Over the past eight weeks, I have grown fond of Santiago. A city which once was known to me only through pictures and stories told from others is now one to which I feel a deep connection. Some of my favorite days in the city were the ones with no plans where I could just walk and discover as I went along. I’ve been documenting everything through pictures and in a journal to keep my memories in tact and allow myself to revisit this city once I’ve returned to Evanston.
I don’t know when I’ll return to Santiago, but hopefully some years down the road I will find myself back here again. Two months, although jam-packed, have gone by far too quickly. I have been overwhelmed (in the best way) with a new language and culture. It can be difficult to process so much information in so little time. My time spent with the NGO Educacion Popular en Salud has given me a lot to think about, both about my direction in medicine and my own perspectives of community health. I’m looking forward to the long flight home, where I can take some time to reflect on all that has happened.
It’s been amazing to learn and grow alongside my classmates at Northwestern. I have realized through this trip that there are so many communities of fascinating, incredible people at Northwestern that I have not yet tapped into. Study abroad is unique in the sense that you don’t choose who comes on the trip. You interact with people with different viewpoints and perspectives, people you may not have encountered at Northwestern otherwise.
In my experience, Santiago isn’t a city that didn’t immediately welcome me in. I had to put in the time and effort before it showed me its most amazing qualities, as if I had to earn its trust. Now that I’ve stuck around long enough, I am sad to go.
A quote from a short Chilean film I watched encapsulates my feelings perfectly:
“Las ciudades son como las personas- tienen algo en su personalidad que no nos deja olvidar.”
(Cities are like people- they have something in their personality that does not let us forget.)
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