When I first found out that I was accepted for the Experiment’s Ecuador trip, I was absolutely overjoyed. However, I don’t believe it actually hit me that I was going away for an entire month without anyone that I knew. It certainly was a bit overwhelming and daunting when I came to that realization. Now, after having experienced what I did, I should have never been even a little apprehensive about going. Being spoken to and forced to speak Spanish every day was at first annoying and made me nervous, but I quickly realized that it was extremely beneficial for my Spanish skills. I was forced to understand Spanish and speak it constantly, as opposed to learning Spanish in school, where you have to understand and speak it very little. At the end of the trip, my Spanish comprehension and speaking fluency had drastically improved, and I learned twice as much in one month as I have in all of school. We got to go to three of the four regions of Ecuador. The four regions are the coast, the highlands, the Galápagos, and the Amazon, and we went to the highlands, Galápagos, and Amazon. Doing so allowed us to experience the country from many different perspectives. The activities and learning that we participated in in every location added to the experience and understanding of where we were and the culture and norms. The home stay was the most culturally immersive experience of the trip because we got to spend a week with an Ecuadorian family and part take in their everyday lives. It showed me what the average day of an Ecuadorian family looks like, how they live, family norms and traditions, etc. It was incredibly engaging and an amazing experience. Going to the Galápagos was a truly unforgettable and amazing opportunity. I had read a lot about the islands, and seen countless documentaries, but never did I ever think that I would be able to go there for myself, but it happened. We got to stay on a boat for four days while touring the islands, and we explored and learned about the diversity of the life and unique ecosystems, and learned about the historical significance of the islands, and it was an unbelievable experience. Overall, with all the other locations, things we did, people we saw, and the things we learned, my Experiment experience has unequivocally changed my overall appreciation for and perspective on other countries all around the world and their cultures, and has made me a better, more independent individual.
