Tūwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitū – feel the fear and do it anyway!
This whakataukī has been a constant in my teenage years, and was particularly important during my first year of University last year. Over the past week, this whakataukī has naturally integrated its way into our conversations and thoughts — it’s a reminder that apprehension is normal, but not a limitation to what we can achieve.
As a nineteen year old studying abroad, the fear of the unknown has at times been challenging. In these moments, I have reminded myself to feel it out, trust in my instincts, and push myself outside of my comfort zone. Diverting from my norm has generated some transformative experiences over the past week, of which I feel overwhelmed by gratitude to be able to experience. As an avid journaller, I have made it my mission to write my gratitude down everyday, and I feel this is a fitting way to communicate the experiences of week one in Chile.
Week one gratitude:
Day one – the Santiago sun! There is no greater serotonin than basking in the heat of a summer’s day. From the moment we got off that plane, it became clear that Santiago would provide this almost always — so good for the soul.
Day two – the patience of the people in Santiago. Even if the retailer does not speak English, their willingness to engage in conversation despite the language barrier has been immensely gratifying. Despite being English speakers, our local coffee shop workers let us practice our Spanish — “Un latte frío, por favor” has become a confident line, however I am happy to report that my vocab is expanding!
Day three – the opportunity to learn about the religious and cultural practices at the heart of Latin America. I arrived at San Cristóbal hill with very little knowledge of Catholicism and its history in Latin America, and left with a wealth of information (shoutout to Nele for helping me with this!)
Day four – the public transport! The speed and timeliness of the trains is like nothing I have seen before, and is made so much better by the beautiful maunga on our morning commute to campus.
Day five – the classes at UC Chile. The main lecturer has the ability to captivate an audience, and made us all recognise our privilege in being able to access healthcare. The kaupapa is at times confronting, but the type of confrontation necessary to remind us that there is so much work to be done.
Day six – the other students on this journey with me! I am surrounded by eight passionate, driven and worldly people, and I am so inspired by them all!
Day seven – the amount of new friends we have all made. The young people here have been so receptive to hearing our stories, and learning about our upbringings — so many new people to invite to Aotearoa!
The past week has solidified how vital it is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I aim to translate the energy of this trip into my personal life and my studies — there is powerful growth in situations of unfamiliarity.
Ngā mihi maioha,
Charlotte (with very bad sunstroke)