Okay, so I wasn't very good at the whole blogging thing in Spain. In my defense, between my own journal entries, personal e-mails to friends and family, and posting photos and the explanations that come with it on facebook, I was feeling a bit repetitive. But, have no fear, I am changing my ways. I'm going to try to follow the trend and my friend's good examples and faithfully document the adventure I'm about to embark on. You see, I have an internship with LDS Employment Services in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I will live there for 3 months, all of Fall Semester and teach career workshops while taking independently contracted courses for my Latin American Studies major.
There is so much to tell about this internship and I want to share it all and help ya'll understand how wonderful this program is but it will all come in good time. I don't imagine ya'll have the time or patience to read through a complete and thorough explanation all in one blog entry. So we'll start small. What say ye?
So, let's start with the "why?". I know, I went to Spain, why am I leaving again in the same year? Well, for one thing I didn't get the internship credit I need to graduate when I studied abroad in Spain. And for another, there were vital things that I want from my life experience that were not fulfilled in my study abroad program. Don't get me wrong, I know it was the right thing for me to go and I had a blast. I was able to experience living in a foreign country and trying to get by with an upper-intermediate knowledge of the language. I learned a ton about myself, about people and about the workings of the world that are hard to put into words and Spain is not the point of this new blogging endeavor anyway. But the moral of the story is that Spain was amazing, I learned, I grew, I saw parts of Europe, and skinny dipped in the Mediterranean Sea. My experience was complete. But that was the Spain experience. This is the Ecuador experience.
So, what does the Ecuador experience have to offer that Spain didn't? Well, for one thing I will not be surrounded by 40 Americans all the time with whom despite our best intents, it was far too easy to speak English to one another. In Ecuador I will be living with my one companion, in our own apartment, and attending a local family ward. Rather than hanging out with Americans all the time we will have the opportunity to make friends with the local YSA's and really get involved in the community. Another thing is, Spain was a very self-centered program. It was for my own learning and traveling experience. But, my whole life I've wanted to participate in a program that would allow me to focus on serving others. As a child I used to dream of joining the Peace Corps. Here's my chance to fulfill my dream of going to a 3rd world country and use what talents and knowledge I have been blessed with to bless the lives of others. That's kind of the point of having knowledge and talents, isn't it? Thirdly, I'm a Latin American Studies Major and have never been further south than Tijuana. Definitely doesn't count. As my Senior year at BYU loomed ahead of me I began to wonder what on earth I was going to write my Senior thesis on if I had never even been to Latin America (here on out to be known as LA). There's only so much you can read in books before you just have to go experience it for yourself.
So, when I went to Spain I went with the intention to learn and then take that learning and apply it to serving in LA. I know that may seem cliche but it's true regardless. So here goes Phase 2 of the plan.
