Middlebury School in Chile: Santiago

In the fall of 2022, I attended the Middlebury Schools Abroad program in Santiago de Chile. I lived with a wonderful host family with whom I remain in contact to this day. I made life-long friends and have gone back to Chile since my Middlebury semester to conduct academic research through my university. My time in Chile profoundly impacted me and changed my life for the better. The Middlebury Staff provided me with amazing opportunities, like an internship at a human rights organization. They also helped me enroll in interesting classes at Universidad Alberto Hurtado (i.e., museums of Santiago and their histories, lingüistic anthropology). My classmates were welcoming and excited to have an exchange student in class. It was hard to integrate into social circles at the beginning, but after putting myself out there a lot and asking a bunch of questions (you have to be outgoing), I made great friends. I liked my study-abroad cohort peers a lot, but I was primarily friends with Chilean people I met at school, the skate park, or a cultural event. I didn't really spend time with other Americans, which helped me improve my language skills significantly. The language pledge, which sets Middlebury apart from other study-abroad programs, was also great. Everyone in my cohort got noticeably better at Spanish throughout the program. I really appreciated all of the staff's commitment to helping students learn about Chilean history so that our time abroad was grounded in knowledge of and respect for the place we were living. I wish we had had more cultural outings in Santiago and Valparaiso because I learned a lot from the ones we did have, especially our trip to the national cemetery in Recoleta and the Museo de Memoria y derechos humanos. However, we did get to go on an incredible trip to Torres del Paine in Patagonia! While the academics were engaging, my university spent a lot of time on strike, so I didn't attend as many classes as I usually do in the US. Because of that, school was not the center of my life. I found my friendships, going to skate parks, visiting museums, taking hikes, wandering around the city, etc., to be super fulfilling. Studying abroad can be a lot of fun, but it can also be lonely and challenging. Santiago is a big city, and you have to put in effort to make plans with people to coordinate travel time. Sometimes, I felt isolated because of that. I leaned on my host mom and the program heads for support when I needed it. I loved my study-abroad experience. Shoutout to Juan, Lindsay, and Paulina!

Studying abroad in Chile was a wonderful and eye-opening experience. It was beautiful because I got to meet so many new people and learn so much from different cultural experiences. But it was also challenging in some ways. Going abroad really requires you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with a different environment. It was scary at first, but it's such a fulfilling and exciting experience. After going to Santiago, Chile, I understood the importance of getting out of your bubble and seeing what's out there. I'm so glad I had this opportunity and I would recommend it to everyone!