I’m writing this blog post on my couch at home, which is extremely weird. I’ve been back in the States since May 17th, although I haven’t really had time to sit down and write until today. It has been a hectic few weeks. Transitioning back home from studying abroad is no joke.

Anyway, this post is meant to be a general reflection on the past few months. I thought I would have my thoughts in order by now, as it’s been a few weeks since my program ended, but they still feel jumbled. I think it’s going to take a long time to fully process everything that’s happened. I have lots of journaling in my future!

But, I’ll do my best with where I’m at now. Let’s get into it. (Also, enjoy the random photos from the semester that are scattered throughout this post).

The one thing I do know is that studying abroad was 100% a positive experience and I’m so glad I did it. Being able to spend several months in a different country is not an experience everyone has the chance to do, and I would recommend taking the chance to study abroad. I got to immerse myself in a new place in a deeper way than if I just traveled there; studying in Patagonia allowed me to connect with various folks (members of CONAF, business owners, educators, volunteers, etc). I had the chance to conduct my own research and interview fascinating stakeholders and learn about the environment in an in-depth and hands-on way. I truly fell in love with Puerto Natales and Patagonia and learned so much.

The past four months have definitely influenced my perspective and my future plans. The experience of living abroad was eye-opening and made me realize that I want to explore more places after college, and try to live abroad for at least a year. As someone who has no idea about what career I want or what will happen after college, it’s exciting to have new ideas and plans taking form.

Being back is odd. It was so strange when my parents picked me up from the airport. In a lot of ways, it felt like nothing had changed and no time had passed; I was back in their car heading home, listening to them talk about their days. When they asked about the semester, I didn’t know what to say. It’s hard to distill four months into a few sentences, or even into a few minutes of talking. The same thing happened with my friends; when they ask me about the semester, I don’t know what to say. I’ve mostly been saying, “it was good,” and leaving it at that because sorting through everything and deciding what to share is a lot to think about. It’s hard to explain what the experience was really like for people who weren’t there. I feel lucky to have two friends who attend Whitman and were also abroad with me, as I know I can talk to them about my time abroad and they’ll understand. Journaling is also helpful with this, so I’d recommend that to anyone else coming back from a semester abroad.

I don’t want this post to be too long, so I might wrap it up here. Like I said, I would definitely recommend going abroad. In terms of my specific program, I would recommend it to people looking for an academically-focused and field-based learning experience. SFS Patagonia is heavy on the science and research, so if those are things you’re interested in, or looking to explore more, this program is a good option. I’d also recommend it to people who enjoy getting outside and getting dirty, and to people who don’t mind bursts of bad weather (the elements in Patagonia are no joke). Be prepared for tough moments–missing home, stress about homework and classes, frustration over not being able to easily find alone time. But also be prepared for amazing moments–walking by the fjord with a fresh alfajor after classes, watching the sun rise on Paine Grande, getting treated to rainbows every other day.

I hope that anyone reading this has enjoyed my posts and found them helpful and/or interesting! Writing has been fun and I’ll miss my weekly wrap-ups. But of course, all things must come to an end. It’s been real, folks.

¡Muchas gracias, y chao!