Santiago in Summer (Winter, Actually ...) by Mae Condalary

This is my final post for this blog - now that the Chile study abroad trip is over and I'm back home, I find myself missing so much about South America: watching soccer matches, exploring a new culture, and speaking Spanish.  Since leaving Santiago, I've been busy traveling to Argentina, being sick (thanks, food poisoning diet!), and then heading back to vacation in the States.  Needless to say, I feel like I took some of these pictures years ago, and the nostalgia I feel for Chile is alive and well.

Let me start with some highlights from my week in Santiago.  To begin, I got to meet with an amazing family - Pamela, Alfredo, Agustin, Santiago, Catalina, and Eva (the family dog) made me feel like a family friend staying for an extended visit the entire time I was there.  I shared a room with Cata, my Santiago sister, who also became my own personal profesora de español for the week.  

Cata with her guitar

Agustin and Eva

During the week, Pamela, my host mom, took me to Los Dominicos, an old church with a little puebla in the back that doubles as a Chilean artesian craft fair.  We had a great time eating completos and window shopping that day.

Monument in front of Los Dominicos.  See the Spanish-influenced
architecture in the background?

Chilean woodcarver in his element, aka his workshop.
He was a pleasure to speak with!

Sweets stand in Los Dominicos.  He offered traditional Chilean
treats - see those hanging lollipops?

 This last week really flew by - I felt as though I needed three to really get acquainted with Santiago.  I had such a blast exchanging culture, cheering for la roja, and learning Spanish tenses I didn't even know existed before I came.  Oh, and being terrified every time Alfredo scaled the forty-five degree hill that was the driveway in reverse (aka la montaña rusa).

My family, posing with Louisiana Tabasco sauce, haha.
From right: Alfredo, Cata, Agustin, Pamela, Santi

And I haven't even started to describe my new school experience at Southern Cross for this week!   This week I got to experience teaching English at the elementary school level with a great group of fourth graders and their teacher, Miss Gabriela.  I couldn't have asked for a better class and mentor - as a secondary education major, I never thought I'd get to work with students who were actually excited for me to read a book aloud in goofy voices.  I also got to teach the class about hurricanes, Louisiana, English spelling (which is harder than you'd imagine) and how to annunciate the "th" sound in English.

In return, they taught me a ton of Spanish words and threw me the greatest going-away party I think I've ever had, complete with lemon pie, singing, dancing, presentations, and presents!  It was awesome - I tear up a little thinking about it, but I know the class is in good hands with Miss Gabriela.  If you're reading, Miss Gabriela, thank you for allowing me into your classroom for such an amazing experience.

One day, we got off of school early because it snowed outside.
My folks back home in Louisiana couldn't believe it.

Me with the best fourth-grade class in Chile
(for real, they are).

Overall, I'm so glad to have had the chance to study abroad in Chile.  The experience ignited my passion for foreign language - I'm already trying to figure out how to get a Spanish teaching certification - and showed me what it's like to travel outside of my comfort zone.  The risk of leaving the familiar is worth the reward of gaining new knowledge and becoming more conscious of the global community everyone is a part of.  I definitely plan to go back someday, perhaps as an English teacher with my family in tow.  Time will tell.

¡Viva Chile!