I have met so many amazing people on this trip some of them just so happen to be from Baton Rouge and are returning to the states with me but majority are staying here in Chile with a piece of my heart. I've been "blessed with the best" as the cliche saying goes. My LSU team has bonded like I didn't think possible, and we've been told by multiple of the program heads that we are the best group they've had. Well shucks. I'm a little biased but we are the best. These people made my trip so much fun and I felt so comfortable with all of them. I got to get to know almost every individual and we are all so different but somehow we have all become friends. We should start a travel club or something.
The faculty and students at the school always greeted me with big smiles and embraces. They made me feel welcomed and special. Some of them remembered my name from the very first class and always made sure to shout it in the hallway when they saw me! I loved all the faculty I got to interact with at the school. However, I, personally, could not have asked for a better teacher to be paired with. Although I have not taken a physics or math class since high school, Leonardo was so patient with me and made sure that I understood what the students were working and that I felt welcomed in his class. I do hope and believe that one day our paths will cross again; he might even come to Baton Rouge on their next exchange trip!
And on to my family, although English is not their forte and Spanish is not mine, I still managed to bond with them in just three short weeks. Living under the same roof will do that to people. Having three kids of your own and throwing a fourth stranger into the mix is not an easy to adapt to situation but the whole family has. With the help of Uber (it never failed that Nico, my brother, would pick me up in one if I stayed late at school), and google translate, we have all adapted our routines. And hey, I have always wanted younger siblings and now I have them!
Besides the people, I have loved our experiences. This week was crazy busy with activities everyday but they were all so different and so good. On Monday, we went to a juvenile correction facility. Yes, we were all a bit nervous walking in because we had no idea what to expect. We ended up splitting up into groups to talk to a couple of residents at a time. My group went to one of the boys' houses and honestly it was really fun. We needed translator, obviously, but we got to know each other and each other's cultures. At the end of the meeting, one of the boys mentioned how he loves to get to meet new people and learn about new cultures and was grateful that we came. The next day, we drove about an hour to plant trees with some students from the school. We were in an area that was recently devastated by the forest fires that affected that region of Chile. The property that we planted on was actually near a one room school that had only 11 students. The planting was fun but here I met two little six year old girls and helped them make mud pies and swing... of course I did!
A smaller group of us also chose to go to an after school institution on Tuesday to talk to some kids taking English classes there, lemme just say, it's always an adventure. On Wednesday we were able to be in class all day but at night we had a fancy dinner to celebrate our amazing teachers. Then Thursday, we went to a BBQ thrown in our honor that was really just so carefree and silly. We sang karaoke at the top of our lungs, learned some traditional Chilean dances, and ate some delicious food. Thursday was also when the goodbyes began so you know Friday was tough.
However, it's not goodbye, it's see you later. I will miss this community dearly and am so grateful for this experience of a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to travel, really immerse yourself with the locals even live with them and teach in their schools if you can. That's how I've found I truly got to experience the culture.
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