My first month in "El Caribe"

Within my first two weeks of being here, I realized that I was here to stay. Being in a different country has made me realize how simple life can be. Americans stress daily about work and often stress about everything. Over here everything is at ease and I do not feel the pressure that I did in America. The food is fresher, I feel more connected to my roots than ever, and the people are very friendly to me. Back home the closest beach with the clearest water is in Florida which is at least a 3 hour drive. In Santiago, of course we have to drive about two hours to get to the nearest beach but it is still much more different than America. The island vibes feel more welcoming and different than ever before because it is not what I imagined when coming here. If I could stay here for the rest of my college experience, I would definitely do it. Overall, this experience has been my best time so far throughout my entire college experience. In America I am used to going home for breaks every couple of months, but out here I have to stay until the program is over. Since this is my first time being a full semester away from home, it feels completely different and more freeing. I cannot wait to see what doors the experience opens for me because I am ready to conquer it all. Studying abroad in the Caribbean has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

By: Amaiya Williams