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Sleep did not come to me on the nine hour flight from Houston to Santiago, not for lack of trying. Regardless, I was happy when I heard familiar Chilean expressions coming from the couple sitting behind me. I allowed my mind to wander, and I found myself enthusiastically envisioning working on my research while being immersed in Spanish once again. This time around, I did not feel the slight tinge of nerves that I did the first time I came to Chile. Instead, I was comforted by the prospect of being reunited with my friends and host family. I felt excited by the thought of exploring more of the city and country that I had only scratched the surface of last semester.
I had worked on my research project over break, mostly focusing on constructing an outline and browsing for potentially helpful sources. However, being back with my family made concentrating extra challenging. I was frustrated by my lack of progress. I finally had time but I couldn’t seem to get in the right mentality to work effectively. The atmosphere of home was simply too laid back, it was lacking the fast-pace and intense study environment of GW and Universidad Católica. Fortunately, I was able to quickly get into a work rhythm once I settled back into my Santiago life.
Classes won’t start until the beginning of March, so I am motivated to take extra time to read longer articles and relevant documents for my research. In particular, I have gotten accustomed to reading the local newspaper which I decided was worth the daily subscription. Each morning over a cup of tea I scan for news regarding Chile’s electricity system, energy politics, and sustainability initiatives. Some interesting information I have found that I am planning to incorporate into my final research essay include the fact that Chileans have been buying a record high number of cars thus far in 2019 and that intense rains in the north have destroyed roads and power lines, causing major energy security issues.
Alongside working on research, I have also been planning a trip to travel south of Santiago with my friend Kaitlyn who is also studying for a second semester in Chile. We have both decided to take advantage of our longer break and explore more of this great long country before the semester begins. I have been working hard to research some preliminary findings relating to electricity usage and decarbonization in the regions we are going to visit, so that while I am traveling I can write down my observations which will help advance my research paper. I am looking forward to finding out more about places such as the island of Chiloé (which is only accessible by ferry), Chaitén (which was partly destroyed by a volcano eruption in 2008), as well as Puyuhuapi and Coyhaique (where wood is used as a primary source of heat and energy).
I have a lot of productive plans for this semester, and I feel like I am off to a great start. When I get back from my travels I will have the chance to choose my new classes. As of now, I have a couple in mind including Intro to Geographic Information Systems and Urban Sustainability. I am also looking forward to meeting the newcomers for the semester and giving them tips to help their experiences abroad in Chile.