Chile: Our Favorite Things
Returning home to our Idaho campus always feels like a deep exhale for the entire Alzar School community. For everyone, traveling as a group of 40+ gringos is exhausting. Our community is noticeably relaxed, as problem-solving challenges of traveling abroad have come to an end. It is the simple things that you appreciate when stepping back onto our Idaho campus – having your personal space, delicious meals provided by our wonderful kitchen staff, not having to clean off your kitchen table for class, and settling back into our cozy homes.
Students will spend the next eight weeks in Idaho getting to know our campus and state. Over these next weeks, students can anticipate a full schedule: Idaho expeditions, Parents’ Weekend, AP exams, finals, and graduation. While it is easy to settle back into the novelties of our campus, it is important to remember the life-changing experiences that students had in Chile. Here are a few student thoughts on the things that made their time in the Southern Hemisphere far from forgettable:
“Living so independently in the cabañas was my favorite part of Chile. I loved living with so many friends and cooking for ourselves.” – Rebecca
“Kayaking the Paloma outside of Coyhaique was my favorite part of our time in Chile. It is the prettiest river I have ever been on.” – Anna
“My favorite part of Chile was the backpacking expedition, I love hiking, being in nature, and feeling completely alone in the wilderness.” – Molly
“I have two favorite memories from Chile. One, the river expedition on the Baker because it was incredibly beautiful. Second, eating Chilean food, especially the empanadas.” – Ethan
“Exploring the town of Coyhaique with my peers was my favorite part of Chile.” – Claudia
“Living in the cabañas was my favorite part of Chile because I felt like I was in college.” – Nate
“Our hammock spot (where there were 6-7 hammocks always hung up) was my favorite part of Chile. I loved the hammock spot because it is where we all connected.” – Ruffin
The change that Chile had on each life in our community is palpable. Staff, students, and administrators will be reminiscing on stories for weeks until new tales of epic adventures, deep community building, and beauty build upon the ones made in Chile.