So, by no means do I actually claim to be a coffee connoisseur… I like my coffee sweet with milk and lots of different flavors. BUT, drinking coffee in Cuenca has taught me some distinct (and really enjoyable) ways to hang out and drink coffee with friends/family. My first lesson concerning coffee in Cuenca was that in very few places is there a concept of “to go.” If you want coffee, you’re going to sit down and spend at least…
You need to travel to Latin America as to fully experience the Carnival holiday. It´s such a unique and bewildering event, containing massive celebrations before Lent (a time of holiness and moderation). You´ll notice in the days leading up to Carnival weekend that many people are walking around the city, soaking wet, and returning the cold, wet favor to random passersby. You´ll also become much more familiar with this evil substance known as “carioca” (which is pretty much just aromatic…
“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” -Ludwig Wittenstein As it turns out, journeying to a foreign country entails learning its language (quite well) and transitioning to its customs. Unluckily for me, I was hardly proficient in Spanish coming into Ecuador, and I knew even less of its unique traditions. To cope with the massive influx of new information and Spanish conversation, I had become accustomed to just replying to nearly anything that my host family…
It’s going to be QUITE difficult to recap this past week and a half, as it’s been filled with so many incredible experiences. I’ve been blessed with a great group to make lifelong memories, and I look forward to what lies ahead. I arrived in Quito a day early (after some stressful flight delays) and got a quick glimpse of the capital city before I met the rest of my group. Ordering for myself in a foreign country was a…
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is something that not all students can experience while they’re in university, which makes it all the more important to approach this opportunity with wide eyes, a curious mind, and a deep appreciation for the unknown. These tips are gathered from former students who have studied abroad. They are pieces of wisdom they wish they had heard when they started their study abroad experiences. 1: “Write down everything.” It is so easy for…
Going back and forth between countries, it is often overwhelming. When you arrive in a new place, you immediately notice many little things that will eventually, with time, disappear into the “new normal.” When you leave a country, you also notice many of the small differences that you took for granted. Here is a list of five small things that you may notice when you arrive in Cuenca, Ecuador, things that you may miss when you leave. 1. Lines are…
The Wednesday before heading to Saraguro, one of the CEDEI professors gave a lecture on natural medicine. This charla assisted us in understanding the process and the theories behind the different plants and uses. Immediately after arriving to Saraguro we went to this beautiful overlook of the city. At the overlook, I started to feel very lightheaded; my vision became very blurry and overall I just felt like there was something wrong, but I continued walking. By the time that…
45 minutes outside of Cuenca, down the highway toward Gualaceo, there is an unassuming building on the left-hand side. The white building has large images of flowers–orchids–on the windows. It looks like it’s just a store, a place to go and buy flowers. But to take the spontaneous risk, to ask the bus driver to stop and descend the steps to go explore this place, is one of the best decisions you can make. Cuenca and its surrounding towns are…
Two international programs students who are here for the Fall Semester in the Andes shared their thoughts two months ago, in their first week at CEDEI. We looped back now, as they’re approaching their final weeks here, to see what moments have stood out and what they’re grateful for about this experience. Out of all the countries to study abroad, why did you choose Ecuador and why did you choose the CEDEI program in Cuenca? Kayla: The program was approved…