It has almost been a month since I’ve gotten back from my semester abroad in Santiago, Chile. It feels like I arrived yesterday, and at the same time, it feels like ages ago. I’ve spent the past couple weeks trying to decide whether I’ve fully adjusted back to life in the U.S. but I think it’s safe to say that I’m still adjusting.
The first week was tough. I remember my first, immediate reaction to being back in the States was “Why can’t I see the mountains?”, and my following thoughts throughout the first week consisted of “Why does my produce expire so fast?”, “Why can’t I walk everywhere?” and of course, “Why is it so humid????”
Granted, all of these questions had logical answers and the observations and emotions definitely ran deeper, but I didn’t want to acknowledge them. I missed the people so terribly – my host mom, her family, my friends, the baristas at my favorite cafe in the neighborhood – that I was wallowing in my own grumpiness and taking offense to all the little adjustments, while constantly contemplating the cultural and societal comparisons I was discovering.
I still miss everyone I met in Chile, and my routine and life there. It has taken the past couple of weeks for me to change the way I think about my time abroad and the reality of being back in the U.S., and I’m still learning which, at the end of the day, is completely okay. As I readjust to the produce, climate, and culture here, I’ve been making a conscious effort to think positively and reflect about my time in Chile as opposed to just longing to be back there.
Regardless of the challenges of re-entry shock, I look at the five months I spent in Chile as the five most special months of my time at GW. I learned so much, grew in ways I didn’t expect, and most importantly, fully enjoyed the short amount of time I had there. Now, it's time to focus on the next steps and carry forward the lessons I learned abroad in my final two years at GW and beyond. I'm sure it'll still take some time, and a good amount of confidence, but I hope to keep alive the experiences and memories I made in Chile.
Avanti Patwardhan
Spring 2025
GW Chile - Spanish Track (GW Study Program)
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Political Communication Major