It has been only 48 hours since we came back from Chile but somehow feels like a distant memory. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Chile, a country that I would not be able to travel to if it wasn’t for this study abroad program.
Before I traveling to Chile I told my self that I would need to “be comfortable with being uncomfortable”. When I landed there I found my self feeling more at home in Chile than in Ohio. Parts of the city felt like I was back home in Europe. I think most of the people in the trip felt the same way because I would catch them referring to the hotel as their home. I think this is because the people there were so kind and patient even with our high school level Spanish.
My favorite thing from Chile was their attitude towards architecture and social spaces. Their architecture was so vibrant and unique. It was different for the US and it was different from their neighbors. The difference from house to house in the same neighborhood is what gives the Chilean architecture so much richness. As for social spaces and streets, I think that it has more to do with their culture than city planning and landscape. No matter how hard we try to imitate those in Ohio, sadly it would not have the same success as in Chile.
Now I am sitting in studio, my second home. I’m trying so incorporate the things I learned in Chile into my studio project, while reminiscing about the sunshine, clear skies and 80degree weather.
Oh and BTW my goal in Chile was to meet a llama and I’m happy to say that I did 🙂
