Chau Chile

Presentations have been given, papers have been handed in, tests have been taken and somehow, just like that, my semester studying abroad in the wonderful land of Chile has come and gone.

I just got back from my last study abroad seminar class at the end of which our director brought almost all of us to tears. Vilma has led many study abroad programs and thinks that this may be one of her last but she’s at peace with that because she said if her travels end with us then she can say she quit while she was ahead. She said she was so proud of how well we took care of each other and how open we were to everything Viña had in store for us. She has been an incredible pillar of strength and support for all of us but to hear we were the same for left us all a little chocked up. She gave each of us a hug, told us she loved us and asked that we not forget her when we find our “fame and fortune.” A group hug ensued and more tears as we bid each other adieu before heading out on our travels. We haven't been apart much at all this semester so it's bizarre to think that I won't see some of them until January.  

My last night in Viña could not have given me better closure. I helped my host mom and sister put up the Christmas tree and then we had probably the best meal I’ve had in Chile. My host dad grilled some awesome steak and bought spicy brown mustard for it, which is easily one of my favorite condiments. My host parents talked about their impressions of me my first couple weeks here and described the look of shear terror on my face every time they tried to talk to me. They congratulated me on how far my language has come and thanked me for being a part of their family when in all reality, it is I who owe them all the thanks in the world. While I had my moments of frustration in my home stay this semester I could never express my gratitude to them for taking me into their home, welcoming me into their family and sharing some great laughs with me in the last 4 months. 

After dinner I met friends at the bar that we went to our first weekend here. We did some serious reminiscing, sang some karaoke and commiserated about how much more packing was waiting for us. On my last walk home, an overwhelming awareness for how blessed I am to have had this time abroad hit me. While it feels like I was packing for Chile last week, when I take the time to realize how much I have experienced and learned this semester it feels like I’ve been gone forever.  I wouldn’t trade my time in Chile for anything and know that the memories will truly last a lifetime.

In a few hours I will be boarding a bus to the airport in Santiago to begin a journey that I have been looking forward to for months. When I was accepted into the Chile program I vowed I wouldn’t leave South America until I saw Machu Picchu, well, I’ll be there on Saturday. In the next 2 weeks I will also get to see the Sacred Valley, Cusco, Lake Titicaca and La Paz before returning back to Chile for 24 hours to grab the rest of my stuff and then I will be on my way home. I am thrilled beyond words to see my family and friends that I’ve missed dearly during my time abroad but I'm also pretty pumped for my trip with friends that I honestly didn't know before all of this happened.

I want to thank all of you that have followed me on my grand Chilean adventure and that have calmed my mom down during her moments of panic, you da best. I’ll probably post about my trip once I’m home so check back in a couple weeks for pictures of Peru and Bolivia if you’re interested!

All my love and cariño,

Mackenzie