School is different here

School is different here. For example, my art class today was a field trip to the south of Chile. We spent about 9 hours in train, and 3 in bus so we could appreciate a mural painted in the small town of Chillán. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the mural we went to …

Playfair…Seville Style

I thought I’d never say this, but orientation week was a blast! It was no ordinary Playfair where all the freshman students crowd into the Dow Center and do speed dating and ultimate rock, paper, scissors. This was orientation in Spain! The first night here, our guide, Pedro, led me and eight other students along …

Study Off Campus, Do It.

Hey friends, it has been quite some time, and for that I apologize (in hopes that you have actually missed my blog posts). So, let’s catch up. This first month off campus has been a roller-coaster. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I love roller-coasters. I have one piece of advice for …

Ser Poeta

Los poetas odiamos el odio y hacemos guerra a la guerra — Pablo Neruda “Pablo Neruda es un Gran Chileno,” our history professor told us. Looking at his life and his world, I’m convinced. Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet, writer, politician, and professor, but what Chileans love most about him, I think, is his …

First Birth – Appreciation for Life Forever Changed

One of my most impactful moments in Chile was during one of my shadowing shifts in a local hospital. I shadowed an OBGYN in a maternity clinic. Initially, I did not know what to expect but I must say that it was definitely a fast-paced experience. After we were shown around the clinic for a tour, we …

¿Dónde empezar?

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 …

2 ears, 1 mouth

“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 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, …

Health Studies Program in Chile

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 …

Smells of the City

My friend Luisa has a very sensitive nose.  This is one of the first things I learned about her when we met three weeks ago.  She sampled my gnocchi and told me it had hints of sweet potato in it.  I had no idea. Luisa’s nose has come in handy various times, like when we …

Cuidar la Tierra

Last week, when my Chilean family went on a hike with other families from the church, they turned it into a learning experience for everyone about caring for the environment.  It was so sweet how my Chilean parents took it upon themselves to educate people on how to “cuidar la tierra.” One woman, Gloria, who organized the …