Explore outside your comfort zone!
Honestly Ecuador was never a spot on my list of places to go, but I really loved the idea of teaching English to children in a jungle community. I really was just looking for a completely new and adventurous experience and Ecuador ended up giving me that and so much more.
Village children and volunteers
The locals were all so friendly and welcoming. The children were all very eager to learn everyday and their smiles and curiosity brightened up any rainy day in the jungle.
Laughing at the camera, all the kids were very fascinated and had fun with cameras! :)
Lots of the locals were very excited to see us because not many tourists would come to their village so they welcomed us with open arms. The village was so amazing, they thanked us at the end by preparing a traditional meal for us, then the girls of the village danced in traditional outfits, and we finished off by all dancing together. There was so much joy it was so amazing.
The finished bathroom house, all painted thanks to the helping hands of the kids!
It's very hard to put into words how incredible this experience was, I don't want to sound cliché or anything but honestly this volunteer and teaching experience in Ecuador was life changing. Honestly traveling like this (volunteering and giving back) it changes you, makes you appreciate every little thing you have and makes you really just fall in love with the simple things in life....like a hot shower or clean water. The children make everything worth it as well, seeing how eager and happy they are ...it really just brings you so much joy.
All smiles
Ecuador has also taught me to push outside of my comfort zone, which I think is incredibly important that we all learn to break free from our shells. Oh also, haha, it has given me the travel bug and sparked something deep down to continue travelling and learning from others. I'm very grateful to have been able to volunteer and teach in Ecuador. There's just no correct words to truly express how incredible this experience was, and how much I have grown from it. I think it's really just something you must do for yourself because everyone will have their own unique journey that they will experience through volunteering abroad, and I promise you that you'll never regret it... if anything you will regret not doing it... that's another thing I've learned haha live with no regrets:)
Happy Adventuring
Jumping outside comfort zones #noregrets