DSC_0052Today was a pretty eye opening day. We finally got to experience what it was like living like one of the locals from Ecuador! We traveled  an hour outside of our home in Riobamba to a small village called Pusuca. We were surrounded by sweeping views of the mountains and the city below. The members of our group were split into pairs and sent off on a multitude of different adventures as members of the community accepted us as their own children for the day. These people were effected by the volcano eruption that happened years ago and had to start their lives all over again. We learned how hard working and dedicated these people are to live stable, comfortable, and happy lives. What surprised me the most on this trip is how grateful they are for what little they have. That really got to my heart because someone, who barely has anything, gave me, who has everything, graciously and humbly cooked and shared their food. It made me realize how ungrateful we are as people to the little things and necessities we have in life. What I am most proud of my peers on this trip was seeing how respectful and kind they were to the locals. We knew that they didn’t live in luxury, and we knew that they didn’t have much. However, we never judged them one bit. In fact, we were genuinely enjoying ourselves and learning so many new things about the locals. The most inspiring person that I met that day was my “mother of the day.” She is the most energetic and hardworking 65 year old I’ve ever met. She is even more energetic than me! Anyway, she told me that her life revolved around her work. She didn’t even have time for hobbies since she was working all the time. I really admire her for never complaining, never feeling sorry for herself, and never stop loving and caring for others around her. I am not going to lie: being el Lider del Dia was stressful. I didn’t actually think that being a leader would take so much work and so many responsibilities. However, it helped me push myself out of my comfort zone since I’m a pretty shy person. I learned today that I am a really good observer and listener, but I need to speak out more and be more confident in myself. By the end of this trip, I will set myself a goal to be more confident and say what is on my mind.

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Until tomorrow!

P.S. BIG LOVE for Hector from muchas personas!   Thank you for being a trailblazer for Global Glimpse Ecuador. And most importantly…. Happy Birthday!!!

P.P.S. We tried to embody living like a local so no pictures were taken. The first picture you see is the park across the street from our hostel and the second is the entrance to the school where we teach!