April 13, 2019 I returned to Colorado. For months, I had harbored this idea of returning “home.” It was glamorized in my head, a moment when I imagined once again being enveloped with instantaneous comfort. No more language struggles, no more stares, no more standing out in a crowd. Toward the end of my time in Ecuador, I thought I was more than ready to say my…

23 May, 2019

It’s hard to believe but my time in Ecuador is coming to an end. As of the beginning of February, I have officially been living in Ecuador for five months. The weeks at times flew by, while others crept by at an agonizingly slow rate. Luckily, I learned pretty early on to take this experience…

13 February, 2019

Exciting news folks … I have a new apprenticeship! After three weeks of unsuccessfully searching for a new opportunity I was interested in pursuing in the nearby city of Cañar, I was feeling frustrated, a little defeated and anxious to have a purpose once again. As someone who is goal-oriented and finds contentment in busy…

03 December, 2018

With my eyes closed, I allow the smells, touch and sound of the experience to fill my senses and dominate my thoughts. The smoke in the room is thick, almost suffocating, overwhelming my nose with an earthy, floral fragrance that seems to travel throughout my entire body with each inhale. I focus on the sensation…

06 November, 2018

Hello again! Welcome to blog post No.#2! There is a A LOT of new information to share with you all since my last post, as I am finally in Ecuador!!! 🙂 I arrived in Quito, Ecuador at the beginning of September and after a week of training, fostering some incredible friendships with the other program…

23 September, 2018

Hello there! 🙂 Welcome to my blog! My name is Maddi Schink, and I am 18 years old and a Colorado native. In less than a month I will be embarking on the journey of a lifetime on a gap year through Global Citizen Year! As I entered my senior year of high school this…

15 August, 2018