Gabrielle L.

1. What got you interested in the Peace Corps?

I’ve always loved reading, writing, and learning about English grammar. In college when I declared applied linguistics as my major, I realized I also loved teaching English. I had the opportunity to earn my TEFL certificate while completing my degree requirements, and I volunteered as an ESL teacher during this time. I was able to teach students from all over the world who were so eager and enthusiastic. I wanted to continue combining my passion for teaching English with my strong desire to do service-based work, so I applied to be a Peace Corps Volunteer in the TEFL sector.

2. What projects are you working on?

Most of my time is spent in the classroom and lesson planning. I’ve spent the last two years working with my coworkers to create new games, PowerPoint lessons, quizzes, and more for their classes. Outside of the classroom, I run an English club with two groups. With one group I do basic grammar and speaking practice, and with the other I do cultural topics, like idioms, big cities in the United States, music, cultural stereotypes, etc. During my last semester at the university, I opened the club to all university students, which has been a great opportunity to accomplish the second goal of the Peace Corps!

3. What strategies have you used to integrate into your community?

Some will tell you to say yes to everything, but that did not exactly work for me because I am very introverted. Making connections organically has been very helpful to my integration. I try to be as open as possible to answering questions about myself and the U.S. From conversations in taxis to parks to in my classroom, I have had open and honest conversations about cultural differences between Ecuador and the U.S. Sharing in conversation has also extended to sharing foods and small trinkets from the U.S. with people in my host community. Being open to sharing has made people want to be open with me too, leading to invaluable connections in my host community.

I was also lucky enough to serve with my husband, a fellow TEFL Volunteer. We adopted a dog together, which naturally led to many conversations in our host community about pet ownership in the U.S. Serving with my husband was also helpful to my integration because, together, we had more opportunities to meet people at our separate work sites. We made many friends as a result of my husband’s workplace connections, and I am very grateful to have served together.

4. What is a highlight of your time in service so far?

My husband and I made friends with a teacher at his school and her family. During holidays, we have had the opportunity to travel with them and learn more about Ecuador that way. On one long weekend, we even visited Peru together. The children in the family are learning English, and my husband and I wanted to practice our Spanish, so it was incredible to have this cultural exchange together and spend long car rides communicating in both English and Spanish.

5. What have you enjoyed most about the community where you are serving?

My site is known for being the musical and cultural capital of Ecuador, in addition to having some of the best coffee in Ecuador. Every year, there is an international arts festival that features plays, concerts, street vendors, etc., and this is a fun and exciting time. Even outside of the festival, there always seems to be music in the street, whether a free concert or street performers. I love being surrounded by all the music. I have also learned a lot about coffee preparation and flavors by doing coffee tours at my site, and I am looking forward to taking plenty of lojano coffee back to share with my loved ones in the U.S.

6. What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from your community?

My site is known for being very festive, as there is always some celebration going on. For my first birthday at site, students in five of my classes threw me birthday parties; it was a very fun week! No matter how small I think something is, my students and coworkers always want to celebrate it. I have a great appreciation for that festive spirit, and it has made me want to celebrate little moments in my life because those moments make life so much more exciting and special.

In general, time families and friends spend together here is different than in the U.S. For example, my host family and coworkers have a two-hour lunch period every day, which they spend with their families. This is very different from my time in the U.S. before my service, I would typically eat in a rush, often in my car between shifts. I will certainly take my site’s festive spirit and emphasis on quality time with loved ones back to the U.S. with me.

7. How do you spend time when you are not working on a project?

I am very grateful to be serving with my husband, so most of my time outside of work is spent with him and our rescue dog, Soy. We have enjoyed exploring our site and the province together. Having a dog is a great way to connect with other community members who have pets. We’ve had great conversations about pet ownership and pet care with various people. We have also learned how to cook a variety of Ecuadorian dishes so we can prepare them for our friends and family back in the U.S. On a number of occasions, we have also cooked American dishes for our host family to share some of our culture with them, including our first Thanksgiving at site.

8. What are you looking forward to in your remaining time as a Volunteer?

Even though I am in my last few months of service, I find myself still discovering new Ecuadorian restaurants, songs, and foods I love. I want to spend these last few months continuing to learn as much as I can about Ecuadorian culture to share with my friends and family back home. I hope to accomplish this through travelling to towns near my site and talking to as many people as possible.

9. Once you finish service, what will you do differently when you return to the U.S.?

Being here voluntarily, I have a great level of privilege in my host country. People move to the U.S. from all over the world for a variety of reasons, often pursuing financial and educational opportunities. Since I am a Volunteer, I will never be able to relate to the struggles some people face, but having experienced the kindness and generosity my host community has shown me will serve as a model for how I want to interact with people from other countries in the U.S. I hope to be as welcoming to others as many in my host community have been to me.