Adelante International Internships and Study Abroad

¡Buenaaaas! Life’s good. That catchy slogan that’s made its way onto t-shirts and mugs has also made its way into my daily mindset here in Chile.  Waking up in Viña del Mar, literally translating to ocean vineyard, and working in Valparaíso, whose name derived years back from passengers informing drivers that they wanted to go to paradise, “va al paraíso,” I’ve realized that starting my day by the ocean and spending most of it in so-called paradise leaves next to nothing to complain about.   However,...

Today I went thrifting at a little place called Recicla that's right by the University on Guayaba (esq. Eduardo Acevedo). One shirt for work, one shirt for hanging out, and one sweet spring jacket all for 600 pesos (USD 30). From what I've seen so far in this city, if you want quality/style, it seems like you have to cough up a significant amount of cash since everything is imported. But this place, on the other hand, has great stuff AND you don't have to break the bank!

After my roommates and I went to the morning market at Avecedo Diaz, I decided to try running on the Rambla.  It started out as a run, but seeing how this was the first time I'd exercised in three weeks, that pace didn't last long.   My walk took me all the way along the Rambla to Buceo Harbor, where I climbed out to the end of a jetty and sat for a while watching the sail boats. There were a ton of them that day, since it was the first time we'd had weather that nice in quite a while. On my way back, walking along the Rambla, I passed a couple hundred people in red shirts that said &ld...

These past couple weeks, the introvert that I've secretly longed to be has been thriving.  Tonight is nice example.  Worked two hours later at my internship (because I'm going to be taking off next Monday to have a long weekend to visit Bryn in Cornonilla), came home, sent emails, and ran to the corner market for some tomatoes and tea.  Then Sandra (my Danish housemate) and I took a walk up to the Rambla to watch the sunset.  What a freaking awesome sight that is.  Honestly, it makes living in this city worth it.  And it really makes your day too.  We ambled back home an...

Ahhh, the siesta. That romantic, pastoral image associated with long ago and the ultimate example of a laid back culture. Surely in today’s modern, fast-paced society, full of Blackberry calendars, such a glorious time designated for relaxation couldn’t exist. Oh wait, it does. One of my first questions when I came to Spain was, “So, the siesta…is that actually real?” It may have sounded dumb, but for someone who just chugs another cup of coffee mid-day to keep going, I was looking forward to this possible change of pace. Histo...

Remember those gorgeous Havana beach scenes in the recent James Bond film Die Anther Day? And where Mr. Bond first sees the flawless Halle Berry walking out of the ocean? Well, those famous “Havana” scenes were actually filmed in the equally famous (and beautiful) Cadíz of Southern Spain. The Bond movie didn’t have to go too far to make Cadíz look and feel like Havana, Cuba. The similarities of Havana and Cadíz don’t begin and end with those few scenes. In fact, Cadíz is known as “Little Havana.” And as you walk through Havana...

I sat on a patio ledge near the side of the Alhambra watching my feet dangle off the edge. I was mentally planning a retrieval route in case one of my shoes fell off into the garden below, when my mother came up next to me. “We kinda dropped the ball on this one didn’t we?” I looked past her, squinting in the 11 p.m. darkness, to the jumbled mess of people waiting in a long line outside the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra. “Yeah, we really did. What’s wrong with us?” My mother and I are usually very studious travelers. We don’t over-plan our ...

A typical Spanish eating schedule tends to be much different than the traditional three meals a day in the United States and is usually an hour or two later than other countries in Europe. It took me a little while to adjust to the late-night dinners, but now I don’t think twice about ordering tapas at 10 p.m.! The Spanish breakfast is usually very light, with toast or a ham sandwich (often made with cured Iberian ham, tomatoes and drizzled in olive oil- it’s delicious!) and coffee. This is typically eaten between 7-9 a.m., and sometimes a “second breakfast” or snack...

According to legend, while King Alfonso X traveled through the southern region of Spain, he stopped to rest in a small town in the Andalucian province of Cadíz and ordered a glass of sherry. Cadíz is known to have strong gusty winds throughout the year, so the inn keeper placed a slice of ham over the sherry to prevent it from getting dirty. Upon finishing his drink, King Alfonso X ordered another and this time he specifically requested another tapa or “cover,” to come with it. And there, in a small, dark tavern in the middle of the 1200′s is where ...

According to legend, while King Alfonso X traveled through the southern region of Spain, he stopped to rest in a small town in the Andalucian province of Cadíz and ordered a glass of sherry. Cadíz is known to have strong gusty winds throughout the year, so the inn keeper placed a slice of ham over the sherry to prevent it from getting dirty. Upon finishing his drink, King Alfonso X ordered another and this time he specifically requested another tapa or “cover,” to come with it. And there, in a small, dark tavern in the middle of the 1200′s is wher...