Living in Ecuador has taught me a lot about myself, and I appreciate the experiences I've had here -- professionally and personally, good and bad. Another piece of advice: don't come to a foreign country expecting everything to be perfect. The best learning moments, especially when traveling, come from making mistakes and dealing with difficult experiences. Those are what help shape who we are.
As this chapter comes to an end, I am excited to start new chapters. In Ecuador, it is an important custom to say goodbye to friends and colleagues. So, before I start my new journey, I want to do the same. There are many ways to say farewell here, just as there are in the U.S. My plan is to organize a big farewell party where all of my friends and colleagues will come to celebrate, dance and have fun. In addition, I plan to get gifts and write some letters for them. Third piece of advice: if you live in a country for an extended period, make sure you give yourself time to say goodbye to everyone you want to. Advice number four: keep in touch with them, even if it is brief (WhatsApp is great).
After leaving Ecuador, I wish to travel around Latin America for a couple of months. I haven't planned anything out yet because of another piece of advice: live life spontaneously when traveling. You never know when something, somewhere or someone will spark an interest for you. If you have already planned something out in advance, you might miss out on the random things you come upon. Living life spontaneously means living in the moment.
After my travels, I will go home to be with my family and friends before starting graduate school in Colorado in late August. I'm excited to spend time with family and friends whom I haven't seen in a while.
