Anxious

Chile is right around the corner. It's unbelievable how fast it came! I still have roughly 2 weeks left, but I know those days will go by so fast.  I am becoming more and more anxious about leaving.  I still have so much to do, including packing which I know will take me forever!  I am really sad to be going, but I am looking forward to this experience so much and I know it will be amazing.  It's hard to start to say goodbye to friends, but then I remember that I won't be in Chile forever and it will go by faster than I think!  I think I am most anxious about getting on a plane and knowing that this is real and it is really happening.  As much as I fear that day, I look forward to it so much as well!  With every sad thing about leaving I think of something to look forward to in Chile and it balances everything out.  I am becoming more and more nervous, but to me it still doesn't feel that real yet that I am actually leaving the United States and traveling to South America for roughly 11 months.  I think it will finally hit me when I get off my plane in Chile and I will be surrounded with thousands of people speaking Spanish and then meeting my host family.  I am so excited to meet them in person!

Chilean Consulate Visit

My exchange to Chillan, Chile is approaching much faster than I thought!  It was 6 months ago when I was accepted into the Rotary Exchange Program and at that time it felt so far away.  Now I will be leaving for Chile in about 20 days or so.  It is finally becoming so real.  I drove to Boston today to receive my visa for traveling. It was quite an interesting visit to the consulate.  It was basically in a basement in Boston. Many old "artifacts" were hung on the walls and a Chilean flag hung outside. These quite humorous old men were the ones working there.  I didn't understand all of their jokes, but they were quite the hoot! A very quick process, but it takes a lot of work to get everything together to be able to go to the consulate.  I wouldn't be able to go on the exchange if it weren't from the help of my parents.  Especially to my Mom, she has been on the phone almost every day and has scheduled every appointment from my FBI background check, blood test, renewing of my passport etc. I am very thankful for my parents and for the this opportunity that they are providing me.  Overall the consulate visit was a very odd experience, but I will never forget it and it's one step closer.  From there I am able to then book my flight to Chile and it will be official!  

Get To Know Me

Hi! I am Emma Briody.  I live in South Burlington, Vermont and attend South Burlington High School.  I am taking my junior year to become an exchange student and study abroad in Chile!  Studying abroad has been a dream of mine for quite sometime.  I am greatly influenced by my older cousins who have also had the experience of studying abroad at some point in their high school or college career.  That's where my idea of studying abroad sparked from.  I've always wanted to travel the world, one of my goals is to travel to every continent.  I consider this exchange the beginning of my travels.  Studying abroad isn't very common in my high school so most of my friends are surprised I would want to leave for a year and study abroad.  I ask myself the same thing sometimes too.  I am looking forward to trying something completely new and to step out of my comfort zone.  This experience will make me a stronger and more independent person and I think that this will help me in my future.  Another reason I wanted to study abroad was for the opportunity to learn a language and become fluent in my time there, and to experience another culture and new customs.   As I said before, studying abroad isn't very common in my school, but I am actually lucky enough to be sharing an experience like this with three very close friends who are studying abroad.  I can't wait to hear all about their exchange and to have three close friends that are going through the same struggles will be nice to talk to because they will understand, rather than a friend at home.  As excited as I am to start this adventure and leave for Chile I am sad to have to begin to say goodbye to family and friends.  As hard as I know it will be to leave home for a year, my eagerness to leave and begin my life in Chile triumps the sadness of leaving.  I am grateful for the opporunity to study abroad and all the support from my family and friends and I can't wait to begin to post stories, photos and other posts about school, my host family and adventures while I am in Chile!  Follow my journey as I travel 5,600 miles to Chillan, Chile!