The Value of Letting Experiences Unfold During Study Abroad

I am often a victim of the idea that a moment unoccupied is a moment wasted when you’re studying in a foreign country. For a lot of reasons, that narrative makes sense. For many, including me, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend months immersing yourself in a space and culture that may have otherwise remained unfamiliar. You should take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. But beware: It’s easy to let doing overtake being. 

Valparaíso street art inspires a treasure hunt 

Within my first few hours in Valparaíso, Chile, I noticed the use of walls as a public forum. This would come to define my semester in the Southern Cone. Having both studied in Berlin and traveled across Latin America, I was no stranger to seeing, and even using, urban concrete canvases for broad self-expression. But the street art scene in Valparaíso is so unique and diverse that you must see it to understand it.  

Unlike in the rest of Chile, in Valparaíso, graffiti, tagging, and street art are generally legal. This is one of the many aspects that cement this city as Chile’s cultural capital, and it leads to dialogues and artistic growth that the rest of the world lacks. Yes, there are commissioned murals, political tags, and plain old vulgar graffiti, here, but Valparaíso is dotted with stories and conversations like nowhere else.  

Learning to pause and reflect 

One of my favorite city memories was spotting my first of many lamp spray paints by the skybridge at Recreo Viña del Mar metro station. What started as seeing a two-dimensional painting of an old-time gas lamp turned into a scavenger hunt. I explored the city and found more of these lamps, taking photos of each one and documenting their locations to share with friends and others.  

Over time, I noticed idiosyncrasies that the artist slowly grew out of, stylistic changes that transformed the shapes and intention of each lamp, and newfound ingenuity as I noticed smaller, more hastily painted lamps in back alleys and on trash cans. I never figured out who the artist was, or if it was one or several, but these lamps made me stop and appreciate the city around me. Each alley was a potential new entry for my catalog, each metro station a possibility for a new siting. Eyes peeled, body still, I explored each plaza, excited to share my findings. 

The train isn’t going to stop. There will always be opportunities for travel. Just don’t let the lamps of your study-abroad trip pass you by.  

Gabe S. | Williams College | IFSA Chilean Universities, Valparaíso, Chile | Spring 2026