Don't cry for me, Valdivia.

Friday was our last day at the Windsor School. Not only was it our last day, though. It was the last school day of the academic year. Since summer in Chile starts in December, their summer break lasts until March. The academic year actually lines up with the calendar year. It feels so strange to us since we are used to our academic and calendar years being different. Our experience at the Windsor School has certainly been unforgettable. The teachers were incredibly helpful and went out of their way to give us a complete understand of Chile and its culture. The classes we took here included Spanish, Chilean history, art, theater, cooking, music, and folklore.

 

In Chilean history, we watched videos on Chilean history and had Q & A sessions with our teacher. We learned about everything from the Mapuche (Chile's native people) to recent history. This was able to better help us understand the culture that we are submersed in. From this class, I have learned that Chile is a country built on perseverance. Since Chile is frequently battered by tsunamis, earthquakes, and over 200 active volcanoes, they have to be able to persevere to survive. No matter what has happens in Chile, they face the dilemma with their heads held high, knowing that it is just another pothole in the road of their history.

 

In folklore and music, we learned the native Chilean dance, the cueca. We then sang a cueca dance song. The cueca is a dance with a man and a woman representing a hen and the rooster who is pursuing her. We also learned a native Chilean Polka and a Chilean bottle dance (pictured above). In cooking class, we made Chilean cookies and bread (pictured below). All of our classes have given us a comprehensive understanding of Chilean culture.

 

After spending our last weekend in Valdivia, we had to say goodbye to our families on Monday night. I never imagined it would be as hard as it was. I was handling it well until me mom started crying. As the bus pulled away, our families all stood together and waved us off. It's hard to imagine that I will probably never be in Valdivia again and even harder to imagine that I may never see my family again. I am trying not to think about it that way. Instead, I just see my new friends and family as an excuse to return to Chile. To all my new friends: don't cry for me, Valdivia. The truth is I never left you.