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Intercultural Experience
Ecuador
Spain
The Dominican
Republic
Humanitarian and Disaster Relief
In 2010 a 7.0 hit Haiti. It killed thousands of people and left the country completely destroyed. Lots of efforts went to help Haiti, but the world did not consider the disaster the happened in the Dominican Republic as well. My church and I went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic for humanitarian and disaster relief. We spent months collecting food, clothing, materials for construction, and sanitary supplies.
During our trip we spend time traveling from village to village to distribute the goods. Even though we received a large amount of gratification in our social work, my favorite part was being able to spend time with the locals and participate in activities and conversation. In reality, although the material provisions were helpful, I think the Dominican Republicans appreciated the quality time spent together because they were able to spend time in relaxation instead of worrying about their state of disaster.
Intercultural Exchange
My trip to Ecuador was one of the most influential experiences of my life. I was accepted into an intercultural exchange programe called Amigos de las Américas. AMIGOS is a program where Spanish students in the United States are placed in rural villages in Latin America. The program was not focused on social services but more so on Latin America understanding the United States and Vice Versa.
During my two months there, I lived in the small village of Salatilin located on top of Mount Cotopaxi - 12,000 foots above sea level! Every morning I woke up, walked two miles to the grass fields to pick it, then carry it on my back to give it to the cattle. I washed my clothes on a rock, bathed in a river, and cooked my food over a fire. I never lived in a state of much poverty, but I have never been happier in my life.
Study Abroad
For part of my Spanish minor in college, one of my required courses offered the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. Compared to my other trips in Latin America, Spain was more relaxing. I lived with a family that made my meals, did my laundry, and offered everything I needed to be successful like a Spanish native. It was almost as if I was on vacation!
Everyday I went to class for 2-3 hours and after I spent the rest of the day exploring Spain and going on excursions. My class and I visited a variety of museums, cathedrals, and ancient ruins. They all have a profound amount of history which contributed to the Spanish culture today.
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