From Strangers to Family

by Bethany Hertrick

Yesterday was our last day of re-entry classes at Lipscomb. It was a bittersweet moment because, on one hand, we're finished with our school work for another semester, but on the other hand, we're closing an important chapter in our lives and saying goodbye to each other for the entire summer. As we sat in Ezell 363 yesterday, I couldn't help but think about when our group was in the same room three months ago for orientation.

At that time, we were all a bit timid and perhaps apprehensive about what the semester might hold. We all made sure to sit by the people we felt most comfortable around, but none of us really talked much in between lectures. When lunch time rolled around, the majority of us met up with other friends to eat. We acknowledged other team members when we saw them on campus, but it was never more than a simple smile or a wave. Most of us would say that we didn't really know each other before boarding the plane to leave, so it makes sense that we would act the way we did. We were strangers. But yesterday, as we all held hands in a circle and prayed one final prayer together, we were anything but strangers.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Williams and Señora Zelnik led an activity where we all shared our favorite memories from the trip. Specifically, we talked about our favorite restaurants, quotes from the trip, bloopers, places to go in Santiago, and personal excursions. Our laughter was uncontrollable as we shared inside jokes and unforgettable stories from the trip. At lunch time, a group of about ten of us flooded the student center to eat one final meal together. We all crammed into a single booth and enjoyed the privilege of being “loud Americans” again. Since we got back, seeing one another on campus is like seeing long-lost deeply loved relatives. We usually give each other big hugs or wave frantically and ridiculously from across the room. It hasn't been unusual to see a group of us hanging out in Starbucks, sharing life and “real” coffee together. It's crazy to think that even though we spent three months living together, we're still not sick of each other. Sure, we get annoyed sometimes and we have our disagreements, but doesn't every family?

I guess that's the best way I can describe our group. We are no longer strangers, but a family. We have the caring, motherly figures, the protective and knowledgeable father figures, the obedient daughters, the mischievous sons, and just about everything in between. Although I was incredibly glad to see my real family in the Nashville airport, I was also sad to say goodbye to my Chile family. We've grown so close over the past three months, and each one of them has positively impacted my life in one way or another. I wouldn't trade this study abroad experience for the world, and I feel so blessed to have shared it with such wonderful people. ¡Viva Chile!