Año Nuevo desde Santa Fe

A couple of years ago my grandparents gave our families a card that said they were setting aside money for us to do something together for Christmas 2012. We had all been on an Alaskan cruise together in the summer of 2010 and it was so much fun. Granted, there are over 20 of us, so it is hard to get everyone together. Everyone talked for a long time trying to decide what we could do together...the beach was too far for most people to travel to; a cruise would require lots of people to buy plane tickets, and with this many people we were having trouble figuring out a time when everyone could get off work to meet up. At one point, it almost seemed like we probably weren't going to get around to going. However, when I went to Chile, I had so much time on my hands and it got me thinking...we should do this. So, I started thinking of places we could go, what would be accessible to most people, and what was realistically possible for our family of 24.

Believe me, I had so much time on my hands abroad compared to what free time I have in the states, which is basically none. I started talking to my aunts and uncles and then my grandparents about what we could do. I found a house in Santa Fe and almost a year later, here we are at the house in Santa Fe. My granddad and I visited the house in Santa Fe and eventually found a time where everyone could come for some if not all of the time.

I am so thankful for all of my family and their willingness to help out in cooking, cleaning, driving, and just being together for this trip. I realize that not everyone has a big family and this side of my family is much smaller than the other, but it is still large. Everyone has been so great about helping out with anything and everything involved in the trip. The house is big enough where everyone can get away and do their own thing, but has room for us to all sit together at the table and eat together...and play endless games of dominoes and apples to apples.

I'm sure those of you who have been reading my blog over the years know how much I love my grandparents. All of them are my cuties and so near and dear to my heart. My grandparents have all been wanting everyone to be together for the holidays and for both sides of my family that happened this year. I will be the first one to admit that being with that many people, some who you haven't seen in years, is challenging--but every part of these gatherings has been worth it. I really would do anything for my grandparents, and I'm pretty sure all of them know that--they have always gone to the length for all of my family. My grandmother was telling us last night how her and my granddad had been married for 54 years and counting. That's almost triple my age--and believe me, they are still in love. It's amazing to see the fruits of my Granddad and Grandmother and Noni and Papoo. All of the people in my family are so valuable to me and I think that all too often I forget to count how big of a blessing they are in my life.

Tonight we are ringing the New Year in with steak, potatoes, and of course champagne.

When I look back on 2012, I think of it as a year of growth. Totally nostalgic right? Whatever. It really was. I left everything I knew and lived in another country, which is always something I knew that I would do but never expected it to come so quickly. I survived literally the most difficult academic semester of my career. Really, survive is the only way to describe it--my classes were difficult, I was sick, and I had so much to do with my jobs and internships. I'm glad the Mayans weren't right, but I am sure glad 2012 is over, it isn't a year I would want to put on repeat--growing isn't always easy; I guess that's why they call them growing pains right?

Before I left Austin, I lost my job at the restaurant that I have worked at since I moved to Austin. The pub where I served, bartended, had friends, and made a work family closed down yesterday. It definitely dampened my spirits for a few days. Working at the pub was my main source of income and has pretty much paid for my living expenses (and then some) in college. I was planning on going back to Austin on Wednesday to work full-time at the pub before school started like I always do, but now obviously there isn't a job to go back to. I also graduate in May so there isn't really time for me to job hunt, train, and get accustomed to working in a new place with a full-time school and intern schedule. I didn't tell my parents until I got home Christmas Eve and then my mom just told me not to worry about it, so I'm not. I am definitely disappointed to not be working with the same people--I really have worked with them for a long time and loved the pub. I know that there are other things out there and it's definitely not the be all end all. God has really shown me all the things that I have to be thankful for and all of the people I have supporting me over the Christmas break.

I know that people always say how thankful they are for their health but I really am thankful for mine at this point. I have been in weather that makes me sick for almost a week now and have yet to get sick--knock on wood. I have a good time with my family but my health often makes it very hard for me to come home.

These are definitely just my thoughts for the moment (I'm really tired of writing articles) and hopefully I can work on my first post of 2013 soon.

Happy New Year.

That moment.

This past Friday I made it through one of the most physically and mentally challenging semesters of my entire career. I had to put many of my relationships on hold along with blogging, Facebook, phone calls (except to my mom), ect. because it was all too much. During this semester I learned so much about myself, my family, my friends, and life in general. What a cliché statement, right? I don't even have any idea how to start over again really--not with life, just with writing. I write for different magazines, blogs, and publications but it seems that I have lost the ability to write about things that I want to write about because I am always directed as to what I should be writing. It's been great--I enjoy writing and having someone to focus my work for me with topics and such but I guess there has just come a point where it has just taken so much out of me.

I am a very slow writer....very slow. This semester my processing has slowed down so much that it takes me about five times as long to write anything on top of my already slow writing, and then I always end up frustrated because what I have written no longer looks like my own. So, that's currently what I'm in the process of doing--trying to write something that looks familiar to me.

For a long time, when I was younger, I wrote poetry--at the time, that was familiar. There was a point in my life where I grew out of writing poetry. Yes, I can still pen a poem. Would it be any good? No, I don't think so. Good writing comes about from using a sign system that people are able to decode and then draw meaning from. I also think that it is drawn from the heart or even more, from the soul. Now THAT sounds mushy. But really, if your heart's not in it..then what is?

Sometimes I wonder why I went to school to major in English Literature. I mean really--that had been decided by my senior year of high school and has never changed. After looking back on the last two-and-a-half years I think I am beginning to understand what I have learned. My education at St. Ed's in EngL has taught me to look beyond the words of a text and then even beyond the author to try and understand why--which is something I will, even as I try, never know.

When I look back at my blog there are times when I was so inspired to write, and I think somewhere along the way I lost my voice. Believe me, there are words that I have--it just takes me time to put them together coherently. I can't promise that I will continue to blog frequently--or even at all, but what I can tell you is that I am finding my voice. Thank god for my mom who has listened to me talk on the phone everyday for the last three months because I obviously don't have any problems speaking.....

Making Mexican Fiesta

When I was in high school, the girls that I played basketball with started coming over weekly to eat Mexican food at my house. At first there were just about ten of us then it started growing, and growing, and growing....and now when we have Mexican Fiesta anywhere up to thirty people might show up to my house. My parents take care of the meat and then everyone else brings the rest of what we need (chips, avocados, limes, ect). Every time I go home to see my parents we try and have Mexican Fiesta. We all eat dinner then play some sort of game. My brothers and their friends always show up and it's pretty much an anyone who wants to come can type of shindig.

I received a tweet from a few of the girls who have always come to Mexican Fiesta asking me for my recipes so that they could have one of their own at school. I laughed because I've never been a kid that cooks with recipes...it's just not my style. I did tell them that I would try and lay out how to have a good Mexican Fiesta with some directions in a blog post though. So if you are looking for a fun night of food here is how to do it.

Flautas

This is usually the main course and crowd favorite. I definitely put a gringo spin on it but, whatever.

What you need:

Chicken
Egg roll wrappers
Limes

First boil the chicken (I usually season it with taco seasoning while its boiling) then let it cool and shred it. When you shred it put more taco seasoning in it and squeeze some lime juice in it. Take your egg roll wrapper and lay it in diamond shape. Then put water on you fingers and run them around the edges of the wraps. Next put the chicken in the middle and fold your two side corners in and then roll it up. Now fry it until its golden brown and you are done!

Hot sauce

My friends in Austin get on to me for calling this hot sauce...apparently the right name is salsa--obviously they don't know.

What you need:

1 big can of whole peeled tomoatoes
1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles (get mild)
1 onion
cilantro
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
sugar

First put the tomatoes in a blender with the onion and blend. Then put it in a bowl and stir in the rotel (this will make the hot sauce more chunky). Chop the cilantro and put it in and then add about a teaspoon (give or take) of each of the seasonings.

Guac

What you need:

Avocados
Garlic powder
limes
cilantro
tomatoes
salt
Mango (optional)

Pretty simple but just mash it all together and put about a teaspoon of garlic powder and salt in. The tomatoes go on last because you don't want them mashed into the avocados. I always put mango in mine to make it sweeter and give it a better taste but that's really up to you.

And that's it! You want to find someone who is willing to clean up the mess because you will make one. :-) However, it will be worth it. I hope this helps you out girls! Wish I could be there.

Meanwhile in Austin

Hello all, yes--I am still alive. I have been wondering for the past two months when I will be able to write something that I think is worthwhile again. I have been working for a magazine and writing articles for them. I have also recently finished my internship for my hometown newspaper (which was so fun). However, I haven't written anything in a while where I just read it and know that it is my writing and that it is good. I have been told at least five times in the past month that I should write a book--ha, where do you even start with something like that. I appreciate those of you who have stuck with me, I hope I don't disappoint you too often in my musings. I'm sure every writer hits this kind of writing block--I know that I have experienced it before. I do have a book in the works and I haven't told many people about it, mainly because I don't want any pressure to finish it. However, I guess it's about time that I really get to work. I have been asking myself what's next just about every moment of every day since I have been back from Chile, and maybe that is what's next--a book. Now, if I can just find a good place to start then everything will work out nicely because a portion of the middle is roughly written. I guess there is just so much to consider: who I am writing it for, finding a publisher, what to write about, just so much. I'm sure it will come...I'm just going to be patient.

Meanwhile, in other news...

I started school which has been hard, just as expected. I am living with two of my best friends which is wonderful. We had a housewarming party/ 21st birthday party this past weekend and it was all sorts of fun:

As for this week, I'm just trying to get back into the school groove and keep up with work...speaking of which I have to head out to work at the moment. Hopefully my blogging won't continue with the dry-spell I've seemed to have been under as of late.

Thanks for holding out.

The Great Outdoors

It has been about two and a half weeks since I have been back in the US and I'm surprised to say that nothing has changed really at home except me and some people around me of course. It's honestly the weirdest feeling--I feel like I was only gone to Chile for a week, sometimes it even feels like it didn't happen. I guess it will just take a while for me to adjust. I have swung right back into the summer and working groove. I don't remember a summer where I didn't work. I've been a waitress since I was fifteen and my dad sold most of the farm to start teaching. I work at a small family restaurant and bar called the Lion and Rose British Pub. I have been there for a while now so it was easy to get right back to work. I love the vibe of a restaurant and all of the people that I work with. They have made coming back to work easy and enjoyable for me. I am trying to make up for lost time and earn money to pay for my apartment this school year so I am working quite a bit--so much so that my boss told me today that I needed to be careful on my overtime...whoops. I really do love working, I can thank my wonderful parents for that.

During the summer I also have lived with my aunt, uncle, and their three boys for the past two summers. I love hanging out with the boys, they bring so much more energy, fun, and of course loudness into my life. I have been around long enough that we all act like siblings more than cousins and I couldn't be more blessed to come home to a welcoming family. The boys are pretty easy to please...I take them to HEB at night when I get off work and they think it is like heaven on earth. We also have two cats and the dog (Ru Ru) who live in the house. The animals are much like my two dogs, Reggie and Raider, all three act like extra children in the house.

I was able to speak to Mamá and Papá for a few minutes the other day and it was so wonderful to hear both of their voices. They told me that they will be getting a new international student next week. I am so happy for them, and that kid is sooooo lucky. Talking to them made me miss them that much more, but I find comfort in the fact that I know some day I will be able to return to my home in Chile.

It feels good to be back in summer and in Austin. I have spent my couple of off hours in the day, when I am not hanging out with the boys, hiking and swimming at the Greenbelt. Because of all of the rain that we have been getting, the Greenbelt is full. My friends and I actually took a couple of tubes down the other day and floated--there were some pretty big rapids and we had an absolute blast! There are also all sorts of rope swings that are loads of fun. The outdoor life in Austin is something I never grow tired of. I love being surrounded by hills, lakes, rivers, and creeks.

The North of the World

I am writing this blog post in Houston after spending four days in Gruver. I made a quick stop in Sherman and Dallas to see family and will be driving to Austin next. I start work Thursday. My life is very different here just as it was very different in Chile. Everything is the same, but different. I have a wonderful family and great friends who welcomed me home with lots of smiles and hugs. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed with (for me) your dog at your feet.

I had a wonderful time at the park during all of the Fourth of July festivities. I was able to spend time with my grandparents and parents which is always refreshing. I have been with my family since I have came home and have had such a good time talking with everyone.

I will write a longer update later this week but for now I'm going to watch some baseball and then go golfing with my sweet uncle and cousin later on today.

Day 130

As I sit here in my room writing what will probably be my last blog post in Chile (for now) I am wondering how to say goodbye. How do you say goodbye to people who you really do consider as family? How do you say goodbye to a country that has given you so much? I guess that is just the point though--you don't. I know that this is not my last adventure in Chile but not knowing when I will be back makes saying goodbye a little more difficult. This journey has made me get out of my comfort zone and just grow. I have learned a language, eaten some crazy things, made new friends, laughed, cried, got lost on a micro, and so much more. In less than twenty-four hours I will be in Amarillo, Texas and this adventure will come to an end. I take that back though, this adventure ends when I want it to end. I'm not going to go back to the US and stop speaking my second language and forget everything I have learned. I will just have to integrate my changed self back into my homelands.

Chile is such a wonderful country full of so many wonderful people. There is no place in the world like it. Valparaiso will  always have such a special place in my heart. I will miss the smell of the sea, the daily hugs and kisses from my parents, the rainbow of houses painted into the cerros...all of these things I know my heart will long for. That is the beauty of leaving though--I take what I have learned back with me knowing that I can always come back.

I can't even begin to wrap my mind around this experience and what it means to me. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the Santiago airport writing Day 1. As I type this, I am now at day 130. There are 130 days full of wonderful memories that will always be a part of who I am.

I would like to thank each of you for sticking with me throughout this journey. I appreciate all of your comments and well wishes. I hope that you will continue to follow me on my adventures even as my time in Chile comes to a close. If I could give you any advice to take with you from this post it would be to go live your dream. Do what you have always wanted to do, go where you have always wanted to go and don't let anything stop you. For the old, for the young, do what makes you happy and don't miss out on a great opportunity because you are afraid.

To you, to this beautiful city, to my countries, to my parents, to Mamá and Papá, to my brothers and sister, from the bottom of my heart thank you for being with me throughout this experience.

Chau

The End Is Near

Tomorrow is my last full day in Chile. It has come so quickly, and no, I'm not packed yet. Everything in my life is about to do a 180 and I am not sure I am quite ready for that. Oh well right? That's life and it's going to change whether I like it or not. I will really just be going from one extreme to another. Life is very slow paced here compared to the states and even though I am excited to go back, it's going to be a difficult adjustment for me at first. I am hoping it will go smoothly though!

It's been raining all day here--SO COLD. It's hilarious to think that I am going to step off of a plane into 100+ degree weather in Texas. My body is not going to know what to think except for AMEN. I'm excited for summer and summer weather. After about seven months of winter my body could use a little sun.

Today we played our second volleyball game. It didn't go as well as the first but it was still so much fun. I am one of those people who always puts so much stress on myself to always win, and believe me we wanted to win but I wasn't like upset when we lost the second and third match.

Even though I will be leaving in less than 48 hours I still feel like I have so much time here. I guess that is what happens when a place becomes your home. I always feel like my time is infinite in Gruver and Austin, both of which I will always call home. I know that I can always go back to those places and find family and happiness waiting for me with open arms. That is how I have come to love Valpo and my family here.

There are so many people who have been apart of this journey for me; I am so blessed to have such great friends and a wonderful family. Looking back on the past four months I am truly one of the luckiest girls around. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I came here, grew as a person, learned a language, ate vegetables (haha), and so much more. I never could have done it by myself and the Lord continuously put the right people beside me to help me out. His love has been all around me during my time here in Chile. God is so good...I am so loved.

Here Comes the Sun

I turned in my last final paper today and will receive the last of my final grades in a short class Thursday--school is over. It is weird that it is just now ending--I feel like I've been in school forever and then not at all. I do find joy in the fact that when I get back I will still have two months of summer (work) before I start my fall semester. Today is a pretty gloomy day here in Valpo. The weather is misty, cloudy, and cold--the forecast for pretty much the rest of the week. I have a couple more souvenir gifts to pick up but other than that and taking some pictures I just plan to hang out with my family an say good bye to my friends. It is so strange to start saying good bye to everyone and everything here. I'm definitely putting off packing for Friday. Tonight one of our Chilean friends is having a going away dinner for some of my friends and I.

This past Thursday my friends and I played in a volleyball tournament for our university--it's their version of like club sports. We won our game and have moved on to the second round. Our next game is on Thursday! I never played volleyball in high school but I've played in the sand a couple of times--that count's right? Most of the girls I play with either played in high school or college and are really pretty good. We had a blast and I'm looking forward to the game on Thursday.

There are so many things that I will miss about living in this city. The thing I will miss the most is my family--by far. But I really do love living by the sea. I will miss seeing the waves everyday and watching the boats sailing in and out of the port. I will miss the people here who are so loving and willing to help you with anything. I will miss the graffiti and the vibrant colors of the houses on every hill. I will miss how slow the pace of life moves here--there is no rushing for anything and long hours are spent enjoying each others company. There are so many things that I love about this place...

I am looking forward to taking what I have learned here back to the states with me. I have grown in so many different ways and my outlook on life has completely changed. I'm also ready for some sun..

Sol y Mar

This is my last Sunday in Valparaiso. The emotions behind leaving this place are hard to sort out and I don't even know if I want to do that yet so I'm just kind of trying my best to live in the moment and not worry about the rest. If I want to smile, I will smile; if a tear falls, that's fine--leaving here is both very happy and sad. More than anything leaving here, for me, means I have grown. My relationships back home have thrived with me being gone--distance really does make the heart grow fond. I have learned so much while I have been here about life, love, culture, and so many other things that I don't even realize.

Yesterday my friends and I spent the day at the artisan market in Viña and then watched the sunset at the beach. We are all still children at heart and bought friendship bracelets at the artisan and our pictures are made up of silliness.

I guess today begins a lot of lasts for me--haha that was so dramatic. It's really not. I know that this isn't my last week in Valpo forever--I will be back. It's like leaving for college again, just worse. Worse only because my two homes are 5,000 miles apart. Which, once again--whatever, it's just a plane flight away, right?

I did well in all of my Spanish classes and have one paper left to write for my Latin American Literature class. Finals week here was so much more stress free compared to finals in the states.

This is funny. I thought when it got to my last week here I would have plenty to say but honestly I am at a loss of words (this rarely happens). I guess right now they just aren't there. In that case, it's a good thing I have pictures to fill the gap!

The rocks cry out.

Chile

All you need is love.

Being Blessed

I am personally guilty of not doing this enough in my life--counting my blessings that is. Growing up in the Church of Christ I remember many times when Dave Karlin would stand in front of the church and lead us in "Count your Blessings". When you have been brought out of your element and thrown into a world that lacks the comforts of home, like I have experienced in Chile, counting blessings is something that happens on a daily basis. It's funny how long the list is at this point. I remember being in the states and some days when I should have been counting my blessings I was just kind of like, "Well this sucks." This is something I really want to apply to my daily life back home--remembering everyday that I have a number of things to be grateful for. 


My parents--both sets.

I am so blessed beyond measure by all four of my parents. If it weren't for my parents in the states I would have never had this opportunity and if it weren't for my parents here I never would've survived.

Family

All of my family here and in the states is such a valuable part of my life. My family means more to me than I could have ever imagined before coming here. I can't wait to see everyone when I return.

Friends

At this point, my thankful list is probably getting cliche right? But really, my friends are so wonderful. I have some of the best people surrounding me as friends. My friends back home are such a blessing in my life--and I have met some pretty great people here as well.

Heat

If you have been keeping up with my blog you know that this one is pretty self explanatory. I never realized how valuable a heater is until I came here and lived without one that was on continuously.

Education
Food
Housing
BOOKS
Clothes
Dogs without fleas
Food
Jobs
Small safe towns

 I honestly could do this all day probably but I'm sure by this point you have probably started thinking about what you are grateful for....aren't we so blessed?

Shiver Cold

I was skyping with one of my good friends today back in the states who is a native Spanish speaker. She was baby sitting her niece and talking to her in Spanish and I could understand everything...no really. I do pretty good understanding here but sometimes it's difficult because everyone here speaks SO FAST. Our director told us when we went home that this would happen because everyone in other Latin American countries speaks so much slower. I really didn't believe her mainly because when I had went to bilingual mass at home my priest sounded so fast. I don't know if it will be like this with everyone when I get home but I sure hope so!

My nephews and brother, sister-in-law, and sister came over Saturday to help us celebrate Father's Day. I am so so so thankful for both of my fathers. My nephews and I spent most of the day playing in the living room. Growing up with two brothers then moving to Austin and spending lots of time with my little (not so little anymore) boy cousins who are just like little brothers makes playing sword fights, wrestling on the couch, hide-and-go-seek, and watching random movies is something that I am accustomed to and enjoy very much. My youngest nephew is also right at that age where he can be picked up and tossed up in the air--we probably did that for an hour. My older nephew sometimes gets frustrated with me because I don't always understand his Spanish on the first try and unlike most Chileans he isn't as patient with me which is great because it pushes me to be more attentive when we play. He definitely likes to call me "fome" when I don't understand sometimes--he's a character and one of the sweetest boys I've ever met.

My Papá has been pretty sick lately but he started feeling better yesterday--I know because he was picking on me at the dinner table. I told him he wasn't sick anymore. Little by little he is getting better but if you would say a prayer for him that would be great--Mamá needs all the help she can get. ;-)

I have recently had a slew of blessings happen in my life. The first came when I received word that I would be able to intern for my hometown county newspaper. You can read my first article here. I love the fact that I grew up in a small town where people still care about you long after you have graduated high school--it's a good feeling.

Okay--I am off to school to study for my LAST Spanish test!

Love you all.

Keeping It Chilly in Chile

Corny title right? :D

The days are getting shorter and shorter here it seems. Last night we had a wonderful farewell dinner with all of the students in my program and our directors. We went to a really nice restaurant on the sea and I had a real steak! I say real steak because the meat here, although tasty, is very different from what I'm use to eating in the USA. The steak here is usually thinner and very well done. Last night though I had about a 8-10oz ribeye (I think) which was red all the way through--just like I like it! I told Mamá about it this morning and she made the face that I make when she likes to kid with me about making me eat a meal of just vegetables. Chileans like their meat well done and all the way grey---and then some. Afterwards I went and grabbed a drink with a couple of friends then came home and fell asleep to a movie. It was a fun night.

So I have been thinking of all of the quirky things that have accompanied/happened/I have done on my trip and since time is winding down I figured it is time to share a few of those with all of you, if for no other reason than the fact that they make me laugh.

Right before I was about to board my plane in Austin I basically had to repack in the parking lot. I don't remember exactly why (probably because my suitcase wouldn't shut) and so there I was with everything out everywhere and my mom just watching me and laughing. I guess Austin put a little bit of hipster (ha..haha) in me because one of the things that I left in my trunk was my hair brush. I figured I'd just buy one when I got here...well, I kept telling myself I would and never did. Thus, my hair hasn't been brushed in four months now---don't worry, I've found that fingers work quite well.

Back in the states I never drank coke...like ever. Well, confession number two, I'm pretty sure I drink a coke here every couple of days. I never realized how much tea I drank until I didn't have it anymore. I of course still drink tons of water but with out iced tea I needed to drink something with caffeine and so that was it. Granted, when I get back to the states you can bet I won't be drinking anymore...I'm ready for a big tall glass of iced tea with a lemon!

I wear the same clothes probably every week. I brought more summer clothes than I did winter and I also brought nice clothes that I thought I'd wear to school and such like I do in the states. That's the thing here though, no one ever really dresses fancy or even what you and I would call casual--it's super casual! I'm pretty sure I wear jeans and a sweatshirt everyday. I love it, and never did I think I would say this, but I do miss getting dressed up to go out to dinner or whatever--it's just not a part of the culture here really and dressing up makes you stick out.

Before I leave I will probably throw away half of the shoes I brought with me. I love my shoes, and didn't bring all my favorites, but almost every pair I brought here is wrecked. I never realize how much I walk until I look at my shoes, all of which at this point are pretty much falling apart. Sad day? Nah...I've walked a lot of miles in this country and it was worth it.

I have probably eaten more vegetables here than I have in my entire life. I really am one of the most pickiest eaters ever and really don't eat vegetables at all--besides green beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. Here though, I definitely get my dose everyday--I will be happy to integrate this aspect of my life back into my diet back home.

Keeping on the train of food, I definitely have tried to go by the "You never know until you try it" motto here, mainly because Mamá says so. There are a long list of foods that I have tried here including, horse, eel, locos, weird green vegetables, tropical fruits, maté (which is a drink), and others. I definitely haven't liked everything that I have tried but I do know what things taste like and I have found one or two things that I would be willing to eat again (not horse)!

I have one thing left to complete my Chilean bucket list and I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. Other than going to Easter Island, which I don't have the funds to do, snowboarding in the Andes is the last on my list here. I am pretty sure my friends and I are going to make a ski run the final week that I am here which is like....a week away. I'm pretty excited and hope that everything works out.

I haven't used a cell phone (actively) since I left. Because I have an iPhone, I am able to text other people with iPhones through iMessage but I do that pretty rarely and so I really don't use my phone here at all, other than to play games on the rare occasion. I didn't purchase a local phone here (which some of my friends still hate me for haha) and have really been disconnected throughout the day. Of course at night I get on my computer where I write, do homework, Skype my parents, and talk to my friends. It is definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be. There are also pros and cons of course to not having a phone all the time. A definite pro is that people can't really stand you up--if you say you will meet me then you do mainly because you can't cancel on me last minute because I don't have a phone. I also definitely can walk to school "smelling the flowers" not in the middle of a phone conversation or a text or whatever. It is nice for sure, but it's different. I'm sure I could do the same thing in the states but would I want to--no. My lives in the two places are very different and living without a phone is something I can do here but I wouldn't be willing to do at home.

My Mamá and I were walking to the grocery store this morning and we were talking about how little time I had left and how we were both sad. The feeling, like I have said before, is bittersweet but I know how much I have grown and learned while I am here. Looking at all the little funny/random things that I have realized that I don't "need" here is interesting. I definitely have tried to avoid comparing my two lives and how things work in the both of them so that I can better integrate into the Chilean culture, but as my time comes to an end, I'm not going to stop myself from getting a little excited to go back to my homelands and see all of the other people in my life that I love.

And when it rains...it pours.

The rain of the winter/fall season has started here and it hasn't stopped and isn't supposed to anytime soon. I came home soaked twice today which is an abnormal feeling to me. I'm used to Texas drought although I hear Austin is getting some good rain lately--thank God, the Greenbelt will be full when I return! This rain isn't terrible but it makes life more difficult for sure. It's cold, it's wet, and unlike in the states when I just have to run to my car to get from one place to another I have to walk in the rain to catch my bus and stand there until it comes or start walking the twenty or so minute walk home--it's a different life ya know. I came home after my first class and had no desire to go back out into the pouring rain to return to school after lunch but I did--gold star for the day! It's supposed to be rainy all week so I'm mentally preparing myself haha. Okay so I lied. I just looked at my weather and it is supposed to rain all next week as well--so this is what they call the rainy season in the south huh? I guess I'll get used to it within that amount of time--it's better than a drought!

I received one of my final projects today and we started reviewing for a final test in the other class--it's really the end of my classes here. I definitely have learned a great amount in my classes here regardless of how different it is. It will be a jump start when I return to classes at SEU though.

We have our final dinner with all of our program this Thursday which should be fun. It's the first time all of us will have been all together since the first week here probably--considering everyone comes that is. We are supposed to being going to a very nice restaurant so I'm excited.

Short and sweet. :-)

Finding My Next Adventure

So I think I have found my next adventure. I have always wanted to take a trip and go across the US so I'm thinking after I graduate and depending on where I am at in my life as far as a job, school, and such--this would be perfect. More than anything I think I would really like to do it on foot but I don't know that that is reasonable--but my ideas usually don't start of reasonable anyways. I've calculated that if I walk 15 miles a day I can make it in 200 days which isn't bad at all. I now officially have this vision of my trip across the US on Hwy 50...I'm pretty excited thinking about it already. If I do it on foot I'll definitely have to find a buddy to go with--any takers?

I hope that my sense of adventure is something that I never lose in my life. Waking up everyday doesn't always feel adventurous to me but for the most part it does--even back home in Austin. I feel like that is something that I have always just really loved about life--making it an adventure. I know this is a pretty optimistic life loving blog post but I really do appreciate the exciting twists and turns in life that help me grow as a person--like almost getting stuck in that Panama airport four months ago, or getting my metro card by myself after only speaking Spanish for about a month, or hiking high into the cerros with one of my friends just to see the view.

As my adventure here comes to a close I'm continuing to live out every moment even as the taste is so bittersweet. I will be coming home to my family and friends who I have missed dearly as well as a job that I absolutely love. Come September I will begin my senior at college where I will finish my senior thesis and find myself in the busiest semester since I have begun college. I'm so excited for everything that is happening around me right now. It's a fun time in my life and I'm definitely not going to let it pass me by you know?

I found some pictures yesterday from when I was in high school which are about six and seven years old at this point because most of them were taken my freshman and sophomore year. It was fun looking back on all the old memories and friends and being able to look at how much I have grown. Growth is such a beautiful and sometimes difficult part of life that I really appreciate--and especially all of the people who have been there with me helping me grow as a person.

I hope wherever you are in your life that it is still an adventure of sorts.

P-I-Z-Z-A

So pizza night last night with my parents and all of mine and Julia's friends was an absolute blast! We had so much fun and so much pizza! The UChile game was on and so we put the TV in the living room so that we could all watch the game together. There was about twenty of our friends all together and we ate, drank, laughed, and talked. I am so blessed to have such great Chilean parents and fun group of friends here.

Our parents are troopers. :-)

This morning we woke up and I went to the grocery store to buy things for Bloody Marys. They didn't have V8 or anything so I had to improvise with tomato juice. My parents said that they loved them! Julia did too--she even asked for my recipe haha.

This week is my last actual week of classes and then the week after is just finals. It is also supposed to rain the whole week so it's going to be some pretty dreary weather--that's okay though--growing up in Gruver where it rains like once a year makes me very thankful for rain. Chile also needs rain right now for the vegetable crop--vegetables are more expensive right now because we haven't gotten a good rain in a while. 

It's a lazy Sunday in this house today. My sister is in Santiago so we will be seeing her next weekend. I have a bit of homework to finish up but other than that today is just chill--maybe I'll watch a couple movies.

Three Weeks

I have three weeks exactly until I leave this beautiful country. Yesterday was a great day... I have been helping one of my friends who teaches an English class here. I go on Thursdays and have worked with the students on their conversation and other skills to learn the language. It has been one of the biggest blessings here so far. I loved my time interacting with the students and my friend that I help is just a gem. Last night was the graduation for the students and afterwards they told us we were going to the hostel that one of the students owned to have pizza and celebrate. It was such a wonderful time. Granted there we talked in Spanish and also met some of the travelers at the hostel. It was such a good night for everyone, celebration, joyfulness, and the usual heart warming Chilean love.

The Chilean people are just so loving it's hard not to feel at home in this country. When we got to the hostel everyone started cutting things for the pizza. It's that way basically every time I have gone to a Chilean person's home. That whole mi casa su casa thing is such a reality here and I couldn't be happier. I have one test and a final paper left for school and then I am done. I think my friends and I are going to try and go skiing in the Andes the last day or two that we are here. The slopes on El Colorado open on the 23rd and we figure we might can just make a day trip out of it. Tomorrow is pizza night with our parents and friends. I am so looking forward to it! Also, Papá and I were talking at lunch and he has never tried a Bloody Mary so I'm thinking I might just have to go get some vodka and V8 so my parents can try a Bloody Mary for Sunday lunch--YUM.

I have a couple final things that I am looking forward to doing before I leave (like maybe snowboarding in the Andes) but mainly I plan on spending lots of time with my family before I leave. Next weekend we are all going out together and I'm hoping to get to see my nephews again--which I'm almost positive I will.

I finished my last Spanish presentation last week and it went very well. Our professor had urged us to do it without our notes which is very hard for most of us considering we are still not completely fluent. The presentations are also supposed to be about twenty minutes. I was able to do it without my paper at all--mainly because my presentation was over Pablo Neruda's house at Isla Negra. It's easy to talk about something in another language if you know a lot about it.

Tomorrow is also the UChile game--we will be watching that at this house before the pizza throw down.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

The Days Are Short and the Nights Are Long

At this point in my adventure--everyday feels like I will be leaving tomorrow. I'm walking to Mass this morning and it was like "Oh wow I only have three Sundays left." I guess I really have just hit that point where it is getting more and more difficult to realize that I am actually leaving this country that I call home in such a short amount of time. I have come to love my family here like they are my own--it's like leaving for college all over again--except I'm a bit more grown at this point. I know at some point in my life God will allow me to return to Chile--I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

I definitely have tried to cherish all of my time here but these last few weeks are the definition of bitter sweet. I am the type of person that doesn't handle change well at all--when my life changes I'm a hot mess until change day. I'm sure some of you can relate. Lots of people I know have no problems moving from one place to another or going into a new year of school but I'm the kid who cries every time a semester ends. It's not like a sad cry or anything it's just kind of like a huge mix of emotions that I'm not sure how to sort out.

I remember the first conversation we had with our parents at the dinner table (we had spaghetti that night and I was sure everything would be fine haha) where I looked at Julia (my roommate) to help me translate basically every sentence. It was like being in a swimming pool and not knowing how to swim--but worse because I couldn't talk and talking is like breathing for me. However, I always asked Mamá if she thought I'd know Spanish before I left the country and she assured me that by my third and fourth month here I would be fine. We are well into the third month and she was right. Of course I have my moments where I'm stuck in translation or find myself in English but it's kind of gratifying because I have found the switch in my brain that says "Hey click me and you will talk and listen in Spanish!" No, it's not perfect, no, I'm not fluently fluent, yes, I still struggle, but I can do it and that is a huge blessing! I used to come home with headaches from translating all day in school then get home and still have to rack my brain trying to communicate in Spanish. I have my moments now where I'm just like "AY DIOS MIO" but now it isn't a chore but something I enjoy most of the time.

Many of the friends that I have met here will be leaving in about two weeks that really seems like no time at all. This weekend we made brownies and played cards at one of my friend's house--it was so fun and was just a moment where I was like "this isn't much different from my life in the states." I really have come to believe here that life is what you make it. Living in another country is no easy task and there are plenty of obstacles on the way that could absolutely change one's outlook on life abroad. I find that being flexible and learning to laugh are probably two of the biggest assets that have helped me here. If I would've gotten upset every time I jumbled my Spanish I probably would've stopped trying to talk a long time ago (HA). Of course I'm human and have those moments where I am super frustrated with how different my life is here but I try and make it a point every day to laugh at my language mistakes, not be close minded about cultural differences, and realize that if I allow myself to grow then I will. I definitely did not want to limit myself to what I could do while I was here and I have really been blessed by all the different people who have helped me learn and grown throughout this experience.

Never a Wish Better Than This--100 days

It really seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in the Santiago airport writing the first post of this adventure at six in the morning. So much has happened since then and I guess you could say I'm getting a little nostalgic about my experience abroad (oh God, another nostalgic blog post ;-)). Yesterday was my 100th day abroad....whoa. It is so crazy for me knowing that I now have less than a month left in this country. We were actually sitting at breakfast this morning and I realized we only have three weekends left--time is running out. Most study abroad handbooks will tell you that at this point you begin to realize what little time you have left and run rampant for the next thirty days trying to fit in the rest of the things you want to do before you leave. I guess to some extent that is true--but there isn't much I haven't done that I wanted to do. The only things that are really left on my list are going to Easter Island (that isn't going to fit in my budget and time frame really) and going snowboarding in the Andes, which at this point don't have enough snow.

I guess the thing that concerns me at this moment is leaving my family here--which has genuinely become an extension of my family. They don't really prepare you for this part of the journey. Let me explain. Leading up going abroad there were all sorts of lectures I had to go to about getting sick, money, cultural adjustment, homesickness, coming back into the country, reverse culture shock, ect. something that no one ever addressed is how to say goodbye. I guess that subject isn't really touched because there isn't some great research statistic or psychologist who can tell you how to more easily adjust to leaving people you love. Don't worry though--I'm not all twisted in a knot yet and I'm definitely still living in the moment and am not too worried about leaving--believe me, I'm excited to get back to Texas and give my parents and grandparents some serious hugs! I'm on this topic of course because I'm in a way running out of time but also because of a conversation I had had with a couple of good friends I have made here. We were sitting at one of the many quiet bars in town this Thursday night talking, like girls do, about almost everything. Somehow we got on the topic of first impressions and one of my friends had told me when she first met me that she thought I would be the person out of our group to have the hardest time here in Chile mainly because when we were first talking (where you from, favorite food, school, ect.) I had told her I was from Texas and didn't eat green food. Haha, I would've been worried about my well-being too. She proceeded to tell me she had never been more wrong and out of everyone she thought I had thrived the most in our time here. I don't think I have received a more genuine compliment in my life. I didn't completely agree at first because I definitely see people in our crew who speak fluent Spanish and could probably pass as Chileans at this point. Later when I was thinking about it it really just made me feel good about my time here. I came here to immerse myself into the Chilean culture, learn Spanish, partially disconnect myself from my life in the states and technology, and grow as a person--hearing that I have thrived during this experience makes me know that I have done all of these things and I was so happy to hear that someone else had also recognized that. I'm definitely not a person who needs to be assured or complimented on my life in abundance but it was nice to talk with my friend and listen to what she had to say about my adjustment--everyone likes to hear that they are doing something right, right?

Yesterday we had an asado at the botanical gardens where we grilled, talked, laughed, drank, played games, and of course took lots of photos. It was fun to get out of the city and hangout with my friends--we even met new Chilean friends who I asked to start our fire for us.

Classes are winding down for me, which, even in the Chilean education system means that they are winding up considering it is the end of the semester. I have finals, projects, and final papers to write just like I do back home--just not as difficult. My Spanish, still, is getting better everyday--there are days when I have lots of trouble--Papá notices those days, "mucho ingles......"

Today we are hanging out and then later going to my friend's house to make EEUU desserts. The futbol game is on this afternoon so I will probably watch that. Tomorrow my sister is coming over--I'm excited, we haven't seen her in a couple of weeks.

This last week I also learned how to whistle thanks to my friend Lauren (she's a gem). I was so excited! No one could really understand my excitement mainly because they don't realize how long I have been trying to whistle. Also, note, the kind of whistling we are talking about is the loud fingers in your mouth kind--I can whistle a tune. I am not perfect at it yet and need some practice--but I can do it and that is all that matters! (For me, it's always the little joys in life...obviously).

Here are some pictures from the asado:

Love these ladies

Love us some choripan--I liked the spider too :-)