Monday, July 1, 2013

373 Days

On June 23rd 2012 I said goodbye to my family, friends, and country for my year in Chile. I remember landing in Santiago feeling in a daze, just going through customs and finding a shuttle to get into the city. From that day on there was never a dull experience...
It is a bit overwhelming to think about all that can happen in a year when you put yourself into a completely new setting. Your adjust your comfort zone if you step out of it enough times. There was certainly a lot of stepping out first semester. For one thing navigating a spanish speaking country, even more a country where the spanish is so unique that they dubb it "Chileno" is a frustrating yet ultimately rewarding challenge. I will never forget  one of the first meals with my host family when my host mom asked if I wanted marrow and I was completely lost as to what that was until she enunciated máS arroZ (more rice)...for a while it was moments like this that left me frustrated with Chilean spanish. With time I've come to really enjoy it...the "po" splashed at the end of some words, the funny slang, and the constant swallowing of consonants. Some Chileans will tell you they speak terribly, but I beg to differ. I'm proud to say I speak "Chileno." Another experience was finding a new group of friends, something I hadn't had to do since freshmen year of college. I found comfort in the forty or so people in my study abroad group, and a handful of them I got really close to. Through our travels throughout Chile and random adventures in Santiago we bonded. And travel I did...I had the amazing opportunity to see much of what Chile has to offer. I have literally explored Chile north to south, from Arica to Punta Arenas.
In between semesters I was lucky enough to have three of my family members visit. My sister and I shared an unforgettable adventure in Peru and a once in a lifetime experience Couchsurfing in  Valparaiso for New Years. With my Dad, I was able to experience the beauty of Torres del Paine National Park on a ten-day trek. Finally, my Mom came and although our time together was only a week we shared just as many memories as the other visits. I was able to introduce her to my Chilean family I met in Maintencillo doing help exchange. When I lived with this family my spanish skills did not only improve drastically compared to the semester before (2 weeks of pure spanish does wonders), but I formed a bond with them that will last a lifetime.
Second semester brought a new, yet rewarding set of challenges. Many of the friends I made in my program had left after one semester. This forced me to obtain a new level of independence I had not achieved the previous semester. I moved out of my homestay and found a house to share with other international students, which gave me the opportunity to connect with both people outside of my country and Chile. I also got more involved in my host university by joining the Activities Commission of a volunteer organization I had participated in over summer. For the first time I was the only foreigner in a room full of Chileans, something that I had never truly experienced first semester.
I want to finish this post by answering the two most common questions I have been asked here. First, many Chileans will ask me "Viniste sola? (Did you come alone?)" I find myself answering that question with a "yes...but" and soon I launch into an explanation that although I technically came alone, that solitarily was quickly erased.I have made friendships, some lasting and perhaps some not but both worth making. Even the strangers I come across briefly can bring comfort, such as the elderly man who walked me to where I needed to go one of my first days in Chile as I navigated the streets of Santiago in a panic. So maybe I didn't have the comfort of family and friends I had been with for years, but there was never a moment I felt alone. It just goes to show no matter where you are in the world there are more people looking out for you than you think. And that becomes the answer to the other big question... "Por qué Chile? (Why Chile?)." Of course I had the prepared response of bettering my spanish, experiencing a new culture,etc. That's a given. But the true response is the fact that I have made important connections in a foreign environment heightens their significance. I have had to overcome language barriers,cultural mishaps, and reconsiderations of my personal values. In the end I leave calling Chile my second home.
See you July 3rd La Crescenta! Y Chile...¡nos vemos más pronto que tarde!