Throughout the last three weeks, many Chileans asked me what I thought about the school/community/country and how it compared to what I expected. The reality wasn't too different from what I imagined, no shocking surprises or anything, but at the same time it was better than anything I could have ever dreamed of. I thought we would spend more time teaching, or at least in the classrooms, and I wish we could have had way more time doing so... But with the excursions and events going on, we spent a good chunk of our time with the families, CCSP teachers, and each other. As a result, I developed many deep relationships with different people, and our little communities bonded beautifully. There was hardly any drama at all among us and I feel like I pretty much got along with everyone, which is crazy to me because three weeks is long enough to drag out the crazy! We all mostly made close buddies and groups who stuck together, but it wasn't cliquey. In general I'd say we were a pretty close-knit family. I though we would all be completely sick of each other by the end of three weeks, but instead I think we were just beginning to open up to and get to know
one another where we could really bond. I love all of you guys so much and miss everyone already! I hope that we stay in touch and continue to develop these long-lasting relationships for years to come, but I've already learned from and been deeply impacted by every single one of you! 💜💛
One of the deepest and most important relationships I've made has been with my host teacher, Cecilia. We have a lot in common and clicked right away. I jumped right into her classroom environment and co-planning like it was nothing because we vibe so well, and I think she trusted and respected me with her students in a special way. I feel like I gained a life-long friend as well as an awesome mentor, and that definitely caught me by surprise. I didn't expect the teachers of CCSP to respect me and take me in the way that they did, but by the last day I truly felt like I was becoming a part of that family, too. They were very much like, "You're one of us," and "You fit in perfectly here," which are the best comments ever for someone who never feels like they fit in (me). I'm usually not very good at making friends, especially since I'm generally introverted, so I NEEDED that. It feels so good to know that I can move to Chile one day and have a support group of colleague-friends to help me not feel alone like I'm in a strange place.
The deepest love I developed was of course with my host family to the point where I was dreading coming back to Louisiana and I bawled crying in the Concepción airport for an hour. I missed being in my own house with my boyfriend and my autonomy, to where I was just ready to not be a guest in someone else's house anymore. But I also grew to love our routine and I could have spent years bonding with Moira like sisters and best friends. About halfway through the trip I realized that Moira was really becoming one of my best friends (and I told her), and it was very strange to me because she's 7 years younger than me. But age "ain't nothing but a number," Moira is very mature for her age! I've never had the privilege of having a sister, because I have four older brothers, so it was new and strange but I loved every minute of it and I was super bummed that we both got sick the last week and weekend that I was there because I felt like we never got to spend enough time together. We would talk so much while eating or cooking or walking around town and if I wasn't so exhausted at the end of every night we probably could have stayed up all night giggling and bonding, doing stereotypical girl things like face masks or making bracelets. We have so much in common that it's unbelievable and I KNOW that I have gained a life-long friendship out of this experience with Moira. And while I was definitely closer to Moira than anyone else in the family, I
also grew to love her parents. Her dad Mauro (Mauricio) is a professor
at Bio Bio University and he's pretty fluent in English, so we got along right away. We like the same music and he was the perfect goofy stereotypical Dad type. Moira's mom Lilian (Liliana) didn't speak a lick of English, but we still grew VERY close to the point where she was telling me that she loved me and I was her second daughter. I'm sort of a loner and very independent so it was hard for me to let her in as a mother figure, but after I adjusted and we figured each other out a bit more we were able to bond somehow. I LOVED being taken care of and worried about by someone and I was surprised by how much Lilian and I have in common despite the fact that we didn't speak the same languages. But by the end of the trip her English was improving tenfold and they all loved watching me learn Spanish. Her brother Diego is super shy, so we didn't bond and paint our fingernails, but he spoke really good English and hedid eventually start telling me hey when we passed one another and we talked a little bit, and he was pretty cool. Just quiet, which is soo different from how I grew up that I'd love to have him as a brother! 😂 Overall I felt 100% loved by this family and taken in as one of their own. Every day I thought about how blessed I was to be matched with a family that fit me and that I fit into so naturally because I was really worried about that leading up to the trip! I'm still in awe that I have developed a whole new life with a family and community in Chile so quickly, and I'm heartbroken that I had to leave that wonderful country and my new loved ones behind. But I think that they will all be waiting for me with open arms and hearts whenever I return, and I miss them so much that I would definitely travel across the U.S. to meet up with them if they ever come visit the states. It was hard to leave behind people that I had grown to love so deeply (if I didn't have $1000 plane ticket already booked I don't think I would have had it in me to ever leave) without knowing when I will see them again, but it still feels great to know that I have so much love waiting for me in Chile.
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