Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
Thank you and goodbye
Caroline Smith
2017-08-23
It’s a comfort, but not a surprise, that Rosetta Stone has drilled the words “obrigada” and “tchau” into my brain. A culture’s language has a way of revealing what that culture values, and in the face of so much change, it is comforting to know that gratefulness and a fond farewell are as important in...
Read MoreThe Journey Before
Sabrina Martinez
2017-08-23
Think of that one second, right before you walked into that new beginning. That second of inhaled breath, that slight pause you're body made before that last step into the unknown. That fluttering heartbeat, the slow close of your eyelids almost like old shutters trying to keep out sunlight. It's almost painful, a dull pain,...
Read MoreLes ailes de poulet
Avinash Jagroo
2017-08-22
The real inspiration behind my decision to take a bridge year lies in a tiny classroom at Clear Brook High School in Friendswood Texas. Half way down the foreign language corridor is Madame Chavez’ French classroom, where I soon learned is where any hope of dwelling in ignorance and kicking back in a blow off...
Read MoreThe Sky Will Look the Same
Isabel Hallock
2017-08-22
The reddening of the sky is always intensified when it’s near the horizon, transitioning into a soothing orange at night. It’s a loving yellow in the morning, and a clarifying blue during the daylight. The sky will look the same. So the adventure begins. I pack my bags during the mornings and prepare to leave...
Read MoreONE MORE WEEK
Ashtin Laurion
2017-08-21
ONE MORE WEEK!!!!! One more week till I depart on a lifetime experience that will be part of me forever! As you all know I will be traveling to Senegal, Africa for the next 8 months! I’m beyond pumped for this adventure and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who supported me on...
Read MoreBring it on
Danny DeBare
2017-08-21
Goodbyes are hard. Goodbye to my friends who have grown up with me for the past eighteen years. Goodbye to my family; the semi-regular family dinners and overly-competitive boardgames we all fight to win. Goodbye to my comfortable lifestyle and a routine I’ve grown to know all too well. As my days at home dwindle,...
Read MoreBlog Entry 1
Isabel Munoz Beaulieu
2017-08-21
Not so long ago I was reading a magazine and encountered a quote which read: “Real choices require courage”; I ripped the whole page off, grabbed some tape and put it on my wall. At that time, I didn’t really think much about it, I just liked how it looked in my room. However, now...
Read MorePreparing to Depart
Sophie Winter
2017-08-21
As the much anticipated departure date rapidly approaches I have been tasked with gathering some important items that I will need to combat the sun and bugs in Brazil. I have taken it upon myself to make the executive decision to leave all of my clothes behind and pack my suitcases to the brim with...
Read MoreBLOG
Bryneth Fuller
2017-08-19
Dear World, One week to departure training, and…to be completely honest, I'm scared. People will tell you that adventures like these are wonderful, exciting, and all together a truly fantastic thing to do. They know about books on the subject, someone they heard in a documentary, and assume that is all there is. They say...
Read MoreLost in Translation
Joseph Hansen
2017-08-19
We turned the corner and the dusty colonial archways gave way to a large wooden door left ajar. The rest of the group was catching up, my leader being the last one of us to call out “hoyo” (hole) letting us know we had all made it without falling into one of the abundant holes...
Read MoreVolunteer Programs are Inherently Selfish and Maybe That’s Okay?
Jamie Constantine
2017-08-18
I applied to Global Citizen Year because I am, as I believe all humans are, selfish. I knew I wanted to study abroad and Global Citizen Year checked off all of my boxes: Include host family stays Set in a Spanish speaking country Be affordable Offer a long stay in country Be volunteer based...
Read MoreUna -no tan- carta a mi misma
Julieta Lechini
2017-08-17
Mi vida parece cambiar drásticamente de un momento a otro. Donde estoy y que hago. Y hasta quien soy. Las cartas para uno mismo deberían ser leídas por uno luego de un tiempo, para ver cambios y enorgullecerse o no de ellos. Para presentarme y para luego recordarme, decidí escrbir una y compartirla con ustedes....
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