by Santiago Heusser, 

Hey, I’m Santiago Heusser, a 16-year-old highschool student from Chile, Who loves to play volleyball. I’m going to share my awesome month-long trip to the US with SYLE. 

So, it all kicked off when I was 14. I really wanted to do a semester exchange in the US, but it was way too pricey, so that dream fizzled out. But then my grandpa, who's the president of Servas Chile, hooked me up with this cool opportunity to explore the US, stay with awesome people, and soak up the culture. My dad and grandpa set me up with four amazing hosts, and off I went to the United States.  

First stop: New York City with Radha Radhakrishna, President of Servas International. NYC was a whirlwind of sights and experiences! From checking out the Statue of Liberty to trying (almost) every food there was to try.  I got to see a lot of what Manhattan has to offer in the week I had.I’m really proud of myself for that one.itwas non-stop excitement! 

Next up, Massachusetts and the coast near Boston with Heidi Gorton. Her place was superchill, and we hit the beach a couple times for some volleyball action. We even celebrated Chile's National Day with homemade completos (Chilean hotdogs) Talk about feeling at home!

Then it was off to the Boston suburb ofNewton, with Meg Holland. We checked out Berklee College of Music, Harvard, and MIT,. I played tons of volleyball there, and even caught a Red Sox game. Plus, I got to meet some of Meg's Chilean friends from church. 

The grand finale? A road trip with Kelly Sackheim. We cruised through Massachusetts and Vermont, feeding deer, hiking mountains, and doing all sorts of awesome stuff. It was the perfect ending to my US adventure. 

I wrapped things up at the US Servas conference, where everyone was super welcoming and curious about my trip. This whole experience was mind-blowing. I made memories and friends that will stick with me for the rest of my life. SYLE totally changed me!