Having co-facilitated an orientation for a group of volunteers arriving in country exactly two years after I arrived as a volunteer was a surreal experience. At this point, I like to think of myself as a Veteran Expat. Not much surprises me anymore about living in Quito after having spent almost two entire years of…
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Teaching ESL in Ecuador
Having been teaching since October, it dawned on me yesterday that somehow, I still haven’t written about what it’s like to be an ESL teacher here. For a blog about my experiences living and teaching abroad, this seems like quite the oversight. I suppose I’ve been focusing a lot more on my personal experiences and…
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Dating Across Differences
Family and friends joked that when I moved to Ecuador, I would end up bringing an Ecuadorian guy back to the States. That’s because my big sister, who lived in Quito from 2011-2012, did exactly that. When I came here though, dating wasn’t exactly a top priority for me. I was busy adjusting to living…
Read MoreCommunity, Connections, and Loneliness: Reflections on Moving and Traveling
As a child, I grew up in a farming town of about 15-20,000 people. For years, I dreamt of leaving my small town and exploring the world. Living in a big city, learning more about new people and places, and having greater opportunities available seemed like the ultimate lifestyle. This isn’t to say I didn’t…
Read MoreI Live Here Now
Quito is no longer new. I’ve been here almost a month and a half, and I am beginning to feel like life here is my new normal. Our training with WorldTeach ended, and along with it the camp-y feeling of spending all my time with 24 other volunteers, visiting tourist spots in the city on the weekends,…
Read MoreEcuaTweets: Month 1 in 140 characters or less
I’m not going to lie, the idea of “EcuaTweets” monthly blog posts was not my own. Before coming to Ecuador, I did my research and read countless Peace Corps and WorldTeach blogs. One of my absolute favorites was a PCV blog by a Cal alum in Zambia (fishinginzambia.wordpress.com). I loved reading his insights and anecdotes…
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Elizabeth Seeks 