Bye For Now, Chile

On the day of our departure from my now favorite Latin American country of Chile, I still had some business to take care of. We rose early in the morning to gather up the troops to head down to the beach of Vina del Mar for one last experience. On our way, we grabbed some needed last soveniers along the way as reminders of the great time we had and to remind us of the culture of these great people whom welcomed us into the country. We finished our tourism part of the morning to fetch our final lunch to remind us of the country. For me it was a last meal of empanadas. We went to the restaurant we had grown familiar with for the last group meal in Chile. Reluctantly, we slunked back to Hotel America to say goodbye to the place we called home as we gathered up our belonings and frantically packed everything away. A few of the host students came to see us off. It was a heart-wrenching good-bye to the people who were so welcoming into their country. We had grown close to these people over the past two weeks, while they were our embassadors about their country's culture and first amigos in a new land. Everyone watched as the bus drove off from our Chilean home and family. Then it was real as we arrived at the Santiago airport, which previously only meant excitement and anticipation for me. Now it was a symbol of the end of the course. Everything worked out on the flights home. I was glad to be home, but a part of me will always be in Chile and I made sure that I brought a little of Chile back with me to hold on to forever (metaphorically speaking, U.S customs officers). Reflecting on the last two weeks, it was the richest learning experience I could ever ask for over a two week period, and has inspired me to learn so much more about the cultures of the world. Hopefully, I can fulfill that desire. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading about my study abroad experiences a fraction as much as I enjoyed being part of them.