I’ve learned that I’m a pretty task-oriented person. If you would have asked me before I came here, though, I would have said that I appreciate the journey. However, even thinking in terms of a journey implies that there is a direction and a destination. That’s different than simply being present. In Chile, people are …
Tag Archives: South America
Surprise! Congratulations! We’ll miss you!
Last night I walked in on a bridal shower/going away party. Honestly, I had no idea my host mom was hosting one. I just had finished making the long trek up the hill to our house and, worn out from my first day of classes, I was looking forward to relaxing on the couch in …
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Disfruta el momento
The closest translation Spanish has for “carpe diem” is “disfruta el momento.” Back at Hope, my friends and I tend to throw around “carpe diem” pretty often, but more as a joke or a dare than an actual mantra. However, since being in Chile, I have learned that “disfruta el momento” is more so a way …
Mi Familia Anfitriona (Host Family)
When looking at the various options for study abroad, I always knew I wanted to do a homestay. However, I did not realize how pivotal this decision would be until actually being 10,000 miles from my own home and family! Here’s a little look into my homestay in Santiago, Chile. Mi mamá lives in an …
Faithfulness and Ebenezers
Back home I have a rock that sits on my bedside table. Written on it is the word “faithfulness.” My rock’s role is to remind me of God’s faithfulness. Though I didn’t really intend this, that rock has become my Ebenezer. In the Bible, an Ebenezer is a physical representation of God’s goodness to remind …
Yeah, I can do this
As I brought my luggage to the bus, where the other students were waiting, the mountains greeted me like an old friend. I thought, “yeah, I can do this.” A few minutes later, I panicked, the scene on the bus like a flashback to middle school. Where do I sit? Who looks friendly? Can I …
My Pluscuamperfectos: Si Hubiera… “If I Had…”
So one of the tenses a Spanish student will learn is called the Pluscuamperfecto which is as complicated as it sounds. The structure of this tense usually requires that the user use the past perfect tense in the first clause (I would have…) followed by a conditional perfect tense in the second clause (If I …
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Chiloe Made Me Fall in Love with Nature
Before you begin reading, I invite you watch this video first. It better explains the title than what I have written below. I always say that a video speaks a million words. I must say that I have always appreciated nature but never was really enchanted as I was by it when I filmed this …
The End!
And just like that my semester abroad is coming to a close. In nine days I’ll be sitting in my house in Geneva, Illinois with my family who I haven’t seen for four and a half months. The best word to describe how I’m feeling at this point is content. I’m happy in Ecuador and …
Resorts, Rest, and Realizations
After all of the adventures that I’ve been on this semester, from snorkeling with sharks to hiking a volcano to bungee jumping, it was okay with me this weekend when we decided to take a break and have a relaxing getaway. This weekend we went to a town called Papallacta which is located in the …
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