Happy Travel Tuesday! Today we’re featuring Jayson from Utah, who writes a guest post about his host family in Ecuador. Thank you, Jayson, for sharing your experience with us!

Every year since I understood the concept of Christmas, there has been “a brother” at the top of my list. Call my parents, ask them; they’ll tell you. I’d like to personally thank Santa Claus or whoever made this happen. Because for the past month and a half, I have lived with two brothers.

The male companionship that I have gotten from these guys is something that I will remember for the rest of my life! I am so thankful and appreciative to call them brothers. Above we have Joao who is 15 years old and below, Tayron who is 22 years old. My sister Nahomy is 13 years old too.

For my foreign exchange, I knew that the family I was to receive was going to make or break my experience. I’m so glad to report to everyone back home, that these guys are just about everything I was looking for!! Each day I am surprised by how well they treat me. I have no idea how they adopted me into their home so quickly, as if I was one of their own. It is normal of the culture here in Ecuador for the mothers to do everything for their kids. At the beginning, it was a little weird having a lady cook me every meal. She washes my clothes everyday and hangs them on the wire to dry. Again, my underwear up for everyone to see was a little weird but these are the ways that the mothers show how that they care for their children! Rosio wakes up at 5 a.m. each morning to cook breakfast and lunch for us for the day to follow. I have no idea how she does it but I am sure to take every chance I get to say thank you.

The little girl in the photo above is my cousin Samantha. She’s three years old and incredibly smart. She speaks like a woman and might be the cutest thing on this earth. She does a great job of living up to her nickname “El teremoto” meaning the earthquake.

Another special relationship that I have developed is with my grandparents here, specifically my grandma. Each day at 6 a.m., I walk to her house and drink coffee with her before school. She’s something like 80 years old but still somehow manages to dance while cooking, no matter how early or late it is. We also go every Sunday to the market to grocery shop for her week ahead. I carry her bags because she struggles with them at times.

I am so excited to spend 8 more months with these guys. I don’t think there is a family in Ecuador that would fit me better!

Are you an American high school student ready for an international adventure? Check out our exchange opportunities and learn more about ways you can travel the world, experience a new culture, and improve your foreign language skills. Whether you’re interested in studying at a high school abroad for a full academic year or semester, spending the summer brushing up on your skills in an intensive language immersion program, or making a difference volunteering abroad, we have the perfect program for you. Visit aspectfoundation.org/study-abroad to learn more about our programs!