Hello all, it is finally springtime, I thought the cold would never end! I technically had two winters, coming from winter in the U.S. But the weather has finally decided to warm up and flowers have started blooming which has been a nice change despite the horribly hot and miserable bus and metro trips. So, I've realized that it has been about 3 whole months since I've been here in Chile!! Sometimes it seems like it has flown by so fast and others that it has really been a long 3 months. I'm pretty sure this is the longest time I have gone without being home, and without seeing my family and I know it will just continue, even though I am going to see my mom in about 3 weeks! I decided to write this post tonight, because it seems that all of my previous post have been about all the new things, exciting adventures and travels, and all the crazy and fun things I've been doing. I decided to write this post now, to show you it is not always all about the new things, the traveling, and the adventures. Eventually things start to settle in, a routine is formed and here I am on a tuesday night dreading my quiz and super long day I have tomorrow with a class that I don't particularly enjoy for 4 hours and my internship (that I have to travel over an hour and a half to) immediately after. I wouldn't say I've necessarily been homesick, but there have been times when I have been sitting around, missing my parents, my brother, seeing the rest of my family at events and such, as well as my friends that I am used to seeing and talking to a lot. I know that there is no where else I'd rather be but here right now, in Chile, having this experience, but these days are bound to come around, as they always do, when I'm just in a "funk."
It is so interesting being here in Chile for me. I have learned so much about South America, that I would have never learned in a textbook or from taking a class. You can really learn a lot spending time somewhere, living with natives, taking classes with the students, and immersing your self in the everyday life. I guess this is one reason why I particularly wanted to stay the entire year, because I see the potential for how much can be learned after you get past the "tourist" phase where everything is new and foreign. My friends from California have helped be so much to become comfortable here and supported me when I felt lonely or when I needed a piece of home. I spend a lot of time with them and am creating strong friendships with them. I started to feel nervous or anxious for when they leave, and I am still here, but I also think it is a good thing, cause after the 6 months I will be more comfortable here with the language, the culture, and more prepared to really make friends in Chile and establish myself here. In addition to getting more from my classes from having more experience with reading, understanding lectures, and writing. I have been asked by many different people, "why did you choose to come to chile?" and every time I am asked that question I find myself stuck. I came here because it is somewhere I never imagined myself coming, a place that is different from where I am from, it is a bonus that they speak Spanish and that is what I'm studying, but I came to discover a place I new little about besides the fact that it is a really skinny country in South America. I have come to love and appreciate this country for its uniqueness and the people I've been able to meet who have shown me great hospitality and kindness. The land outside of the city is absolutely beautiful and there is so much to discover. It is interesting for me to compare the US and Chile and see what works and what doesn't work so well in terms of the government and politics, our differences in how we go about certain problems, and how we are dealing with them, sometimes with similar things or other things very distinct and unique to our own country, Something changes in you when you have the opportunity to see another place and how another world functions the good things and the bad from politics and poverty to the norms of families and friendships. You see that all systems have their faults and if it is not one thing then it is another. One last interesting fact I've encountered while here and thought about several times is the people who are born and grow up here are Chilenos. When someone asks me what am I, or where I am from, I am "Estadounidense" or American. In the U.S. someone asks you what ethnicity you are, it suddenly becomes a laundry list of countries where your parents and parents parents are from. I have come more to appreciate the fact that I am an American, and even though we all may have lineage from different places, we all have this one thing that binds us and makes our "American Community" unique and something to fight for and be proud of. Being here has inspired me and made me want to learn more about our country and the problems we face, as well as what I can do to do my part in making our country a better place for all Americans as well as visitors who are trying to learn about our culture and history.
No comments:
Post a Comment