Bring on the Earmuffs

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  Vina del Mar, Chile
Tuesday, May 18, 2010

May 18th, 2010

           I have lots and lots to talk about, and not really sure where to start, so I am going to break this entry down into sections. I have lots and lots of homework to do, so naturally this will be a fairly long entry, as I'd rather not start it.

Birthday Party:

            On May 7th we celebrated Nick and Chris’ birthdays with a home-cooked BBQ and a night of dancing together. Most of my pictures come from this night because spirits were high and lots of pictures were taken. Nick’s mom cooked steak and chicken for everyone, and there was guacamole and tortilla chips. We danced at his house for a long time, and then at midnight we all walked to a dance club called "Goose" because we had free passes. It was a great evening and probably the coolest Birthday party I have ever been to.



Zip Lining:

            We are almost through our list of planned excursions, but last weekend we went zip lining.  I had never done this before, so it was a pleasant experience to have. I thought it would be frightening, but it was not in the least bit. Then again, I suppose after sky diving the next activity is bound to feel less terrifying! I feel like I am going through my bucket list pretty quickly here lol. One of the instructors reminded Kim and I so much of Vicente, so we got a picture with him. :)

Friends:

            I have made some wonderful friends on this trip, and it has supported my theory that people are really the same all over the world, they are just tweaked a little bit differently that’s all. Joining the soccer team ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made, because the girls I have met are quickly becoming a part of my daily life. One day after school, two girls from the team, Dani and María-Jose, stopped by and just hung out at my house and introduced me to some new Chilean music. Then we all went out for sushi and pizza (it’s the weirdest combination, but I have stopped questioning these things because they are awesome). But most of all I have met a new friend, Ana Bocic, who I hang out with most of all. She is full of life and ambition and smiles, and I can tell she is going to be my heartbreak leaving. Then again, I equally think she will be a reason for returning. She has a 2-hour break between her classes on Monday, so yesterday we met at the University and walked for cappuccinos and had the most interesting talk about impressions we had about each other’s countries before visiting. On Friday and Saturday we went out dancing together, and today we watched the sunset... romantic I know : ) We wanted to take pictures of the sunset, but my camera was being weird and kept capturing all the odd lights. We ended up thinking they were pretty cool actually, and we left with some beautiful pictures. 

Soccer:

            Not only do we play soccer here, and talk about the World Cup all the time, but also we like to go and watch the boys play. There are four of us, (Kim, Kimmie, Jessica, and I), and together we have created a group we like to call “SGFL”, or Soccer Groupies For Life. We get bundled up, and sit and watch the boys play a soccer game once a week, and it’s nice to just get together and chat. Josué, Donny, and Dimitri are the players we like to watch, and then afterwards we will go out and get dinner sometimes. We feel like such soccer moms, but I love it.

Weather:

            It is getting cold here, and quickly. Remember at the beginning when I was spending all my time on the beach while everyone in Tucson was studying and experiencing winter? Well, it looks like the tables have turned! Within the last two weeks there has been a significant change in weather, which is really noticeable mainly because none of the houses have heating. I have never really thought about the fact that when I go home I expect to be comfortable. This is undoubtedly a luxury that I have taken for granted. I live in Tucson, and yet my house is nice and warm when I come home on a winter night because it’s heated accordingly. I have never considered the idea of being cold in your own house, because that’s where you go to be comfortable. Here I bundle up to go out at night, but then I stay bundled up all the time because it is just as cold inside as it is outside. I am currently in leggings, pajama pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, and socks… and I have been told it gets colder than this, because this is just the beginning. Plus, it has started raining once in a while. I do mind the cold, because it’s kind of new and exciting, however I have accepted the fact that I will have to buy some winter clothes and rain boots because my Tucson clothes don’t quite cut it… what a tragedy :  )

Pie:

            I know I always write about the big events, but there are equally wonderful small moments here that stand out. For example, everyday I walk a mile to school alongside the ocean, and during this time I just get to listen to my music and enjoy the beginning of the day. No matter how tired I am waking up, by the time I get to school I am warm and refreshed. Plus, I bought my first thermos so I can drink warm tea at the same time. Even on the really cold days it is refreshing. I was unable to buy a parking pass next year for school, so I have decided that instead of stressing about it I will park my car a mile from school, and get accustomed to making that walk, because it’s actually really lovely in the right mindset. Also, the other night Kim and I went to Jessica’s house and we just sat around in her room talking, eating fresh apple-pie, and playing around with the camera on her laptop for hours. I wish I could remember all these smaller moments, because they are typically the ones where I think to myself, “hmmm this is wonderful”.

Internet:

            I am sure most of you know this by now, but my Internet has been awful here, and really frustrating. And yet at the same time it keeps me from using it to often, so maybe it’s another blessing in disguise. But on top of this I have had a huge problem with my email, which for the last three weeks has been a struggle. My Gmail account was hacked, and as a result a ton of spam mail was sent out. Gmail then shut down my account, (didn’t realize they actually did this), and when I went to access it I just got a message saying it had been “temporarily disabled” and would restore when the situation had been assessed. So naturally I waited… and waited… and waited some more. I was then told they would text me my new password, which would have been nice if I’d had a real phone and all.  So it ended up being a really big hassle, and for three weeks I was unable to open it. Yesterday, finally, I regained access for the first time, and I felt really bad because I had received some really special emails from family members that I hadn’t seen until yesterday evening. I owe a huge thanks to Grandma Genevieve for the thoughtful gift; it was appreciated more than you know. And I owe an apology to Kendal and Sonia’s friends who came to visit, and I never got the email asking if I’d like to meet up with them and show them around. I received a Skype comment from them the day before I left for Buenos Aires, but had I received the email I would have loved to have done that. I look forward to reading through them once again; they really are special. In the last few weeks I realized how accustomed I really are to my daily technology, like email access and heating systems. I was able to finally send out my apartment lease, and I feel more on track with things once again.

Family:

            I haven’t mentioned my host family recently, but they are as wonderful as ever. I do not see my host father often, but my mother, Fabi, and sister, Denis, and I have had some quality moments together recently. One benefit to the cold is you end up staying home more, and we sit around drinking tea and talking, (IN SPANISH!).  Today Fabi made apple crisp, and we sat down at the table for an hour talking about the jobs we have had, and when I will come and visit. She is so wonderful to me; honestly I wouldn’t trade my host family for anything. They are super patient with me as far as communication goes, and they are really fun to be around. My mom reminds me of Grandma Judy a lot, because she gets the giggles sometimes over the littlest things and won’t stop laughing. Plus, she cooks the best food in the world. Everyday I come home from school there is food waiting for me in the kitchen, and I’m never disappointed. Denise studies a lot. She reminds me of the studying I should be doing. In the last few weeks she has opened up with me a little more. We didn’t really get off to the best start when I flooded her room and all, but now things are much, much better. The three of us went to the mall the other day, and it was a really nice womanly bonding experience looking at clothes none of us had intentions to buy, and then eating lemon pie afterwards.

Best Moment:

            Running late to school at 7:50am like a super nerd, only to be spotted and picked up by Chilean friends driving to school, and finally feeling connected to the city.

Worst Moment:

            Missing out on Mother’s Day and losing my Driver’s License, blahh. Losing a driver’s license is much better than a credit card and only cost $4 to replace, but missing Mother’s Day just felt sad. In class yesterday my teacher made a small comment about motherhood that I liked. He said, “Motherhood is saying to your child 'live and learn, and I will be with you when I fall’”, because ultimately we all fall. Well said.

Soon To Come…

            I think I have put off my homework long enough, so I am going to stop this now. I really wanted to write about my talk with Ana the other day because I think it’s interesting to think about, so I will try to get it in tomorrow. If not, I will write it next week, because Thursday we all leave for La Serena for the weekend! I hope everybody is doing well and enjoying the warmth of summer. Sorry again for the email situation. I added a few more pictures from skydiving that have been sent to me because I thought they were pretty fun. 

Vina del Mar hotels Slideshow Share

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Kimmie	Sky Diving	Sky Diving	Plaza Mayo
Smoke	Club	Botanical gardens	Vicente
Cote	Kim	SGFL	Kimmie
Hector	Girls	Jessica	:)
Birthday Pic	Birthday Boy 2	Rubin	josué
Jose	Friends	Kimmie	Easily Entertained
Soccer	Soccer	Sunset	<3
Lights	Cappuccinos

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