When I arrived in Chile, I felt discouraged. I came to Chile completely alone. I did not come to do research with a program, so I did not have other students in my program, and I did not have an easy way to make friends. So I had to get creative!
Traveling is one of the best ways to engage in the culture and meet new people! If you are traveling to a new place, hostels are a cheaper version of hotels, and you share a room with other travelers. The hostel environment forces you to develop friendships with other travelers and from there, you can continue traveling together or enjoy each other’s company while you are in the hostel.
For me, it has also been important to show Chileans that I am invested in their culture and language. If you are traveling to a new place as a foreigner, a great way to connect to the people is through shared language. If I had traveled to Chile and refused to learn Spanish, it would have really hurt my opportunities. Yesterday, I had to go to the hospital because I ate something bad, and it was really hurting my stomach. I went alone and I had to speak in Spanish to communicate my pain and explain to the doctor what had happened. I encountered another traveler who did not speak any Spanish, and I actually got the opportunity to translate their medical needs.
