"Ever wonder how long it takes to change your life? What measure of time is enough to be life-altering? Is it four years, like high school? One year? An eight week walking tour? Can your life change in a month, or a week, or a single day?."
For me, the answer to that question is five months. Before I left for Chile, all my friends would say... you are going to be gone for so long, I'm going to miss you so much, or I could never do that. Now this is what I think: Five months is nothing, I will be coming back, and I myself thought I could never do this. I've learned a lot about myself, people, change, emotions, and time. Things are changing constant and sometimes you have no control over what is next. Time can flash by faster than you could ever imagine. I feel like Chile has become like my home, as it should be. I love my school and AFS friends here, my family here, and surprisingly my small little town here in Chile. Haha. I can't picture what my life would be like if I never left Franklin. The people I have encountered and met my time here are truely some of the most amazing person I've ever met and might ever meet.
My family in Chile (my brothers, parents, & espcially my sister), I cannot thank you all enough for everything you have done for me. I really could not have been given a better a family. You have made this experience so amazing for me. Before I came to Chile, you all told me that "now we are not five, but we are a family of six" and I honestly could tell how much you let me into your house. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
My Chilaen friends, you all are awesome. Everyone of you has so much spirit and wildness. Haha. I really do love it. You all are nothing like my friends back home, not better or worse, just nothing like them. Maybe because you are Chilean? Who knows. All in all, you all are awesome and I am glad I got to meet you all.
Analisa, Martta, and Sebastian, I will forever love you three. Forever and always. I love how much fun we can have with making fun of each other or just plan being sweet to each other. My life would be nothing without you three now. I am so thankful we somehow crossed paths. Oh and trust, we'll all four be in the same place somehow someday again.
My AFS friends, I love you all so very much and I love how we could get along so fast at the first oriantion. It was almost like we all became instant friends and acted sometimes like we've known each other for a while, but in reality we had just met. I will never forget waiting for our host familys and we were all so excited that we looked like little orphen kids finally getting a family. For the kids on the north tour, I love all 36 of you in every way shape and form. We had the best time and I will never forget that trip. We were honestly the weirdest bunch, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
To my friends and family back home, I miss you all and I will be home, unforunatly.
From July 2008 to July 2009, my life has turned upside and backwards. The closer friendships I've made, the relationship I am in, the new friends I've met, seperation of some friends.. All of that has changed. I wouldn't trade it for anything because I might not be as close with as who I am close with right now.
"Most of our life is a series of images. They passus by like towns on the highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. And we knowthat this instant is more than a fleeting image.We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Una Noche en La Playa
I have forgotten to write a lot. I wish I had written a lot in my diary and in my blog, but here it goes. I am finally figuring out a lot about being in Chile, Chilean ways, and the culture. I have realized my life is here. I love a lot here as my old life fades in Tennessee. I have people who care about me from all of the world.
I just went on a 10 day trip with AFS Chile with 36 other kids from all over the world. At the end of the trip, I said my goodbye to good friends whom I may never seen again. Exchange life gives you so many opporunities and experiences with other people not just in your host country, but from all over the world. One of the last nights I was on a trip, I had a conversation with 3 other students about reasons why we came to Chile. My friend from Washington state, told me and the other 2 about how, whether most of us exchangers admit it outloud or keep it inside, some part of all of us came to Chile or go abroad in general to find ourselves as young people, to find out what else is out there in the world for us. Even if that isnt a reason, it becomes one of the reasons. You find yourself through exchange.
Life is short and I have realized that people come in and out. Even if you get to know someone really well and share your life stories for 10 days like my trip. I have never felt more at home than with my AFS friends from all of the world. I love my family in Chile, they really have become like my own.
I have said my final goodbyes to some people already, and shed those tears, now I am not sure what it is going to be like to say my final goodbyes to my classmates. My life in Tennessee feels miles and centurys away, yet I go back for my senior year for another ending chapter in my life in August.
This experience has definately made me change in ways I dont even really know yet. I guess I will only really know when I go back to "normal" life in the states. What I know right now is this is exactly where I am supposed to be in my life. Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
I just went on a 10 day trip with AFS Chile with 36 other kids from all over the world. At the end of the trip, I said my goodbye to good friends whom I may never seen again. Exchange life gives you so many opporunities and experiences with other people not just in your host country, but from all over the world. One of the last nights I was on a trip, I had a conversation with 3 other students about reasons why we came to Chile. My friend from Washington state, told me and the other 2 about how, whether most of us exchangers admit it outloud or keep it inside, some part of all of us came to Chile or go abroad in general to find ourselves as young people, to find out what else is out there in the world for us. Even if that isnt a reason, it becomes one of the reasons. You find yourself through exchange.
Life is short and I have realized that people come in and out. Even if you get to know someone really well and share your life stories for 10 days like my trip. I have never felt more at home than with my AFS friends from all of the world. I love my family in Chile, they really have become like my own.
I have said my final goodbyes to some people already, and shed those tears, now I am not sure what it is going to be like to say my final goodbyes to my classmates. My life in Tennessee feels miles and centurys away, yet I go back for my senior year for another ending chapter in my life in August.
This experience has definately made me change in ways I dont even really know yet. I guess I will only really know when I go back to "normal" life in the states. What I know right now is this is exactly where I am supposed to be in my life. Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
In Chile
Hello from Rengo, Chile.
I have completely forgotten to write. I will be honest. Let´s start off with before leaving. I left Nashville, Tennessee at the crack of dawn. I was up before the sun! My best friends, boyfriend, and family were at the airport to say goodbye. After walking threw security the worst part was over.. the goodbyes. I went to Miami, Florida with other AFS students where we had an oriantion. I feel like we all insantly clicked, minus some of the guys, thats normal though. haha. Being an airport/on a plane from February 25th, 5:30 a.m. Central Time til 9:00 a.m. Santiago, Chile time on February 27th, is not my idea of fun. It was tiring and I went 36 hours with exactly 1 hour of sleep.
After getting into Santiago, Chile, I went to oriantion with all of the kids around the world who came to Chile. I mean from... Germany, Thialand, Japan, Austria, United States, Austrilia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, who knows where else, it was to much to capture. All of the kids were out going and awesome, I guess you have to be if you decide you want to live with complete strangers in a forgein country. There we split into groups and learned about Chile and Spanish. I was in a group with all American girls and the 5 New Zealanders who came to Chile. By the end of oriantion, families came to pick us all up. We all felt like orphan kids getting adopted because when someone got picked up or left to travel 10 hours to their host family, it was a bittersweet goodbye. We were all happy for each other, but it was just more goodbyes. I´ve never met such amazing people all within 5 days. AFS is a world of.. many people. Its a family. No doubt. I am glad I have people who I can talk with who is going through the exact same things and situations as me right now.
I was the 4th to last person to be picked up from the oriantion.. fun! After I got picked up my host family, which consist of mi mama y papa, my sister Fran, and my two brothers Nico y Matis. We toured Santiago. It was a lot of fun. Two days after being in Rengo, I went to south of Chile... to be more exactly, I went to Chiloe, Pichilemu (?), Osorno, Puerto Montt.. and I forgot the rest. It was beautiful and I went to a place like nothing I had ever seen before. I am pretty sure I saw my first volcano. It was exciting.
My town is small compared to Franklin, but very interesting. My classmates are interesting people and of course to langauge barrier is extremely hard right now. The girls are really nice and I feel like I am adjusting slowly. I got sick this past week so I havent gone to school much. Only two days so far..
I am tired of writing.. I will try and remember to write later.
Love.
I have completely forgotten to write. I will be honest. Let´s start off with before leaving. I left Nashville, Tennessee at the crack of dawn. I was up before the sun! My best friends, boyfriend, and family were at the airport to say goodbye. After walking threw security the worst part was over.. the goodbyes. I went to Miami, Florida with other AFS students where we had an oriantion. I feel like we all insantly clicked, minus some of the guys, thats normal though. haha. Being an airport/on a plane from February 25th, 5:30 a.m. Central Time til 9:00 a.m. Santiago, Chile time on February 27th, is not my idea of fun. It was tiring and I went 36 hours with exactly 1 hour of sleep.
After getting into Santiago, Chile, I went to oriantion with all of the kids around the world who came to Chile. I mean from... Germany, Thialand, Japan, Austria, United States, Austrilia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, who knows where else, it was to much to capture. All of the kids were out going and awesome, I guess you have to be if you decide you want to live with complete strangers in a forgein country. There we split into groups and learned about Chile and Spanish. I was in a group with all American girls and the 5 New Zealanders who came to Chile. By the end of oriantion, families came to pick us all up. We all felt like orphan kids getting adopted because when someone got picked up or left to travel 10 hours to their host family, it was a bittersweet goodbye. We were all happy for each other, but it was just more goodbyes. I´ve never met such amazing people all within 5 days. AFS is a world of.. many people. Its a family. No doubt. I am glad I have people who I can talk with who is going through the exact same things and situations as me right now.
I was the 4th to last person to be picked up from the oriantion.. fun! After I got picked up my host family, which consist of mi mama y papa, my sister Fran, and my two brothers Nico y Matis. We toured Santiago. It was a lot of fun. Two days after being in Rengo, I went to south of Chile... to be more exactly, I went to Chiloe, Pichilemu (?), Osorno, Puerto Montt.. and I forgot the rest. It was beautiful and I went to a place like nothing I had ever seen before. I am pretty sure I saw my first volcano. It was exciting.
My town is small compared to Franklin, but very interesting. My classmates are interesting people and of course to langauge barrier is extremely hard right now. The girls are really nice and I feel like I am adjusting slowly. I got sick this past week so I havent gone to school much. Only two days so far..
I am tired of writing.. I will try and remember to write later.
Love.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thoughts Before Leaving!
Hi! My name is Emily.
I guess you could call me an AFSer. AFS is an student exchange program and I am in. In my study abroad, I am going to Chile in South America for a semester in February. I got into AFS from my best friend who is in Costa Rica sponsored by AFS I currently live in the United States in Franklin, Tennessee.
All my thoughts in my head about leaving here are either good or bad. The good is that I cannot wait to be in a different country learning about their culture. I am really interested in what school will be like there. The bad is leaving and afraid of not getting along with people. I am usually not the homesick type and I also get along with people, so I don't have to worry to much about those things. I think the biggest challange for me will be learning to adapt to everyone around. I am so used to how things work here in the United States, that I might not know what to do once I get there.
Being young, I've realized I have so much time ahead of me. I've gotten asked several or more times, "why are you going now, why don't you go when you're older?" To answer that question, I want study abroad while I am in high school because I know myself well enough I won't wanna take myself out of college just to go to another country. For me, it's a now or never thing. My choice ended up going for the now.
My family 100% fully supports me and my decision on going. My sister, Molly, and I are extremely close. I know she will miss me, but she still backs me up as much as she can. My best friends are more than excited for me. Overall most of my friends think what I am doing is amazing.
I would love to thank my parents and my scholarship sponsor in helping me pay to go on this trip. This means so much to me. I promise all of the money will be worth it! I also went to thank my friends who are going to be involved in my benefit show to raise money for Chile in this upcoming December.
I guess you could call me an AFSer. AFS is an student exchange program and I am in. In my study abroad, I am going to Chile in South America for a semester in February. I got into AFS from my best friend who is in Costa Rica sponsored by AFS I currently live in the United States in Franklin, Tennessee.
All my thoughts in my head about leaving here are either good or bad. The good is that I cannot wait to be in a different country learning about their culture. I am really interested in what school will be like there. The bad is leaving and afraid of not getting along with people. I am usually not the homesick type and I also get along with people, so I don't have to worry to much about those things. I think the biggest challange for me will be learning to adapt to everyone around. I am so used to how things work here in the United States, that I might not know what to do once I get there.
Being young, I've realized I have so much time ahead of me. I've gotten asked several or more times, "why are you going now, why don't you go when you're older?" To answer that question, I want study abroad while I am in high school because I know myself well enough I won't wanna take myself out of college just to go to another country. For me, it's a now or never thing. My choice ended up going for the now.
My family 100% fully supports me and my decision on going. My sister, Molly, and I are extremely close. I know she will miss me, but she still backs me up as much as she can. My best friends are more than excited for me. Overall most of my friends think what I am doing is amazing.
I would love to thank my parents and my scholarship sponsor in helping me pay to go on this trip. This means so much to me. I promise all of the money will be worth it! I also went to thank my friends who are going to be involved in my benefit show to raise money for Chile in this upcoming December.
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