What Sets Us Apart

What makes me different than you? What makes me different than the 16 year old girl who works here on the reserve? Who is to say whether I have 15 sibblings or 2? Who is to say whether I get an education rather than work full time to support my family?

It is hard for me not to ask myself these questions when I meet people like my friend Alex, a young girl who lost her father, has fifteen sibblings, works a full time job and only gets to go to school on Saturdays. Alex is a wonderful girl. She has a sense of humor, an appreciation for nature, she is hard working and eager to learn. She cooks every meal on the reserve, every week day then walks two hours home for the weekend. She gets paid $20 a week.

Our lives are practically opposite yet we as individuals are very similar. The only major difference between us lies in the opportunites we have, a direct result of the environment that we grew up in.

When Ecuadorians ask me what I am doing in the country, “Tourist? Student? Work?” it is hard for me to explain that I am here to travel. The response I consistently get is pure shock.

“How do you have enough money? How do you have enough time? Are you here by yourself?”

“yeah...” I explain “I am kinda just here to travel and experience new things. I am taking a year off from school.”

The fact that I have the opportunity to just come here is incredible. Unimaginable for most of the people who live here. And the reason that I am able to do so? The reason that I have this opportunity as well as all the other opportunites I have?

That´s simple. I was born in the United States. I was born into the family that I am so grateful to be a part of.

That´s the ONLY thing that seperates me from Alex.

Place of origin.