The Beginning

Hello world! And welcome to my blog. This is my first time ever blogging, so it should be interesting! Under threat of public humiliation in class next week if I don`t get started I am going to get this blog post up and quit procrastinating as I have done for about the past two weeks.

Here is a little bit about me. I really don’t like the idea of blogging. The main reason is I don’t really like the idea of putting a bunch of personal stuff up on the internet for anyone to find. Journaling to me is a private matter, if I’m going to write a journal entry it is usually because I have to work through something I can’t or don’t want to share with anyone else. But at the same time, that is the reason for starting this blog, so that people can find it and travel this journey with me. I will share with you my struggles, thoughts and things I enjoy in the time leading up to my departure to Ecuador and while I am there. The other thing that I struggle with in blogging is called a computer. I just don’t like typing everything and really like pen and paper, so in problem solving with my professor you may find that many of my posts are written on paper and then scanned onto my blog. I will write as legibly as possible in order for this to be effective.

Alright, enough about blogging itself and more about the reason I am here. I am a student at St. Jerome’s University, a part of the University of Waterloo, and I have been accepted into a program called Beyond Borders. This is an international service-learning program that allows students to travel abroad become immersed in another culture through a volunteer placement. This summer (2009) myself and twelve other students will be spend three months in a developing country, living with a host family and working in a community. Beyond Borders has several partner organizations that they work with: Intercordia Canada, World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and other non-governmental organizations. There are placements in many countries including Ecuador, Nicaragua, Ghana, Botswana, Honduras, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and more. There is also a wide range of placements available ranging from medical clinics to agriculture, teaching and working in day cares and youth facilities. All in all the possibilities are endless! I will be traveling to Ecuador to be working in a teaching position. I will be living somewhere within the region of Quito, which is the capital city. The organization in Ecuador that I will be working with is Fundacion Reto Internacional (FRI). I will add more details as I myself learn more.

Stay tuned for updates and links as I research, learn and experience!