Impressions of America: Dangers of a Single Story Narrative

Before arriving in Brazil, all participants of Global Citizen Year meet at Stanford University in sunny California, to connect, get inspired by exceptional leaders and to share their worries and excitement. Since I was a small kid, I greatly adored the US. I remember as I watched High School Musical at home, together with my[…]

Culture Shock in Ecuador

    Perhaps, one of the reasons why I have had such difficulty adjusting to my community in the province of Cañar, southern Ecuador, is that I come from the privileged background of never having been negatively defined because of my appearance or nationality. And all the workshops and preparation in the world could not have prepared[…]

How My First Trip to Guatemala Opened My Eyes

Two months ago, I would not have guessed that I would be approached by someone asking for an interview because they thought I was a hippie. Pre-Trip Expectations Going to Guatemala was my first trip outside of the USA, and I went with (probably unreasonably) high expectations about learning Spanish, seeing the culture, and cliff[…]

Twenty Years Later, Travel Changed My Life

Jessica Sueiro travels full time with her husband, Will & two tweens. They travel slowly, and deeply, for the purpose of education and exploration… and it all started for Jess with a trip she took to the UK in high school: Twenty-four years ago, this month, I took a trip that would forever change the[…]

How to Survive Language Barriers: 5 Strategies for Better Communication

Last September, I packed my bags and left the only home I’d ever known, San Francisco, and landed in Senegal where I’d be living for the next 8 months during my Global Citizen Year. After a month of cultural training and language lessons in French, I learn that I will be placed into a homestay[…]

China: When One Trip Changes Everything

It was 20 years ago this past winter that I got an unshakable idea in my head. It was initiated by a flyer posted in my university department building about a semester abroad in China. All things Asian, specifically China, fascinated me. My head and heart were deep in Eastern philosophy and religion and I[…]