Digital Storytelling and Spring Break

For the Spring Break of 2025, the University of Mary Washington’s DS106 class was scheduled to visit Easter Island and Santiago, Chile. The class taught us of the various elements of digital storytelling, which we then put into practice with the media gathered during our trip. We learned how visual, audio and design elements work to bring out culture, ideas, and more.

A Trip Overview

Starting off on Easter Island, we took numerous tours of the various landmarks. We learned about the ancient Rapa Nui people and their practices, the history and purpose of the Moai, and the context in which the present island has been built out of. We slept at the Tupa Hotel, where we had plenty of other notable events. Most notable of the moments at the Tupa Hotel would definitely be Garret’s bathtub incident. I remember being one of the first responders to the scene, wrapping his finger in a sanitary pad as we waited for faculty to arrive with the first aid kit. Despite this sobering event, I think everyone will unanimously agree that that night was the most fun we had during the trip, even after the health scare.

We then made our way to the city of Santiago, where we resumed our tourism and sightseeing, although this time with more urban areas. Additionally, we left the city on two separate days to visit the countryside, where people sampled wine from the vineyards and awed at the Andes mountains. By this time, my horrible sunburn was beginning to heal, although it meant looking disgusting. Multiple tour guides ended up commenting on it, which made me feel embarrassed, but I still laugh about it.

If you want to hear more about my experiences and/or thoughts on the trip, feel free to check out my recommendations and highlights posts, where I also showcase some of my final digital media.

What this all means to me

This trip was my first time visiting a continent that wasn’t North America or Europe. Getting to experience Chilean culture was an absolute privilege, as I have seen so much beauty in both the city and the island. Additionally, this trip connected me with peers at Mary Washington who I would’ve never had the pleasure of meeting otherwise, many of whom are graduating this year. I had so much fun with everyone, and I am so thankful to have been able to participate in this digital and cultural journey to Chile, and thankful to leave with memories I will cherish forever.