Over the winter break of my freshman year I had the opportunity to go to Ecuador. Through a first year experience class on ‘Why We Travel’, a group of other students and I spent about 2 weeks In Ecuador. I had been to Canada in high school, but this was my first trip to a country much different than the United States, as well as with people I did not know well. I had gotten to know my peers during class, but on the trip, the change from 55 minutes once a week, to 24/7 for 2 weeks, turned those peers into my friends. Previous to this I had been nervous to try new things on my own, but trip had proven to me that there is a lot of value in jumping into the unknown and being independent, as well as outgoing to meet new people. While there, we spent time in Quito, Belle Vista Cloud Forest, and Baños. This study abroad immersed me in a new culture and language and was very eye opening. Meeting people who grew up very different from me, seeing beautiful nature and landscapes, experiencing such magnificent meals, and noticing day to day life of locals made me come back to my daily routine with a new lens. I found the importance of appreciating every moment, and wanted to take life a little slower than I had before. I am forever grateful for this experience, and for the people I met there and who I traveled with from OSU.
