Writing this first blog post, since my arrival in Ecuador, has been persistently postponed. I have been enjoying and absorbing the experience so much that I have a hard time finding the words to share it succinctly in a post. The last three months have been wonderful so it’s past time to share them, even if I cannot find the best words to do them justice.
Despite having lived here for 14 of my growing up years, I have spent the last 14 back in the United States studying and working so being back in Ecuador definitely feels like the cultural exchange that Fulbright is designed to be. It was been wonderful to get a chance to explore Ecuador again with the educational and life perspectives I gained during my time in the northern hemisphere!
The lesson I am currently focusing on is building relationships above willfully pursuing goals. One of the aspects you learn about Ecuadorian culture is that one must build relationships first in order to reach goals. We have a lot to learn about this approach in the United States where we focus on ourselves and our own goals first, often losing sight of the community that surrounds us and makes us who we are. I’m hoping I can learn better during my time here how people build genuine relationships and that I can bring this lesson back with me to the US.
If you have been following along on instagram/facebook you have gotten snippets of the activities I have attended or participated in. There has been work, interspersed with a lot of fun and adventures! The following are a couple of the highlights…
The first week I arrived in Quito was the Agriflor 2016 Cut Flower Show, where local and international floriculture industry meets in Quito every two years. This was the perfect chance to hit the ground running and connect with people in the industry.
Agriflor 2016
From October 17 – 20, 2016 I attended Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, that took place right here in Quito. The New Urban Agenda was adopted at this conference, which only happens every 20 years. It gave me the opportunity to catch up with several friends and meet new ones from around the world that either study or work in urban issues, architecture, policy, gender and development topics. We all share passions on how we want to approach life and work. This was just the injection of inspiration and perspective that I needed in my first month here in Quito.
October ended with our in-country Fulbright orientation. The first day was a full day of talks at the Sheraton Hotel in Quito covering topics from research in Ecuador, culture shock, US-Ecuador relations, gender issues, law and politics. We got to share lunch with the Ecuador Fulbright grantees that will be heading to universities in the US this coming year and Fulbright Ecuador board members. Day two we were treated to day at the Papallacta Thermal baths about 1.5 hours from Quito. The pictures speak for themselves of our relaxing day with the Fulbright grantees in Ecuador this year.
My volunteer time with the Area of Social Responsibility at Expoflores has also had its highlights. In November we worked on the UN Women UNITED Against Gender Violence as part of Expoflores “Women Bloom Without Violence,” the campaign of the Ecuadorean floriculture sector to eliminate violence against women. This was sixteen days of activism to Orange the World beginning with November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ending with Human Rights Day on December 10th. In December we participated in several Agasajos Navideños (Christmas Events) at farms with the children of employees. I can officially claim children’s face painting as a skill now!
The unexpected gift of this experience has been getting to know the inspiring group of Fulbrighters that are here in Ecuador this year. Our group includes Fulbright US Student Researchers (like myself), Fulbright English Teaching Assistants, US Scholars and Fulbright-Hayes grantees, each with their own unique talents and fascinating projects. It is a blessing to have others that are going through similar experiences as your own to share with and learn from. The fact that they are also a great group of people makes for a lot of enjoyable social moments and exploring!
Heather, Emily, Okechi and Andy at the Ecuador vs Venezuela World Cup Qualifier soccer match. Ecuador won and we had a blast!
Heather Ann Rule 
Awesome first post! Very interesting and enjoyable read of your enriching experience there! Rock on girl!
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