How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?
Today is the last day of my exchange year in Chile. It is nearly impossible to believe nor fathom. I arrived to Chile more than 10 months ago. I did not speak the language, I had never come to this country, and I left all of my family and friends in the US and would see them for my entire exchange year. I arrived not knowing anyone, and now I am leaving behind some of the most important people that have come in to my life and impacted me unlike anyone else. I am so proud of how far I have come and progressed. Looking back I cannot believe what I have done in just one year: I have learned a new culture, language, made incredible friends and found loving families, I have learned how to be more independent, but most of all I have learned how to communicate. Not simply with words, but empathizing and seriously understanding someone and their point of view.
My Rotary youth exchange has given me so much strength and bravery. I fought through the hardest parts of exchange and those have only made me a better and stronger person. I remember at the beginning of my exchange when I would almost cry because I couldn't explain myself or understand what someone was saying to me. I remember crying because all I wanted to do was hold my parents and just have at least a bit of familiarity in my life. I remember when all I would want was to cuddle with my little sister and tell her how much I love her. But I remember fighting through the hard parts and realizing that I was making extreme progress even if I didn't realize it. It is so hard for me imagine the time I could not speak Spanish because it has become so natural for me. Now after 10 months and a little but of struggle in the beginning, I am returning to be with my family again. The only difference this time is that I am leaving behind my host families that I love so much and will have to wait a while to see them again.
I am so thankful for my classmates and friends here. They have supported me so much, they have made me laugh, and have had amazing patience. I love everyone of them and how thoughtful they are. On my last day of school they threw me a going away party and each gave me a card with a note to me. I cried almost all the day because I have so much pain to leave these people who have done so much for me. I truly am going to my friends and my best friend who has always been with me. But I know we will all see each other again someday and I can't wait.
In the end, exchange has made me a better person. I am more mature, independent, , confident and communicable. I have learned to stand up for myself and to express my opinions while respecting others. I have traveled all of Chile, including Easter Island. I have been to Argentina on vacations and spent time in such genuine places that I never imagined I would ever have the change to go. Thank you for all of those opportunities to everyone that has made this possible!
It hurts to leave because I know that I am leaving a life behind me. But this is not a goodbye, this is a thank you. Thank you Chile for coming into my life and giving me a lot of joy, thank you to my exchange families who have loved me and received my love in return. Thank you for the memories I will never forget and will cherish forever. I will be leaving a little piece of me in Chile, but everyone I am leaving behind will have a spot in my heart forever. For anyone thinking of doing an exchange here is what I will say: Decide you want it more than you are afraid of it. Exchange has been the best experience and year of my life so far. I know I have so much to look forward to these next years that come!
Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. I want to give an enormous Thank you to Rotary, The Lee Belas foundation, my family and my friends. This never would have been possible without everyone apart of my exchange. Thank you for all of the effort, support, and encouragement. Thank you for one life in a year.
And finally, look around you and appreciate what you have, nothing will be the same in a year. Live every moment to the fullest and spend your time how you choose and with who you want. Do what makes you happy and be proud of all of the accomplishments you have made. I will miss you my Chilito.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Easter Island/ Isla de Pascua/ Rapa Nui
I had my third and final trip with Rotary to Easter Island last week and I can say without doubt that it was one of the best weeks of my entire life! I am so grateful I had the ability to visit an island with so much history and to do so with some of the people who mean the most to me. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible and to Rotary for changing my life! I spent 5 days and 4 nights on the Island and toured the island to the fullest. It was an incredible trip, meaning that saying good-bye to all of the international exchange students who have been with me all year was one of the most challenging things I have had to do on exchange. But with that I am so fortunate to have met such influential people.
On the first day we met in the airport in Santiago at 7 AM. It took about 5 hours in the plane to arrive at Easter Island. Once we arrived at the Island we went to our hotel and had lunch and immediately went to Hanga Roa which is the main city on the island. We saw about 5 Moai that first day located at Hanga Vare and Tahai and I was so amazed by how huge they were! I was shocked.
On the second day we took a complete tour around Rano Raraku, Tongariki, Te Pito Kura and Anakena. We drove about 30 minutes to Rano Raraku where we hiked around moai located all around a volcano. The moai were scattered out and the bodies of some were still attached inside the stone of the mountain. Once we passed that we entered inside of the volcano to a small lake. After a few hours of hiking like this we had lunch and then we went to another site were the famous 15 moai are located! It was so beautiful and such an honor to be at such a historical site. Once we finished with the tour of the moai we went to the only sandy (and man-made) beach on Easter Island, Anakena.
On the third day we went to a cavern called Ana Kai Tangata and hiked around the crater volcano called Rano Kau. It was absolutely beautiful but the weather was so cold and windy that I was almost knocked over a few times. The crater inside the volcano was enormous and beautiful, the tour guide explained that crops were being grown their because it was an ideal place for soil and planting foods. I found that interesting! Once we reached the other side of the volcano the guide showed us a ceremonial city called Orongo and taught us of the typical activities practiced there before. In the afternoon we returned back to Anakena for an afternoon at the beach. Later that night after the dinner we went to an ancestral show of the Rapa Nui people which I enjoyed a lot!
On the fourth day we went to a catholic church (optional) ceremony for an hour in the morning. They spoke in both Spanish and the native language of the island, Rapa Nui. After that we went and toured around under ground caves all day! If I could describe the caves in three words it would simply be hot, dark, and muddy. They were very beautiful but we had to be careful not to hit our heads against the rocks (luckily they gave me a helmet), and maneuvering around the caves was difficult enough for me that I fell directly in the mud. Fun times. I would love to return again because they were so interesting! Once I returned to the hotel and I was completely exhausted. In the night time we went to a rotary event and met a student who will be going on exchange from Easter Island to New Zealand.
On the fifth and final day we had breakfast and gathered up all of our suitcases and went to a school for children. I went to the infantry sectioned and had such an entertaining time playing with all of the children! It was so adorable seeing them so easily fascinated by candy and balloons. Seeing all of them made me so happy. After about an hour of that we had to go to the airport and leave for Santiago! It was very bittersweet. It was difficult to say good-bye to all of the exchange students and the trip but that is just part of exchange.
I am undoubtedly lucky to have something that is so hard to say good-bye to. I would not change anything that has happened on my exchange. I have experienced the best and most powerful relationships while exchange, and no matter how any of them have ended, I do not have any single regret, nor would I change a single thing. Good things come to an end so even better things can happen.
On the first day we met in the airport in Santiago at 7 AM. It took about 5 hours in the plane to arrive at Easter Island. Once we arrived at the Island we went to our hotel and had lunch and immediately went to Hanga Roa which is the main city on the island. We saw about 5 Moai that first day located at Hanga Vare and Tahai and I was so amazed by how huge they were! I was shocked.
On the second day we took a complete tour around Rano Raraku, Tongariki, Te Pito Kura and Anakena. We drove about 30 minutes to Rano Raraku where we hiked around moai located all around a volcano. The moai were scattered out and the bodies of some were still attached inside the stone of the mountain. Once we passed that we entered inside of the volcano to a small lake. After a few hours of hiking like this we had lunch and then we went to another site were the famous 15 moai are located! It was so beautiful and such an honor to be at such a historical site. Once we finished with the tour of the moai we went to the only sandy (and man-made) beach on Easter Island, Anakena.
On the third day we went to a cavern called Ana Kai Tangata and hiked around the crater volcano called Rano Kau. It was absolutely beautiful but the weather was so cold and windy that I was almost knocked over a few times. The crater inside the volcano was enormous and beautiful, the tour guide explained that crops were being grown their because it was an ideal place for soil and planting foods. I found that interesting! Once we reached the other side of the volcano the guide showed us a ceremonial city called Orongo and taught us of the typical activities practiced there before. In the afternoon we returned back to Anakena for an afternoon at the beach. Later that night after the dinner we went to an ancestral show of the Rapa Nui people which I enjoyed a lot!
On the fourth day we went to a catholic church (optional) ceremony for an hour in the morning. They spoke in both Spanish and the native language of the island, Rapa Nui. After that we went and toured around under ground caves all day! If I could describe the caves in three words it would simply be hot, dark, and muddy. They were very beautiful but we had to be careful not to hit our heads against the rocks (luckily they gave me a helmet), and maneuvering around the caves was difficult enough for me that I fell directly in the mud. Fun times. I would love to return again because they were so interesting! Once I returned to the hotel and I was completely exhausted. In the night time we went to a rotary event and met a student who will be going on exchange from Easter Island to New Zealand.
On the fifth and final day we had breakfast and gathered up all of our suitcases and went to a school for children. I went to the infantry sectioned and had such an entertaining time playing with all of the children! It was so adorable seeing them so easily fascinated by candy and balloons. Seeing all of them made me so happy. After about an hour of that we had to go to the airport and leave for Santiago! It was very bittersweet. It was difficult to say good-bye to all of the exchange students and the trip but that is just part of exchange.
I am undoubtedly lucky to have something that is so hard to say good-bye to. I would not change anything that has happened on my exchange. I have experienced the best and most powerful relationships while exchange, and no matter how any of them have ended, I do not have any single regret, nor would I change a single thing. Good things come to an end so even better things can happen.
Close enough.
I love Colleen!
One of the few Moai with painted eyes. The block on the top of the head represents the hair.
Each Moai represented a person and the size represented the class.
Italy, US, Finland
Bermuda, Canada, US
The first sunset on the island
I love the Finnish people! (And Colleen)
Holly, the best roommate ever!
Most of the Island looks like this (pure country)
More Moai
I couldn't resist it's good looks
A full Moai still attached to the rock
On the inside of the volcano
The belly button of the universe. Seriously.
With Valerie from Germany!
The big crater on the inside of the volcano
Typical Rapa Nui
Fruit
Last Sunset
Elise, one of my favorite Germans ever!!
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