Kwaheri Kenya, Goodbye USA, Hola Ecuador!

Hello again friends -

As many of you probably already know, this semester I am studying abroad in Ecuador! I am leaving TOMORROW (eek!) and will be living for four months with a host family in the capital city of Quito, taking classes (all in Spanish) at the Ecuadorian Universidad Salesiana. I am going with a study abroad program called Duke in the Andes comprised of 10 Duke students and 10 students from other universities across the U.S. Throughout our time there we will not only be studying for our classes and volunteering in the community through service-learning internships, but we will also have the opportunity to go with our group on program excursions – we will travel to indigenous communities near Otavalo, visit areas of the Amazon region, head to Esmeraldas and the coast, and of course, what would a trip to Ecuador be without a visit to the stunning Galapagos Islands! It is sure to be an incredible experience and I can’t wait to see what life living in Ecuador is going to be like.

The past 3 weeks at home have been both wonderful and also challenging. Times and periods of transition are hard for me, and this has been a big one – not only have I been processing and trying to hold on in many ways to such an amazing 8 weeks in Kenya, but I have also had to mentally and emotionally be preparing myself for leaving AGAIN for a new continent, new experience, and new place that I will call home. I have loved having this time at home to rest, reflect, see friends and spend time with family, but I have also at times felt extremely antsy and idle just sitting around, after every day in Kenya felt so filled with unforgettable moments and packed with activity. I also went from being surrounded 24/7 by 14 incredible, supportive, amazing teammates to being at home most times very much alone (unless you count my sweet dog :)). I’m not at all opposed to having space and alone time, but the contrast between living in such a strong, tight-knit community for 2 months and then coming home to a usually empty house made lonliness a struggle, and isolation a little bit of a fear. I have attempted to keep myself fairly busy and active, but overall I have to admit it’s been so good for me to have to recognize and believe that God has something for us to learn even in these times of “doing nothing” – even if it’s just for Him to remind us that whether we feel unproductive or alone, He is our only purpose and He will be our constant friend.

I’m excited and nervous for this next life adventure! I hope you enjoy getting to read snippets and anecdotes from my time in Ecuador as often as I get a chance to write them down, and I look forward to continue sharing this exciting season of my life with you all.

Much love,

Bethany

(If you’d like to read more about the program I am with, check out http://studyabroad.duke.edu/home/Programs/Semester/Duke_in_the_Andes)