Surprising Myself

By Jaia Clingham-David, CASA Chile Spring 2019 (Cornell University ’20)

Before the semester started, I had very few expectations about what my experience in Chile was going to be like. But Santiago turned out to be the perfect place for me to spend my semester. My friends and family normally considered me to be a city-person, preferring glass buildings and concrete sidewalks to hiking in the wooded mountains. Santiago gave me that city life that I enjoy as well as the ability to travel to some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen. People normally choose to study abroad in Europe for the ease of traveling to other countries which always confused me because I believe a study abroad experience should fully immerse someone in a country. Perhaps I am saying this because Chile affords one the opportunity to go to the beach, desert, glaciers, lakes, and, of course, the gorgeous mountains all in one country. The diversity of landscape with big cities and small towns is unique and I am grateful to have explored just a fraction of what Chile has to offer. (Also, to be clear, living in a capital city gives you very easy access to fly to Argentina, Peru, and other Latin American countries if you desire.) Every place I explored in Chile had a stunning natural beauty and restorative power over me that is hard to put into words––Chilean landscapes offered me something no other city has given me.

Jaia

Motivation and luck are the key elements of a good experience abroad. I was lucky enough to 1) come to Chile in the first place and travel around the country, 2) have a good host family, and 3) get along with everyone in the program. However, through self-motivation, I was able to 1) understand the quick-talking Chileans with their Chilenismos 2) navigate the touchy issues of race and immigration in this country whether in my classes or in an Uber, 3) get two internships in areas I deeply care about, 4) create meaningful relationships with people who have greatly enriched my time here. Through these experiences, I have learned how to quickly open up to new people, be more self-reflective, and revel in the moment. This semester has strengthened my ability to forge my own path and make opportunities for myself which, in my opinion, is one of the most valuable lessons of studying abroad. I told Pilo I wanted an internship dealing with the recently enacted food policy in Chile, she put me in contact with people at the Ministry of Health, and I worked as a research assistant throughout the semester. I coordinated with friends to travel somewhere almost every weekend, whether it was a long weekend in Patagonia, a day trip to Viña del Mar, or a new part of Santiago I haven’t explored. Although schoolwork is an important element of the experience abroad, one should not go with a mindset solely focused on the tangible things (i.e. getting perfect grades, making X number of friends, going to X number of other cities). The intangible elements, how abroad helps you grow as a person, matter above everything. You don’t travel to just say you’ve traveled––you travel to learn about a new place, a new culture, and about yourself. By focusing on the intangible this semester, I have solidified what I value in myself, in people, and in life, and I encourage anyone going abroad to constantly critically reflect about yourself, who you are with, and where you are. Although luck plays a role in whatever you do, your abroad experience is really what you make of it.

Jaia