Fiesta, Parties, and Fun

Since I last posted I have had some of the best times of my whole trip in Chile. Most of them occurred during the week of September 18th, which is the fiestas patrias here in Chile. It is essentially a week long party celebrating independence. However, before I could start this week I had a macroeconomics test on the Saturday morning before, which was not only hard because it was at 10am on a Saturday but also because it was calculus based economics in Spanish and was incredible hard. However, with the test in the passed I embarked on a wild week of BBQs and parties. During this week there is a large carnival setting set up at the local horse racing track and its call the Ramadas. I spent a good amount of time and money there but it was all worth the experience. In addition to this carnival the week is mainly celebrated by asados, or BBQs and I ate an immense amount of meat and empanadas during this week, but again it was all worth it. On the actual day of the 18th I went with my family to the country side near vina for a large family asado. There were about 30 people there and to put how much meat is eaten into perspective, there was so much meat brought to the house there was still some left over after 30 people eating throughout the entire day and into the night. It was a great experience for me as well as a fun one. Local chilean games are played, conversations are had, and lets just say "a few" drinks are had as well. Aside from this asado I think I went to a party or another asado everyday of this week. And a few of them were in true Chilean fashion which means getting back home at between 4-6 in the morning. But it works out because you just sleep all of the next day until there is another asado or party to go to. However, in reality this week was a lot more than just partying it was a great experience of chilean culture and a great week with my family and friends and I meet new people and had experiences I will never forget which makes me glad I stayed a year.

As you can imagine after 8 days of partying going back to school and getting up at 7am wasn't the easiest. However, I made it through this and through another international economics exam. This test was hard but not as bad as my macro one. And apart from this exam the week was a normal week at school. But on thursday it was a good friends birthday, and if you have picked of a theme from this post you'd guess that again there was another party. However, I didn't say out too late. (only 4am this time). On friday I went and supported my host brothers band at their local concert, which was a lot of fun, and even more fun since I was with the band and got to be apart of the after party. And saturday and sunday we calm days and I just stayed in and relaxed. However something exciting for me during these past two weeks and a first for me is that I got to play on a red clay tennis court! I played decent but it is very different than hard courts and feels like you are walking on ice sometimes. But I am extremely happy I got to play and hope I can again soon.

Ive kept this post rather short so feel free to ask any questions you may have about my experiences or the parties. And I have some trips that are in the works so I look forward to updating everyone on those and where I will be going next. Until the Chau.

Also a Couple Photos

Santiago, and Lucas 

Take a Moment to Pause

Today is September 11th, 2013. This day marks important anniversaries all over the world. First, as an American today marks 12 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Secondly, as a current resident of Chile today marks 40 years since the military coup that ousted Salvador Allende and brought to power Augusto Pinochet. I would like to take this post to talk about the later, not to diminish the importance of the first, but the second is more relevant to my current situation.

I have now spent close to 7 months here in Chile, and as a result I have been able to gather (although still rather small) a general perspective and idea about the events that occurred today 40 years ago and the years that followed. As a country today Chile is still incredible divided by this period in time in their history and whether it was for the better or for the worse. As many people know or may not know, this dictatorship committed a series of human rights abuses. Although the scale on which these occurred and what was actually done is still debated. It is generally accepted, whether you agree with the coup or are/were against it, human rights were abused, and that many people died and suffered as a result. I have visited the sights where some these abuses were committed since I have been here, as well as the sights where many were buried, and the grave of Salvador Allende. All of which were quite moving and experiences I will never forget. As Americans we often know (and many times don't) about these type of events that have occurred around the world. But until you are able to get a first hand look and get opinions of people who were affected you will never truly begin to understand the situation. However, given as I said that these topics on some level are generally accepted I'm not going to spend too much time on them, however if anyone is interested in more information or what I think about them and more about my experiences please let me know as I am happy to share anything I can about them and my opinions.

What I would like to talk about is mainly how in general with any event or period of time, we need to look at both sides of the debate and issue. You can apply this the both the coup and dictatorship here and Chile and the the events surrounding September 11th in the US. I am NOT by any means justifying the loss of life or anything of sort regarding both events. I am completely opposed to any sort of extremism or the disregard for human life and human rights no matter the location. But as far as context and culture goes I think that we as Americans specifically but also as humans often fail to try and look at the whole picture. We let our opinions get into the way of having constructive debates and as a result we often never understand difficult situations. In addition to this even though these can be sensitive topics I think it is important to talk about them and out of respect for everyone involved on both sides and to not just turn our heads and pretend like they didn't happen.

To give everyone a little more context to what I am talking about specifically here in Chile regarding the coup and dictatorship, I would like to talk a little about the perspective I have gained since being here. First, before coming here to Chile I had heard about this time period in history, however I didn't know much beyond the general facts. But I have had the advantage to view things as an outsider and hear testimony from both sides of this debate, and since I am not Chilean I have been able to keep what I think is a fairly neutral stand point. First, as you can imagine I have heard from people who's families were affected by the human rights abuses and from people who think the dictator was horrible. But second a perspective I never would have gotten without coming is that of how life was before the coup. The economy was failing and there were abuses of power and actions against the constitution before the coup, and many people have talked about how life wasn't much better before the dictatorship. In regards to the bigger picture and what I stated earlier, my perspective of every event in the world has changed to incorporate the views of both sides. I have written a lot in this post and a lot of it is fairly general so again if anyone wants more details let me know.

But I would like to ask anyone who has made it this far through my post to; stop, pause and reflect on your view points, the view points of others, and to reflect on all of the problems in the world and whether or not you are actively trying to understand these situations.

A Month In

Well I am officially a month into my second semester here in Chile, and I am happy to say things are still going well. My classes specifically the ones that are about the economy and with Chileans have become quite hard however. I have had two quizzes in my macro economics class and I feel that I did alright on them, however the last class I had was a bit discouraging because I didn't understand the last half of class or one of the in class assignments that we did. The whole class seemed to struggle with it but I made sure to write "intercambio" at the top of my paper, which means exchange student. However, I'm not sure that this was so much of a langue issues as just a content issue. Meaning I wouldn't understand this in english either. Im fine with concepts but its more so the advanced math that we are doing. However, I have plans to study with some people in the class as well as to get additional help from the university so there is no need to worry. In my other economics class I had a group presentation today. In my group were three other Americans and two Chileans, and I was the only american who spoke during the presentation. My spanish was a little shaky at parts because I was a little nervous, but I think I was able to get the American trying to present economics in spanish card so I  think my grade will still turn out well. But after I did feel fairly proud that I was able to at least say something and that I at least tried to speak. My other two classes that I am taking Im not worried about so over all you could say school is going well.

Outside of school I have been enjoying the typical Chilean night life which usually includes going out and staying out late. Two weekends ago I ran into a friend and was invited to his house / party. He lives with 12 other people, so it was great to get to know a bunch of new people, however most of them are french so I wasn't able to understand much of what they said. But it was a rather interesting experience because among the people I met that night the only language that we shared was spanish. So I ended up speaking spanish with an Austrian in Chile. Which I found to be kind of cool. The party was in Valpo so I ended up leaving "early" at about 3:30 because I wanted to make sure I could get home and didn't get on the wrong bus after having to many piscolas (drinks). But over all it was a great party and I'm glad that I was able to go.

This past weekend I went to Santiago and partied with my host family which was great. We left on Saturday afternoon and arrived in Santiago later that day. We had lunch in my host brothers apartment and then I went out with my host mom and her boy friend to walk around Santiago and try and find his niece. We ended up going to this great street fair that had a ton of booths with cool things to buy. The area actually reminded me a lot of Denver so needless to say I enjoyed this experience a ton. Later that night we went to a play as a family, and it was sort of a Glam style play with cross dressers but there were also some great acrobatic acts. The MC however spoke so fast I couldn't even attempt to understand and even my host brother said it was fast. So if a Chilean tells you that someone was speaking fast spanish its fast! But it was a lot of fun none the less. Following the play we went out to a happening part of Santiago for drinks. And had lots of fun drinking and talking. The highlight might have been that to get to the bathroom you had to follow a picture of an iguana on the ground because it was fairly far away. So there were many jokes about "sigue la iguana" We continued drinking until around 2 after which we found another bar and had another drink but also ate some great food. I felt a little bad though because my family paid for everything and throughout the course of the night I think they spent a lot as this wasn't a cheap area. We made it home tho at about 3:30 but the jokes didn't stop because my host moms boyfriend snored about as loud as an earthquake so there were many jokes still to be made. The next day I was showed a few of the malls in santiago and even ate at the Hard rock cafe. And to anyone who would assume that Chile is still third world or cheap. You are dead wrong. I couldn't even afford anything in these malls. AKA the Louis Vuitton or Burberry. But it was still a sight to see. We made it back to Vina that night and this capped off a great weekend.

Im excited to see where these next weeks / weekends take me and Ill be sure to post about them as well. But for now Chau!

Settling In, and Staying Out

This week has been interesting to say the least, and full of new experiences. As far as the school week; it was fairly normal and relaxed. I've begun to settle into my new classes and schedule, but I don't know if I'll ever get used to getting up before the sun and leaving to catch a bus at 7:50 for my first class. The two economics classes with Chileans are going well and I'm happy to say I haven't gotten lost again (yet). And I have even had my first test in Spanish! And it went well! I was a little nervous when it was getting passed out, but the content it covered wasn't very difficult. The only down side of it was that it was on a friday afternoon at 3:00 and it was a beautiful day so that was slightly distracting given the view from my school.

I have started to meet some new people this week, and some Chileans! There was a holiday Thursday and I was lucky enough to be invited out on Wednesday night with one of the Chileans I meet. It was calm night drinking at one of their houses, but then we decided to go out to a club in Valpo. Keep in mind when I say decided to go out it was around 1:00 in the morning already. The parties start here when ours would end in the U.S. We stayed at the club until around 3:00 and then went to another but this one only for a few minutes. And I have to say Valpo is quite an interesting place at night and along the road where all the clubs are. It would not be for everyone to say the least. But when we left is where my night actually got fairly interesting. We got on a micro to head home as normal, and also as normal it was driving crazy but this time there it drove just a little to crazy and ended up getting into a fender bender of sorts with another micro. I didn't know it at first because there was just a swerve and then an abrupt stop, but then everyone on the bus got kicked off and there was lots of confusion. So i decided I would just walk home with my fiends and all was well.

The next night was my friends birthday so of course we went out again. And it was a normal night until a man came up and asked us to join him and his friends for drinks. We said no but he continued to stare at me. After a few more drinks we decided to have some "fun" and try and get free drinks from him. And this is when I found out why he was staring at me... He was gay and to say the least quite attracted to me. To make a long story short after a fair amount of leg touching and attempts to kiss me as well as get my friends to leave me there with him we left. And I think i'm still trying to get my mind around what happened. From now on I will be the only one buying my drinks.

And to finish up what must seem like an obscene amount of going out. We went out yesterday because it was the officially birthday party of my friend if you will. And all that needs to be said is again Chileans stay out forever. But all is well and there is nothing interesting really to say.

If anything else wild happens Ill be sure to post again. Chau!

First Week Down

Well I have made it through my first week back here in Chile, also completing my first week by at school. I am happy to say that everything has been going well. For those of you who followed me last semester you know that my classes weren't terrible difficult and that I spent a lot of time traveling. This semester however I will be spending more time studying and having a more regular college experience here. I have two economics classes this semester; all in Chilean spanish (with the emphasis on Chilean). Luckily after spending a semester here already I understand most of it, but it is still going to take some work to stay on top of everything and to not miss important information. My other two classes shouldn't be too hard as well so I am sure I can do it. I am the only American / foreign student in one of my classes so we will see how that one goes, as I'm sure you can imagine it is a little intimidating. In my other economics class we also have a huge group project to do so that is going to be really interesting, however there are more Americans in that class so at least there is that. I am very excited to be taking actual classes with Chileans, and especially about the economy. It gives me a perspective that you wouldn't get any where else, and it is interesting to here what they have to say about the United States and how we affect them (nothing bad though).

 Even though I have been here for a semester I still had a rather embarrassing mis hap at school friday. Each day you have to check these tv screens to see which room your class is in, since it changes from day to day which is a little odd. But anyway I found my class and then went to what I thought was the right room. After siting for a while and watching all the students come in I then looked up and realized that it wasn't my teacher. And therefore it was the wrong room and class. Luckily I noticed right as class was starting and left before making a scene. I then re checked the board only to find out I did not know where my class was. I then spend the next 15 min. wandering around campus and probably looking like an idiot. I eventually found my class which was basically hidden under the library. I walked in about 20 min late and it just happened to be the class where I am the only American. Luckily they were just doing an activity and I didn't disrupt the teacher or the class. However, needless to say it was an embarrassing moment for someone who has been here 6 months. I look to not repeat this mistake as I now (hopefully) know where every class room on campus is.

This weekend has been relaxed if you will. I went to a party at a friends from last semester on thursday night and then didn't go out friday. And yesterday I went with my host brother to one of his friend's birthday parties which was actually a lot of fun. You haven't partied until you have partied with Chileans. Its not that they go wild its just there is always conversation and music and sometimes dancing. With everyone from my are to the grandparents and the parties go all night. But it was a tame night for Chilean standards as we left at 2am.

I think the hardest part of being back is that the location is familiar but know one else is (not including my family or a few people that are staying a year). I have to make basically all new friends without the orientations or beginning activities I had last semester so that has been rather challenging. I am again trying to make Chilean friends but as with last semester it isn't as easy as you would think. However I now have the communication skills to make them and not just ask them what they like to do on the weekends and their name. So it is a work in progress and I have only been here a week so I'm not too concerned.

I will post again soon with an update. Enjoy the warm summer weather while you can. Its been cold here lately. NOS VEMOS.

Chile Round Two

Well, I'm back in Chile and getting ready for round two of study abroad. I made it all the way back to Vina on my own and have even had a few spanish conversations along the way. This is a great sign because I was a little worried I would forget some Spanish and my navigation skills. But I didn't! It was great to see my host dog and brother and it is also a great sign that they were excited to see me as well and not dreading me coming back. However, my day today as a whole has been go go go. I arrived back in Chile/Vina and had to make my way to the ISA office to fix my visa only to be told I need to bring a credit card and my passport. So I had to go back home then go again to the ISA office after which I went to a Chilean government office. And I am happy to say that at least that went smoothly. However, the process still isn't over regarding my visa (not sure with this bureaucracy if it ever will be). But I am also proud to say I "snuck" past the customs officers today, meaning I used an expired student visa and said I "lost" a specific document to enter in order to avoid paying 160$ more dollars. So given that today has been a success.  I start school on monday and it would be a lie to say I'm not nervous. All of my classes will be in spanish and more difficult classes so we will see how this semesters blogs compare to the last. My goal for this semester is to post more pictures and blog more (better). I miss everyone back home already, but I'm excited to see where this semester takes me. I hope you all enjoy the ride as much as me. Nos vemos!

3700 miles, an alpaca, and the most epic trip ever

This is going to be one of my longer posts, but I hope that it is worth the read.

I have just finished a 10 day 3700 mile trip across three countries today. If you can't tell from those stats, this was an incredible trip of a lifetime. Since it was such a long trip and I have a lot to say I'm going to try and break it up as best as I can into sections / days.

This whole trip started out by just buying a round trip ticket to the northern Chilean city of Arica. Other than that my friends and I had no other certain plans just a general direction. We set out on Monday the 20th at 4:45 am in order to catch a bus to the airport in Santiago. We landed in Arica at about 12:00 and hit the ground running. We stopped to get something to eat and then immediately left the town. We got a taxi to take us across the border into Peru. It was an interesting experience taking a taxi across a border but our driver was great. He knew everyone at the crossing and we bypassed all the lines which was crazy. We took this taxi straight to the bus station in Tacna Peru. After about 20 min. we were on a bus and heading toward the town of Arequipa. I never imagined I would start the first day of this trip and keep going until we couldn't travel anymore. We got a nice hostal in the town of Arequipa and decided we would at least spend the next day there.

Arequipa is a great city. It is full of colonial architecture and lots of history. It is also known as the alpaca capitol of the world (and yes I did buy some). After walking around the town and seeing some of the old churches we came upon something happening in the town plaza. It turned out to be a big protest about public jobs. Against what the typical advice is for traveling abroad we decided to stay and watch, but mainly listen to what these people had to say. As I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear it was a peaceful protest. However, the police were ready for it to turn into something else it appeared. There were probably hundreds of police in riot gear with shields and tear gas ready. Which created this interesting dynamic that I have never seen. Even with the intimidating police presence, and loud chants from the protesters, everyone was coexisting peacefully and there weren't any problems. No one was even bothered by the  probably hundreds of onlookers taking photos. After this interesting experience we decided to do some more shopping and walking. Once satisfied with this we decided to head back to the plaza and get a beer. The protest was done, but we soon heard a new noise. This time it was the loud chants and music of a school parade! A protest and a parade all in a matter of a few hours, not what I expected during the first days of my trip.

The next day we got up and again headed to the bus station to continue our journey. At the Peruvian bus stations you encounter an interesting dynamic, upon entering you are overwhelmed with people yelling what feels like every city in Peru. Each bus company is yelling what cities they have busses to and trying to get you to use them. After a moment of intimidation we set out to find a bus company to the city we thought we wanted to go to. After buying a ticket we talked with the driver and decided we wanted to go to a city he recommended (he said there was more to do). The bus ride was long and for anyone planing on traveling by bus in Peru, they don't have air conditioning. This bus ride however, did have some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen, and we passed through some extremely small and simple towns. It was also along this bus trip I realized something I had thought when I first entered Peru. I don't want to offended anyone but Peru has a distinct smell. I wouldn't say it is horrible but, for me it was kind of like something burning mixed with the smell of bricks and the smell of dust. Just an interesting observation I had. But, anyways we ended up in Juliaca Peru. And this is the type of culture shock one might imagine when coming to South America. This was not a tourist town nor were there any other americans there. Juliaca is a working class peruvian town and not much more. It had a lot of unfinished buildings, and to be honest was quite intimidating. But to get a true feel for the culture we decided to stay the night. We searched for hostals and eventually found one and we put our things in a room. But me and a friend decided to see if there were any other better ones. We ended up finding one for a better rate and returned to our originally one to see if they would bring their price down. And this is where I had my first spanish argument. The woman wouldn't bring down the price and was mad we were trying to leave after we got a room. However, we had not paid yet and she was texting while talking to me so we got our things and simple stormed out. We stayed the night at the other hostal but it really wasn't that great either.

The next morning we decided that Juliaca didn't have anything else for us and we decided to leave. But this time to get to the bus station we took a three wheeled motor taxi (that were all over) and had some fun with that. But we ended up needing to go to another plaza to catch the bus so to go back we took a rickshaw. Even if there wasn't much in Juliaca we still had fun getting around (even if I dropped our fare during the ride). We made our way next to Puno by bus. And this is the scene where one of my friends began to get sick. I can now say I have seen someone have a conversation with a Peruvian and the pause for a moment to throw up out the bus window. The look on the mans face after was one of the funniest things I saw the whole trip. But over all I think it was a cool thing to say has happened to my friend. It made for an interesting story at least. Once in Puno we went straight to lake titikaka, which is a huge lake. After spending a short time here we got a hostal and walked around the town. It was better than Juliaca, but you could still find some of the poorer working class neighborhoods near by. And yes this city had the same smell as the others. Something that was interesting in every city we went to as well, were the churches. Each city had an immaculate church with gold and all sorts of other additions. Looking at this part of each city you could really get a feeling for the history and culture of the area.        

The next day we made our way to the floating islands of Uros. Which are in the "middle" of lake titikaka and about a 30 min boat ride from Puno. These islands were amazing, they were made of reeds and only a few feet thick. Meaning one could jump up and down and literally shake the whole island. Another amazing fact was that there were 70 of these islands and 2000 inhabitants there. The community had a school, hospital and Internet. However as I'm sure you can imagine for an island community it was a more basic form of these amenities. We then got on one of their barges also made of reeds to go to another island. And here is where I started to get a feel of the more nickel and dimming aspect these cultures. We were told to get on the boat to go to another island but only once the boat was moving we were told we had to pay 10 more Peruvian soles for the ride. It was also on this ride that a little girl sang a song only to then go around with her hat asking for money. And I'm sorry if this offends anyone but she got nothing from me. However over all the islands were an incredible experience and I'm glad I saw them. We ate dinner that night in the plaza and again got to take some of the interesting 3 wheeled motor taxis.

The following morning we got up early and made our way to another "bus station" more like bus meeting place. And got a van to take us to the border of Peru and Bolivia. But only after being harassed by every bus driver there. This ride had some amazing landscape and is also where I encountered probably the weirdest/craziest thing of my whole study abroad trip. I had dozed off for a minute only to awake and look out the window to see a van driving by with 4 sheep tied to the roof of it. Three cars later I saw another van but this time it had an alpaca strapped to the top. The animals all seemed to be enjoying the ride but I still can't understand how they got them up there. Needless to say this was an interesting end to Peru.

The van dropped us off at the border and we walked across. However the bolivian immigration was a process to say the least. We kept walking in the office only to be told to fill out another form or to make a copy of this and that. They also kept asking us about our bus company and where those forms were. Only to be repeatedly told we walking into your country! It was 135$ to enter Bolivia. I gave them 150$ and never got my change which still leaves me slightly bitter. But after the border everything went smoothly. We got a taxi to copacabana and upon arrival found a very nice hostal / hotel. We quickly though made our way to the dock in order to catch the last boat to the isla del sol. Where there are ancient ruins. The boat ride was long (2 hours) and I thought I was going to die. Not from the water or waves but from the engine of the boat. Exhaust fumes were pouring into the boat the whole time and we were getting close to what I felt was carbon monoxide poising. And even with this we then experienced more nickel and dimming. We were told we needed to buy a guide for the island or we could only be there for 20 min. After again arguing in Spanish I got the rate down for the guide so we could enjoy the time we had on the island. However upon arriving on isla del sol we were again told to pay another fee to enter. Fees and boat aside though the island was a lot of fun. And it was great to see ruins older than the incas. After a quicker boat ride back to shore we made our way to a restaurants for dinner where I tried my first piece of lake trout. And I'm happy to say it tasted great. Following dinner we just had a relaxed night back at our hotel.

The next morning we did a short hike to the top of a hill near by where you could see the entire town and get a great view of the lake. But we had to quickly descend as we needed to check out. After this we then made our way to the plaza to get a bus to la Paz. And as expected again we were harassed by every drive there. Once on the bus to la Paz we again saw great scenery until we came to a stop and were told to exit the bus. After some confusion we found out our bus needed to be barged over to the other side of this channel and we had to take a boat to the other side to meet up with the bus. For anyone scared of small boats or who get sea sick find another route to la Paz. The boat we took was a little thing and it just kept rocking with waves. Luckily no one got sick and we made it to the other side. Back on the bus we made our way into la Paz and here you can see the true division between classes in South America. On your way in you pass through el alto the top of la Paz and this area is where you see the poorer classes and the social problems that plague the area. I'm glad I was able to see this but I'm glad I didn't stay long. La Paz itself is also incredible it sits in a valley but extends up the sides creating this dramatic landscape of a city in the hills. It is truly a site to see.  After arriving at the bus station we began our search for hostals where we found many that were sub par. However we came across one that was quite different. The walls were painted with psychedelic colors and there was a "hippie" musician businessman running the place. And we decided to stay. This was one of the best decisions throughout the whole trip. We meet an array of people. Mostly Argentinian and German and had a great time. Also for anyone staying in la Paz hostals, they party! And I'm just going to leave it at that and say the night descriptions are going to be left for me.

The next day though we went to the ruins of Tiwanaku. These were incredible and ill try and post pictures soon. It's hard to believe everything that was constructed so long ago without the wheel. The monuments there are just amazing and again trying to imagine how they were built is difficult when you realize they were made thousands of years ago. After the ruins we went to wait for our bus back to la Paz. However it never came. Leaving us stranded in a town 2 hours from la Paz. We ended up finding a van and literally paying a bolivian family to drive us into la Paz. The drive however insisted on showing us his house where he had an ancient artifact. And artifact is an understatement. He had a full on giant monument that we had see in the ruins in his house. Probably nicer than the other ones in the museum. This was truly amazing and he was incredibly nice, I'm so glad we took a small risk and asked to hire them and to see his home. Once back in la Paz we had dinner and then partied back at the hostal.

Or second to last day in la Paz we went to the witches market where you can buy things you never thought would be for sale, and following this went to the coca museum. Which gave an interesting perspective on the coca plant and on the damaging U.S drug war in Bolivia. It was great to see the other side of this situation and has changed some of my opinions. However after this museum we went to one of the highlights of the trip for me. Seeing one of my favorite high school teachers in la Paz! We got a tour of his school and then had a beer and caught up. We then saw his house (which was very nice) and had dinner with some of his friends. I will never forget this experience and I can't wait to go visit him in Singapore. In the process we also got to see the nicer part of la Paz and the contrast from el alto is unreal. It's hard to imagine these to places co existing in the same city. However after this great experience we made our way back to the hostal for one final night of partying.

Our final leg of our trip was getting back to Arica. We took a bus from la Paz which took 8 hours and then 3 more just to cross the border into chile. This is also the coldest bus I have ever taken, I thought I was going to get frost bite. But eventually we made it to Arica at 1:15 am. And one last adventure ensued. It consisted of us paying for a cab to the airport, but more specifically asking him to drive us to find alcohol. Unfortunately after several stores we found out they were all closed and we had to make our way to the airport "empty handed". We then slept in the air port for an hour until our flight was boarding. And then slept on the flight back. And the bus back to vina. Which brings me to the end of my epic trip.

I can honestly say I'm not sure how we got through it all in one piece with relatively no problems. But I'm so glad we did. I will never forget this trip and I can't wait to take another. If you want any more specifics on things please ask. I know I forgot some details along the way. And there are more stories to write but like I said if you want to know more ask. I'm going to leave it at this due to the length. But look back soon for more posts.

¡Viva Chile!    

Travel, Learning, and Learning with Travel

This past weekend I got a chance to go to Santiago and visit a few locations, and museums as an excursion for the ISA. As a group we went the the Cemetario general, Villa Grimaldi, and the Museo de derchos humanos. All of these locations had some connection to the former dictatorship here in Chile. It was a very interesting excursion to say the least. All of the locations offered something unique about the history of Chile. Seeing Salvador Allende's grave was probably one of the highlights for this trip, but thats not to say any of the other things I saw weren't interesting or important. But I think the most interesting experience for this trip was being able listen to all of the guides who were speaking spanish. One you got a lot of information for the best sources about the subject but also that I could understand everything being said. Of course it was great for my spanish confidence, but mainly it gave me a chance to learn about a topic from people who had experienced it and from people who had strong feelings about it in a natural untranslated form. It allowed me to learn more than I could have imagined if I were just reading about it. Over all everything was quite moving and interesting like I said, and I am extremely grateful that I got to experience and see the things I did.   

Other than that school has been progressing well and another round of projects is coming up. However, I think I should be able to get them all done and well. The grades I have gotten so far have all been good so I´m not too worried. In addition to school, Ive also been getting to know more of my host family, I went with all of the family I live with to some of the extended family´s house for a get together on Mother's Day.  It was great to get to meet some of the other members and to feel more like part of there family they definitely didn't need to invite me, but I´m so glad they did. However, this did make me miss all of my family a lot more, especially given it was Mother's Day. But we are already in mid may so ill be making my way back soon to see everyone. 

The next exciting development that is worth noting is, a few friends and I are going on a trip to the north of Chile, and hopefully making our way to Peru and Bolivia. We are going for over a week so Ill have a lot of pictures and stories I´m sure when I get back. Im going to try and chronicle this trip as I got (subject to wifi) so look for those post soon. We leave monday to Arica, so Ill try and post something as soon as I can after. This trip is however going to complicate some of the projects I mentioned before but this is just like a field trip for class right? 

Anyway, Chile is still good, and I hope it continues. Look for my upcoming posts I´m sure they will be filled with exciting things (I hope). NOS VEMOS!¡!¡!      

Fall/winter is here

The weather is changing in Chile! It has actually been cold here lately, but luckily there have been some warm sunny days mixed in so it isn't too bad yet. Being from Colorado I shouldn't be saying that 50s is cold but it's a humid cold so its not the same. And last night and yesterday during the day I experienced my first Chilean rain and thunderstorm. Again I hope those hold off for a while so I can still enjoy the beach. Other than the weather not too much has changed. I've just been relaxing and enjoying my time here. I went to the botanical gardens here and enjoyed the day drinking Chilean wine and walking through park. Something ill defiantly have to do again soon. In addition to this small excursion I also went to Santiago this past week to see the art museum which is also something I'd like to do again. But other than those two "trips" not too much has been going on like I've said. However I did go to somewhat of a back alley restaurant in valpo the other day with friends and had the best chorriana dish ever. It's a plate of French fries with eggs, meat and onions and it is great. It was also here that I found my first actual spicy sauce. It was even so spicy I couldn't eat it. So Chile does have spice you just have to look for it a little.

My friends and I are beginning to plan a trip up north and possibly to some other countries which would be amazing as well. So ill keep everyone updated on that. I thought I'd just give a quick update about something's that I've done here during the past week and if I think of something else ill write another post.  The only other thing to add right now is the drink terremoto is amazing it is some sort of wine and ice cream mix and I'd recommend everyone try it. But for now. Nos Vemos!

Just living in Chile, with some wine

I haven't posted for a while so I thought I'd give an update of what has been going on. And really not too much has been going on. School has continued to get harder over the last few weeks with more essays, but over all it is still going well. Last weekend however me and a few friends went to a wine fest in Casablanca (yes there is one outside of morocco). And it was great, one we got to drink wine all day, but two I actually learned about wines and their differences. If anyone is curious I'm now a white wine fine. It was a lot of fun aside from the wine as well though, there was music and lots of food (mainly empanadas). Other than that event I haven't done anything too exciting if you will, mainly just days at the beach while there still is sun and trying to find the cheap bars as typical college students do. However I did get some good excise the other weekend as I walked with my host mom all the way to renaca (about 7 miles round trip). It was a lot of fun and a great way to see more of the surronding areas. The other big announcement to be made is: I've decided to stay for a year here in Chile! But don't worry I'm still coming back for some time in the summer. I've decided that I truly want to master the Spanish language and learn a new culture, and there isn't a better way to do it other than actually living here. I haven't thought of a Chilean name for myself though so if anyone has suggestions let me know. Other than those occurrences not much to report. This weekend has been relaxed and I got to see my brother play in a bar here which was great even though it started at 2:30am! And today I plan on doing some homework actually (surprise). But I'll try and make an effort to post more, but I figured I'd wait until I had things to actually talk about for this post.

As always nos Vemos!

Chile, Food, And Fun

I haven't posted in a while but that is mainly because not a whole lot has been going on. The past week I went to school as normal and it's now clear that this is actual college as I had anticipated. By that I mean I've been assigned and completed projects, get homework, and I have now been assigned to read an entire book. So study abroad has now become STUDY abraod. However, school work aside I have still been able to have a lot of fun lately. This last Thursday I went to Santiago to attend the album release of my host brothers band. It was a unique experience because the concert was held in a radio station and broadcast live! And I'm happy to say they played and sounded great. If you want to look them up they are called Signuz. (Pretty good if I do say so myself). After the concert we preceded to a bar to celebrate. However the drinks in Santiago fashion were quite expensive so there wasn't a lot of "celebrating" if you know what I mean. However after the bar we all got into 2 vans and made the trip back to Viña around 1:00 am. The following day I went to my first discoteca which was similar to an American club. However I felt fairly cool because I was on the list to get in and didn't have to pay. However, the club was just ok for me becuase it's hard to do much when you can't communicate or ask someone to dance. But nonetheless the location was awesome and I had fun. On Saturday night I bonded with my other host brother who doesn't live here with us but who was visiting, and that was a lot of fun. And a nice clam night. Sunday (Easter) I cooked for my family! I made a pasta dish, asparagus, and garlic bread. I'm pleased to say it turned out great, however I was quite nervous before hand. And even went out twice to buy ingredients because I was sacred I didn't have enough (I had enough). I did go to the superstore jumbo though to look around. And jumbo means jumbo. It was like Walmart and Home Depot in one enourmous store. But, aside from that as I said the meal was great.

And speaking of food, by popular request I wanted to shar a little about Chilean food. The food here is great, lots of vegetables and lots of bread. There are lots of soups and stews, but I have had less seafood than I thought I would.  It's been great enjoying every dish I've had here so far I was nervous about that before. My friends however have complained the food isn't spicy (it isn't), but I'm fine with that I don't like spicy food much. However when Chileans say something is spicy, it funny becuase it's really not. I've had two occasions when they have told be watch out its really spicy. And it wasn't even spicy for me. So there is defiantly a difference to the meaning of the word spicy here. Also, a tortilla in Chile is not what it is in the states, it's a whole dish not a burrito wrap. Also a great dish by the way. But in all the food is great and I'm always excited to eat lunch here and try something new.

If anything exciting happens ill be sure to post sooner. But until then, Hasta luego.

A month in!

It's hard to think that I've already been here a month. Time has gone quite fast, but that's probably because my first month has been filled with activities almost every weekend and my weeks with school. However things have slowed down some so that has been nice. This week I'm happy to say there were no stray dog incidents. And really not too much has gone on this week. I'm now in the swing of school, homework and all. And I even have a few quizzes coming up in the next week. And I've now doubled my Chilean friend base to two! However I'm hoping to make more friends by participating on the volleyball team, but I'm going to have to work at it because some bad information had caused me to miss the first practice. Also a sidenote, sports directions in Spanish are incredibley hard. But I'm working at it. A side from volleyball I took a salsa class this week as well! And I'm not sure if I think salsa or volleyball is harder. Either way it was a lot of fun, however it was right before volleyball practice so I had to scramble from Valparaiso to Viña only to find out the busses to school weren't running. I shared a cab to school where of course I lost my wallet (I lost a wallet in a New York cab once as well). But luckily whoever finds it will only find 1 US dollar and 1000 pesos and a used up metro card. So all is well.

Yesterday was also my host brothers birthday and a soccer match between Chile and Peru. Unfortunately Chile lost but his birthday getogether at the house was a lot of fun still. And a side note on that, Chileans party until the early morning hours. I left for my room at about 3 but they kept going until 4-5. But again all is well, except I'm sure he is feeling it this morning. As far as this next week goes besides school and volleyball I don't expect much to be going on. But I'd love to find some one to play tennis with, I still haven't played! To bad our school doesn't have a team.

So to end this post I thought I'd share a few things I've learned so far here.

1.Chileans speak fast
2.Chileans speak really fast
3.It can actually be cold here (who knew)
4.Gaining new perspectives is amazing
5.Its hard being the outsider and not being able to communicate
6.Chileans have their own Spanish language
7.There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be studying!

Ill post more soon! Nos vemos

School is in session, but yet another tour

This week was my first full week of classes. And luckily I can say that I think they will all be great. However homework down here in Chile is still just as bad as in the states. Not that it's been very difficult, but still not something I enjoy. One thing I have found out down here which is great is all of the professors at my university are very well educated and each have a fantastic perspective on the world, so I am very excited to get to experience that.  Also I've slowly started to make some local friends here (I have one Chilean friend). It's a little harder at my university because there are clear friend groups, and it is a private university so many of the students have traveled a lot themselves. However I am going to continue my quest for friends and I'm sure ill meet more when my Spanish is better. I am also planning on joining the volleyball team here! So that should be a great opportunity to meet other Chileans (most Chileans aren't tall so I should fit in I hope).

Besides school this week has been pretty relaxed for me. However this weekend has been full of activities. On Friday I spent a day at the beach and attempted some volleyball, however one of my friends had a ball but a stray dog came right up to our game and ate it! Luckily there were some public courts near by and we were able to rent another ball. Saturday my Univeristy hosted a BBQ for all of the foreign exchange students. Which was great because I was able to make some friends from all over the world (Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia). Which then brings me to today where my study abroad group took us to a small town where you could buy lots of small crafts and potery, and then to the third and final house of Pablo Neruda. The trip was great however everything was about a few hours away from Viña so I feel like I was on a bus more than anything. But it was still great to see more of Chile.  Other than that however not too much has gone on. I've settled in nicely and I am excited to get into the full swing of school again. Ill try and post more than once this week. But until then adios.

On top of the word!

Go until you can't go anymore, and then go more!

This past weekend I have spent my time in the town of Pucon (southern Chile), and it was fantastic. Our study abroad group took all of us there as one of our excusions for the program. We left Thursday night and took a 12 hour bus ride to the town. The bus ride wasn't too bad since the seats reclined but it was incredibley hot on the way there. After arriving at about 9 in the morning we hit the ground running getting fitted for equipment and then we preceded to take a 7 hour tour of the town; which finished with a nice rest at some local hot springs. The next day I didn't really have any plans and spent my time walking the town, but not for too long because most of the day was filled with wind and rain. However that night a few of us cooked some pasta for dinner because we were staying in cabins and had each one had a kitchen. Also a side note about the cabins, they had probably the most advanced showers I have seen in a hotel room or cabin. Each shower had multiple jets and shower heads and a radio. But aside from the showers the cabins were normal cabins.

This leads me to that night (Saturday) the night before our big volcano hike. We had to be up early the next morning and we all set our alarms, however our iPhones all fell back an hour becuase they thought it was daylight savings time. Little did we know Chile has postponed that until April so... I get up thinking I have time to get ready on Sunday only to get a call that time hasn't changed and I have 5 mintues to be at the tour agency. I then scramble to find what I need to bring (forgetting many things) and make it to the agency. Which brings me to the actual hike. We were hiking a 9000 foot active volcano whose top half was covered in snow and ice. I was in the later group becuase our phones had got us there late. After hiking for a short while me and a friend broke from that group with a guide and headed up at a faster pace. However little did I know this pace was to increase even more because our guide was catching us up with the first group who left much earlier. After in my opinion a very vigirous hike we met up with the first group where we had lunch (I have never hiked so fast in my life). After lunch we dawned our ice and snow gear and made our way up the volcano this part being much steeper. The group then broke into three groups all at varying paces. And somehow I again ended up in the first faster group. After about two hours I thought I was going to fall off the volcano. The power of the human mind is incredible and I forced myself to keep going. The 10 mintues leading up to the summit is probably the most intense 10 mintues of my life. After reaching the summit I was completely overwhelmed and almost brought to tears. I have never accomplished anything or done anything like this in my life and the fact that I pushed myself through with terrible blisters on my feet was incredibly satisfying. The views were as great as the feelings. However the best part of this hike was coming down. We got to sled down a volcano! When the day was over I can say I have never felt so tired and accomplished. It was amazing. However that night we got on another bus and made our way back home. Which brings me to today where I had one class already and now I am just resting and taking it all in, over all a great trip but I am ready to spend more time here in Viña. I cant wait to see what my next adventure is but I will keep you all posted on everything!

School at last!

Today was my first day of school since thanksgiving! Although it was a pretty easy day since I only had one class. However the class seems great. I'm taking a page out of CC's book I guess becuase my class today only had 4 people in it including me! It is a history class of pre Colombian cultures and the professor seems great! Crazy, great, funny, and incredibley smart. He is very energetic and truly has a passion for teaching. However he also has a passion for travel and wants us all to travel (skip his class) as often as we can. But it isn't just travel he encourages, he is really encouraging understanding of the world and every culture that you put yourself in. I anticipate this class being very interesting becuase there is another American in addition to myself, a German student and a student from Bolivia. Combined with the professor I hope to get a completely new perspective not only just in regards to history but the world as well. And this is why I came to Chile and chose to study abroad. Tomorrow I have my first Spanish class here in Chile which will hopefully help me pick up the language even faster as well as a Latin American culture class. On a side note about culture, it is very interesting being in Latin America while Venezuela deals with the death of Hugo Chavez. First I bet I heard the news first, but also the news is much more somber and consoling than what I imagine you are hearing in the U.S. Chile isn't a big ally of Venezuela however the Latin American perspective of it all has been very interesting.

Also I leave for another trip tommorw. Again to the south of Chile but this time to Pucon with my ISA study abroad group. I'm very excited because I have the opportunity to climb a volcano and see some amazing scenery. However we are going by bus and it is something like a 9 hour drive... But I'm sure it will all be worth it. Ill post pictures of my journey when I get back and if I don't post for a few days that is why. ¡Nos Vemos!

Everyday, a new experience.

So I haven't posted in a few days, but that is because I have been doing if you can believe it more traveling. Following a great birthday in which my host family who I have only known a week through me a party. I set out for the city of Puerto Montt. However another side note about my birthday, it was great and I thank everyone both here and at my real home who helped make that happen. I talked before in another post about being grateful and I truly am extremely grateful for everyone in my life and to be blessed enough to have such a wonderful experience.  So a big thank you to everyone in my life. Also before I start talking more about the past few days I hope everyone can now see a few of the pictures I have just posted.

So as I said following my birthday (march 1st) I set out with some friends to the city of Puerto Montt to take advantage of the remaining days before class starts. After which I won't have another long break to travel. Also it is worth putting in here that I had my first strong feelings of home sickness around this time. I made it through obviously but when your hit with the fact that this isn't just a vacation and your not going home for 5 months or able to see friends and family, it's actually quite difficult. But you power through and look for other things to change your feelings. Which leads me to my trip, I left on march 2nd; the trip involved taking a bus from here in Viña to Santiago where we caught a plane to Puerto Montt. We arrived late that night and had to take a taxi into the city. Unfortunately after we arrived we realized that Puerto Montt is a more gritty city than we thought. After sticking in a group as we tried to find somewhere to stay (we had no prior arrangements). We settled upon a small hotel. The next morning we decided to take a bus to another city where there was more to do. The city was called Puerto Vares. And it was literally straight out of small town Europe. Everything about it; The scenery and architecture all resembled a German town. However we were looking for more outdoorsy things to do. So we got on a bus and literally took it to the last stop. Where it dropped us off at one of the most incredible lakes / national parks I have every seen. I added a few photos of the view (which was from our camp site). We didn't have a camp site or know how to get one so as Americans we sort of commandeered a spot of land for the tent. But to our surprise no one said anything not even the ranger. We then stayed the next day an a half there hiking and just taking in the scenery. However at night, I was able to taking in the best star gazing of my life. I have never seen that many starts or the actual Milky Way before. It was unreal.

This then takes me to yesterday where we left our camping spot (without paying anything because no one asked to or seemed concerned)  and went back to Puerto Vares where we found a hostel to stay at. For dinner we ate at a small pizzeria where there was one man working, cooking, and literally doing everything. It may be the longest I've waited for food but it was a amazing. And hearing some of this man's story was awesome as well. The night after was pretty low key and consisted of going back to the hostel and then waking up today at 7 to find a way back to the air port. And then after the flight to Santiago, back home. And to my surprise we did, and with no problems. And now I'm back at my apartment awaiting the start of school tomorrow. (I'm very excited for once about school). However I go for one day then leave on another trip with my study abroad program. So to everyone who is wondering, I'm not even sure now if actual school will happen. (It will)  however i will keep everyone updated and post more soon. Thanks again to everyone who made my birthday special.

Finally some pictures!

These are a few photos of my trip so far. 

Finally some free time!

Yesterday was the first day that we didn't have to be on the run the whole day with activities. That also means it was the first day that I could sleep in which was great. I filled my day with relaxing, and relaxing on the beach. And I have to say that is something that I could get used to.  After having some empanadas and a beer at a beach restaurant my group made its way back to our houses by way of the micro (bus). However it was on this micro that I had my first experience with someone trying to pick pocket me. Luckily I stopped it before my phone was gone but it just goes to show that no where is really safe. I returned home and had a great meal for dinner; it was a type of soup/stew with vegetables and pork. Probably one of the best dishes that I have had here so far.

My night consisted of going to a bar so that I could start to celebrate my birthday! Which is today. The bar was great and hanging out with a bunch of people was a lot of fun. However the end of the night leads me to my next statement. Never be unappreciative and always be great-full to those around you. Nothing bad happened and there are no real problems however, here in Viña you have to walk everyone home. And in-turn that's what my friends and I did for two other ISA students we meet at the bar. Which I'm totally fine with. However getting me lost in Valparaiso which is incredibly hilly because you can't remember how to get home is not fine with me. And again not a big deal but the lack of appreciation was where I got a little mad. I'm over it now and everything is great again! But let's just say there are now two people who I will not be associating with here again.

On a much happier note, I've received great birthday wishes, had some great food, and life is good! I can't wait to see how my birthday here in Chile progresses and I will be sure to keep everyone updated! ¡Nos vemos!


P.S

It's a long story and you can ask me later, but I blame Elton John for all of my problems... And guess who played a show here in Viña last night.

A little bit of humor to end things.

Walking, walking, and more walking

I'm settling here in Viña very nicely. I've been able to connect more with my family here and I found out my host brother is in a band that is "fairly well known " if you will. I don't know how may fans they have but they have music videos and have played on a tv show! They are called signuz if anyone wants too try and look them up (they are in Spanish of course).

On more of the daily happenings side our study abroad group visited the home of Pablo Neruda here. And the views were amazing. It sits right on top of a hill in Valparaiso. After that we then went and walked through an open sky art museum. Which is really just a street. With walls and homes that have art on them. But really in this city almost all if the graffiti is art (not the terrible stuff in the us).  Also on a side note we have been doing a lot of required government registrations and things here and the Chilean bureaucracy is horrible! It's one line after the other. But I think we have finally finished everything we need to!  Aside from that last night was the first night that some friends and I went out to a bar. And thank goodness it is cheaper than Santiago!  However getting to this bar also involved about 30 min of getting lost. And the moment you realize you don't have an iPhone to look at a the maps is a really weird feeling. I actually had to call someone to get directions for the first time in years! But this brings back a simplicity of life I haven't had in a while. And you realize there is no better way to learn a city than being lost in it. It's similar to the us but you have to make sure and walk everyone home here especially the women... No matter how far they live from you so I think the way my feet feel now will be a big diterant from going out a lot.

Yesterday we also visited and toured our campus! It is so modern and the views are so great I may just start sleeping there (defiantly not allowed). But after getting some more info about the school we found out that this is the number one business school in all of Latin America. So maybe I will do some learning here after all. However we go to our first day of class and then the next we leave for pucon. So maybe it will only be a little (I know I will learn a lot).  And I know I am becuase I had a dream in Spanish! Which means my Spanish is getting a lot better.

I may post again today if I feel like there is something to post about or if I forget something.

Also here is my first picture I've promised. It's of the vineyard in Santiago. I'm working on the ones of the views. (But you may all want to move here so maybe it isn't a good idea).

I'm in Viña!

I have officially begun my new life here in Chile! Today was my second day here in Viña but my first full day. And from what I have heard this city sounds like a dream to those in Colorado. The weather is 75 with sun and a low of 60. Yesterday, after half a day in Santiago we left for Viña. And then as a group we all met our families. My host brother picked me up and then we went to our apartment where I met my host mom. And they are great! Very nice and very welcoming and it has been great to already feel as part of the family. My room is small but I don't need any more. And as I suspected it is too small to fit my large suitcase in. After getting to know my host family we all had dinner together and dinners here are much later. We have eaten dinner around 9:30 each night (which I actually like). Today all of the students studying abroad here had a short tour of the city and then took care of some boring official business. After though my host brother picked me up and we took the metro back home. After dinner both nights we have watched a huge music festival on tv that is occurring in this city, it is the largest one in Latin America. And I can even here it from my window. Watching it however is a little different than the u.s because we watch it in my host moms bedroom and sit on her bed, which is fine but a little different than what I am used to.

Luckily my family speaks slow for me, but Chileans speak incredible fast and like to cut off parts of words otherwise. Making the conversations that my family has with each other hard to understand but I'm excited because that just means in a few weeks my Spanish we be better than ever.  My classes however still don't begin until the 6th of march. Meaning I have even more time off as if I needed any more. But this time I have a lot more to fill my time with. I am also excited to start school though because I heard that they have a tennis team and play on red clay. Playing on red clay has been a dream of mine for a long time and I can't wait to try it.

I'm probably forgetting a lot of details now about everything but Ill write more once my days aren't full from 9-6 and I have more time to write when I'm not as tired. I'm also working on posting some amazing pictures but since I only have an ipad here it has been a little harder to upload a picture since I can't just plug my camera and phone into my ipad. But all that everyone needs to know is; my family is great, Viña is great, and hopefully my school will follow suit. I'll try and post again tomorrow with more about my trip so far and with some pictures. But for now ¡Nos Vemos!

¡Más vino por favor!

First, I know I have said it probably in every post but I WILL POST PHOTOS soon. Starting with last night; it was relaxed just like the other nights here and consisted of hanging out with friends and having a few drinks, but the good news as I said before is that my spanish is getting better and as I start to relax about speaking it the better it gets. Also as I suspectd today was just as busy as the last, however today we were able to visit a vineyard (my first visit to one). The experience was great but, it was a little comical because there was clearly an issue in the past with people drinking too much because we had a 3 glass limit when doing the wine tasting. However the experience was still great and if I talked to you before I came here; I am slowly achieving my goal of becoming a wine expert (not even close). After the vineyard visit we took a bus to a plaza which was very similar to the feel of Cherry Creek (a very high end area). After not buying anything we then took a bus to the top of a "hill'' here in Santiago where we were able to see the entire city, probably one of the best views I have every seen. This is going to be the first picture I post. It was almost overwhelming to see how large this city really is. After taking in the view we went back to the hotel and had another orentation meeting where we were able to get more specific information about living in Chile and about the schools that we are going to be attending. I'm not sure if it is good or bad yet but the school I am going to be attedning is almost like a Chilean DU (private and full of students that have lots of money). However, I am very excited to actually be traveling to the ciry I am going to be living in and to meet my host family.

Tonighti in order to save money me and some friends decided to cook pasta, which was a great idea because a package of pasta here is only $1 to .50 cents. And after a nice dinner we decided to go out again, and we all have started to live by the phrase "When in Chile". Agian a relaxed night with friends, but this time we didn't have to worry about getting up as early. And again I am now just sitting in my room writting this post, but tomorrow I will have much more to write about as I am meeting my host family! So again nos vemos!

First Official Night and Day!

Today was my first official day in Chile and by that I mean full day here. It has been packed full of activities and I am just now getting some time off to write a blog post and relax. But before I get into that I would like fill anyone who is reading this in on my first night here in Chile.  My night was fairly low key and consisted of walking around where my hotel is and trying to get my head around the fact that it is summer here and it stays light out for much longer, as well as trying to take in all of the city that was around me. Since we had the night to ourselves I decided to go with a friend and find somewhere to have dinner, we settled on a pizzaria that was suggested to us by our ISA staff. This was also my first real encounter with the people of Chile and the language... and as I soon found out my spanish is a bit lacking. I don't think that I have ever felt that akward and confused ordering a slice of pizza and a beer. Part of that however was due to the fact that I let myself get intimidated when I was speaking, and that I ordered the nightly special and the waitress thought I knew a lot more spanish then I did. However, in the end I got my pizza and beer and there were no more problems. A little later in the night after I visted the local super market which was basically just a spanish version of target (and for my mother, the sell everything that you would normally buy in the states).  Following a brief rest me and my friend decided that we wanted to go out and find a bar to hang out in... but somehow we seemed to miss all of them and walked around for about 30 min before we came to an outdoor plaza that had a happy hour going on (this was at about 11 at night). And I have to say it wasn't that happy... not in a bad way but the drink prices were much higher than any happy hour in the states, but since we found what we were looking for we stayed and had a great Chilean night sitting in the plaza having a few beers and just talking. 

My day today started out by getting a wake up call from the front desk that I wasn't expecting (it was set up by the ISA), and I was woken up about 30 minutes before I wanted to be up. After getting up and having basically a continetal breakfast I had an orentation meeting with the ISA where they went over all the ways to keep for geting pick pocketed and better things such as living with a host family and a little about the city where I am going to be living and going to school (Vina del Mar). Following this meeting my group went to the main plaza of down town Santiago where we were able to walk around and into an amazing catherdral. Following a lunch down town we then took both the metro (subway) and walked to the home of the poet Pablo Neruda. This is probably one of the coolest things that I have seen so far as well as the Nobel prize he had won that was inside. And that brings us to now, where I am just sitting in my room writting this post. I'm sure tomorrow will be just as pakced as today was, but I get to visit a vineyard so one of my goals to become a wine expert may start to come true. I am also slowly (very) starting to feel my spanish skills get better so that is a good sign. I will keep anyone who is reading updated on my night and what tomorrow brings. So as the Chileans say, Hasta luego!

Arrival!

Well I am officially in Chile! I landed this morning at 10:00am (6:00am Colorado time). The flight was long (9 hours) but, since it was at night it wasn't that bad. And to be honest landing here in Santiago didn't feel like landing in a different country, the souroundings looked very similar to landing in Arizona. However, after making it through customs which thankfully wasn't difficult I met up with my ISA study abroad group and we all took a bus to our hotel. After setteling in briefly we all went and had lunch. My group then had the priviledge to go and tour the Chilean equivelent of the White House, which was great but slightly less formal than what I imagine touring the actual White House would be. I've only expierenced a small part of this city and the Chilean culture but, I have still enjoyed everything that I have done so far. Luckily I have some free time tonight to really settle in and do some exploring, becuase I feel like I am going to have a packed Schedule for the next few days. But, I am here, all is well, the parents have been contaced, and I feel more ready to take on this new South American world! (even if my spanish needs some work).

I'll have more photos soon!!

The Time is Now!

Being the first post to my new blog, I feel that I should say I haven't blogged much so we will see how this turns out.

It is an odd feeling to be officially creating this blog, because it means my trip to Chile is about to start. Something that for a long time was just an idea to me and now it is a reality.  I finished the fall quater of my second year at the Univeristy of Denver on November 22, 2012, and since then I have been out of school completely. Thus giving me about 3 months to think about and prepare for my trip (or not to).  However, those 3 months have come and gone and my trip is literally a day away.  Bringing with it a whole new set of challenges; such as trying to pack a suitcase for a 5 month trip, buying way too many things to prepare for the trip, saying goodbyes to the people close to you, and trying to wrap my head around living outstide the U.S.  All of which is completely new to me since I have lived in Colorado for my entire life, and never lived more than 20 minutes from home. 

I am extremely excited to start this trip and to live in a different culture and all that will come with it. But, this trip did come about rather spontaneously if you will, and as so I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or anxious about everything.  Being an introvert, all of the possible scenarios about this trip run through my head and verge on being overwhelming, but then I just look at the weather in Vina Del Mar and all is well (a nice change from Colorado winter). 

So here's to new experiences, new places, new languages, new freinds, and in therory a new life for 5 months!