Djembe - Concordia College

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my team members and I accomplished, I feel it was I who was
impacted so immensely by the amazing adults and the children I
was surrounded by. The way of life that the Ecuadorian people are
accustomed to is so different from my own familiar culture, and I
learned so much about life in these differences. The Ecuadorians
live a far more carefree lifestyle than we do back in the States. They
survive each day because of their faith in tomorrow, their love for
their family, and their trust in each other. They depend on their own
courage to fight for their survival and because of this, gratefulness
is permanent in their lives. They do not have much, and yet, they
seem to have it all, a reminder that happiness does not come from
tangible items, but from the attitude with which we choose to face
our realities.
Looking back, this trip was a blessing in even more
ways than I could realize at the time. The experience alone was
an unforgettable one, but I think my trip to Ecuador gave me the
encouragement and the determination to pursue Ireland even more.
When I returned from Ecuador, I had a very short amount of time
before I needed to make my final decision about whether or not I would be studying abroad the
following fall. Ecuador made me hunger for more traveling of the world and crave for another
learning experience such as the one I’d had in Shell. This hunger persuaded me to chase down
my dream of studying abroad despite the difficulties I could encounter in the future as a result.
Even though I was straying from the traditional educational path that I had been following with
my peers, I finally made my decision and confirmed my attendance at the National University of
Ireland-Galway for the following fall semester.
Those endless ups and downs brought me here. I have now been living in Galway,
Ireland for two and a half months and will remain here for another month and a half. Although
cliché, being here has been an experience of a lifetime. Living in another country is a very different
experience from a short visit or even an extended vacation. Rather than simply viewing the Irish
culture as I would on holiday, I have become a part of it. I carry myself more as a citizen of the
country than a tourist because I feel I have the responsibility to do so.
Completely immersing myself into the Irish culture has given me the chance to develop
and strengthen the person I hope to become. Frequent reflections on my experiences have given
me a better ability to dissect their culture as well as the American culture, and I can appreciate
the positives and the negatives that each country offers. I have learned that success does not
exist without disappointments and that struggles, whether personal or nation-wide, are created and
defeated each day around the world. I’ve learned that we are all human. We are simultaneously
similar and completely different at the same time. We all fight for what we believe in and defend
the places and people we love. We all strive for happiness and we all face frequent frustrations that
make us fight even harder for the things we desire. However, within each person, whether Irish,
American, or Ecuadorian, is a personal story that distinguishes us from one another. I think that
life is about loving people, knowing that they have their own personal story and respecting how
their story has shaped who they are. It is about recognizing and acknowledging differences among
people and supporting each other when those differences hurt us. Letting go of assumptions and
prejudices allows us to move forward, to face problems together, and to exponentially increase
what we are capable of accomplishing.