Written by Phoebe Barnes | September 19, 2024 | SHARE
For Lehigh student Phoebe Barnes, Castaño became more than just a convenient stop; it was a refuge, a taste of home, and a source of comfort while abroad
Lehigh Launch is an experiential, integrative learning experience for first-year Lehigh University students, being offered in Chile for the first time this year. Faculty advisor Hugo Ceron-Anaya, associate professor of sociology, asked participating students to prepare chronicles about their experiences in Chile, which Global Lehigh will share throughout the semester. Below is a chronicle by Phoebe Barnes '28.
Castaños are the equivalent of Cumberland Farms or Wawa. They are simply magical. Their warm glow signals home after a long night, the smell of freshly baked pastries and bread stirs you from an early morning slump, and their cheap prices excuse any reasonable thought to not spend the entirety of your savings account there.
Our first experience at a Castaño was a late night. My roommate Kirsten and I had previously seen the boarded up space under our apartment, and we were curious. Little did we know, we had an addictive treasure beneath us. That cold day we were stumbling home after a long day of classes, dozens of pages of reading, and a couple nap breaks. We were dead. We were starving. We couldn’t feel our toes through our fuzzy socks. We did not want to face our host mother—who is not exactly our favorite. One can imagine how alluring the cozy glow reflecting off the pastries looked to us as we stood in the cold and dark. So we escaped all of our problems and took a moment in this little haven.
Castaño became our home away from our homestay. When we did not want to return to our homestay, we took safety in our little Castaño. The employees took the place of our host mother: always comforting with a smile, laughing with us, and simply wanting to know us. The food became our immersion experience: helping us branch out and try new things. The Castaño itself was our home: where we would go first after a long day or if we needed a morning pick me up. We could let our guard down there.
Castaño was not just the “new,” it was also the “old.” It was our own little Chilean Cumberland Farms or Wawa. Surrounded by dozens of pastries and cheap yet delicious food, Castaño was a quick reminder of Cumberland Farms peace and convenience. Instead of post practice snacks with my brothers or slushies with my friends at Cumbies, it was breakfast medialunas con manjar or avocado sandwich dinners with Kirsten. I no longer had the comfortable convenience of Cumberland Farms or was able to make a quick trip for a snack with my friends or my brothers, but I could go to Castaño.
I just moved into a different homestay. This new home stay does not have a Castaño within 5 miles of it. At first, during my research, I was very dramatic. I figured an hour and a half walk wasn’t too bad. I didn’t believe I could go on without this staple in my life. Then I realized, I don’t need it anymore. I now have a lovely host family that talks to me and a home I feel comfortable in. I will forever be grateful for Castaños holding my hand through the first two weeks in college and the first two weeks halfway across the world from everything I know and everyone I love. However, I’ve found I don’t need it so much anymore. Anyways I’ll always be able to go to a Castaño if I need to. There is one right next to school.
Below are links to other Lehigh Launch Chile student chronicles: