Submitted by Nicolas Caceres on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
The past week has been a very jam packed and insightful one. I arrived at the airport to be greeted by my aunt and her husband whom I haven’t seen in a couple of years. Reuniting was great and totally in Spanish. (Something, I have never been able to do before). Next, I went to my cousin’s new apartment where I would stay for the next couple of days until the rest of my study abroad group arrived. Those two days were spent seeing family (cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents) who live in Santiago. To celebrate my arrival in Chile, the men of my family and I all went out to have a nice meal at a restaurant known for their steaks. The most rewarding experience was definitely talking to my Grandmother, Tata. Tata lived in the United States for a couple of years and took care of me and my sister when I was aged 2-5. Finally having a conversation with her has been a goal of mine ever since I picked my major of Spanish Education and reaching that goal is something I will never forget.
On the third day, I arrived at my host familie’s house early to meet them and get used to the house until the my study abroad group arrived that night. The next four days were packed with traveling and learning new things about Chile. From the city tour, to Viña a Las Araucarias, to San Cristobal, I have been experiencing a lot. My roommates are good fits and the study abroad group gets along well.
A big point in self reflection does come from the use of Spanish every day. Although, I can get by in day to day activities, it is indeed a roller coaster ride. Some days, I can think of easy words and ways to conjugate verbs correctly and some days I am making sentences and having conversations very easily. I think the most important part to take away from this is to always think that I’m constantly practicing and my mistakes are fundamental to learning a new language. I look forward to the following weeks and to see how my fluency in the Spanish language evolves by the end of the program.
