Here we go

Well here it is, the day I’ve been looking forward to for about 6 months. In 12 hours I’ll be rolling up to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport to take off for my semester abroad in Chile! I spent my summer in a lab researching blood development and learning more than I ever needed to know about getting mice pregnant. In my spare time I was studying for the MCAT. But when I spaced out at work or had one of those vivid dreams that you almost can’t remember but you know was so fantastic that you fill in the missing pieces, it was about Chile.

St. Ben’s/St. John’s are very proud of their study abroad programs. You can’t attend a prospective student day on campus without being amazed by a slide show of some of the most beautiful places on earth that Bennies and Johnnies travel to each year. And the parents are comforted hearing that a CSB/SJU faculty member directs each trip and it doesn’t hurt that academic scholarships count abroad too. So when I decided to attend St. Ben’s I just assumed I’d be studying abroad my junior year. It is somewhat special that I can assume such things as a pre-med student since it can be difficult to take time away from science classes and lab time to go gallivanting off around the world but the fact that a semester abroad could be in my plan is something I am very grateful for.  

I have always loved Spanish culture and have enjoyed my Hispanic studies classes at St. Ben’s very much in the past two years so when it came time to apply for a study abroad program I naturally drifted towards the three Spanish programs offered at CSB/SJU; Spain, Guatemala and Chile. I don’t honestly know what drew me to the Chile program but the more I’ve learned about the country in the past few months, the more excited I get for my trip. The city I’ll be living in, Viña del Mar, is right on the ocean and only about an hour and a half drive from Santiago, the capital. I don’t get to spend much time on the beach in Minnesota so I am very much looking forward to spending a lot of time out in the sun and the sand this semester. Valparaíso is right next door to Viña and known for it’s rich culture and awesome history. I’ll be attending classes at the Universidad Adolofo Ibañez, which just opened a brand new campus up on a hill, overlooking much of Viña, and is supposed to be absolutely spectacular. I don’t know how it will compare to the view of the Abbey bell tower and fall colors in Collegeville but I’m sure it will do.

I am so excited to dive head first into this new culture, the deepest part of which will probably be living with my host family. We just received our placements last weekend (cutting it a little close if you ask me but at least I know I have a place to sleep once I get there) and I will spend the semester with a mom and dad and their 10 year old daughter and 2 year old son. As many siblings as I have it’s been a while now since we had a toddler in the house and the more little sisters for me the merrier so I am very much looking forward to meeting them when I arrive in Viña.

But it turns out getting excited for a trip like this and realizing that you’re actually going are two very different things. It has hit me hard a couple times this summer and I have my moments of shear terror. I worry that my host family will pick me up and I won’t be able to spit out a word of Spanish. I’m anxious about navigating the public transportation system. I wonder how I will handle the inevitable homesickness that will set in once all the newness and excitement wear off. I know I am going to miss my friends and family beyond words but I also know that the next four months are going to be some of the best of my life and I have faith this what I’m supposed to be doing right now, which is what I have to remind myself of during the panicky times. I can’t imagine how much I will learn and experience while I’m there and I can’t wait.

So I’ll go to the airport in a few hours with my bags that weigh way too much even though I’m leaving behind several pairs of jeans (ouch), I’ll hug my mom goodbye while most likely bawling my eyes out and I’ll probably get poked and prodded by security because I’ll be so nervous that I forget to take off my belt and I’ll set off the metal detector but after all that I’ll be off on this amazing adventure. I will do my best to keep you all updated as much as I can throughout the whole process.

To everyone I love that I can’t bring with me: be happy, be good, be safe and know that wherever you may be I am thinking about you and praying for you.

All my love,

Mackenzie