Getting back to Ohio and having some time to stop and think about the trip has made me realize how valuable this opportunity has been, both architecturally and culturally.
Firstly, I think being exposed to a wide variety of architecture will really help to expand my ideas for future projects, especially having gone on this trip my freshman year. Specifically, I found the monastery to be very inspiring. The use of materials blended with the simplicity of the design made for an overall very tranquil feeling, and it was one of those special moments when architecture makes you feel. In fact, I actually had a conversation about this very topic with an Argentinian architecture student I met at the top of the Costanera Tower while watching the sunset. He said that one day he hopes to create architecture that provokes feeling and emotion, and taught me that in Argentina, they call this “arquitectura sensacional”. We went on to talk more about school and travel and architecture, and it absolutely affirmed my passion for design. It was truly a conversation I will never forget.
I also found great significance in learning about Chile’s culture and how it relates to the United States and other countries I’ve visited. Geographically, Santiago reminded me of a mix of Florida and Montana, with both palm trees and mountains. However, conversing with the locals and witnessing Chilean culture was unlike anything I’d seen before. When I’ve traveled in the past, I might have looked a bit foreign to some people, but I could mostly go around without anyone thinking twice about my presence. The same cannot be said about Chile. I’ve definitely never felt like such an outsider while visiting another place, and it was both uncomfortable and magical all at once. I think it’s extremely crucial and valuable to be pushed out of your comfort zone and really emerce yourself in other cultures, and I really felt I was able to do this on this trip. I’m pumped to see how my worldview changes as I apply what I’ve learned on the trip to live back at school.
Overall, all I can say is that I’m very grateful for having this experience. Thank you to the instructors and everyone on the trip who made it an incredible ten days and a time I’ll never forget.