Summer in Winter — A Trip to Chile
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
Traveling is one of the many perks of business school. When I decided to attend GBS, I made a commitment to travel to two locations before I graduated: Southeast Asia and South America. Last year, I was lucky enough to travel to China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam as part of my Mid-Semester Module. To start 2016, I decided to check the other location off my list by enrolling in a week-long International Pricing Class offered at Pacifica Universidad Catolica (PUC) in Chile. Based on an agreement between GBS and the MBA program at PUC, students can attend the class at no additional cost! The only cost we incur is travel, lodging and food. The class started on Wednesday and required only two full days on Thursday and Friday with a shortened session on Saturday. For this time, we all received three credits; one less class to take during the FINAL semester of business school. Several classmates stayed an additional month and completed all of their courses required for graduation, meaning that they can travel, work, or enjoy life before they re-locate to start their new jobs in the fall. If you ever have the chance to take advantage of a condensed class, I strongly recommend visiting Chile!
Traveling to Chile in January had an additional perk because it was also summer. After our class ended, several people stayed an additional two days to explore the area surrounding Santiago. Valparaiso is located on the Pacific Ocean less than two hours away from Santiago. While much smaller than Chile’s capital, Valparaiso is beautiful in its own right. Drinking wine on the balcony of our temporary residence was a great way to conclude our time in South America.
A view that never got old.
The best part of traveling though? The relationships you develop with your companions. While I was unable to travel to Argentina ahead of my class, I met up with several of my classmates when they arrived in Santiago. With a few days to myself, I explored the city in advance so that I could help guide the rest of my friends around the city when they arrived. Even though we were in the class for several days, we made every effort to explore different parts of the city before we departed. One of our successful ventures led to an afternoon of drinking, eating, and sharing stories on a gorgeous rooftop. I can’t remember all of the equations we studied in class. But I know that I will never forget traveling around a beautiful country with my close friends at school.
Cinco Amigos.
