Author: Sofia Kuspan

Back to Columbus

The second I stepped off the plane in Columbus, I felt the cold Ohio air and saw the gray skies and reality hit me, as I realized I was thousands of miles away from the warm summer days of Santiago. While the first two days back in the states have been rather gloomy, I am still in awe of the experiences I had in Chile. Reflecting on my time in Santiago, I feel that I have had an incredible first international experience. I loved the feeling of being in an new and unknown place that is culturally different from what I am used to. Santiago is a beautiful, warm, and colorful city that I will truly never forget. I was inspired by the landscapes that I saw, including the Andes Mountains, the parks of Santiago, and the coastal towns. Highlights of the trip include walking the streets of Valaparíso and hiking in the Andes Mountains. Being in Santiago further opened my eyes to how big the world really is, and  I have realized that there is so much more for me discover. I can’t wait for the next time I travel abroad. Specifically, I hope that I can further explore South America, and even one day return to Chile.

Day #5

One of the highlights of this trip has been day 5 in which we visited Valapariso and Viña Del Mar. These two coastal towns were absolutely stunning, and were more beautiful than I could ever imagine. My favorite part of day 5 was doing the walking tour of the streets of Valapariso, which were filled with colorful buildings and street art. I enjoyed the contrast between the murals and the colors of the buildings, which blended together nicely. The cobble stone streets also added to the appeal of the layout of the city. Despite its beauty, it seems very easy to get lost on the streets of Valapariso, as they are narrow and not marked by a sign.

Going to Viña Del Mar was a nice break from being in the fast paced city. I could see a noticeable difference between the coastal towns and Santiago, as the coastal towns are much more relaxed, have less people, and are more slow paced than the city. I hadn’t been to the beach for a long time, so taking the time to relax on the beach was great. The water was extremely cold as expected, and I was surprised by how strong the pull of the waves was.

View of Valapariso

View of the Viña Del Mar beach

 

Sketch of palm trees in park

Day #3

The first activity of day 3 in Santiago, drivijt into the foothills of the Andes to visit the Benadicine Monastery, has been one of my favorite sketching assignments. The site and building were beautiful, and I enjoyed taking the time to draw in a quiet and peaceful setting.

Our next activity was driving to the University Adolfo Ibanez School of Architecture. The entire time I was there, I thought about how incredible it would be go there and attend a school in this landscape. The view of the city from the foothills was truly breathtaking and a view that I’ll never forget.

Mestizo Restaurant was the highlight of my day, and easily one of the best meals that I’ve ever had. Not only was the food incredible, but the atmosphere and design of the restaurant were amazing. I enjoyed exploring the park, and loved the ponds and overall landscape of it. I continue to be impressed with the landscapes and parks throughout the city; and wished that the United States would invest more in their parks, especially in urban dwellings. Going to the top of the skyscraper was another amazing experience, and despite feeling slightly dizzy 300 meters up, the view was truly breath taking.

 

Parque Bicentenario

View of University Adolfo Ibanez School

Day #1

Flying into Santiago, the first thing I noticed was the beauty of the ocean and the foothills of the Andes. Walking out of the airport, the warmth was a nice break from Ohio weather. Cerro San Cristóbal was definitely the highlight of my first day here, especially riding the cable car and seeing the entire city against the Andes. Viewing the city from the funicular was also incredible, especially sitting in the front car.

One of the biggest struggles has been the language barrier. I was expecting more people to also speak English, and I’ve had several slightly embarrassing encounters attempting to order food. The food I’ve had so far has been similar to food I would eat back at home, so I’m hoping to eat more authentic Chilean food later in the week.

My favorite thing about Santiago so far is the vegetation throughout the city. I’m not used to seeing so many different plants in an urban setting, and the use of plants and trees adds to the appeal and beauty of the city. I was also impressed with the green spaces including the set up of the parks, which are different from the parks in the United States.

Pre-Departure

When I’m in Santiago, I am most excited to visit the various parks and landscapes, including Cerro San Cristobal and Park de la Infancia. I’m also looking forward to visiting the Andes and the sea side towns, especially Vina del Mar. I’m excited to see the various examples of modern and sustainable architecture that we discussed in class. Because this is my first out of country experience, I’m most excited to be visiting a place different from the United States that has a different culture, language and atmosphere.

During our free time, I hope to immerse myself in the Chilean culture by exploring the city, landscapes, and trying local food including cazuelas and desserts such as alfajors. On our free day, I’m hoping to go to museums, one of the beaches, and visit towns that have street art. As a lover of fashion, I am interested in observing the clothing worn by both cosmopolitan city dwellers as well as traditional attire worn by locals.

I’m most concerned about my valuables being potentially stolen, so I’m going to do my best to take precautions. I’m also concerned that I may not be able to fall asleep during the flight, as I have never been on an overnight flight before.

Bio

I’m Sofia Kuspan, and I’m a freshman majoring in architecture and minoring in EEDS at OSU. I’m from Bexley OH, a suburb of Columbus. I attended Bexley High School, and participated on the cross country and swim teams, played viola in the orchestra, and was the graphics editor on the student newspaper. My interests include art, architecture, traveling, music, and reading. My hobbies include photography, playing guitar, and cooking.  I decided to take the Santiago class because I’ve never been abroad and have always wanted to travel to South America, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me. From this trip, I hope to learn more about Chilean architecture and culture, and hope to improve my Spanish.