By | Hannah Lussier Back in the fall of 2016, as I sat in pre-departure meetings for study abroad, I listened with confusion as the word “hosteling” was dropped into conversations about mid-stay travel opportunities. Having never heard the term before, I mistakenly assumed that it was just fancy traveler terminology for staying in a […]
Author Archive | hannahl
Terremoto or Temblor: Notes on Chilean Earthquake Culture
By | Hannah Lussier Just last week, the song “Shaky Shaky” by Puerto Rican music artist Daddy Yankee was featured on Spotify as one of Chile’s Top 50 singles currently reaching ears country-wide. The song emphasizes the word “terremoto”, or earthquake, in order to describe the powerful shake of a woman’s hips. Shaken up another […]
The Ups and Downs of Travel in Chile
By Hannah Lussier Before I left my cozy hometown in Western Massachusetts to travel to Viña del Mar in Central Chile, I was congratulated by many a friend and family member for my “brave” choice to study abroad in Latin America. Many times I questioned the reason for that word: brave. I wondered whether or […]
Living in the Heart of Chile
By | Hannah Lussier As I flew over the Andes Mountains in the early morning hours on February 15th, I could already tell that it would be easy to love living in Chile. The sun reawakened my sense of adventure as I left the stressful environment of the Santiago airport and breathed my first breath […]
I am the Sixteen Percent
By Hannah Lussier Since I decided to study abroad in Chile about a year and a half ago, I have been excited to announce my plans to anyone who would listen. In the process, I learned that I had unknowingly placed myself among a unique group of students. My new reality is that less than […]