Claudia Berruti was born in the Netherlands, but Italian culture has been important in her life since she was very young due to the influence of her parents: Rita Salvatori and Bruno Berruti, both Italian immigrants who arrived in the Netherlands in the late eighties. Sitting on a wooden bench in the courtyard of a hostel in Quito, Claudia reflects on how wonderful it is to travel and remembers those moments from her childhood when she went on vacation to Paris and Venice.
Q: When did you decide to embark on this journey to Latin America?
A: Since I was a child, I always dreamed of traveling and seeing different places in the world. After completing my studies in international relations at Leiden University in the Netherlands, I decided to embark on this journey to Latin America. First, I was in Colombia and then in Ecuador. This is a country with great cultural diversity, but what attracts me most to Ecuador are its mountains and beaches. The beach I liked the most is Salango, where I was working for a few months.
Q: How do you support yourself financially in another country?
A: Now that I am in Ecuador, I teach Italian classes online to a guy, helping him study grammar and speak the language. I try to give him lessons three times a week. On the other hand, I teach English to some kids at the hostel where I currently live.
Before coming to Latin America, I got a certificate (TOEFL) to be able to teach English professionally, and just over three years ago, I worked as a French and English teacher at a school in the Netherlands for young people between 12 and 18 years old.
Q: Do you engage in any additional economic activity?
A: Before the quarantine, a girl from the hostel and I made empanadas and sold them at cultural events held within the hostel itself, which allowed me to cover my expenses. However, now with the current situation, events are suspended, and I don't have that income anymore. I also learned to make crafts (necklaces, bracelets) with a friend I met on the coast, where I also had the opportunity to do some volunteering.
Q: How do you face the cultural change in another country?
A: The biggest difference I find between Latin America and Europe is safety. In the Netherlands, I could walk calmly without any man harassing me on the street, but now in Ecuador, I have to be vigilant: about not being robbed, about the time, whether it's day or night, which is quite uncomfortable. On the other hand, the machismo that exists in Ecuador is very noticeable, for example, within the hostel where I work and live, guests often do not accept a request or suggestion from me or from the other volunteers in the same way they receive them from men.
Q: What were the biggest challenges you faced during your trip?
A: This is the first trip to Latin America that I have done alone, the biggest obstacle was confronting myself, my fears, and insecurities. Most of the time, this is not easy. However, I have found supportive people in the hostel who have supported me.
Q: How is communication with your family in Europe?
A: Since I was young, I lived alone and my parents were used to not seeing me much, so we talked once a week. Now that I am in Ecuador, it's more or less the same dynamic, when I can, I call them two or three times a week. What I notice now is that I have more contact with my family and friends than when I was in the Netherlands.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: What I had planned for the future was to stay in Ecuador, but my plans fell apart. About two days before the quarantine started, my parents were going to send me some papers to obtain temporary residency in Ecuador. Now I have no idea where those papers are, I don't know if they arrived or not. Also, my sister was going to come to Ecuador in early June, but she will not come anymore due to the situation the world is experiencing. Assuming things improve in the country, I would very much like to stay in Ecuador.
Claudia Berruti bids farewell in the hostel lounge, gives me a smile, and tells me she is happy to share small things about her life, such as being in a city surrounded by mountains, breathing fresh air, being alive, and finally commenting on the atmosphere that exists with the people from the hostel. "One of the things I learned here is that you will always have the support of these people, even if you have problems, so it's a good environment to learn new things".
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