Sunsets often give off a notion of finality, of an ending that cannot be escaped. Last week, a few friends and I watched the sunset from San Cristobal Hill near the city center, and as the sun dipped behind the Andes I became suddenly aware of how fast this semester is going by, and I couldn’t help but feel my heart sinking because it’s hard to say goodbye. My GW group had our study-abroad closing workshop over the weekend. I had my last final exam yesterday. My friend’s are all talking about the holidays and going back home.
But as I continued to watch the sunset, the sky was still changing colors long after the sun had disappeared, and the city began to twinkle and shimmer as if it was just then finally waking up. The mesmerizing transformation from day to night took my breath away. I realized I don’t have to worry about the ending of my experience abroad because I will be coming back. Although many of my friends won’t be returning, instead of thinking about this semester as an ending, I can think of it as a transition into something different, not entirely new, but not quite the same either. This is the mindset in which I am welcoming the rest of this year as well as the following semester. Although the hill around me was cast quickly into darkness, the city below glowed brightly, and I thought about all the energy it consumes and where all of it comes from.
Now that my classes are nearly all complete, I have more time to focus on my research project. The work with my internship, Generadoras de Chile, continues to entice me each week. The majority of my time is spent perusing over texts and articles, most of which are in Spanish. I look for information which can help build my project, such as relevant sources that will support my dynamic thesis about what it will take for Chile to decarbonize successfully. I also have meetings about once a week with my intern advisor, Rodrigo, and another colleague, Jorge, who deals primarily with mitigation and adaptation measures relating to climate change. I am incredibly fortunate that they are both supportive and patient, because I often need extra time to really understand our discussions due to the language barrier.
In my meeting at my internship today, we discussed the possibility of my research turning a slightly different direction than where it has been heading. Jorge brought up the idea of looking more in depth at adaptation to climate change rather than the mitigation side which is what I have been focusing on with decarbonization and the energy transition. He said that adaptation to climate change includes a more geographic conceptualization that may be something that I am personally more interested in. If I do change course with my research, I would be looking more into the variety of environmental issues in Chile, such as water usage, rather than energy and electricity generation. As of now, I am intrigued by both topics, so I will work on researching more about both sides before I make my decision. I will also speak to my guiding professor to see what he recommends.
I am grateful for the positive energy I get from working in a professional office, and I am even more gratified by the people who continuously support me. Lastly, I am thrilled that I will have all of next semester to continue researching, interning, and experiencing Santiago sunsets."
Kethelyn Papp, GEB 2016-17
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