Volunteer Ecuador and WWOOFing

One thing I love about google chrome [which is one of the best applications]... when you search a lot of sites that are in another language, it asks you if you want to change the language - how perfect! I highly suggest everyone with a mac get google chrome! you won't be disappointed!

So when I was looking for something else to write about, I started to look into newspapers from Ecuador, especially ones in English. Instead of giving me a newspaper, I came across this website: Volunteering Ecuador. I think that this is interesting and it is a very good idea for people looking to look for other volunteer opportunities abroad. I think that it is a great website to just look through and see what kind of other opportunties are available - especially when i'm graduating and have NO idea what I wanted to do. Also, since i'm looking for jobs simply in New York, it makes me laugh at the currency different, even though they do use the dollar, it is $350 per week for a teaching job that I was looking at, which would be nothing in the US, yet some of the people living in Duran live only $1 per day!

It also reflect something that I have been thinking about doing for a long time which is WWOOF-ing (world wide opportunities on organic farms), traveling through a country/state or other place to work on farms or do work for people. My best friend did a program in New Zealand just last semester where she got the chance to buy a car with her sister and drive around to places from a website, and work for people in return for food and sleep. I think it is a great opportunity, especially when you thrive to travel!

Technology down-grade

I feel as though I went on this trip not expecting much, but now that I am back and still not feeling any big change, I have to take a look at the smaller things.



Last Saturday I made the trip into Manhattan and headed to the verizon store with old phone in hand. I made the switch back! Bigggggg thangs! I downgraded from my Blackberry, back to my LG EnV2. Believe me, this was a big step and still is. Weird thing though, everyone told me that I would feel detached, but true fact is that I feel more attached. I am no longer constantly checking my e-mails, I am not waiting for a facebook notification, and I can still just normally text people without using BBM. It is so much easier to be attached to real life without a blackberry constantly in my pocket. Although I do miss getting e-mails right away or being able to check the weather, or find the location of the nearest Jamba Juice... it had made things simple and I am starting to get really used to it.

Coming back, I have honestly realized how much technology detaches us from one another. We no longer are able to have normal conversations at lunch, or at the dinner table, and someone ALWAYS has their cell phone out. I have been able to slowly detach myself from the cell phone in general, as well as save my mother $30 a month! Very thoughtful of me!

SURPRISE!!!

(well... not this much).

So almost a week and a half ago I had an interview for the Peter Aquilone scholarship. It is given out every year to 2 people who attend a GO! trip in Winter or over Spring Break, that exemplify the qualities that Peter exemplified before his unfortunate death in 2003.

I made the hike in between classes to W. 172nd and... some random street that I had never heard of. Some how I made it there via the bus, which I have never taken a long distance before, and found the office of Michael, one of Peter's friends from Fordham undergrad. I didn't really know how to act and considering the crappy weather, wasn't really in a good mood, but managed to be myself and be happy, and act like I really did want to be there (well I did... but ya know).

Anyways, I thought the interview went really well and he told me that the recipients would know by Thursday (it was Monday). Thursday came and went, and I never heard from him. I went home for Easter break and just assumed that I did not get the scholarship. My mom wrote me a check for the remainder of the payment due and I handed it in on Wednesday. On Thursday I talked to one of my professors about the interview and what I could have done wrong... I thought I really had messed up!
Friday afternoon, after returning from my internship and having just spent my last $30 on groceries, I got a phone call from Michael, who apologized for not having contacted me. He told me that he wanted to offer me the scholarship and asked that I attend the GO! gala the next weekend. I was SO excited and honestly did not believe him... I kept saying: "you are kidding, right?!" Funny thing is, right as he was saying it, my phone cut out and I asked him to repeat what he had said. He thought I just wanted to hear him say it again!

Anyways, I am so happy to be getting some money back from all that I have put towards this trip and even happier that I got chosen for the scholarship!

SATURDAY IS THE LAST DAY!

If you are still interested in helping finance my trip to Ecuador, even with a mere $10, please PLEASE visit my fundraising site! Enjoy --> giveforward.org/sarahcollins/

Thanks all!

Buenas noches