Spend Your High School Summer Abroad in Valparaiso, Chile

My program in Valparaíso, Chile, recently ended and I am returning to the United States where I live (unfortunately). First of all, let me say that this program is absolutely amazing, but it still has its pros and cons. When I began my journey, I received nothing less than support from on-site staff, program leaders, and language teachers. I do not recall any bad experience with them and I will miss them as much as I will miss the destination itself. They were all very nice, respectful, and helpful. My host family and host sibling placement was amazing. I got along well with them and the only problem I had was with the bathroom in the house breaking and a slight invasion of ants into the hallway (which is out of control of anyone). The activities in this program are almost always enjoyable. There is a lot of walking, and viewing street art and museums, which can be boring if you aren't into that. The larger weekend trips (one of which was overnight) were amazing. One problem with being so busy is just how tired you will get. The projects and journals for class are also required and very time consuming. You must be prepared to be going and doing all the time, and you will have fun on this trip!

CIEE is a wonderful program that works hard to make sure every participant feels satisfied with their experience and become true global navigators. The staff members were as eager and excited as the students and CIEE did a really good job of matching students with their home families. I personally fell in love with my home stay family and I plan to visit frequently in the future. In addition, I made amazing friends that live throughout the United States and we are in contact till this day. CIEE not only makes sure that it's participants feel safe and comfortable throughout their trip, but they also make sure participants experience a diverse set of activities, all which help them understand the culture of Chile. My experience was amazing and I felt like I was part of a new family.

My experience in Chile with CIEE was one of the best I have ever had in my life, and I think about it almost every day. Not only did I learn lots of new Spanish communication skills, but I also developed a very strong bond with my host family. We got very close over the course of the program and are still in touch today. I was excited to wake up every day while abroad and there was never a dull moment.

Whenever I get the chance to talk, I make sure to tell everyone about my experience with CIEE's program for Valparaiso, Chile. The program itself was extremely beneficially, because my Spanish is much stronger and I feel more comfortable speaking with family and friends. I also enjoyed the program thanks to the team leaders, Maria Paz Montes was such a kind lady and the group leaders were just as great too. The environment I was housed in was perfect, and I got lucky enough to have a veteran host family who had worked with CIEE for many years. As for the country itself, it was spectacular! I cannot wait to return one day, hopefully with my own family or maybe even with CIEE? I think that would be an amazing opportunity if it were to present itself.

From start to finish, CIEE made my summer in Valpraíso, Chile unforgettable. I signed up super late, yet CIEE was very accommodating in helping me be part of their program. All of the group leaders were funny, charismatic, and intelligent. Everyone shared their backgrounds and experiences and what led them to this experience in Chile and I was lucky to be surrounded by some truly fascinating individuals with whom I still have contact with, almost a year later. My host family was extremely caring and funny. I wouldn’t have been able to grow as much in the Spanish language if I hadn’t been with them. My family did not know English, so I was forced to develop my speaking skills, which was truly invaluable. The program confirmed that I wanted to study Spanish and international relations in college; experiencing another country’s culture for a straight month by living in it was incredible and I have to thank CIEE for having such a huge impact on my life.

As of 8:30 pm today, I officially have left in a city that has given the best experience of my life. Though, I was originally terrified to come to Chile. It was not even close to where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to somewhere in Europe, along with my best friend who was most definitely going (and did go) to Spain. When I found out that I was going to Chile, I almost didn't accept my scholarship because I was so afraid, but I did. That decision was the best decision of my life. At 16, I was going to traveling the world, alone. I had never been outside the country before, but now I was doing it on my own, and it has been the greatest experience of my life. This city has given me a piece of myself that I was not aware was missing. To me, Valparaíso is the most beautiful and wonderful city in the world. The people here are some of the greatest people and the nicest I've ever met. There's always a smile on their faces and a genuine greeting following close behind. Though, the people here aren't the only great thing about this city, the food here is phenomenal, I’ve never tasted better food anywhere. Though, Valparaíso has taught me important life lessons. It taught has to be more independent, and trust my instincts and the people around me even with a language barrier. I am so thankful for this opportunity. This city has taught me more about myself than my small town in upstate NY ever could. While I am a proud small town American girl and probably always will be, this city will have a piece of my heart and soul.