Home Away From Home by Gabby Velez

Hello everybody! 

As many of you have read already, you can see that the first week in Concepcion, Chile, has been fantastic! I have participated in this study abroad program before so this is my 2nd time to Concepcion. The week has flown by due to days being filled with school and family time. My family includes Aranxta (my hipster sister), Fernanda (mom), Gustavo(dad), and Abuela (grandma). They have been amazing since the minute my plane touched the ground. They have welcomed me into their home with open arms and lots of yummy food. 

At school I have been placed with Ms. Fabiola who teachers 3rd and 4th grade English, and Ms. Carolina who teaches 1st and 2nd grade Mathematics. They have welcomed me into their classrooms and made me feel very welcome. With the students being so young, there are some language barriers that are difficult, but both teachers have tried to help as much as they can. 

On my first full weekend we traveled to Valdivia which is a small town in the south of Chile. The town is known for its' fishing, German culture, and quaintness. The drive on Friday took about 5 and  half hours, so it wasn't a terribly long drive. We stayed at a friend of my family's apartment which happened to be right in the town square. We were able to get everywhere by walking which was probably my favorite part about the trip. We spent Saturday on my family's boat. 

We took the boat out to a small town with a restaurant that my family frequents during the warm holidays. We brought our own food and the cooks were able to cook it and give it a distinctive taste known to Valdivia. We had yummy chicken, pork, mussels, and sausage. The food was amazing and tasted like nothing I've eaten in the states. 

After we ate, we spent the rest of the day talking and spending time with friends and family. The next day we walked down to the river where there was a fresh food market that had almost any type of fish one could ever want. There were also many different types of vegetables as well as homemade souvenirs. We then spent the rest of the day spending time with friends and then began the trip back home. 

If the rest of my time in Chile is anything like this past weekend, I am in for a great time with yummy food and great people. I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip holds.