When considering the content for my first blog post, I thought topics would range from my preparations for a semester abroad to the combined nervousness/excitement that accompanied the days leading up to my departure. How shocking that I find the theme to be a massive change mere weeks before my flight to Ecuador. For those unaware, the country I had initially chosen for a semester abroad was Ecuador, where I would study development, politics, and language. In light of the political turmoil that has been brewing within the country, a decision was made to withdraw approval for participation in the program.

Honestly, I was less surprised than I thought when I got word of the decision. Though I had been preparing for Ecuador for months on end, the local newspapers I would peruse and articles posted online suggested a burgeoning undercurrent of political tension and, at times, violence. When a story about a Guayaquil television station being taken over by a group of armed men made national news in the United States, I knew it was unlikely all my planning would come to fruition.

I can’t help but ponder over the situation in Ecuador (I am a politics major, after all). There is a complex relationship between power, violence, and the conditions that drive people to fight. The fear that replaces whatever sense of safety is maintained through legitimized sovereignty creates an environment where history rears its head as citizens look toward the future. Looking back on my public school education, I find myself disappointed at the abysmal exclusion of South American history within the curriculum. During middle school and high school, my understanding of South American history started and essentially ended with the arrival of Columbus and the conquistadors. Why does the United States have such a penchant for relegating evolving histories of other (non-Western) countries to a few lines in a history textbook?

With that being said, I was fortunate enough to secure a spot in a different SIT South American program. This spring, I will be in Argentina studying social movements and human rights issues, primarily in Buenos Aires. My departure date has shifted dramatically as I am now scheduled to leave for Argentina in mid February. I am quite relieved to have a chance to readjust to the massive change and prepare to temporarily inhabit an entirely different country. Though I am reeling at all the seemingly last minute changes, I am thrilled to still have the privilege of spending a semester abroad. ¡Estoy muy emocionada por mi nuevo viaje!