I’ve been abroad for approximately 7 weeks now, and during my time here I have had many instances of culture shock and difficult lessons to learn. I’ve traveled a good bit up to this point in my life, and I’ve always liked to see how different countries handle day to day living, but I’ve never been in another country long enough to have to adapt to a different way of life. Here in Chile, things have been very different from what I’m used to in my hometown and in Charleston. Santiago is a metropolitan city that relies heavily on public transportation to get around the city and surrounding neighborhoods, so everyday, I have a 40 minute commute by metro to and from my host family’s house. Additionally, there is a language barrier for me even though I can speak Spanish. During my time here I have gotten frustrated with my lack of knowledge of the Spanish language because I’m realizing how little I actually know about the language, especially with all of the nuances of Chilean Spanish. I am learning a lot though; I have already noticed that my Spanish has improved as well as my confidence and the ease in which I speak the language. 

While I’ve been here, I have experienced the Chilean Independence Day and was able to enjoy all of the festivity of their “Fiestas Patrias” week. During the week of their independence day, the university was closed for holiday, so I took advantage of the holiday week to travel to the beach city of Valparaíso for a weekend. The city is known for its beaches and the street murals that paint the city. It was nice to get out of the big city and see the way chileans live on a smaller and more intimate scale. When I returned to Santiago later that week, I was able to go to a fonda to celebrate Fiestas Patrias. A fonda for chileans is basically a big party with food, drinks, games and time spent with family and friends. The fonda that my friends and I went to was in the National Stadium and reminded me of the state fair minus the big rides. We enjoyed churros, music and saw some traditional dances at the fonda. It was really cool to be able to experience such a big holiday while I was in Chile. 

While it has been fun here, I have experienced feelings of homesickness and a general frustration of not feeling like I’ve been able to communicate well with the chileans, but all of my professors and my host mom have been extremely patient and helpful in helping me adjust to the culture here and I’m very thankful for them and for the opportunities I have here.