July 19 marked the end of my amazing five month exchange in Chile.

It was incredibly daunting when I was told that I had won an AFS Language Immersion Award to a foreign Spanish speaking country for half a year, as I didn't really know what was in store for me.
Looking back on it, it really was an experience of a life time.I had an absolutely wonderful host family, who did so much for me. I had two great host sisters and two lovely parents, and also a huge extended family who I was also very close to. 

I won't lie, the beginning of my exchange was fun but really difficult, as expected. Language barriers made it hard but it was important to keep a positive mind frame. This, in the end, paid off. When I hit two months into my exchange, everything instantly became so much easier. The Spanish was a lot easier to grasp and I found myself contributing in class, having lots of laughs with my friends, and having an amazing time in and out of school. My list of highlights is truly too long to even start to think about. I will forever cherish the times where I went shopping with my host sisters, had a huge Sunday lunch with all of my family, or when I sat down to watch Game of Thrones with my cousins next door. And I will also never forget all the time spent with my friends, where I had countless amazing moments. It got to the point where improving my Spanish was just a bonus to all the great times I was having. I experienced so much of the Chilean culture. The Empanada-eating football-fanatics were so generous and caring. they are truly wonderful people. 

I am happy to say that I left Chile with so many fond memories, Empanada recipes, homes that I can return to, and pretty decent Spanish. Time went fast. With little desire to return to New Zealand (sorry mum), I reluctantly boarded my flight from Santiago to Auckland, tears streaming down my face at the thought of not knowing when I will next see the beautiful faces of my host family and friends.My exchange opened so many doorways for me. I have a clearer idea of what I might like to study after school, and I also have so many relationships with amazing people in other countries. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I really do encourage absolutely everyone to put their hands up for an exchange. Even if you don't study a second language, exchange organisations like AFS offer the opportunity to have an amazing year or half year away, regardless of whether you're learning another language. I really want to thank Miss Law for supporting me so much throughout my exchange. And it's safe to say I'm already looking at return flights to go back.