"Summer" Take Two

I'm home for my second summer of the year, though the one in Chile was much sunnier and hotter, all around more summer...ier if you will, but being back in America is great. There are so many things that we take for granted because we don't know a life without them. The simpler the item the easier it is to take for granted and the quicker we realize their absence. Things like free water at restaurants, free refills, free toilet paper and bathrooms, clean air, and a shared language are all examples of things I took for granted that were not a given while I was in South America. On the other hand, there are also things that I miss from the South American lifestyle that I think we may be missing out on such as more walking, fresher foods, and closer family lives.

I'll try to answer some of the common questions I've been asked:

1. What was your favorite part? Well, I loved the food. It was fresh and different even though a lot of the ingredients were the same. I also loved having my room next to the kitchen because I could smell the food cooking. The fresh bread was amazing! My other favorite things were my host family even though the language barrier was a challenge and the mini adventures we had where I got to do things I never imagined I would get to do (such as horseback riding in the Andes Mountains while we were in Mendoza, Argentina for one thing and Machu Picchu for another.)

2. What was your least favorite part? It's not the earthquake as you might think, but what happened after the earthquake. While Chile tried to recover and prevent further damage, our class tried to get back to normal and went back to school the Monday after the earthquake almost as if nothing had happened. This was frustrating for me personally, and I wish we would have done more in the harder hit regions of the country. Though to be fair we did have a lot of work to cover in a condensed amount of time. I also wish I had improved even more on my Spanish while I was down there.

3. Would you do it over again? If there were some significant changes to the program yes, but I think I would definitely study abroad again if I could, but I might do it through a different program. This question kind of goes along with "Are you glad you did it?" It's hard to say. I think I learned a lot through this adventure, but, again, I wish I could have changed some things about the program. I also believe that there is a reason for everything and that God will use the time I spent in South America for his good.

So for all of the people thinking about studying abroad I say do it. Do something outside your comfort zone, try something new, and see the world from a different point of view.

Are there any questions I missed? Please don't hesitate to ask. And thank you to everyone who read my blog, I just wish I could have kept it a little more up to date! Until next time!

-Elyse

PS: Thank you for all of your prayers for Chile and for our team.

PPS: No, Chilean food is not the same as Mexican food. :)