All of these experiences include people. People are what kept and keep me going. The energy of the Ecuadorian Amazon was like no other, and I struggle with the fact that I had to leave a place that brought me so much joy. It doesn’t take money, a big house, a busy schedule, or a fit body to be happy there. All you need is an open heart, a wide smile, and a willingness to laugh at yourself to feel like you belong in the local culture which is full of life. After four months of being in Ecuador, I became part of an extensive family that I know I will return to and I gained a plethora of new skills to use. Having already traveled to four continents and over 20 countries, where I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and where I spent my time in San Pablo/Tena, Ecuador are two places I can genuinely consider I have family.

I got a lot out of this experience – both personally and professionally. Professionally, an internship in economic development will help me because I want to work in public international law, for an organization like the United Nations. This internship shows that I am dedicated to community service, willing and able to travel, and that I can work in other cultures. Additionally, my increased Spanish skills (I went from very basic to comfortably conversational in 7 weeks thanks to this experience) will be a huge benefit to me. Personally, I was nervous to go to a developing country with a lot of crime. But, I did it. I didn’t feel unsafe once the whole time I was there, and I traveled alone almost every weekend and walked alone at night a lot. I developed close relationships with amazing people and learned a lot about myself. I even helped a few kids learn how to ride a bike.

I went into this, hoping to gain some real-life field experience in either a Marine Biology or Conservation Biology context- and I feel like I really did. It is by no means the most glamourous of placements or experiences, but it is totally authentic. There was a lot of waiting, a lot of looking at open ocean and listening to what at times felt like a completely empty sea, but when we finally did make a sighting or when good quality whistles and clicks were picked up on the hydro-phone, it was beyond satisfying. Even in those moments when you’re not finding anything and you may feel like you’re not making an impact to Cetacean conservation in that area, you realise that the sightings you don’t make or sounds you don’t hear, give as much information as when you do pick up something.