A quick background on the country and why I chose to study abroad in Montevideo.
Uruguay is a small country located between Brazil and Argentina. It is about 68,037 sq mi / 176,215.021 sq km (for reference, this is just under the land area of Oklahoma at 68,667 sq mi). It's official language is Spanish. The area's first inhabitants were native groups: Charrúa, Chaná (Chanáes), and Guaraní. Uruguay was colonized by the Spanish beginning around 1520 and has been an independent country since 1828. Most citizens are of European descent (predominately Spain and Italy, some from France and Britain).
Uruguay is known to be one of Latin America's most progressive societies. It is one of the most non-religious countries in the Americas. The country has a relatively high standard of living and a large middle class. Sheep and cattle production is very important to Uruguay's economy. While crop production is limited they do produce rice, wheat, corn, oranges, sugarcane, sunflower seeds, and grapes for wine. There is some commercial fishing.
The climate is mild with average winter temperatures ranging from 50-54 °F throughout the country and 72-79 °F in the summer (though I have been checking the weather every once in a while and it has mostly been in the 80’s. Summer months are December-February (yay for me!), "Winter" is from June-August, Fall is March-April/May, and Spring is September-November.
Montevideo is the capital city of Uruguay located in the Rio de la Plata region. About half of Uruguay's 3.4 million people live in Montevideo. Most of Uruguay's commerce, manufacturing, and government services are located here. It is home to most of the country's cultural institutions (i.e. National Library, museums, theaters, sports stadiums, etc).
I will be living with a host mom and a couple of other students in Barrio Pocitos (Pocitos Neighborhood) and attending Universidad ORT - Pocitos Campus. My program is put on by a non-profit called USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium). They have helped me coordinate everything from travel to what classes I will be taking. While in Montevideo I will be taking classes in both English and Spanish to finish up credits for my Spanish minor and Ag Economics major.
When choosing my program I had a few things to keep in mind:
I needed to get experience speaking Spanish
I wanted to be somewhere I would not generally think to go
Wherever I was, I wanted the courses to fit my interests (and meet my credit requirements for a K-State degree)
I searched for a few months for a program that would prioritize these things. During a meeting with my education abroad advisor, I was recommended the Montevideo program. We weren't sure if it would meet the course requirements I needed for my degree (which turns out to be quite complicated as a senior who plans to graduate upon her return) but after speaking with my academic advisors we found that the Montevideo program would be the best fit!
Since deciding on Uruguay I've gotten a lot of questions. "Why Uruguay?" or "Where are you going again? Paraguay? Uganda? Ukraine?" or "Where is that?" or "How do you spell/pronounce that?"...all questions that I, admittedly, just barely know the answers to myself. Still, my excitement (and nerves) for this new adventure continues to grow by the day. I can't wait to keep learning about this country and share my stories and experiences with you!
If you'd like to learn more about Uruguay, most of the information above was taken from this Britannica webpage and it could be a good place to start reading!
Hello granddaughter.