Snapshots of Chile 🇨🇱

"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." -Chris McCandless

It's been yet another 3 weeks! Wow, it seems overwhelming to think of how to put the last weeks into words. In biggest news, my friends and I went on vacation to San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert in the world in the very northern part of Chile 🌵 We fit so many adventures into 6 days, whether it was hiking or swimming in lakes saltier than the Dead Sea or bike-riding to the "Devil's throat" for the sunrise! I'm currently on a 10-day streak of hours spent laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean, thanks to the gorgeous weather we've had 🏖  (sorry Montanans who are roughing out the first snow, I hear)! I'm planning to go surfing this weekend and most definitely make the most of my 2 months I have left 🏄🏻. It may come as a surprise, but I'm also fitting some school in between my adventuring. All of my classes are going really well and teaching me so much not only about the actual subjects, but about the Chilean school system too! 🤓

A close friend of mine who just began her 2 years serving as a Peace Corps ambassador in Cameroon wrote in her blog last week, "[This country] is a place of dichotomy. It can not be described by a single story just as America can not be described by a single story. I can only tell my perspective of [the country] as I see it and that is the one true weakness of every story. A single story is just that, a single story. A single perspective. A single vision. My story is one colored by my perspective and my goals." Oh, how this rang true for me and my experience in Chile! It'd be impossible to give you the full picture of this unique country and of the study abroad experience. But, like she said, I can sure try to tell my perspective, as tainted as it may be by my goals and desires and experiences.

👂🏼 If I was asked what Chile sounds like, I would reply that the relentless honking of the bus and taxi drivers interrupts the sound of reggatone music blaring from the discos all hours of the day. All the while, soccer fanatics are hollering at the TV and sidewalk vendors and ice cream guys on the beach are shouting at passerbys.

👀  If I was asked what Chile looks like, I would say the waves are rolling in on the beach in front of you. Turn to the left and some local artisans are selling drums and jewelry on the sidewalk; on the right is a group of friends leaning against a graffitied wall sharing a beer and kicking a soccer ball. Behind you, the Andes mountains create a stunning backdrop for the dozens of skyscrapers.

👅 If I was asked what Chile tastes like, I would say it's a salad doused in salt and lemon juice, an appetizer of fresh ceviche with sea bass, an entree of empanadas with cheese and meat and olives and, of course, alfajores to satisfy your sweet tooth.

🖐🏼 If I was asked what Chile feels like,  I would say it's the feeling of bodies surrounding you as you show your moves on the dance floor late at night in the discos or the sand between your toes as you walk along the beach.

👃🏼 If I was asked what Chile smells like, I would say it's the hot oil from vendors frying sopaipillas (Indian frybread) on the street or the smell of sweet fermented wine mixed with pineapple ice cream in a terremoto, one of Chile's most famous drinks.

Any of you who know me know my love for food and sweet treats. But more importantly, I believe that food is one of the best insights into a culture. And so, I've listed some of the most popular Chilean dishes below. You'll either have to come here yourself to try them out (this seems like a recurrent plead in all my posts) or concede to me making you some typical Chilean food when I get back, like I know my boyfriend and friends and family have planned!

Drinks 🍹

Mote con huesillo: cooked dried peaches and stewed corn made into a drink

Terremoto: sweet fermented wine made of apples or grapes mixed with pineapple ice cream

Sides

Sopaipilla: Indian frybread, savory with garlic sauce/guacamole or sweet with manjar and powdered sugar

Empanadas: fried or baked pastries various fillings: queso (cheese), pino (meat, onions, olives, eggs), napolitana (cheese, tomatoes, ham, olives)

Entrees

Lentejas con arroz: lentil and rice stew

Cazuela de ave: chicken soup with potatoes, peas and noodles

Pastel de choclo: Shepherd's pie filled with corn, beef, onions, eggs and olives

Choripan: chorizo sausage on a bun with typical bratwurst toppings

Chorrillana: french fries topped with meat slices and fried eggs (party platter)

Ceviche: minced fish in lemon juice

Baked fish: various baked fish (reineta, merluza, salmon) seasoned with lemon and salt

Desserts 🍪

Alfajores: cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche and covered in chocolate

Manjar: Chilean dulce de leche (similar to a mix of Nutella and caramel)

If you're mouth isn't watering now, you're just plain loco! As always, miss you all and please stay in touch! Enjoy the fall weather and first snow!

Love from Chile,

Kerri 💕

Enjoying the Small Things

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." -Robert Louis Stevenson

As I write this long overdue update, I'm looking out the window of the plane at the Andes Mountains soaring above the clouds on a blue sky day. Sounds similar to that first post I wrote as I was watching the Rockies pass below me as I left Montana, huh? ⛰ It sure brings back a sense of nostalgia and love for the Big Sky State. But not only that -- it also makes me realize how much I have fallen in love with my new home in Chile. 

How is it already September 14th, almost 2 months into my exchange? I know it's cliché, but it's so so true: time flies when you're having fun. But even more so, time flies when you're immersed in a new place, overflowing with things to do and places to see and people to meet at all hours of the day! I wish I could put into words how vibrant and full of culture this city is, but I guess you'll just have to vicariously read into my experiences or, better yet, come see for yourselves! Overall, classes have been going great (except that is most definitely NOT the word I would use to explain my first biochemical engineering exam that I had yesterday!) 

We have Spring Break this week, so some friends and I are headed to the Atacama Desert, hence why I'm on a plane! It's in the very Northern part of Chile (close to Bolivia) and is the driest non-polar desert in the world! And to think we consider the farm in Chester "dry"! 🌵 We'll stay at a hostel and already have a bunch of different activities planned. One afternoon, we'll go swimming in the Laguna Cejar, a lake that has the same salt content as the Dead Sea, allowing you to float effortlessly! Keep an eye out for many pictures to come soon!

It seems that the things that at first seemed so intriguing and interesting to write about have become my new normal. And so, I decided to slow down and think about the little quirks or sights that I know I will miss so much when I leave. I know this because I've been through it all before. At the end of my time in Argentina, I thought to myself, "Yeah, I'm sure I'll miss Argentina and my family and friends, but it will be nothing compared to how happy I am to be back home!" Oh, for it to be that simple. And so here's a short, most definitely non-exclusive list of the little things I love about Chile!

1.) The beach: 🏝 A born-and-raised Montana girl never having lived closer than 700 miles from the beach transplanted to a city renowned for its beaches and surfing. Now that's a sight, huh? If I get out of class early or don't have plans for the day, I'll walk 5 minutes down to the water and enjoy the sandy beaches (and sometimes frigid cold waters). I can already see myself daydreaming of the beaches in class next semester! 

2.) Fruits and vegetables everywhere, and cheap: 🍓🌽 For anyone who knows me  and my love for avocados, mangos, and smoothies, you'll no doubt understand this one. "Fruterías" and "verdulerías," stores that only sell fruits and vegetables, can honestly be found on almost every single block. And, not only that, but I can buy a kilogram of mangos or avocados for almost the same price that I can buy one in MT!

3.) Lack of punctuality: ⏱ Time? What's that? Say you're going to meet up with friend at 4 - definitely don't show up until 430 or 5. Class start at 9 - no biggie if you're 10 minutes late. Although this one can be frustrating at times, I definitely find myself picking up the Chilean sense of time day-by-day. This one may be a kick when I find myself running to Simperman 10 minutes late to class! 

4.) Dulce de leche: 😍 The infamous dulce de leche. For any of you who followed my travels in Argentina, you know my love for this South American goodie. And for those of you who didn't, let's just say I came home to the US with a full carry-on suitcase of it! It tastes like a creamy mix between caramel sauce and nutella and can honestly be put on anything (or shamelessly eaten by the spoonful)! 

5.) Seafood and sushi: 🍣🍤 Again, back to the MT girl transplanted to a beach town. Bozeman' Dave's definitely has some killer sushi, but I'm a fan of $5 specialty rolls and sushi joints everywhere you look! Not to mention the fresh seafood on every menu in every restaurant. And on Saturdays, I'll most definitely miss walking 10 min down to the local fish market (think smaller scale Pike's Place)!

6.) Empanadas: 😋 Okay, I really could write a blog all about food, but this is the last one, I promise! Empanadas are similar to calzones; a dough filled with seafood/meat/veggies/cheese and then baked or fried! My mouth is watering just writing about them and I just ate one a couple hours ago! Empanadas are the perfect snack on the go and always cost less than $2! 

7.) International friends: 👯I know I talk about my study abroad friends a lot, but that's only because I know how lucky I am! I'll miss our conversations that revolve around the soccer rivalry between Colombia and Chile, the political happenings in Israel and France, and so many other world affairs. It's so much fun to learn about these other countries and cultures by actually experiencing them and getting to know the actual people! 

8.) Chilean slang: 🤔 Weón po, cachaí? You could be perfectly fluent in Spanish and not understand one word of that. They say that Chile and Argentina have the two strongest accents and most slang in the world; of course, I would pick these two countries to learn! But I too have caught myself using more and more Chilean slang the longer I'm here. At least I'll have an excuse if I start calling people "weón" and adding "po" to the end of every sentence when I get home!

9.) Classy drinking: 🍹Whether it's the night of a big pro Chilean soccer game or just a Friday afternoon after classes, my friends are always wanting to meet up for a casual "Pisco" or "terremoto," the two most popular drinks in Chile. The legal drinking age here is 18 and laid-back bars and discos are scattered everywhere throughout the city and on the beach, too. I'll have an odd 6 months in between coming home and my birthday in June! 

10.) Chilean asado: 🍗 And lastly, the infamous Chilean asado. I'm sure you have seen my pictures of the chorizo sausage and vegetables on the open charcoal grill. It's not only the immense feast during an asado, but the accompanying conversation and games that always seem to continue into late morning!

Even though this list doesn't begin to do Chile justice, I hope reading it made you want to visit this beautiful country!

I hope all is well back in Montana and that you're enjoying the coming of fall as much as I am spring! Please keep in touch, miss you all so much!

Love from Chile,

Kerri

Why Travel Solo?

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are who'll decide where to go." -Dr. Seuss

I was born an extrovert. Those who are close to me know how true this is: my instinct to introduce myself to everyone and my nonstop chatter with those around me. While ordering a coffee one time in the Denver airport, I introduced myself to the barista and eventually discovered that we had a mutual friend. One of my best friends who was with me asked, "Kerri, have you ever met a stranger in your life?" So then, my love for solo travel may seem somewhat contradictory. But as I see it, my extrovertedness is what makes traveling alone possible and so so enjoyable. As my parents wouldn't hesitate to point out, there's obviously limits to solo travel (especially as a woman) in regards to safety. But, as Dr. Seuss explained, it's a matter of using the "brains in our head" to make good decisions!

I've found that I'm happiest when there's a compromise between solo travel and group experiences. As a study abroad student, I'm not claiming to be a completely independent traveler, seeing as how I have spent the last two weekends surrounded by friends from all over the world, with a couple days in the middle of exploring by myself (and classes of course 😉 ) And, this coming weekend, I'm headed to Santiago, Chile for bit of solo adventuring! Here are the top reasons why I encourage everyone to travel alone at least once in her life!

1.) Master of itinerary 💁🏻
Maybe this is the most obvious of the benefits of solo travel and it's definitely one of the most tangible! You can wake up in the morning and decide where you want to go and what you want to do. But I think my favorite part is that you choose where, when and what you want to eat! You want to sign up for a last-minute tour? Go for it. You want to leave a museum early? You're out. You want to try three different empanada joints instead of going to an actual restaurant? No problem. It's your chance to indulge in what makes YOU happy!

2.) Personal growth 💪🏼
For me, solo travel has been one of the most intense tests of confidence and independence in my life. It's obvious that traveling through an unknown land in a foreign culture by yourself never fails to be daunting. You learn to ask for help along the way and, in the end, it's so rewarding in that it allows you to discover how capable you really are. Picking up on Chilean slang from locals at the market, navigating through the streets of Valparaíso with a REAL paper map...how could solo travel not change a person?

3.) Conversation 💬
Wait a second. How can one of the benefits of traveling alone be conversation? It may seem somewhat contrary, but I'm not referring to chatting with a travel companion or close friend, but instead making small talk with strangers, locals, and other travelers. People traveling alone seem to spark curiosity and concern from others, for good reason! I think it's the sense that, if you're alone, they won't be interrupting anything if they ask to sit with you at breakfast or tag along on your sightseeing for the day! And this conversation is what makes an authentic experience!

4.) Authenticity and immersion 👀
Authenticity and immersion goes hand-in-hand with the conversation that comes with solo travel. Someone perusing a local artisan or fresh food market is much less likely to be perceived as a tourist than someone in a big group. Not only are you treated less like a tourist, but you're forced to immerse yourself completely in the host culture. This is one of the most popular reasons that students study abroad: the hope to be completely immersed in the language, the people and all aspects of the culture. Alone, you're forced to start up conversation in Spanish with those you meet instead of chatting in English with your friends. Even this can be uncomfortable, it makes for a much more memorable experience!

5.) Global friendships 🌎
Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of living in another country by myself -- the global friendships I have made! There's Idri from Albania, Pol from Israel, Camille from France, Victoria from Germany, David from Colombia, Nikola from Denmark, Renata from Sweden, Noah from Switzerland, Franci from Italy, Sarah from Canada, Eva from Iceland, Alize from Belgium, so many from Argentina and Chile...I think you get the point. Having these friends from all over the world has changed my perspective in ways I never knew possible. US global relations become more personal rather than political and disasters abroad aren't simply news flashes, but reminders to check in on my friends. And plus, how cool is it that I could go so many places in the world and just dial up a friend to get a local's suggestions and a free place to stay?

6.) Reflection and recognition 🤔
Lastly, exploring alone 6,000 miles away from home makes the saying "You don't know what you have until it's gone" hit a lot closer to home. While traveling solo has so many benefits, it also makes me miss the adventurous spirits and companionship of my siblings, parents, boyfriend, best friends, and cousins. Often, I find myself longing for a conversation in English, someone who understands my crazy sense of humor, or simply an adventure partner! But that's yet another benefit of solo travel: time to reflect and recognize how lucky we are and amazing this life is! And, like I said, it's a matter of balancing solo travel and group experiences!

Love from Chile,
Kerri 💕

A happy medium between solo exploration and...

Group adventuring! 

Beaches ➡️ Mountains

"We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again - to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more." -Pico Iyer

During my last week in MT, some friends and I were imagining what my life in Chile would be like. Seeing as how the country's average width is 112 miles, we joked that I could be surfing one day and hiking in the Andes the next. Isn't it awesome how dreams turn into reality when we have the courage and motivation to pursue them? Last week, I was surfing on the beaches of Concón and, only a couple days later, backpacking in the Elqui Valley of the Andes Mountains!

I wrote my last blog post the night before I went surfing and promised I'd let you know how it went. 🏄🏻 Well, let me tell you, I am by no means cut out to be a professional surfer, but it was one of my favorite days in Chile yet! There are tons of local surf shops lining the beach, where you can rent boards and wetsuits for the day. I bought a 2 hour introductory class that was 1:1 with Javier, my instructor. For these 2 hours, I think I rode about 90% of the waves all the way to shore, thanks to Javier basically doing all of the maneuvering of my board. After the lesson, Javier let me keep the equipment for another couple hours while he went back. Thinking I was pretty cool, I paddled out and caught a wave, only to find myself scraping along the sand and swallowing more saltwater than I thought possible. I may have only rode about 15% of the waves in by myself, but it was still a day very well spent on the beaches of Chile! 🏖

The next couple days were fairly uneventful (as if that's even possible while studying abroad) with classes and what-not. Yesterday was a national holiday, thanks to the Assumption of Mary, so everyone had a long weekend. Three other exchange students and I (Chile, Albania, Colombia, US), along with four of our Chilean classmates, decided to go backpacking in the Valle del Elqui, about 7 hours north in the Andes 🏔  With all our tents and sleeping bags and food for the next three days, we took a bus Friday afternoon 6 hours north to La Serena, where we stayed in a hostel for the night. Saturday morning, we headed into the valley to a small "pueblo" (village) called Pisco Elqui and set up camp right outside of town. The weekend was surreal; complete with stargazing tours, bike rides, pisco/wine vineyard and distillery tours, hikes, and bonfires ⛺️  The trip was exactly what I needed after a whirlwind couple weeks! We got on the bus at 12:30 this morning and arrived back in Viña del Mar at 6:30, just in time for me to make it to my 8 am biochem class! Let's just say I took a looong "siesta" this afternoon 😴

Throughout all of my experiences abroad, I've found that the most helpful thing to do when I'm missing home is to communicate: talk with people I miss, tell my host family how I'm feeling, and share emotions with other exchange students. But I'm also lucky enough to have some mentors guiding me through this experience, most of whom have gone through these same travel stages of culture shock and homesickness. Earlier this week, a Carroll professor who I am very close to was able to put into words "those feelings that catch you at the strangest times, of homesickness and weariness combined with anticipation and quest for discovery." Luckily, the anticipation and quest for discovery has so far outweighed the homesickness and weariness; but by no means are the homesickness and weariness lacking. Know that I think of home, my family, and friends often. Skype soon and keep in touch!

Love from Chile (from the beaches to the Andes),
Kerri 💕

The squad (Chile, Colombia, Albania, US, Germany)

The Andes and Muscat vineyards 

Biking to the Pisco and wine distillery tour

Campfire time

Hitchhiking to camp

Settling In! 🇺🇸 🇨🇱

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted." -Bill Bryson

As my sister pointed out to me earlier this week, the Olympics are two weeks of "ridiculous patriotism," of cheering wildly for athletes you have never heard of competing in sports you know nothing about, simply because they are waving the right-colored flag. Imagine a room, then, of sixty students from all around the world watching the first day of competition at Rio 2016. As an Italian athlete competed, there were hoots and hollers. When the German team was shown, there were even more. Then a Spanish athlete, French, Colombian, Swedish, Swiss, Thai, Chinese. Finally, an American gymnast entered the arena and I let out a cheer. But then, I looked around the room and realized that I was the only one rooting for Michael Phelps and Gabi Douglas and Serena Williams. Right then, I realized something: I was a minority and will continue to be a minority for the next 5 months. Being the only American in my group most definitely has its ups (like not having to argue Trump vs. Clinton with fellow voters) and its downs (like no one truly understanding how great peanut butter is) but, no matter what, it's an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

On August 27, 2012, 10 days after I had arrived in Argentina to study abroad, I wrote in my blog, "It's not better, it's not worse, it's just different." These past two weeks in Chile have brought me back to this idea so many times. The more I travel, the easier it becomes to tell myself this and appreciate the cultural differences. That being said, it's a matter of time and willingness to learn about others that makes all the difference! 

I had a wonderful second week settling into my new routine here. Classes at UTFSM started and I think I finally have my class schedule figured out. It turns out that I don't have classes on Mondays or Wednesdays, which I'm excited about because it'll allow me to do a bit more exploring (and homework, of course 😜 ). All of my teachers have been really helpful and understanding, especially when it comes to simplifying the basics of biochemical engineering as it relates to the Krebs cycle! The class I think I'm most looking forward to is Pre-Colombian Civilizations! Since I am the only student and my professor is fairly laid-back, he explained that we could learn about the indigenous Chileans by conversing with fishermen at the port and about Mayans by visiting local museums; what a great way to learn in a foreign country and culture! 

Aside from classes, I've been able to get to know the city a lot better this past week, too! Whenever I stumble on a new cafe or pasteleria (pastry/dessert shop), I can't help but try it out! I think I'll definitely know the best of the best by the end of my time here 😊  Yesterday, I took a micro (bus) about 20 minutes north to Concon, which is more of a small surf town. I walked around, ate empanadas, talked to some fisherman and, my favorite activity, went sand-boarding on the dunes! It was so beautiful and so much fun (pictures below)! Today, I slept in, went to mass downtown, tried out another cafe, and then relaxed and watched the Olympics with my host family and little siblings. Since I don't have class tomorrow, I'm planning to go back to Concon and try my hand at surfing 🏄🏻! I'll let you know how that goes...

As you can tell, all is well here in Valparaíso! I'm most definitely experiencing the ups and downs of culture shock and being away from everything I'm used to but, all in all, I'm staying busy and making the most of my time here! As always, thanks for following my travels and know I miss all of you! Keep in touch. 

Love from Chile,

Kerri

Left my mark on the Dunas de Concon! 

Playa la Boca: the main surfing beach

Beautiful views atop the Dunas de Concon

Las Carmelitas Catholic Church

First week in Chile ✔️

"And then I realized adventures are the best way to learn."

I am writing this update from a small cafe in downtown Viña del Mar that I stumbled upon while exploring (more lost than anything). I am sipping on a much-needed Chilean latte macchiato, after five days lacking strong American coffee. There are also hundreds of baked goods, cupcakes, and cookies. Those who know me at all know my irresistible sweet tooth and so, naturally, I asked the two workers what each of their favorites were and ordered one of each: a kludkoka (warm slice of chocolate cake topped with whipped cream) and an eclair. Let's just say I might have to make this cafe a weekly pit stop so I can try everything!

This week has been fairly laid back, which is exactly what I needed! After my travels last weekend, I was so exhausted that I slept most of Monday and into Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon, I went out to explore my new surroundings and figure out the metro and bus systems around this town of over 800,000 people (including Viña del Mar). On Wednesday, there was an orientation at the university for all the international students. There are 130 of us from all around the world: Germany, France, Spain, Colombia, Sweden, Italy, Poland...yet I am the only American 🇺🇸  The Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM) campus is enormous and beautiful! Coming from a girl used to Carroll College with it's 2 dorms and 3 academic buildings, UTFSM is like its own town within the campus; there are restaurants, banks, gyms and fields and pools, parks, and so much more. We start classes on Monday and I can not wait! There was a get-together last night for all the exchange students at disco in downtown Viña del Mar. Those of you who know what my sleeping schedule in Argentina was like, this was very similar! A few of us met up at around 10 downtown, we went to the disco around 12:30, and returned home around 4 💤. I know it seems wild, but it is very common for the young people here! Let's just say I slept in a bit today.

I already have a list of places I want to visit and things I want to do. And I have even started lists about places I love and must show my sister when she visits in November and my parents when they visit in December (included in the list is today's cafe 😏). Tomorrow, I have myself booked on an afternoon walking tour around Valparaíso. It'll be so much fun to delve into the culture, history, and politics of this beautiful country and city first-hand! I know some of my friends have been here to Valpo before, so if anyone has suggestions on places or activities, please let me know!

I know it does sound like I'm living the good life here in Chile and it really is the truth. But, that being said, I've had my fair share of homesickness and I know more is to come. It's hard to FaceTime my loving, yet aging, grandparents; to see my boyfriend and best friends hanging out without me; and to express myself in a language that at times seems to fail me. But, then again, this is exactly what I signed myself up for. I longed to step out of my comfort zone, to challenge myself academically, and to expand my horizons. And I'm doing just that: broadening my perspective of the world!

Hope all is well back in Montana and los Estados Unidos!
Love from Chile,
Kerri 💕

My host siblings: Cristobal and Florencia

My view 2 blocks from home 😍

Mom and Dad flying the Chilean flag at home!

The main building at UTFSM