Hi friends and Happy Tuesday!
I have something new and special planned for the blog today. Although, I spent Spring Break at home and relaxing, many of my friends traveled to places near and far. Some for school, others for pleasure.
My best friend Shalyn (who I may have mentioned once or twice) traveled to Chile over Spring Break for a class and she agreed to share a bit about her trip on my blog. Take it away Shay!
“Hey everyone! Guest blogger Shalyn Vukich here! I’m a Communication and Spanish major, so Chile was the perfect opportunity for some practice!
When college students hear the phrase: SPRING BREAK, they rejoice because of everything commonly associated with spring break like warm weather, beaches, or if you’re like me, vegging out on the couch with Netflix. 😜
Spring break is supposed to be a glorious time of no stress and no responsibilities, so why on Earth did I spend mine doing schoolwork?
Okay, before you start judging me, let me explain. I have never been a fan of science, but lucky me, I chose a liberal arts college that requires 8 science credits. Yippee. Thankfully, I discovered an option that would let me fulfill 4 credits through an online environmental sustainability class and a trip over spring break. Sign me up!
Although I was not very enthusiastic about giving up my beloved Netflix time to spend a week with a professor and a couple strangers, I was beyond thrilled for a new adventure. I spent my spring break soaking up the sunny skies of Chile. Yes, that’s right – Chile – as in South America!
I visited both the capital city of Santiago and the popular tourist destination Valparaiso and Viña del Mar (popular because of AMAZING beaches!).
My favorite part of the trip was the last night. We had dinner at an Easter Island themed restaurant (fun fact: Easter Island is Chilean property), and we were treated not only to dinner but also to a cultural show. At the end of the night, I got pulled on stage to bring out my inner Shakira and prove that hips really don’t lie! After dinner and the show ended, we took the stage and danced alongside native Chileans to a mixture of Spanish and American music. It was a blast!
Aside from a quick vacation to Mexico, this was really my first time being immersed in a Spanish-speaking country. Next spring I’ll be studying abroad in Spain to really put my skills to the test. I can’t wait!
I could go on and on about this trip, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Why tell you about Chile, when I can show you?!
I hope these pictures have shown that:
1) Chile is a beautiful country and a must see.
2) Try to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way like I did. Why sit inside a classroom listening to a professor drone on and on about something when you can get out there and discover that experience firsthand?
I promise you won’t regret taking chances like these!
Adventure is out there. You just need to find it.”