Last year, I packed my bags and boarded the longest flight of my life to start my semester abroad. After a month in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I headed to Santiago, Chile, where I spent the next 5 months taking classes, traveling, and making new friends— all in Spanish.

Throughout my time in South America, I:

• Celebrated Halloween in the driest desert in the world

• Gazed into the center of the milky way,

• Trekked through unforgettable glacier-filled landscapes in Patagonia

• Ate dinner at 11pm because Argentina was winning the Copa America tournament

• Helped Chilean students apply to universities in the U.S.

• Learned how to make empanadas!