I was in Santiago, Chile for six months this year. I arrived at the end of January and departed at the end of July. Although there were minor setbacks (8.8 earthquake, aftershocks, destruction of school property, riots, strikes, etc.) it was an overwhelmingly positive experience. One of the programs I participated in while I was there was a program that places native English speakers in Chilean elementary schools to aid in their English classes. I had always had the idea that I wanted to be a teacher but the experience in Chile solidified the idea and helped me discover that I wanted to be an ESL teacher above anything else.
During my last few weeks in Chile I began to think about leaving. As much as I missed California, my friends and my family, I was desperately sad to be leaving Chile. I had fallen in love with the country, the culture and the people. At a dinner with some friends on one of my very last nights in the country I approached a friend's sister with questions about the program in which she was currently participating. She told me about Teaching Chile, and the different options for teaching English as a second language available through it. I was immediately interested. After all, I knew I only had a quarter left at my university. What was I going to do after that? That dinner set in motion the hastened journey of applying for the program. I was unofficially accepted almost immediately and then officially accepted at the end of August. It all happened very fast but before I knew it I had a job in a foreign country just two months after graduation. The situation really couldn't have worked out more perfectly.
So now, here I am in my last week as an undergrad. I feel completely overwhelmed and at the same time entirely tranquil. Part of me knows that I am effectively closing a chapter of my life and moving into the adult world. I'm as prepared as I can be and while I'm a little bit terrified I'm mostly thrilled and excited about all the opportunities that await me. I have huge expectations for this next life experience and I can't wait to get started.
