Bienvenido a América Latina – Parte Uno

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This fall, I was lucky enough to represent Johns Hopkins University on a CIS (Council of International Schools) Latin America College tour. Through school visits, presentations, and college fairs, I met many talented students living in nine different countries in South and Central America. Here is a sneak peek into week one of the trip!

Day 1 – My trip to Latin America began. After a flight from Baltimore to Charlotte, another flight from Charlotte to Houston, and a seven-hour layover (the last thing I wanted to do was miss my group flight), I was finally ready to hop on a plane to head to Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the airport, I met many of the great people I would be spending the next two weeks with—representatives from 31 different colleges and universities across the United States.

Day 2 – After an almost 10-hour overnight flight to Brazil, we finally arrived in Sao Paulo. Following a quick nap, I was up and going with a trip orientation, where I learned about all the places we would be going. While I was looking forward to meeting so many prospective students, I was NOT looking forward to the 3 a.m. wake up calls! For dinner, we went to Churrascaria Vento Harangano, a Brazilian steakhouse—that meant unlimited meat with the flip of a disc on the table from red to green! In addition to the basics such as steak, lamb, and pork chops, I was able to try chicken hearts and blood sausage. Needless to say, opening dinner was delicious.

Day 3 –We visited two different places in Brazil, Sao Paulo and Campinas. At each of our host schools, we conducted presentations that informed international students on how to apply to colleges and universities in the United States. Along with two other counselors, I worked with parents to answer their questions about how the admissions process differs from that of a Brazilian university. After these presentations, counselors headed to their tables to represent their schools at a fair.  This time was really productive in not only answering questions about Johns Hopkins, but also introducing the university to some students who had never heard of it before.

Day 4 – After a 4:30 a.m. wake up call, we loaded up on the bus and headed to the airport. Thank goodness the plane ride was three hours—perfect timing for a nap. Once we arrived, we transferred to the Port Market for lunch with high school counselors. Having never visited Uruguay before, it was interesting to hear about the different curriculum offered at each of their high schools. Our next stop was the hotel for a quick check in, followed by an evening fair where we met students from all over Montevideo and beyond.

Day 5 – Back on the plane again, but this time to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here, we started the day with a workshop for Education USA, a group supported by the U.S. Department of State that guides prospective international students in the application process to American colleges and universities. We then conducted some presentations, followed them up with a college fair, and then an asado with high school counselors from the city.

Day 6 – You guessed it! Our wake up call at 3:10 a.m. had us on a 6:30 a.m. flight to Lima, our first stop in Peru. Overall, this was a very traditional (and very positive) tour day—counselor workshops, presentations, and a college fair. We also got a taste of Peruvian food for dinner at the International Food Show. It just so happens that our tour coincided with this big event, and we were able to take part in it. At the show, we tasted all different types of Peruvian food, from traditional dishes to food prepared at local “hot spot” restaurants. I tried everything from ceviche to sausage with French fries (they actually mix the two together and fry it in a wok-like pot). We also got to hear a live band with Latin music and walk around a beautiful park. It was a great night after a very busy day.

Day 7 – Today was pretty much a day in transit, to get us to our Saturday adventure. We flew from Lima to Cuzco, and then had the evening to adjust to altitude changes. While in Cuzco, we went to a local market, where I purchased an alpaca blanket and a few other handicrafts for friends. We walked around the city square and took a peek into some local churches. A few of us then headed to a restaurant in the square where we had Lomo Saltado for dinner. While today was a bit of a quieter day, it was nice to experience the people, food, and culture of Peru.

So, that sums up week one of my Latin America trip. Stay tuned to hear more about my weekend adventure and second week of meeting students on the road.

To be continued …

5 Comments

• By Ashley, October 17, 2011 @ 9:18 AM

  I love your blog! That is so cool that you get to travel all over the place and meet so many new people! That is so amazing! I hope you continue to have loads of fun with that in the future!

• By Admissions_Shannon, October 18, 2011 @ 7:49 PM

  Thanks Ashey! Parte Dos of the trip to follow soon…

• By Mark Butt, October 21, 2011 @ 12:12 PM

  Hooray! Fun recruitment travel – thanks for the pictures!

• By Marcela, November 10, 2011 @ 11:04 AM

  Hi–
  I am from Latin America living in the U.S. and I love these kind of blog entries. By telling these stories you are demystifying many of the old negative beliefs about Latin American travel.

  Your pictures are priceless…and certainly tell the story of a fun and enriching travel experience.

  Thanks for sharing!

• By Admissions_Shannon, November 27, 2011 @ 7:21 PM

  Marcela – thanks for taking the time to read the blog! The trip to Latin America was amazing…and so were all of the schools I visited and students I met!

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