Tag Archives: Global Citizenship

Wait, it’s only been two days?!

If you can’t tell by the title, I honestly can’t believe it’s only been two days! I arrived in China Monday night and orientation started bright and early the next day. We’ve been so busy yesterday and today that it feels like we’ve been here for a week. Everything is just so new to me that I just want to take in as much as I can.

So how was that flight?

Between only getting three hours of sleep before heading to the airport and then going on a 16 hour flight, I somehow managed to stay awake for the whole thing. I think it was because the plane had movies and tv shows to watch during the flight. I managed to watch two movies and too many episodes of NCIS.

16 hours later after I made it to Hong Kong I had the wonderful experience of having my plane being delayed an hour and a half. I already had a two hour layover and I found that I’m not one to wait too long between flights. Although the Hong Kong airport was AMAZING (so many stores that I couldn’t even believe were in an airport like fancy clothes, handbags, jewelry and even a Disney store….let me repeat that…A DISNEY STORE!!) I realized that I just get too excited about getting to my destination and I can’t wait for too long. Also I realized that once you’ve seen the whole airport there’s not much to do after; who would’ve thunk? But once I was on my connecting flight to China I finally realized how tired I was. They gave us food and I was asleep soon after.

Bye Hong Kong!

Look at that sunset

Fast forward a bit

After meeting some CIEE people at Pudong airport, we took a bus to the dorm on campus. Once I got there I met my host mom and she took us to her apartment. With my home stay I’m living with three people (grandma, mom and daughter) and it’s been interesting. My host mom speaks English so that helps when I don’t know certain words but my host grandma doesn’t. Considering I’ve taken 5 semesters of Chinese I’m actually not doing too bad at speaking with her, but I don’t always understand what the daughter is saying. She’s 8 years old so it’s like talking with any other 8 year old except I’m trying to do this in Chinese and she only knows a little English but it’s been fun.

Alsoooo, the apartment is 20 minutes from campus and I’ve actually managed to figure out how to get to and from campus within the two days I’ve been here. I think that’s an accomplishment! But one thing I noticed here while trying to get around is that the drivers just do their own thing. I don’t think I’ve had so many cars drive so close to me while I’m crossing the street or walking around campus.

just walking around campus

And we’re still typing

So far orientation hasn’t been too bad. I already knew a few people from previous Chinese classes at Penn State so that made things a little easier when I went around to talk to people. I’ve met a bunch of new people and we’ve all added each other on WeChat. WeChat is a messaging app that’s used here so we all got it to talk to each other. Even with orientation going on, there are already events being planned. Tomorrow morning I’m going to Zhenru Temple for the lantern festival. I’m not too sure what to expect but it should be pretty cool. The only thing is that I have to get up super early (we have to meet at 7am!) and I’ve been hit by that whole jet lag thing. If I’m not busy doing something, I get pretty tired.

And on that note I should head to bed and try and get some sleep. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings in this update and I’ll see you at the next blog post!

Location: Shanghai, China

The Halfway Point

In dire need of a distraction while studying for midterms, the time felt right for a blog entry. This upcoming week will mark the official halfway point of my study abroad program at Temple Rome. Knowing this fact has allowed me to reflect on my time spent a Roma as well as what I want to accomplish moving forward for the next two months.

The Reflection

I always heard that you learned a lot about yourself while studying abroad and I am here to further that sentiment. I cannot emphasize enough the fact that you are thrust into unfamiliar situation and are expected to adapt right away. After living here for almost two months now, I can honestly say I feel comfortable with where I am in regards to personal, social, and academic health. Things I have learned so far:

You are who you are, no matter what country you are in – Regardless of the fact that I am in Rome, I still act and behave the way I do in America. Daily visits to the gym and hours of work are customs that have been instilled at home and have completely transferred here as well. I still have the same goals in this country as I would at home, and I try to not let the situation ever negatively impact my attitude. Maintaining that certain continuity in terms of personal health is key in both adapting to the situation as well as assisting in being homesick.

Remembering personal and social balance – What comes along with meeting so many new people so quickly is the discovering of agendas; what everyone wants to do with their limited time in Europe. Some people insist on traveling every weekend while others may not want to leave Italy. Some people want to take the Metro to school while others want to walk. Some people may want to go out every night while others want to stay in. I felt it was key to establish personal goals from the beginning and try to not veer from them very much. Knowing who you are and what you want to accomplish is very important. On the other side of the coin, I also believe that developing social relationships is just as important aspect to this entire experience. Going out with your friends, spending time with different groups of people and being talkative in class are all ways to enhance the experience socially. At the end of the day, balance is what is most important and what leads to a satisfactory lifestyle.

Cultural immersion is key – While this may sound a bit strange, my gut knows the difference between vacationing in Italy and living in Italy. When vacationing in Italy, you get a sense of awe from many of the things that you do: seeing the sites, eating the food, and going shopping. Everything is such a fantastic time because you are here for such a limited amount of time. When you are studying abroad, the mindset completely transforms. While the sites are still truly breathtaking, you look at them thinking they are more typical than extraordinary. However, it’s the moments that no one ever talks about when I feel the most immersed in this beautiful country. Moments like walking home from school, jogging around the city familiarizing myself, and attending a local church with the community. It is in these moments where I find myself most happy abroad and truly feel like an Italian.

Moving Forward

With the remaining two months I have here, there are many things that I wish to accomplish. I want to further immerse myself in this culture by learning more of the language, going to Italian areas of the city, as well as visiting cities that are not typical tourist spots. I want to always keep in mind my personal fitness and academic goals and not veer from the course I have laid out. I want to continue to be social in the right situations and further develop the relationships I have made up until this point. Most importantly, I want to always keep in perspective the opportunity that I have been given. I want to always remember that I am living in one of the most magical cities in the world and not many people will ever have a chance to do that. Sono molto fortunato studiare a Roma!

Location: Rome, Trionfale, Cipro

Carambas!

No comprendo…

I was surprised that Spanish-speaking people actually say this phrase that Americans sometimes use. Beyond this, I have learned that no Spanish class could have prepared me for only conversing in Spanish during my trip to Colombia. My first overwhelming language experience was at a party when I first arrived. Thinking they were talking about kittens, I answered a question, but apparently they were asking about two little girls. Gratefully, my hosts enforce Spanish so I can improve, but they also speak English in case I have no idea what they are talking about. We’ll see if this remains true of my hosts in Argentina. But nevertheless, I feel that I am becoming more comfortable surrounded by Spanish. My conjugation of verbs is still rusty but is improving. And words long forgotten (like cucumber) are coming back to me.

Despite my second grade Spanish, the language and its cultural idiosyncrasies enrich my own experience of Bogotá. I was offered a bocadillo. My mind scrambled to translate. Boca? Mouth? What? But it turned out to be a common Colombian dessert of a slice of candied guava with a slice of local cheese on top. Sounds horrible, but in all honesty, I’d give up ice cream forever and replace it with this dessert.

The opposite of expectations

Walking through a Spanish Franciscan church that softens the cries of street vendors, I have arrived in an entirely new place. Compared to my austere Protestant church at home, I am awed by the ornate decoration- silver, gold, carved wood- of the church. I steps echo and I try not to disturb the Colombians kneeling and praying at midday. Religion permeates this country’s culture, but not as I expected. Many people struggle with Catholicism despite its seemingly pervasive nature in South America.

Outside of the churches, the streets are lined with military personnel. Dressed in camouflage and carrying huge guns, their presence makes me want to shriek and run. But the more I experience the city, I question what is this impending threat. As it turns out, Colombia experienced a bombing about a decade ago, and this event initiated the enormous increase in security. It seems radical at first, but is the increased security at my high school in response to Newtown just as ridiculous? What is so different between soldiers guarding Colombian schools and American schools continually being locked down from the outside world? Whether it be ridiculous, radical or rational, our reaction to violence is to arm and secure schools, movie theaters, and airports.

Soldiers by the Plaza de Bolívar

So far, I am loving this experience and cannot wait to learn more. ¡Hasta luego!

Location: Calle 73 Bogotá Colombia

To Baden-Baden!

Lucky for me, my dad came to visit for a Saturday after his Germany business trip! OFF TO BADEN-BADEN! One hour north of Freiburg, is Baden-Baden known for its spas and Roman baths (Baden means literally to bathe).

Although my roommates insisted they had to spend a day doing some work, right before we walked out the door my dad turned and exclaimed, “Nope, we’re all coming” – you may only be living in Europe once! And we had a BLAST (plus still got all of our work done).

After driving the autobahn and cruising up to 120 mph, we arrived in the city at the top of the Black Forest. We visited the Altes Schloss – ruins of the middle ages castle overlooking the city, giving us a great top view of the city.

But we also visited the city’s highest point via Europe’s steepest funicular railway. There were tons of families going up in snow clothes and sleds and they apparently slide down the mountain.

The towns spa-baths, on the other-hand, are very European. AKA predominantly naked. So for this trip we passed on the relaxation elation. But the gorgeous town calls us back – equipped with bathing suits.

Back home for dinner, I googled “best restaurants in Freiburg” and (as usual) came up with a TripAdvisor website where I can specify anything from price range to food type and find top rated eateries. Google always lists great websites similar to TripAdvisor I stick to. I chose 2 authentic eateries. Now, I’m still not used to arriving at/calling several restaurants and finding out they’re completely booked. Naive, I know, but at least I learned quickly…WEEKENDS = RESERVATIONS RESERVATIONS RESERVATIONS in Freiburg and cities. But we ended up in a small Italian restaurant, had spectacular house wine and talked the entire evening amongst the four of us. My roommates were so happy to have come out and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip with my dad.

Location: baden-baden, germany

¡Nos vemos!

My name is Alison Roby, and I am just starting my blog now because I leave for South America this weekend! Because the seasons are opposite in South America, I do not begin my study abroad in Buenos Aires until February 21. This extra-long winter break allows me to do some traveling before I arrive to Argentina, so I am visiting Colombia for two weeks as well! I am so excited for these experiences and cannot wait to share them with you through this blog.

At Penn State, I study biomedical engineering, but this semester I will be studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina through IES. I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country to complete my Spanish minor. I chose to go to South America because I really wanted to immerse myself in a place I may never have the opportunity to go to in the future. In Spanish classes, I love the challenge of trying to articulate my ideas in another language. I am excited, and also anxious, to have to face this challenge when trying to buy lunch, take an exam at a local university, or communicate with my host family. But through these difficulties, I hope to improve my fluency in Spanish.

After living in State College, I am looking forward to living and learning in an urban environment like Buenos Aires . I can’t wait to explore the markets of San Telmo and experience the bohemian vibe of Buenos Aires. I am also interested to learn how politics shape Argentine culture, from the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to the developing investigation into the death of the Argentine prosecutor, Nissman. Overall, I hope studying abroad expands my understanding of Argentina, the rest of the world, and my place within it.

I will be updating this blog weekly to share my academic, cultural, and political experiences and hope you enjoy reading my blog!

Location: Churchville, PA 18966

Switzerland for the Night

We got a call from a new classmate saying Basel in Switzerland is having a Museum Night where all of the its museums are free. She asked us if we wanted to join her and her friends. YES!! We were going to SWITZERLAND for a night! My one friend, Aviva, couldn’t get over how cool it was we could just hop into another country!

As soon as we’re on the train, all of the Europeans are pulling out apples, sandwiches, cupcakes, chocolates, thermoses with coffee, and even wine! They all were offering each other and us tastes of snacks. We quickly learned: always carry food on the go. Maybe it’s a European thing, but it would explain why my European mom is always prepared with basically an emergency picnic.

In an hour, we were in Basel and it was raining. Everyone was un-phased by the weather and the museums still packed. I felt that in the States bad weather means smaller crowds – but in Europe I haven’t seen anyone fearful of some bad weather, they just pull out umbrellas, rain coats (and cool rain cover-up pants our one friend ripped off once in the museum) and go. All of the city trams were free that evening so we hopped between several museums and awed at works by Gustave Courbet, Peter Doig, and Alexander Calder (originator of the mobile). Unfortunately no snapping pics in the museum but we had so much fun meeting some new classmates and seeing the gorgeous works. We caught the train home sleepily with lots of Freiburg-er’s and were all home by 3.

Life around Freiburg

Not only did I hop over to Switzerland, the next weekend I was in France within 40 minutes. I made a daytrip to Colmar and Strasbourg. Upon arriving, I kind of forgot that I have absolutely no French and resorted to “merci” and the language of hand gestures.

On the streets of Colmar, France

For now, I am working on improving my German language. Last week I apparently mixed up an order so badly that for a tuna sandwich without cheese, I somehow ended up with a cheese sandwich…surprised on the first bite. But actually laughed. Otherwiseee, I’m practicing my German in the markets and saying, “Wie sagt mann” (how do you say) for the words I don’t know yet and want to learn. It really helps to pick up words and phrases!

Light snow along river outside of Freiburg.

Freiburg streets

To Come

I’m heading to Berlin this week! A friend and I are organizing our trip and we found our 7 hour train ride tickets for 37 euros each, with some research and time. I can’t get a cheaper 3 hour bus ride to Penn State for that. Basically we will spend under 200 euros for 4 days in Berlin, saving for other things! Can’t wait to share details!! (P.S. Paris booked in 3 weeks too!)

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Auf Wiedersehen USA – The Schlussel to Germany

My name is Maya Jankowska and I’m a sophomore in biomedical engineering. I’m studying abroad this spring in Freiburg, Germany on the University College Freiburg Exchange Program! My departure is just around the corner and I will be writing and updating a blog throughout my entire experience. As this is my first post, I want to start from the beginning:

Why I’m Studying Abroad

I stood in the hotel lobby with my family. “Oh, wir brauchen den Schlussel!”, I replied with an excited tone even though I had nervously rehearsed the phrase about 10 times right before saying it. Did I say it right? Did she understand me? She turned to grab the key for our room and we were set.

Asking for a key to a hotel room two years ago with my family isn’t a big deal and not the reason I’m going to Germany for the semester. Speaking in the hotel lobby, I felt just a little uncomfortable. As we traveled more on our trip, I chimed in with locals continuing to get that subtle nervousness. But somehow, I liked the feeling and kept looking for more. I wanted to be thrown into an unknown surrounding again and learn to make a new home. Now, I want to struggle with my German with the cashier at the local supermarket and make a friend along the way. I want to take initiative of traveling and organizing the trips I want to go on. Plus, I want to take care of myself. I want to sort out my own affairs and take the “college experience” a step further (over the Atlantic Ocean). I’m ready to learn, adapt, immerse, and become independent in Europe.

Secondly as an engineer, gaining global experience will help me in all of my career paths. Country borders are coming down and career opportunities will place us anywhere in the world. It’s important to understand other cultures and adjust to new surroundings allowing us to network with the world. It shows initiative, resourcefulness, and adaptability to different environments. Ultimately, my new friend Rick Steves summarized why I think a global experience is important:

” Americans who want our next generation to be hands-on with the world — grappling constructively with international partners against daunting challenges that ignore political borders, working competitively in a globalized economy, and having enthusiasm rather than anxiety about other cultures and approaches to persistent problems — can get on board with the movement to help our students get a globalized education.” (Full article)

My blog will ultimately reflect on my travels but also the details and experiences advisors and students don’t tell you. (ie. How to plan 4 year graduation with study abroad, conversations with locals, etc.). The roadblocks/issues, unique facts, and food and drink (yes, the beer too). There will be ups and downs, but through it all I want to end up with life lessons from my experiences.

T-Minus 1 Day Until I Fly Out

“Are you excited to go?” The first question I get. Yes, I am ecstatic! It still seems pretty surreal that I am leaving but I know once I am on the plane and in the apartment, it’ll officially set in. Although it’s new now, I don’t want to forget why I am going abroad, which easily can get lost in the midst of becoming familiar with my new home.

TIP: I’ll keep a notecard that I want to read every morning reminding me why I am here. I want to keep myself safe but “uncomfortable” with new challenges. Here’s my little mantra:

So, tomorrow’s the flight and I’m packed (I think). Here comes the first week (wooooo) and I’ll be posting an update once I’m officially settled in, we’ll see what the week brings…

Until then, auf wiedersehen and see you in Germany,

Maya

Location: Philadelphia

Elektrafied: My Trip to the Teatro

Wow. I still have “Orest! Orest!” ringing in my ears. Last night, I finally saw an opera in the world-renowned Teatro Colón. National Geographic ranks Buenos Aires’s crowning jewel as the third best opera house in the world. Countless famous musicians have corroborated this assertion, commenting on the quality of its acoustics. A group of 8 of us from my program decided it was time for us to be a little cultured and bought tickets to Elektra, a German opera based on Greek mythology. Boy, did my ears get a workout. Wikipedia says that the role of Elektra is one of the most difficult pieces to perform in the dramatic soprano repertoire, and I definitely understand why. She does. not. stop. From the opening of the opera to its close 90 minutes later, the singer was trilling through the entire range of her vocal chords, hitting piercingly high notes complemented by warmer low tones. The woman who played her sister, Chrysothemis, was also fantastic. I heard her loud and clear over the thundering orchestra.

I just need to take a moment to comment on the orchestra. They were absolutely fantastic. Their sound filled the entire room and they flawlessly captured every mood of this tragic piece. I also had a great view of the musicians up in the nosebleed section, which was especially cool.

Back to the opera: I have always wanted to attend an opera, since I’ve sung a few operatic pieces in my voice lessons a few years back. But, I never seized the opportunity. Well, there was no excuse for leaving Buenos Aires without having seen an opera in Teatro Colón (with tickets being around $8), so I am so glad I made it a point to go. I was standing in the last row the whole time, but hey, my wallet was happy.

Walking into the glittering room of bright lights, velvet curtains, and intricate murals, I immediately felt like I was living in a dream. How many 20-year-olds have seen a famous opera?! So freakin’ exciting. It was truly surreal. Before the opera started, I took a few moments to myself to say a little prayer of thanks for this opportunity and waited with bated breath for the lights to dim and the curtains to open.

I can’t say that Elektra has converted me into an opera fanatic, but I am definitely happy that I went and plan to go to another in the future. Maybe one that’s a little lighter, like an Italian romance. In regards to the quality of the theater, it wasn’t quite what I expected. To be completely honest, I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed by the acoustics. It was often difficult to hear the opera singers, since they didn’t have microphones. The orchestra just overpowered them. But, it’s highly possible that that’s because of where we were standing. I’m not sure. I wish I could see another performance there for comparison. Regardless, it was an incredible experience, and I’m thrilled that I put aside the books for a moment and took advantage of this beautiful city in my last 19 DAYS!!

Location: Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Machu Picchu

It has been quite a long time since I’ve put up a blog post, but man have I been busy. As the time is winding down, I’m realizing that I still have so much I want to see and do and a dwindling amount of time in which to do it. But, I’ll save that sentimental post for closer to the end. Now, I finally have to tell you about MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD: Machu Picchu.

I’ve been struggling with how to approach this post about Machu Picchu. How do you describe a place whose beauty is indescribable? You can’t. I wrote a draft of a post last week, read it, and hated it. It didn’t even come close to capturing the magnificence of this ancient civilization ensconced by the Andes. So, I decided to step away for a little and come back to write afresh, but I still couldn’t find the words. Machu Picchu is one of those places that you have to see to understand.

As soon as I first saw the ruins and looked up at the surrounding mountains, I felt an instant connection to nature and history: a connection that I’ve never felt before. I realized how much I take my life and my opportunities for granted. I get caught up in my daily little problems and don’t stop to look around. I never take a day to hike a mountain or lie by a lake, connecting with the natural beauty around us. That needs to change. ASAP. I need to take a lesson from the Incans. They understood the innate harmony that exists between nature and us humans. The world consists of more than our own fabricated microcosms. That’s how they were able to build this incredible palace more than half a millennium ago.

I’ve already said more than I intended, so I’m going to let my pictures speak for themselves. Without further ado, Machu Picchu:

Location: Machu Picchu, Peru

Bienvenidos a Chile: Country #2 in Latin America!

I’ve been teasing about my “trip of a lifetime” for a while now, so I thought it was about time that I disclose the adventures of my 9-day trip to 2 countries, 4 cities, and 1 Wonder of the World.

The end goal was Machu Picchu, but the flights were cheaper if we stopped in Santiago along the way, so my two traveling companions and I decided to seize the opportunity to see another country. We booked hostels in Santiago and Viña del Mar and embarked on this fast-paced first leg of the journey.

We arrived in Santiago around noon after a very early flight and crashed at our hostel. It was very strange, though: Santiago was a ghost town. Every single business was closed, boarded up for the weekend (except McDonald’s, of course). Never in my life have I seen a city so barren, especially on a Friday! We asked the hostel staff what the deal was, and they informed us that it was Chile’s independence day weekend, so everyone was celebrating at the multiple fondas throughout the city. Fondas are basically big out-door carnivals with live music and local street food. Since there was nothing else to do, we rested up and headed out to one called O’Higgins. It was a blast! We tried their typical empanada, choripan, chicken and steak kabob, and the infamous Chilean terremoto (the local drink of choice). We ended the night mingling with the locals at a free out-door concert. It felt so good to celebrate the end of midterms and this important day for Chile. It ended up being lucky that we arrived when we did!

After the fonda, we recharged and caught an early bus to Viña del Mar, one of Chile’s beach towns. Oh, to just breathe that crisp, ocean-y air. This was finally vacation. We walked along the coast, trying to convince ourselves that we weren’t dreaming. While we were walking along, gazing at the skyline, we stumbled upon a local market where they were selling everything from Viña del Mar key chains to the “drug rug” pants we’d been seeing around the city. We cruised along looking for souvenirs, mingling with the enthusiastic vendors. Along the way, we stopped to listen to a man sitting on the rocks, playing his guitar, and singing some American and British classics. It was nice to have a little piece of home even when we were so far away. It never ceases to amaze me how music seems to be the one language that transcends every boundary around the world. That night, we headed out to unwind and ended up in an interesting little place called Café Journal. While everyone else was enjoying their pints of beers, we ordered some hot chocolates (it gets cold at night!) and watched the DJ jam out to his strange playlist of 80s music videos. Besides one other woman dancing the night away, I think we were the only ones that took such enjoyment out of seeing Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston on the screen. It was very amusing.

After a sound sleep, we headed to the vibrant Valparaiso. For once, we were grateful to be accosted by tour guides looking for patrons for their tips-only tours. Two extremely friendly Chileans guided us around the atypical tourist spots, giving us incredible views of the port city. The town is best known for its array of colorful houses lining the iconic hills. Our tour guide told us that these residential rainbows emerged as a makeshift address system. Since the town was mainly used as a trading center, there wasn’t an official government system until later on. Thus, everyone would identify one another’s houses by saying, “I live in the purple house with the yellow windows on Cerro (hill) Concepción.” This method became so engrained into the culture of Valpo that the idea stuck even when an address system was established. Now, we tourists have the privilege of climbing to the tops of the hills to enjoy the beautiful view. Well, to be clear, the privilege is the view, not the climb. There are two ways to make the trip: HUNDREDS of steep stairs or an ascensor, which is basically an outdoor elevator. We tried both ways, and I have to say: I prefer the ascensor. You get an unparalleled view of the city on the way up, and you don’t end up a sweaty mess by the time you reach your destination, which is how we arrived at Pablo Neruda’s house, La Sebastiana. Wow, his house was incredible. It was amazing to see this famous Chilean writer’s poems placed throughout the house, showing us the direct influences on his creative genius. I’ve read many of his poems in my Spanish classes, so it was surreal to have the same vantage point that inspired some of his greatest pieces.

The only low point of the day was our traditional Chilean lunch that made us all queasy. It’s always a risk to order mystery meals, and this time, it backfired. I ordered “Chupe de Locos.” I had no idea what it was, but I wanted seafood, and the waitress recommended it. What arrived at my place was a bubbling cauldron of doughy mush filled with OCTOPUS and blanketed in cheese. AHH. I was expecting “locos” to be lobster, so as I chewed the rubbery pieces of fish, it was quite an unpleasant shock to discover that I was eating tentacles, not delicate lobster meat. I stopped after only a few bites and rushed out of there as soon as we got the check–it was a very uncomfortable situation. With bellies full of who knows what, we headed back to our hostel in Viña.

After our stay in Cusco, we returned to Santiago for one day and took the time to explore the now-awakened city. After a failed attempt to find a guided tour, we decided to be our own tour guides for the day. First, we stumbled upon a changing of the guards led by a female soldier–very neat! Then, we headed to an indigenous persons museum, which was really modern and interesting. It always amazes me to see the incredible things people could create with such limited resources. After the museum, we climbed to the top of a castle on a hill in the middle of the city to admire the smog-filled skyline. What an interesting juxtaposition of snow-covered Andes and towering skyscrapers! After our self-guided excursion, we begrudgingly headed to the airport and hopped on our flights home to Buenos Aires.

I loved Chile, but it can’t quite compare to Cusco and Machu Picchu, so look out for my post about my new favorite place in the entire world. Coming to you within the week!

Location: Chile: Santiago, Viña del Mar, Valparaiso

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