I’ve had a great time in Chile. With things wrapping up a bit, I’m reflecting on all the things I’ve done. I have made a lot of decisions since I’ve been here, and not all of them have paid off in the end. So this is my advice to you. These are things I would …
Tag Archives: South America
A letter to the next Host Student
Dear student: ¡Felicitaciones! You got placed with the lovely Laura as your mama this semester. Here are some things that I hope will help you along on your journey with not only this family but also your study abroad experience: Mama is still pretty new to CIEE, so she doesn’t always understand things that go …
Homesickness
It´s incredible what you don’t notice when you are caught up in yourself. I have been feeling a little melancholy recently for two completely opposite reasons: because I am homesick, and because my time in Chile is approaching the end. On the one hand, I am happy to be going home soon; I miss the …
Chiloé
Chiloé was breathtaking, just as I thought it would be. My friend and I caught a bus Monday morning that took us from Pucon down to Puerto Montt, which took about five hours. From there we took a bus to Ancud, a city on the island of Chiloé. The bus actually went onto a boat …
Pucón
This past weekend, my program organized a trip for all of us to a city in southern Chile called Pucón. We’ve been planning this trip for a while, so it was pretty exciting for it to finally arrive. The city is lovely, about 1.5 hours away from the ocean to the west, and 1.5 hours …
San Pedro de Atacama
Sorry about the flood of blog posts, but I was on a vacation, so I didn’t get an opportunity to write earlier! I just got back from San Pedro de Atacama, which is a city in the desert of northern Chile, and wow, I had a blast. Initially I didn’t want to go because I didn’t …
Festival de Mil Tambores
A week ago, I was a part of something awesome! There was a festival called Mil Tambores, or a Thousand Drums. It was a weekend long event, and it was so much fun! It’s been going on for fifteen years, and it’s just a celebration of happiness here in Valparaiso, Chile! Friday there were poetry …
Fiestas Patrias
September 18 and 19, Chile celebrates its Independence. Although most activities really take place on the 18th and 19th, school shut down two days before that, so I did not have class that entire week! It was quite a fun cultural experience. First off, everybody has asados, or “grill-outs,” kind of like Fourth of July …
Fish Fry
On Wednesday, a friend and I went to a fogata, which is Spanish for “bonfire.” The fishermen in Valparaiso put it on once or twice a year. It involves lots of food, a giant fire, and good music. My family told me about it and I wanted to go, so I dragged a friend along. …
Dancing Through Life
Dancing is such a fun activity. It is crazy to think that there is dancing all over the world, and people use it in celebrations, in weddings, in death, and just as a social event. I am not certain how big of a role dancing has played in Chile’s history, but it is playing a …
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