I think it’s safe to say that it is hard enough for certain people to create connections with others in their first language, let alone a second. I had a lot of anxiety surrounding making friends in Santiago, Chile, the destination I chose to spend my spring 2019 semester. Not only was I anxious about making friends within my USAC group, also known as “the other U.S. Americans,” but before departing, I was already putting pressure on myself to make friends with the local Chilean students. I remember being told by someone during my study abroad orientation that it was almost impossible to make local friends when studying abroad. Upon hearing that, I made it one of my top goals to create connections with Chileans, specifically Chileans my age. I purposely chose to live with a host family in part because I wanted to be opened up more to communities of Spanish-speakers and local students alike; I knew it would already be a challenge living with people that didn’t speak my first language, but I wanted to push myself further in my attempt to be “fluent” in Spanish after studying abroad. Continue reading →