With its beautiful landscapes, vibrant traditions, and delicious foods, Chile is a fun and friendly destination to study abroad! Former AFS Exchange Student Rachael describes what it was like to spend a typical day living in Chile and enjoying family life on our Chile semester program.
Living in Chile as a foreign exchange student
Morning
I wake up at 7:30 am and sit down to a breakfast of bread, jam, cheese and avocado with coffee or tea. My high school is just a 10-minute walk away, and I arrive by 8:30 am after my stroll through the neighborhood.
I take a few minutes to catch up with friends, and then have morning classes including math, history, and English.
Afternoon
I go home to eat lunch with my host family at 1:30 pm. My host mom prepares a big meal of salmon or red meat and potatoes.
I head back to school at 3:30 pm for some elective classes or club activities like soccer and dance. When school gets out, my friends and I walk around downtown. We like to go shopping at the mercado (market) or hang out at our favorite café.
Evening
I get home around 6:30 pm and spend some time talking about my day with my host family. Then we visit with extended family and eat our evening meal, called once. This is a light snack of tea and toasted bread with ham and cheese. For dessert, we enjoy some sweet German pastries, which are popular in the south of Chile.
Back at home, I get ready for bed and fall asleep by 11 pm, excited for whatever tomorrow brings!
What was your favorite part of your experience?
I gained a permanent family that I maintain contact with regularly. I learned how to communicate entirely in Spanish, which I still use every day.
Want to spend your free time wandering through the local mercado and making yourself at home in a warm family environment? Check out our year-long, semester, and four-week summer programs in Chile!