The end of our exchange is near! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share my experiences in Ecuador with you.
I joined the Peace Corps due to a lifelong curiosity about working abroad. After college, graduate school seemed like the logical next step, but nothing truly excited me. While working in healthcare, a series of eye-opening patient interactions reminded me that life is short.
I had to ask myself: Why wait to see the world when the opportunity is right here? While I’m healthy, capable and eager to learn? That’s when I found the Peace Corps.
This has been the best year of my life. I’ve made lifelong friends, witnessed breathtaking landscapes and done things I never imagined I could do, like backpacking through the Andean highlands, cave exploring in a bird colony, learning enough Spanish to develop real friendships and teaching thousands of students about the importance of mental health. As someone who grew up shy, anxious and terrified of public speaking, living abroad, navigating a new culture on my own and becoming fluent in a second language once felt impossible.
It has been an honor to share my experiences with you all. Mrs. Rosen’s classroom holds a special place in my heart.
