fungi are not fun, misleading as their name may be.

“Family” can mean an entire way of life.

You can fit an absurd number of people in the back of a truck.

The words for “drunk” and “pregnant” are strikingly similar and it’s probably best to avoid them altogether.

It is amazing how much you can communicate solely with hand motions.

Education is a privilege.

Education is a privilege.

I’ll say it again, because I knew it before, but not like I know it now- education is a privilege. 

Bargaining is an art that you don’t learn in the states.

Always carry toilet paper.

A good bowl of pasta and Parmesan can make anywhere feel like home.

When asked where you’re from, if you say “America”, an Ecuadorian may tell you that “We’re all from America”, and they’ll be right .

Podcasts are your friend.

Friends and family can still be an incredible support system from thousands of miles away- use them!

A child’s long braid is no reflection of their gender.

A journal is a worthwhile investment of your time.

Don’t make fun of your friend’s affinity for maps- it comes in handy.

Don’t make fun of anyone’s survival backpack- they come in handy.

When you consider running away from your internship to work on a Canadian-owned sustainable yoga farm, stick it out a bit longer.

Volcanoes make the best backdrops.

Volcanoes make the worst hikes.

Making friends will either lead to an incredible night or to lectures from a conspiracy theorist.

Anything containing fresh fruit and alcohol is probably delicious.

Alpaca knit clothing is incredibly soft and you will want to exchange everything in your wardrobe for it until you remember you live in New Orleans and that this is a terrible idea.

If your foot gets run over by a car in the middle of buying a scrunchie, the woman selling the scrunchie will continue trying to make the sale until you hobble away to tend to your injury.

Your travel buddy, who acknowledges that they are not the best under pressure, may stay behind to buy said scrunchies.

Never underestimate the power of a good meal, some alone time, or a hot shower.

If you fail to pack q-tips you with undergo some form of withdrawal.

When selecting a taxi it is best to make sure they know how to get to your destination first.

If your extremely catholic grandmother is in possession of a menorah but has no idea of what it is, agreeing that yes, it is a beautiful candleholder, is the best course of action.

Making plans is often an invitation for the universe to screw with you.

People will constantly surprise you.

You will constantly surprise yourself.

Things tend to work themselves out, and if they don’t, you will.

Lastly, if you have a place you’re sad to leave as well as a place you’re glad to come back to, then you are very, very lucky.