Dani Smith
From EcuadorWiki
I am one of the several students traveling to Ecuador for Spring Term 2007. I am very excited for this class, so be sure to check out the course schedule to keep up with all that we are doing. I will be updating and filling everyone in on what occured on Saturday, May 12.
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Background
I have now completed two years at Alma College, working towards a biology degree. I will also be earning a chemistry minor, and I am planning on pursuig a career in medicine. At Alma I try to stay active with extracurricular activities on campus.
I am an avide participator in Relay for Life as a team member. I am also in Gamma Phi Beta, one of the sorieties on campus, and Beta Beta Beta, the biology honorary. I also participate in intramural sports. I love to utilize all that Alma has to offer.
Before coming to Alma I graduated from Gladwin High School in 2005. At home I have my parents, Mike and Amy, and two younger siblings, my sister Jaye and brother Kegan. I have previoulsy traveled with them, making a stop in the Galapogos Islands.
Ecuador Plans
While in Ecuador I will be staying with a host family, the Zabalas, with my roommate Kirsten McNally. I am very excited for the opportunity to live in the home of an Ecuadorian family. I have always wanted to study abroad in order to stay with a host family, but this will likely be my only chance, so I am very grateful and excited for it.
I have very limited spanish speaking abilities, so la Acadimia Latinoamericana will be an interesting and enlightening experience. Both Kirsten and I are in the group traveling to the Cloud Forest during the second week of our trip. As a biology major I am very excited to see and study nature in an entirely different country.
The third week's trip to the Galapogas Islands is probably going to one of the highlights of this trip for me. It's such a rare chance to see nature preserved, and thats what we will be seeing while traveling the islands. I also love marine life, so snorkeling and seeing sea lions and seals will right up my alley.
The Destination is Ecuador Because?
I was first interested in this particular spring term for a variety of reasons. I knew that I wanted to take course that traveled for several weeks, but there were quite a few other options. Yet this one stood out because of the way the course is designed. This course allows the students to truely appreciate and learn about the entire culture of the country. Not just that which the class is based on. Being general credit, we get to enjoy an entire learning experiance, not one focused on just a few aspects of the country. This is a similar decision to the one I made to attend Alma College, as a liberal arts college. I am also looking forward to doing different things each week. I love traveling and seeing and trying different things, so this spring term is the one for me.
Expectations
- Expand my knowladge of the Spanish language.
- Meet and befreind a new family.
- See and try new things.
- Understand a different culture than that of my own.
Independent Project
While in Ecuador we will have some free time set aside to do as we please. But what is there that Quito has to offer for a free day of fun? The answer to this question is what Kirsten McNally, Sarah Nicholas, and myself will be finding and making available for all future travelers to Ecuador. Our proposed project is to record what side things we do, with pictures and information, for future trips to Ecuador. We will make a database on this wiki with what we did, a rating of it, what to wear, how much it cost, and how much time it consumed. This will be usefull for future trips to Ecuador, as a chance to see what there is to do, and what we personally found fun and exciting. This project, the Ecuador Spring Term Guide, is now in the works, please feel free to check it out.
