So much has happened in the past few days that I feel a gallery of photos would better express my excitement for the wonders that I had the privilege of beholding. The enormous Palacio Real (ironically, the king and queen do not live here), the beautiful and monumental Almudena Cathedral where the current king and queen of Spain held their wedding, the awe-inspiring Madrid town hall (El Ayuntamiento de Madrid), and the oldest restaurant in the world (el Restaurante Botín, which was founded in 1725) are just a few of the sights that made me beam with life.
I began dreaming of my college study abroad semester pretty early on in my high school Spanish classes (what else would have motivated me to get through all those “preterite versus imperfect” lectures?). During Hope prospective student visit days, I sat front row at every off-campus study info session, stored away all the pamphlets, and talked to countless students about their experiences abroad. When I arrived at Hope in Fall 2014, I plotted out my 4-Year Plan based entirely upon my semester abroad. However, when it came time to actually make the plans a reality, fear and anxiety crept in. It wasn’t that I lost the desire to go abroad, but rather that I didn’t want to leave Hope for a semester.
Clearly, events occurred that changed my mind, because here I am writing from Chile. I can confidently say that I am exactly where I am supposed to be– being challenged, humbled, and left in wonder by this new home of mine. However, I will break the myth that every day abroad is as much of an adventure as an Instagram picture or blog post may convey.
This past weekend at Hope was Orientation Weekend. Having been a part of the Orientation Staff for the past two years and loving freshman orientation myself, it has been incredibly difficult to miss out on the best weekend of the year. Flipping through all the Instagrams and Snapchats, the reality hits that life goes on without you. When your friends are all moving in together and reuniting after summers apart, you’re not a part of the group texts to meet up at New Holland, Captain Sundae, or a Lake Michigan sunset. No matter how much we glorify FaceTime and Skype to keep us connected, nothing adequately compensates for the 10,000 miles of distance that exists.
Amidst the FOMO, I am reminded of the gift it is to have a place and people to miss. I would not trade this adventure abroad for anything– even for my long-awaited senior year fall semester at Hope. As I write this, I fear that this is just the beginning of the FOMO. There will be an abundance of things to miss out on, and plenty more anticlimactic days abroad. However, when I allow myself to sit in that ache to be with the people that know me the best and in the place that I feel the most at home, I am grateful to carry that sense of belonging with me. Best of all, it’s what will welcome me home in just a few months!
It felt like love at first flight when I first landed in Madrid. My first time being outside of the continent of North America gave me unbearable happiness. I could not help but release some of this joy through expressive eyebrow raising, dramatic gasps, and oh-my-goshes as I watched my dream unfold before me. While everyone seemed to stay calm around me in the airport, on the bus to the CIEE office, and in the public squares, I was bouncing with anticipation. I felt like a child overflowing with innocent God-given wonder. The friendly Spanish people were not hesitant to sit next to me, a stranger, nor were they too reserved to happily answered my questions as I ordered tapas. I felt very free. I felt so free that I got lost on my way back to my lovely home-stay! I took that time to ask for directions in Spanish, to sight-see, and to act like a local. It feels like I am falling in love with Madrid already, and I have only been here one day!
As mentioned in my first blog, I had been planning on filming a documentary for months and had many difficulties such as lack of money for equipment (tripod, camera and lenses) and losing my iPhone 7 that had taken the majority of my shots. Despite these set backs, I was able to produce something that really captured the emotions and experience I had abroad. Thanks to the help of a classmate who helped co-direct and write the documentary, Kyle Arnold, we were able to submit it for the IES Abroad film festival. The message that it carries is simple:
We always talk about the glamour of study abroad, but once abroad we find out that it is only a façade; about how often times, on the Instagram post, it looks as if we are having the times of our lives, but really behind the camera is a lonely traveler much more lost than clear about what he or she is doing. We are left to our own thoughts as we constantly question our own selves. Why am I even here? Will this help me decide my major? What will I do after? These questions eat at us and often go unanswered even as we return abroad; however, there is some solace in that. While we believe we are alone, we have never been alone. It is solitude that joins and accompanies us in our most isolated moments. I hope you who are reading this and are hoping to study abroad or are already studying abroad know that it is okay to be alone, because when you are abroad this solitude is the greatest teacher of your time away from all that is familiar to you.
This video was inspired by the solitude that I often felt during my study abroad program. From the first day of my stay in Santiago, I really felt that I was leaving a lot home: people that I loved and everything familiar to me. But it wasn’t that I missed home that made this solitude, it was that I struggled to find a home a way from home in Santiago. Immersing myself into the culture and finding Chilean friends was always a difficulty because everyone seemed to have their own schedule and meeting up in the city often times hours across it was always a barrier to making strong friendships. At first, I saw this struggle negatively but as time went on, I began to embrace this solitude and take advantage of it. So I used it to get to know my own self and really challenge myself. In this solitude I discovered many things that I would not have about myself if I had had the distractions of those who are very dear and familiar to me. I needed to be uncomfortable and I needed to grow.
Saturday morning started like any other would in the driest desert in the world. Yes, I was in the Atacama Desert of San Pedro. It was as if the desert had a thirst so severe that could never be quenched even by its recent heavy rains. Its travelers feel the same as water is hard to come by if you aren’t in its main pueblo, San Pedro de Atacama. If the aridness wasn’t enough to make you fatigued from thirst, its high altitude would sure make you winded and short of breath as it made me on my ill-advised biking exodus on that eventful Saturday. So let’s begin my journey at 7:00 am when I woke up that morning.
7:00am – Alarm blares loudly on top of the night stand below me by the lower lower bunk in my two bunk bed hostel. Disoriented and unable to see, I stumble down my bunk and turn off my the alarm jamming my finger all over the screen until I diffuse its annoying ring. Remembering what I had woken up so early for, I quickly get ready and quietly walk out the hostel room so as to not wake up my friends sleeping. Still moving at a slow pace, I was not dressed until 7:30 am and I was out the door by around 7:50 am with my bike that was rented out until 1:00 pm that day. So, the idea was that I would be finished with my biking route at Catarpe park by 11:00 am with time to arrive back at the pueblo and return the bike and make it back for my next tour to Valle de la Luna. So according to the map, it would take me about about 3 hours to visit Pukara de Quitor and about 2 hours to visit Petrogupos 8 km north from the entrance. But my time estimations were completely wrong. I was barely able to get back on time.
Rough map of Catarpe park drawn for me by my hostel host
Pukara Quitor
Túnel
Quebrada Chulacro
Tambo de Catarpe
Capilla San Isidro
Cuchabarche
Petrogupos
So I started biking that morning, heading for Catarpe park and the very first thing I was greeted by were a flock of sheep following a man on a horse.
He greeted me with a nod and I biked in front of them. And so I continued for a brief 30 minutes until I found a fork in the road. At the fork, there were signs to head to either “el Tunel” (tunnel) or towards the chapel. So caught in between heading towards the tunnel towards the Wide Rock or Piedra de Anchos and headed towards the Saint Isidro chapel (Capilla San Isidro). And so there, my real journey began. After I followed that path, I ran into what looked like a red chasm. My curiosity peaked as I though this was the tunnel but I would later find out that it was not. At this point, the soil began to turn powdery and I was surrounded by tall red walls. Suddenly, I heard galloping noises in the distance and I scurried off my bike to find the source of the noise to encounter 4 horsemen. After taking a brief snack break, I jumped back on my rented bike to catch up with them but just as I began continuing my journey the steepness of the path began to dramatically increase making the biking unreasonably difficult so I decided that I would go on foot until I found the tunnel. Given how exhausted I was, I decided to leave my bike and lock it to the rock as I was not sure if I would encounter more steep trekking. After clearing the long dark tunnel, I see a large opening that took me about 2 hours to clear and finally find the Wide Rock which was just as underwhelming as it sounds. Disappointed by this landmark, I continued walking north until I found another opening that allowed me to see a freeway in the distance with moving dots distorted by the sun. Around me, I also found destroyed Chilean PDI police cars that seemed to have been blown up. Although wanting to continue, I decided to head back as I had a scheduled a tour to make it to. After returning to the Wide Rock the opening looked completely different and in a matter of minutes I was lost.
After frantically looking for the path I took, I found a man striding speedily in the distance with a hiking stick. He had been moving so fast that I thought that he had been going at a biking speed. Afraid that I would get lost without his help, I ran has fast as I could to catch up with him. He stops as I he hears me yell for his attention and looks shocked to find another traveler on his path. He welcomed me with a hearty handshake and invited me to walk with him. As we begin walking he begins to tell me his life story, beginning with telling me that his name was Hugo and that he was lost as well. He was on his way to Alaska from the south of Argentina as a year journey and sabbatical from his life as a video-gamer in Spain. He said he was tired of his life as a gamer and wanted to pursue adventure and take advantage of his youth. He had a cheap budget that consisted of spending a few dollars a day on yogurt, water, and ham and cheese sandwiches and was hoping to make it last for the entire trip towards Alaska. I told him about my reasoning for being in San Pedro and explained that I was studying abroad and that I wanted to go on one last trip. And so, we continued talking for the next few hours until we began to find ourselves even more lost.
Certain that we could find the way back to the tunnel, we were even more lost within an hour so we tried several times to climb up higher points to scope out any other travelers. Luckily, we found something in the distance on a high path. Shouting loud for help, it stopped moving. Jumping down from where we saw it, we ran up to whom we found out to be be a traveling woman. It was my hostel host. I could not have been so relieved and surprised. Calling out my name before I could make out her identity she asked if I was lost. I answered with little breath, yes and that I needed to take Hugo to the tunnel and she just pointed to her right as the tunnel was sitting right below us. And that is how I was saved from desertion in the desert.
I am so ready to leave for Dublin, approximately a week and a half away from September 3rd. This is my first time traveling out of the country and I am looking forward to two things especially: meeting new people, and immersing myself in the Irish Culture. I am also looking forward to seeing the sights of the beautiful Irish Hills and the scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean nearby. 10 days is all that separates me from my journey into a new Culture and a new World.
And I could not be more excited to meet my roommates and move into my new apartment! We received our roommate assignments about two weeks ago. I am assigned to a one bedroom apartment with two girls from other colleges around the country. Now, I knowwhat you are thinking… “One bedroom!? For three girls!?” These were some of my first thoughts as well.
After reaching out to the apartment’s manager, I became more at ease. She informed us that we will have three dorm-sized beds placed in the bedroom. The bedroom has a walk-in closet and a full sized bathroom attached. Down the hallway is our living room (which doubles as our dining room). Lastly, we have a compact kitchen stocked with a dorm-sized fridge, oven, dishwasher, sink, and cabinets! Needless to say, I cannot wait to show you my apartment.
My roommates and I connected on Facebook Messenger. Although we haven’t met, these girls are going to make Chicago more fun than I ever thought possible! Together, we decided to create a spreadsheet for items that we are all bringing to the apartment. I highly recommend creating a spreadsheet similar to this one. This way, we don’t accidentally bring too many pots or pans!
Here is a clip of what we are bringing to the apartment!
The weeks leading up to this semester have been both crazy and satisfying. There were a few weeks where I wasn’t sure if expenses would work out. Paying for things like internet and meals for 16 weeks felt a little overwhelming to say the least.
That being said, these weeks have led me to further understand God’s control of my life. As I experience the exciting challenges of this semester, I know that my reliance on God will produce results I never could have imagined for myself.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
My host mom has a Spanish-English Bible, which I think is great. But the translation is definitely more old-fashioned than what I usually use.
If you know my personality, you know that I am often a better listener than talker. I’m slow to contribute to conversations, and it seems like when I do speak, my words come out jumbled.
In Spanish, this is ten times worse.
Especially at the beginning of my time here, I was often frustrated by my inability to express exactly what’s on my mind. I forget words like cuchillo (knife), bolsillo (pocket), and silla (chair), and realized I never learned how to say “spill” or “hip.”
When it comes to Latin American poetry, though, my vocabulary is impressive. The words you learn in Spanish class (like dictatorship, military coup, and communism) don’t come up in daily conversation as much, however.
Oddly, I’ve come to appreciate the limits of my Spanish. I’ve also come up with strategies to get around them. But, you know what, listening is an important skill. James tells us to practice listening and practice being slow to speak.
I came to Chile not knowing anything about the culture. Sure, I read up on some history, but I still have a ton to soak up. Which is why I need to listen to people and hear their perspectives. Luckily, Chileans are buenos para hablar– they’ll talk your ear off.
A candid taken at my weekly Bible Study/communidad.
On Wednesday, when that verse from James came up in Bible study, my Chilean hermanos took it as a challenge. For me, I’m already living the challenge. I’m thankful to God for the way He’s using this experience to make me better at listening and forcing me to be even slower to speak. After all, that’s why we have 2 ears and 1 mouth.
I’m a bad vegetarian. I’m not Catholic, but I’m feeling a need to confess.
This last month here in Chile has really tested my commitment to my self-imposed dietary guidelines, and truth be told, they haven’t stood up to the test. I have three (kinda funny) examples of the challenges of being a vegetarian while traveling. Ready? Here we go.
Sushi. (Or as Chileans call it, “su-chi.”)
I guess I’m not the strictest vegetarian to begin with because I’m ok with eating fish. Especially here, in a seaport town, I’m not opposed to a little fresh salmon or ceviche. So, when my host aunt/sister Flo texted me that she was gonna order in sushi for our anime night, I was all in.
“Go for it,” I told her. “I’ll get you back.”
It didn’t even occur to me to mention that I was a vegetarian (or pescatarian). What more is in sushi than a little bit of fish?
Apparently chicken.
In Chile, it’s common to have sushi with chicken or pork. Flo ordered us “handrolls” which had cream cheese, avocado, and a few massive hunks of chicken, all wrapped in rice and seaweed. It wasn’t even cut up in little slices, which I thought was funny. That’s the most distinctive thing about sushi, right?
This isn’t THE handroll that confused me on anime night, but it’s a pretty good example of what sushi in Chile is like.
That, and the fish.
I felt bad when I realized what had happened. And I was too hungry to make a fuss about a little bit of chicken, not when she had ordered me some yummy sushi. So I ate it, and it was good.
Sushi here might not be what I’m used to, but it’s funny. I was glad to have discovered a cultural quirk of Chile. Mixing cultures always ends up being entertaining, and I guess a bit weird.
2. Completos. The Chilean hot dog.
Here’s another cultural mash-up. Imagine an extra-long hot dog slathered with mayonnaise, and topped with an entire avocado, mashed-up of course. Add your typical ketchup and mustard and, if you’re feeling adventurous (or just particularly German), sauerkraut. There you have a completo.
After about two weeks of hearing my gringo friends get excited about this culinary discovery, I was feeling intrigued and interested enough to try a completo for myself. It wasn’t like I went looking for one though. An opportunity fell in my lap one afternoon when I was working on a marine biology project with my Chilean lab group. It was late afternoon, and we were all starving.
Usually in Chile, people eat almuerzo (lunch) at 2 or 3 pm, but once the clock hit 4, we gave up working on our project, resolved to meet another time, and jumped on the bus to Sergio’s favorite completo place. They were really excited for me to try my first completo and since there was a special deal that day (2-for-1) Sergio bought me two, convinced I would love it.
An advertisement for a completo and drink. Only 1700 pesos!
I did.
For a hot dog, it was amazing! A completo is the perfect twist on the American classic. Though I wouldn’t eat it regularly, I’m really glad I tried the completo with my Chilean friends. Since then, I’ve had a couple completos without the hot dog (the meat part isn’t the best anyway), but I don’t regret trying it the authentic way first.
3. An Asado (Barbecue).
Did you know that here, people spend Christmas barbecueing on the beach?! And they’re jealous of us for having snow! Personally, I would trade the freezing Michigan winter for a Christmas asado.
Here, we’re reaching the end of Chilean winter. Which I guess means it’s asado season. My friend Sergio invited me again to try some authentic Chilean meat. And I said yes.
We went to his house in a little beach town about 30 minutes away. Then we started cooking. I loved how everyone got involved in the process, but I felt a little useless because one of the tasks I was given was peeling tomatoes. I had to admit I had never peeled a tomato.
My friend Jean on the beach after our asado.
About 2 hours later, the pinchos were on the grill. I wish I had a picture, because the amount of food there was impressive. And the meat was rico and juicy.
I had at least 7 skewers. Not to mention the multiple salads, soup, rice, and bag of potato chips I munched while waiting for the meat to roast.
On the bus ride home, I had an awful stomachache.
After that pound-of-meat shock to my system, I think I’ve learned my lesson on staying vegetarian. Sometimes it might be worth it to break it, but I think from now on I’ll stick to salads and veggies to keep my tummy happy.
As I blogged in a previous post, I was part of a health-studies clinical observation program as a part of the IES Abroad program. In this program, we have a Medical Spanish course that meets 3 times a week, a biweekly public health seminar course and a weekly field placement.
My field placement was under Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile’s School of Nursing. Initially, I wanted to sign up for public health placement for health education but due to limited spots, I did not get the placement. Luckily, the clinical observations placement that I was put in was much better than I expected. Rather than only shadowing nurses and doctors, we were able to assess several health systems ranging from substance abuse rehabilitation homes to visiting indigenous Mapuche machi (Mapuche healer). It definitely sparked an interest in both medicine and public health for me as it allowed me to even co-write an article on alternative and complementary medicine implementation in Chile’s healthcare system. But if I were to state some of my most impactful experiences of the program, I would say that witnessing my first birth, visiting a Mapuche ruca and a woman’s abuse rehabilitation home, along with watching 4 surgeries in one day were some at the top of the list. To those who are interested in medicine and are hoping to study abroad, I would highly recommend doing this program as it will also give you tools to serve patients in Spanish and gain a global perspective on medicine. Below, I have some miscellaneous videos and photos from the program. For privacy purposes not many could be taken during my experience.
Visiting the Mapuche ruca where we were shown many medicinal herbs that are used to alleviate certain illnesses.Visiting a dialysis clinic. Met a patient that visits clinic for his dialysis regularly and returns home after. Unlike him, many other patients are on dialysis permanently and are unable to leave the clinic.
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