My one year anniversary

Wow. I can’t believe that it has been a year since I left for Chile. I remember feeling nervous and excited and unsure to embark on what ended up being the best semester of my college career. A lot has changed since Chile. I have a new job. I am postponing law school to work for a year. I joined new student orgs. I am entering into my last semester of college. But I decided that on the anniversary of the day I left, I would reflect on all of the things I took with me from Chile. Some of them I expected, most of them I did not.

 Souvenirs: Yes, I did bring back your typical artisanal knickknacks, and the “salmon leather” purse and floral scarf that I occasionally get compliments on. But I also proudly display my hospital bracelet and an empty Austral bottle on a high shelf and have a $1 Catolica sticker adhered to my Wisconsin water bottle to showcase my favorite team. Not to mention, my beautiful blood-splattered iPod, which I pull out and marvel at from time to time.

  Scars: Speaking of blood-splattered, I have three new scars from Chile—two on my forehead and one on my thumb. I like them. They remind me of my strength, and they make me feel like a badass. Someday I hope to go back to the spot where my blood stained the sidewalk and see if I left a lasting mark there as well. I doubt it, but wouldn’t it be awesome.

Photos: I’m not just referring to the hundreds of pics in my iPhoto library. I also mean the beautiful physical photobook (yes, I still use them) that makes me smile every time I flip through it. The photos I have from Chile help remind me of all of the wonderful moments that may have slipped my mind otherwise. Plus, I like having them in print. Just in case.

A new vocabulary: Chile taught me a whole lot of new words—cachai, po, jote, al tiro, weon, palta, flaite, wea, pucha, pololo etc.—some of which were more unsavory than others… Still I like to add them into my Spanish conversations from time to time. Just because. And sometimes I don’t even notice I’m doing it.

Reggaeton: Okay, so I already loved reggaeton, but Chile made me OBSESSED with it. Thanks to Gonzalo (see below), I probably doubled my reggaeton collection, and it is basically all that I listen to when I work out these days. I am more determined than ever to see Daddy Yankee in concert even if I have to fly to Miami to do it.

 Mis monos: Gonzalo and Chilean Max. 

My experience in Chile and this past semester would not have been the same without the two of them. They have made me laugh so hard, they have supported me when things got a little rough, they have taken many crazy snapshots with me after a few too many piscolas, and they helped me explore parts of Santiago that I would never have seen on my own. They are two people I hope to stay in contact with for many years to come and hopefully visit in Chile in the near future. Un abrazo y un beso a los mejores chilenos del mundo. If only one of them would have offered to take me back in their suitcases…

New friends from my program: I wondered whether or not I would be able to stay in contact with people from my program after I left Chile. We were all from all over the country, and I wasn’t sure how it would go. But just tonight I skyped with Nona, and it was nice to catch up and rehash our awesome memories from Chile. We all shared such a crazyawesomesometimesfrustrating experience and so whenever I see one of my fellow UW program-mates on campus or get an update from someone it is a pleasant surprise.

And last but not least—This fool: 

When I got to Chile, I was completely out of my comfort zone for the first time in my life, but at the same time, I was open to new experiences and to meeting new people. Little did I know that the very best thing Chile had to offer me was standing right in front of me when I arrived at the airport. I left the US looking for a fresh start and I came back with a best friend who I share everything with. I left Chile with a boyfriend who would sit with me for twelve hours in a stuffy hospital room, backpack with me for five days through Southern Chile, travel thousands of miles to visit me, roll his eyes at me when I am being ridiculous, and laugh with me (and at me) at the stupidest things. And for that (and also for all of the stuff listed above), I am eternally grateful.

So thank you, Chile for everything you gave me. Looking back at my experience a year later, it was still the greatest adventure of my life. And in spite of the protests, the crazy drivers, the terrible food, the pickpockets, the catcalls, the cramped metros, and the incredible inefficiency, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t change a thing.

Away we go (part 1)

Wow, here I am. Today is my last day in Santiago. To say that I have mixed feelings is quite an understatement. I find myself just staring at the city around me from time to time in order to etch everything into my memory. On the one hand, I am so excited to go home to my friends, family, and favorite foods. I definitely miss all of my favorite people, and it will be amazing to see them again. Plus, I have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming semester including a new job in the STUDY ABROAD OFFICE! I actually screeched when I found out I was chosen to work there. I think it will be an amazing opportunity to share my experiences with others, and I can’t start soon enough. However, that being said, I am incredibly sad to fly from this city for the last time. Santiago has become my home, although it may drive me CRAZY at times. After a rough spring semester, I was hoping fall semester would be a chance to start over. I see Chile as one of the best things that ever happened to me.  It truly was my reawakening after my sophomore slump. Chile was everything I expected and so many things I didn’t. I am coming home with the best friend I could ever ask for and a thousand memories that I will never forget. A giant thank you goes out to my parents on this one. Without them, none of this would have been possible, and I owe them for all of their support (both financially and otherwise). But enough of that. I am already tearing up, and I still need to recount my travels to you all.

I guess I should start with Pichilemu since that was the first in my series of three trips. Max and I spent a long weekend in Pichilemu, a surf town about four hours south of Santiago, leaving bright and early in the morning on Saturday the 26th. There isn’t too much to say about the trip except that it was very relaxing. Max and I spent all three days there lounging around on the beach, going on long walks, and watching some pretty amazing surfing. The most serious surfers were at Punta de Lobos. We got a pretty good view of them from up on a cliff, and let me tell you, these guys were the real deal. We definitely saw some impressive wave-riding and some even more impressive wipeouts.  While in Pichilemu, Max and I also ate the best empanadas I have had in my entire time in Chile at a little empanada shop called “La Casa de Empanadas”. Every single empanada had cheese in it, and they were fresh and fried and delicious. Plus, a shout out to our hostel, which was the best one I have stayed at over the course of my five months and various adventures here. It was a hike out there, and we had to take a collectivo to get to and from it, but it is now the standard to which all hostels will be held. Not sure how anything could beat fresh fruit salad and WAFFLES for breakfast. Not to mention, the “guard dog” patrolling the premises was a regal English bulldog that became my obsession (Mom, can we pleeeeaaaasssseeeee get one?). Pichilemu was also the first place I jumped in the ocean during my time here. Sure I had put my toes in or even gotten up to my calves, but this time both Max and I dared to jump in all the way. Yeah, it was FREEZING, but it was also refreshing. All in all, it was a lovely mini-vacation to celebrate being done with classes.

What was up next for Max and I was our epic journey through the Torres del Paine National Park (aka the end of the world). On December 4, we awoke at 3:45 am to take a transfer to the airport for our 6 am flight. Needless to say, we were incredibly tired and wondering why we had decided to book such an early flight (well obviously it was the cheapest option but still). The first leg of the flight from Santiago to Puerto Montt was relatively painless, and I slept through most of it. The two hours from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas were not nearly as pleasant, however, as a family of three settled into the row behind us. Let’s just say, I don’t appreciate having a two year-old kick my seat and scream in my ear for two hours while I am trying to sleep. But anyway, we made it to Punta Arenas around 10:30 and shared a cab with another backpacker into town. Our cab driver was quite chatty and gave us the rundown of what we were seeing on the way in. All three of us wanted to be dropped off at the bus station, which was good because Max and I had planned to take the first bus to Puerto Natales (the pick-up and drop-off point for buses heading to Torres del Paine). Unfortunately, the next bus did not depart until 1 pm, but it worked out okay because it gave us a chance to explore the town and eat lunch. The weather was a gorgeous 65 degrees, but it is strange to think that that is about the warmest it gets there.  Although Punta Arenas is not quite the southernmost city in the world, at 53 degrees southern latitude, it is probably the farthest south I will ever go in my life, so that is kind of cool. We walked around the Plaza de Armas there and marveled and the weirdly shaped trees all over the place before heading back to the station. The bus ride to Puerto Natales was relatively uneventful, and if I remember correctly I slept through most of it (it was a very sleepy day).

Upon arrival to Puerto Natales, Max and I had many things to do. Although our packs were already packed with our clothing, toiletries, basic survival items etc., we still had yet to buy food and rent our tent, sleeping pads, and a sleeping bag for Max (my friend Tess was wonderful enough to let me borrow her super nice L.L. Bean bag). So after we checked into our hostel (another place I would recommend since it was quite nice), we set off to finish the last few things we had yet to do. Buying food was quite the experience. We made four separate trips between the two grocery stores in town trying to find everything we needed. While in the US, it would be super easy to pick up summer sausage, dried fruits, and other suitable camping foods, Chile is not nearly as well stocked. It was quite frustrating. However, we ended up with a box of cereal, jam, tortillas, a log of salami, a hunk of parmesan cheese, eight hard rolls, two chocolate bars, peanuts, raisins, powdered juice mixes, a couple of apples and Clementines, a jar of peanut butter, and 16 cliff bars (the last two items were courtesy of Margaret Thor). Though it sounds like a lot of food when I type it out, it really didn’t allow for much variation in our diets. As you can see, we also decided not to rent a stove, and I’m glad we didn’t because it just would have been another thing to carry on a four-day trek. We decided to rent all of our gear from a rental place within the hostel we would be staying at when we came back from our trek. It worked out really well, and I thought everything was pretty moderately priced.

That night we had planned to eat our last warm meal at a brewpub in town called Baguales that was highly recommended, but it was closed on Sundays! We were pretty disappointed, but instead we went to a pizza place called “La Mesa Grande”, and it was pretty tasty. We split an order of garlic bread, a garlic and spinach pizza, a lamb pasta dish (lamb is apparently a staple in the Patagonian diet), and a brownie sundae. Plus, we each got a beer because my favorite Chilean brew comes from Punta Arenas. We left full and happy, though I couldn’t stop freaking out about the journey ahead. I had never backpacked before in my life, and I was incredibly nervous that Max would leave me in the dust. Plus, I have been less-than-dedicated to running in Chile, so I was afraid of being out of shape AND unable to carry such a heavy pack. Max attempted to calm me down and assured me that I would be totally fine. As usual, he was right, and my worries were completely unfounded.

The next morning, we got up early AGAIN to catch a bus to the Torres del Paine! The bus was scheduled to pick us up at the front door of our hostel at 7:30, so we got up at around 6:30 to finish putting the last few things in our packs and to eat breakfast. Breakfast was good for Chilean standards and included eggs. I passed on the yogurt though. BLEH. In true Chilean fashion, the bus was late picking us up, but as we were waiting, we saw someone frantically waving out the window of a different bus at us. Turns out it was Chloe, a girl from our program though at first we thought it was just someone being rude and mocking us for waiting. But anyway, that was kind of awesome. We ended up meeting up with Zoe and Chloe when we arrived in the park a couple of hours later, and we found out that we were all starting in the same point, so we would be taking the ferry across the Pehoe Lake together. Another nice surprise was that foreigners with a national ID only had to pay 4000 pesos instead of 15000 as we expected. This meant that Max and I saved more than $20. But that was a good thing since the ferry across the lake cost us those 11000 pesos we had just saved. Upon arrival at the first campsite at around 1 pm, Max and I set up our tent because unlike the girls, we were trying to do the W-hike in four days instead of five. Check this website for a good map of the trek: http://www.fslodges.com/en/torres-del-paine-national-park-and-surroundings/torres-del-paine-interactive-map.html. We then ate lunch (peanut butter and jelly tortillas and water) and decided to leave our packs in the tent and bring just a daypack with us. We figured that no one would want to steal our clothing, and we brought all of our valuables (iPod, passports, cell phones, cameras) with us. Leaving our packs was the best idea EVER. It meant that unlike the people who decided to camp at Refugio Grey (see map), we didn’t have to carry 25 pounds of gear with us. That afternoon we planned to hike out to Refugio grey and back which was supposedly a 7 hour (12 mile) hike. Yeah, notsomuch. Although the trek was hilly (for some reason, I didn’t expect hiking to be so hilly), we blazed through about five miles in two hours at which point we decided to turn around. We were able to see some great views of the lake as well as some icebergs! The real highlight though, was the stunning view of the massive glacier grey, which we saw from a lookout point. We also ran into Chloe and Zoe there, and hiked with them for about 45 minutes. The park was a wonderful sight to behold, and I was very excited that it didn’t rain that day as was initially forecasted. After 10 miles of hiking, Max and I were exhausted when we returned to Refugio Paine Grande and our feet were very tired (though I didn’t have any blisters! Thanks Mom and Dad, the hiking boots were a success). We devoured some delicious salami sandwiches, chocolate, and fresh fruit before turning in for the night. Something to note: the sun doesn’t completely set in the Torres del Paine until almost midnight and then it rises at 5 am. It was super awesome, and I loved it. I did not love, however, baking in my tent at 7 am the next morning. That little space was like an oven with the sun beating down on it.

On day 2, we started with a shower! There are two types of campsites in Torres del Paine: campamentos and refugios. You have to pay for the refugios ($10 a night), but they have showers and a place to buy food. I preferred the refugios for obvious reasons, but I guess nothing beats sleeping for free. Anyway, after showering, we packed up all our gear and took down our tent to begin the first leg of the journey with our packs. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad! This part of the hike was much flatter than the one from the day before. We also managed to keep cool as it was drizzling. It was also SUPER windy, and at one point Max’s hat blew off of his head, and he had to run off of the path to chase it down. The coolest happening with the wind though was when we were crossing one of many creeks and a particularly strong gust PICKED ME OFF THE GROUND. Max grabbed onto my arm, which was fortunate or I would have definitely fallen down the stream. It was one of the strangest sensations of my life. On that hike, we also got some stunning views of the Cuernos (see pictures) as well as of the Valley around us. The wind also caused cyclones over the lake, which looked like mini-tornadoes. Really cool stuff. In total, the hike was supposed to take two and a half hours, but Max and I are speed demons and completed it in around two hours. Just in time to avoid hiking in the rain. We set up our tent before having lunch (more peanut butter and jelly tortillas) and were lucky to be sheltered from the wind and rain by plenty of trees. Before our afternoon hike, I wanted to use the bathrooms, so I meandered over to the nostoluxurious outhouses (this was a campamento, not a refugio after all). Yeah, the outhouses were locked. NOT HAPPY.  So for the first time since when I was in Girl Scouts, I was forced to go to the bathroom outside. Thank goodness, Max and I had the foresight to bring toilet paper with us.

Anyway, we set out on our afternoon hike (without packs again!) from Campamento Italiano to Campamento Britanico where we were supposed to get some nice views of the French valley. However, when we started hiking it had begun to rain in earnest and we were climbing sheer rock faces. Not to mention, the daypack that Max had was just a regular backpack. Not exactly waterproof or trustworthy in terms of protecting our valuables from the elements. Thus after an hour of climbing, we came to the mutual decision to turn around. We also heard what we initially thought was thunder and did not want to take our chances of getting caught in a thunderstorm. Yeah, it wasn’t thunder we heard. At one point we heard it again and looked over our shoulders to see an avalanche on the hills across from us. It was far enough away as to not pose any danger to us, but it was amazing to watch. One of the most powerful things I have ever seen in my life. The snow just barreled down the hillside and unleashed powder everywhere. So cool. We decided that alone was worth turning around. That and getting to laze around for the rest of the afternoon and evening in the nice dry tent. Nothing like an afternoon nap after a day of hiking. Then it was more salami sandwiches for dinner in the tent (it still hadn’t stopped raining) and a nice relaxing evening.

Day 3 was our most ambitious and strenuous one of the trip. Not only were we supposed to complete 7 hours of hiking, but we had to do all of it with our packs on. We packed up our tent and gear once again and evaluated the state of our wet clothes. My hiking pants were almost dry (nice choice, Mom) as was my black jacket. Max’s pants, however, were still wet as was just about anything cotton we had brought with us. No matter. We both still had plenty of dry clothing packed, and Max was able to compile a makeshift outfit of cargo shorts and long underwear. It looked super classy. We blazed through the first leg of our hike, completing it in around two hours and settling in at Refugio Los Cuernos for lunch. Max and I both took advantage of the BATHROOMS and since it was sunny once again, we both took off some layers. Turns out carrying a giant backpack tends to make a person quite sweaty. Mmmm tasty. We also saw some Germans drinking coke purchased at the Refugio, and I decided I wanted to get some as a present to myself once we made it to our campsite. It also deserves to be noted that we saw barely any Chileans on the trail. We did, however, see plenty of Americans, Israelis, Germans, Polish people, Australians, and various other nationalities. It was a very multi-cultural experience. The end of lunchtime meant only one thing: it was time to embark on the longest leg of our trip. A supposedly four and a half hour, 11 km hike lay ahead of us, beginning with a 200 meter climb stretched out over 2.3 km. It was not fun, let me tell you. I have a really difficult time hill-climbing in general, and I always have. Even in cross country, my fellow competitors would kill me on the hills, but I would catch them on the flat parts.  Sadly, hiking is sort of devoid of the flat parts. It was painful, very painful. However, we did manage to get some great views of the stunning blue lakes, and we saw another avalanche off in the distance. Plus, Max and I took breaks whenever one of us needed them and drank lots of water (we got most of our water from flowing streams. Yum.) By the end of the four-hour hike (we managed to cut a half an hour off of the projected time), I was feeling quite loopy. There were some random ducks sitting in our path that I found particularly hilarious. However, the feeling of loopiness subsided and gave way to exhaustion and frustration. I did not want to set up our tent that night, nor did I want to move at all. Max proved himself in those moments. Not only did he put up with my poutiness, he also dragged his exhausted self to the Refugio and picked me up two cans of coke. Pretty much the best hiking partner I could have ever asked for. I felt guilty though, so I used his absence to make our dinner of salami sandwiches (seeing a pattern here?). All in all, it was a tiring day, but we had made it to Refugio Las Torres, which meant that our journey was almost over.

On day 4, we had intended to get up early to do the seven-hour hike to Las Torres del Paine (the namesake of the park). We ended up hitting the snooze button more than a few times before we finally got up, and we decided to leave our tent up thinking we would leave our packs there and take it down when we arrived back at our camp before taking a shuttle back to the bus pick-up. The climb up to the Torres was treacherous to say the least. In the first leg alone we climbed 300 meters in altitude. However, I think the fact that this was the last day (and the fact that we didn’t have our packs) invigorated us, because despite the climb, we BLAZED through the first two segments of the trek like they were nothing, which put us way under our anticipated time. Because of this, we knew we had to go for it and make the 400-meter climb up to the Torres. For all that the first two segments were treacherous, the hike up to the Torres was excruciating. Max probably wanted to kill me because of all of the whining I was doing, but I honestly thought I might have a breakdown at one point. Even though the hike up to the lookout point was only supposed to take an hour, it felt like forever and the heat didn’t help at all. Still it was worth it when we reached the top and were able to get a magnificent view of the Torres. I have never seen anything like them in my entire life. We ate lunch up there and attempted to savor their glory. After that, the descent was a little scary and my legs got pretty tired, but we made it back to the campsite in one piece. In some ways, I feel like the trip through the Torres del Paine was a testament to how far I had come over the course of my time in Chile. After my accident, I wasn’t allowed to do any strenuous exercise at all. Let alone a four-day trek through Patagonia. It made me feel strong and accomplished. Anyway, the trip back to Puerto Natales was relatively uneventful, save us eating an obscene amount of salami and our shuttle being late (oh Chilean time…) When we returned to our hostel, we hurriedly checked in and returned our rental gear before having our celebratory meal at Baguales! Baguales was just as tasty as I had expected and the beer was rich, but the meal was definitely tinged with sadness. The Torres del Paine was Max and my final adventure in Chile, and I was not excited about the prospect of him going back to the states. But still we managed to enjoy the meal before CRASHING back in our hostel.

The last day was spent back in Punta Arenas. Not to much to note there other than that they have a giant cemetery, the Austral brewery requires advanced notice if you want to go on a tour (booooo), and that sushi and chicken teryaki with Torres del Paine special edition lager made a perfect (and cheap) last meal there. Max and I didn’t really know what to do with ourselves in Punta Arenas on such a cloudy day and while carrying our packs, so we ended up in the airport quite a few hours before our 1:35 am flight. But it was just as well. And with that our adventure came to an end. 

The fam comes to Chile! (And so much more)

Okay, so to update you all on what has happened in my life during the last 18 days. It’s been crazy here between all of my classes except one finishing up last week and of course, the long-awaited parents visit happening before that. Everything turned out fine, and surprisingly, I managed to not go crazy (for the most part).

I guess I should start with the parents and Grandma Cookie coming to town. First of all, huge shoutout to my mom for being AMAZING and bringing me about a million wonderful things from America (junk food, hiking boots, a backpack, new running shoes, makeup etc), and for my brand new IPOD to replace to one that got crushed to pieces when I got hit by a car. She even had it engraved to say just that (more or less) on the back of it. So clever. Anyway, the family was pretty tired (to say the least) after all of their travels, but they still managed to get up the energy to meet Maria Elena and I at our apartment for appetizers before we all went out to dinner. I would say it went surprisingly well. I managed to translate okay, the parents enjoyed seeing where I am living, the wine was good, and the conversation flowed pretty smoothly (or at least everyone laughed a lot). Plus, dinner at Liguria was delicious as always. I highly enjoy their food, and I have a soft spot for the restaurant, since Max took me their on our first date.

Anyway, the next morning it was off to Vina del Mar bright and early to visit Jo. The bus ride took about as long as anticipated, and I was happy to see Jo’s lovely face again. We filled our afternoon with catching up, delicious empanadas (my fave empanada place thus far is in Vina), the flower clock, walking along the beach, SHOPPING (a theme of the trip) at artisanal markets, drinking GIANT pisco and mango sours at a café, and a quick stop at the mall (can’t take a weekend trip without pajamas). Oh and I fed half a bagel to a one-legged pigeon and his friends after a stray dog rejected it. By nightfall we were all tired, so we hopped on the metro and headed to Valparaiso for the night.

Note to self: do NOT ever travel in Valpo at night. Yeah, let’s just say winding through the hills of Valpo for forty five minutes with a cab driver who would not listen to me and who had NO clue where he was going is not my idea of a good time. After getting a bit hysterical, we eventually made it to our lovely hospedaje in one piece. It was a shame that the trip there was such a nightmare (and that the place had no sign), because it really did have a great breakfast and a spectacular view. But so it goes.

Anyway, after taking a short run the next morning, we all commenced our self-guided tour of Valpo. First off, a stop at Pablo Neruda’s house, for the second time. It was as lovely and as quirky as I remember it to be, and the views from his windows are still some of the best I’ve seen. Next, we walked all the way across town, stopping to look at some of the sights and to eat a delicious sandwich along the way. Anyway, the highlights of the day (in my estimation) were the two funiculars we took to get from place to place. They were a lot of fun, and I think they give a great insight into the history of the town. Plus, they helped us get to our hospedaje MUCH faster than we had the previous night. Who knew they were so functional (and cheap)?

By the late afternoon, we were definitely Valpo’d out though from all the walking, and so we sat around the bus terminal for a while after grabbing a typical drink at a café near the main plaza. The whole bus ride home I was SUPER antsy to see Max after missing him for ten days while he was gallivanting around Peru/ Bolivia. I practically sprinted off the bus, and the family was kind enough to figure dinner out on their own (they ended up having Peruvian food aka Chile’s version of Mexican food) in spite of their language barriers—example, my dad thinks they were asking if he wanted his food delivered to the same room, but we have no clue what the actual question was. Sadly, we realized a bit too late that my mom had left her new Valpo artwork on the bus, so that was a bummer, but she found something else she liked later in the trip.

Anyway, it was amazing to see Max again. I missed him so much, and I got to see all of his photos from his adventures and hear all of his stories. It made me nostalgic for my own time in Peru a few years ago. Definitely one of those experiences I will never forget. Plus, Max brought me back a Cusquena shirt (the typical Peruvian beer that both my dad and I have taken a liking to) and a box of Princesa bars. Nom nom nom.

The rest of that week in Santiago was spent doing a variety of activities. First up, my first ever wine tour at the vineyard, Concha y Toro. The grounds were gorgeous, the wine was decent, the production of the devil in the cellar was cute, and lunch at the vineyard was a good choice. Plus, it was interesting to learn that Chile’s largest wine producer also owns vineyards in California. Hmmmm.

Next we met up with Max to take the funicular up Cerro San Cristobal. Max and I had already journeyed up the hill together before but a) I still love those views b) I had never taken the funicular, it was cool, and c) it was nice to have everyone meet each other. We saw the “nice Jewish lady” that my parents had been viewing from their hotel room up close and personal, and upon leaving the hill we had some tasty gelato and shopping in Patio Bellavista followed by some window shopping in the Lapis Lazuli stores and a quick look at my hospital.

When we tried to get on the packed rush hour train to go to dinner, however, only Max and I could brave the suffocating death trap. Afraid of abandoning the family, we squeezed back out. That is when I noticed that my camera had been stolen. SO FREAKING SAD. However, Max pointed out to me that it just meant there would be no awkward squinty pictures of him from that afternoon posted on facebook. Always a silver lining? Luckily, I had anticipated such a tragedy, and I brought two cameras to Chile. Score one for planning ahead.

The next day after class, I showed everyone around San Joaquin’s campus, and we lunched on cheap cafeteria food. We also paid a visit to Pablo Neruda’s other house, La Chascona. This house is in a weird part of Bellavista, but the property is just as lovely as La Sebastiana. I particularly liked the secret staircase, the library, and the open party patio. Pablo certainly did know how to rage. Plus, we got to see his Nobel Prize medal in person. Coolness.

Although I spent most of Wednesday away from the family, we did all get together with Max for dinner. We headed to Tiramisu, which is probably either my favorite or at least, one of my favorite Santiago restaurants. Yum for crispy pizza.

Anyway, on Thursday after class we all caught a quick flight to Puerto Montt. The flight was smooth as usual, though I was disappointed at the lack of lemon cookie in my snack box. Upon arrival, we decided we wanted to rent a car. Turns out all of the car places request a reservation… except one. The man’s name was Freddy, the car had two cracks in the windshield, and we had to pay in cash. BUT within an hour we were on the road, and headed to our hostal. We found this one with relative ease and were pleasantly surprised by the spacious and spotless apartment (especially considering how rundown Puerto Montt is).  Two funny things about this apartment: 1. We would talk about how it was missing things (towels, a map, toilet paper), and all of a sudden the owner would appear out of nowhere with whatever we were just discussing in hand. Too random. 2. The owner’s husband IS Grandpa. Like I think that Grandpa and this man were separated at birth, and Hector is his Chilean counterpart. The mannerisms, the way of running things, everything.

The next day we headed off to Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Though we got a bit disoriented in Puerto Varas, after getting some directions from a couple of nice info guides, we were on our way. The drive out was gorgeous (minus there being TONS of road construction), and the park did not disappoint. It was honestly the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Blue skies, turquoise waters, rushing falls, and snow-topped volcanoes. Just spectacular. I will post pictures soon. We also stumbled upon this blue lagoon with a mini waterfall that may have been one of my highlights of the trip. So pretty. After lunch, we decided to head the other direction to try to get up close and personal to the volcano. Sadly, Freddy’s car was not a fan of the climb, and for all of our safety we decided to turn around before reaching the highest point. Still the afternoon had much more in store for us with a detour to the lovely German town of Fruitillar where we did more shopping (yay!), ate some deliciously rich cake, drank mochas, and fed some bright orange hot dogs to a couple of very happy dogs. While the German food may not have lived up to our standards, the sauerkraut was good, and the town was very charming. PLUS on the way back home I saw the world’s most gorgeous sunset out the car window. It was pink and red and purple and gold and amazing.

On Saturday it was off to Chiloe bright and early. This time we had a guide named “Don Juan” who spoke enough English to show us around the ins and outs of the island. Chiloe was lovely in its own way with its brightly colored houses, idyllic countryside, rolling hills, extensive coastline, antique boats, and old wooden churches. The highlight of the trip though was taking a small boat out to some islands where Magellanic AND Humboldt penguins share breeding grounds (this is a super rare phenomenon in nature). On the way to the penguins, we also saw this super adorable sea otter feeding himself and swimming around, and flocks upon flocks of Cormorants (easily mistaken for penguins, I assure you.) The penguins were adorable as anything, and I could tell my mom was quite happy to see them in their natural habitat. Plus, for lunch we had these delicious seafood empanadas (abalone), and did (surprise) MORE shopping. Penguin hats for the win. The ferry ride back into town was a nice glimpse into my life as a herd of little boys all stared and started saying “Hello” in English to us. Yes, blondes are like zoo animals here. In some cases, like with the boys, it is cute. In others, it is not.

Finally it was time for our last day in Puerto Montt. Perplexed as to what to do, we departed for a “hot spring” close to home that seemed like it would involve minimal dirt road driving. Apparently dirt roads are really common in the south, and we did not think Freddy’s car would be up for much off-roading. Anyway, after taking a short but particularly treacherous dirt road down to the parking lot (read: some random guy in crocs with about 10 super cute dog’s house), we proceeded to continue down another steep dirt path until we got to a small riverbank. There we were greeted by a FREAKING TARANTULA. I thought I was done with those things after Peru. Nope. Apparently not. I was happy to get in the rowboat, toothless driver and all, and away from its clutches. Once we arrived on the other bank, the driver gave me some instructions that I could barely understand thanks to his thick accent and sent us on our merry way. After much searching, we determined that the so-called hot springs were actually an oversized steaming hot puddle. Lame. Still it was slightly relaxing, and we all had a good laugh over it. As my dad would say, it was rustic. Plus the view of the river was lovely. We departed from the springs after about an hour and prayed that we could make it back up the hill in Freddy’s car. Luckily, it pulled through (!!!!!!!), and we were not left for dead in Puerto Montt with the toothless boatman and the tarantulas. Back to Puerto Varas we went to have lunch at the home of Chile’s most delicious muffins (note: their burgers were not bad either), and then to do more shopping in the Varas and the Montt. Plus, we had a good laugh at a Jack Russell mix that was PERSISTENTLY trying to mate with a black lab. The logistics were nowhere near right. Sorry, buddy, but you sure put in quite the effort.

By the time we finally made it to the airport, we had enjoyed a full weekend of many adventures and were glad to return Freddy’s car to him and call it a day. Freddy was plump as ever, and he didn’t even ask to see it before sending us on our way. Surprise, surprise with his quality operation. Anyway, the flight was all good minus the half hour it took to deboard us in Santiago. Why they deboarded us on the tarmac and then forced us onto shuttle buses is beyond me. But I digress.

Anyway, that meant that the next day was Monday, the last day of the visit (I know, you are all thinking, “FINALLY! Maybe she will shut up now…”). It was a low-key day, and saying goodbye was difficult. Grandma Cookie left me with a wonderful gift though, and I am still quite thankful to both her and my parents. All in all, it was a great time. Showing everyone the ins and outs of my life was quite the experience. I loved bringing my two homes together, and I hope my parents got an insight on what I do here on a daily basis and how it differs from the United States. However, translating for 10 straight days is TIRING. Love you guys, but having to read the entirety of every menu to you gets old fast. But such are the things I gladly put up with for good company and free food.

Anyway, that same Monday was Max and my two monthiversary, so we went to California Cantina for a dinner of delicious American food and then relaxed for the rest of the night. It was a perfect way to unwind after a busy vacation.

This past week was filled to the brim with studying and writing. On Monday I turned in a five-page horror story and a paper revision, on Wednesday I was supposed to take a Culture and Society of Latin America test but luckily I was exempt, and on Thursday I had to turn in a final paper about literary movements to my Latin American short story class. Needless to say, it was busy busy busy. Though I was beyond happy not to have to take that Culture exam. So glad to never have to set foot into another three hour lecture again. Especially not a three-hour lecture given by a man who has no clue what he is talking about, but LOVES the sound of his own voice. Ugh. Worst class ever. But anyway…

That meant that on Thursday I was done with classes. Since I went to bed at 4 am the night before, I spent the afternoon relaxing and then celebrated the fact that almost all of my classes are over with a sushi dinner (I have become obsessed with a roll of avocado, cream cheese, and raw salmon wrapped in a mix of avocado and salmon) with Zoe, Brenna, Chloe, and their Chilean friend, Valentina followed by a long night of drinks and dancing. The next afternoon I headed off to Friday lunch where I demolished a “gyro” (not even close to a gyro, there was no yogurt sauce or lamb, but it was still tasty) and caught up with the ladies, since I hadn’t seen them in forever. Though I would have loved to have gone with them to Vina and Valpo for the weekend, I opted for productivity. After getting drinks with Felipe and then Gonzalo that night, the next day Max and I planned our Patagonia trip out. I am starting to get really excited about it. We booked a hostel for both nights, and Max drew up a rough itinerary. It is going to involve more hiking than I have ever done in my life, but I think I am ready for it. The trail is supposedly pretty tame, I have all the right gear, and I plan on packing light. Plus, no matter what it will be an adventure, and I know we will have a great time. We also decided to head to a southern beach town called Pichilemu this weekend, so our hostels are all booked for that. I have been put to the task of getting bus tickets tomorrow, which could be interesting. Hopefully we will get to do some water sporting and hardcore relaxing. Hammocks = love. This Friday is also our goodbye dinner for my program, which is kind of sad. While there are many things I will not miss about Chile (unorganized school systems, pick-pocketing, long metro rides, jotes, tasteless food, crazy drivers), what I will for sure miss are the people I have met here. Though I still have plenty of time left to spend with my friends from both within and outside of the program, the dinner serves as a reminder that my time here is coming to a close. And I have SERIOUSLY mixed feelings about it. Though really, the food. I may have already created an event on facebook to eat lunch at Chipotle with my friends the day I get back. Sorry parents. I still love you.

Anyway, the only other thing of note was that yesterday was the long-awaited U. Chile vs. La Catolica classic rivalry match. We didn’t realize we had to buy our tickets in advance, so we hiked all the way out to the stadium before realizing we would not be let in. Walking to the stadium might not have been so bad except that I got yelled at more than I ever have in my entire life so far. I didn’t realize just how much smaller my team was than Max’s team until yesterday. Almost every single person we passed was a U. Chile fan, and they did not hesitate to shout unsavory things at me in my Catolica jersey. It was like I had a target on my back. I got yelled at from busses, from across the street, from all directions. However, I held my head up high and gripped Max’s hand nice and tight. Some of my favorite comments included a guy who said I was beautiful even though I was from La Catolica, the numerous people who called me Russian, and the people who jeered at the fact that Max was wearing an U. Chile jersey while I sported the Catolica one. Still nothing beat the car of people that blatantly took a photo of us while stopped at an intersection. They even asked us to smile for the camera. Apparently friendly rivalries do NOT exist in Chile, and my divided family has nothing on this. I was even a little scared for my safety at points. Fortunately for me, we ended up at a quiet bar where we were able to watch the entirely uneventful game in peace. It ended in a 0-0 tie, and afterwards the group of us headed to a local sandwich place to chow down on sandwiches the size of our heads. All in all, it was possibly an even better way to spend the game than at the stadium itself.

Anyway, that has been my last 18 days. I would say they have been pretty freaking eventful. Now all I have left in Chile is exactly one month, two big trips (Montevideo/ Buenos Aires and Patagonia), one little trip (Pichilemu), one class (Language and Discourse of Chile), and a lot of fun left to be had before I say chao to the most exciting semester of my college career. As much as I am trying to push it away, the real world is catching up fast, and I have jobs to apply for, LSATs to consider, and cover letters to write within these next few weeks. How did this happen? Where did all the time go? From time to time, my host mom and I discuss the passing of time, and she always reminds me that she told me this would happen. She told me when I first got here, sick-as-a-dog, that it would all go by in a flash. And as always, mothers know best. I just wish I didn’t feel so conflicted about saying goodbye to this place and going home.

Descansar, aprender, y recargar

Soooo it has been quite a long time once again since I updated you all. Between traveling, tests, and papers, I have barely had time to write, but it’s all good. Besides I am procrastinating writing a paper and going on a run right now, so I figured why not at least pretend to be productive.

I’m not going to go all the way back to when I last posted, but I do have a couple of trips update you all on. First of all, a couple of weekends ago, I went with my program to a city in southern Chile called Temuco. It was actually a pretty fun trip, despite that I hadn’t exactly heard rave reviews about the town. We left Thursday afternoon after I went to the prosecutor’s office in the morning to pick up some paperwork I need for my health insurance and to give a declaration. Woot woot trying to speak competently while you still have morning brain. Anyway, that first night was quiet since we just settled into our hotel and ate dinner. The next morning we spent our first full day in Temuco volunteering at a Mapuche school. The Mapuche are the largest indigenous population in Chile, and they are concentrated in the Southern region of the country, particularly near Temuco. The kids at the school were quite happy to have us and to eat the delicious treat we brought them-- mmmm, Smores. I did interact with the kids a bit, but I mostly helped lay pavement for a new covered recreation patio they are building at the school. Cool stuff. We also enjoyed a tasty home cooked stew and coleslaw, which is apparently quite popular in the Mapuche community.

The next day we woke up bright and early to go on a hike through the forest and up a hill. It was super pretty, and we got a great view of the city from high up there. Unfortunately, there was a sort of repetitive nature talk sprinkled in there, but hey, I appreciate the guide’s enthusiasm. Anyway, after we trekked back down the hill we headed to a market to eat and shop. OH MY GOD SEAFOOD. I got the biggest bowl of shellfish, meats, and sausage I have ever seen in my life. It was amazing. I counted, and there were 25 oysters and clams. I ate all of them. I definitely couldn’t finish the meats though.

After lunch we headed to the beach where we got a chance to walk along the ocean and then watched a lovely (but chilly) sunset from the hilltop. Honestly, I think growing up so far from the ocean has made me appreciate it ten times more. I just can’t get enough of it. We then spent the night cozied up in our cabanas near the playa. The next day we ventured into a Mapuche village to learn about traditional Mapuche culture. The lesson on weaving was super informative, and then we got an opportunity to talk with the citizens of the pueblo. Interesting stuff. However, the talk went a wee bit long, and we were all starving by the time we got to eat the traditional lunch of (more) coleslaw and a lentil stew that I consumed within minutes with the help of some homemade bread.

We arrived back in Santiago late late late that night after our flight was delayed (why does this always happen on CIEE trips?!), and I was happy to be back in my own home, my own city, and my own bed.

That week after Temuco was a short but stressful one. I had a really awful culture and society of Latin America test (I studied for eight hours the day before, but the prompt was just THAT difficult) and then a notsogreat Grandes Autores class (I didn’t understand a thing about the stories) and then the day went downhill from there when our hostel for Copiapo fell through. The only saving grace was that Max, and I got to spend the afternoon together and then have a farewell dinner. Needless to say, my exhausted and downtrodden self was ready for a vacation. And a vacation I got! Brita, Katie, Nona, and I managed to find a different hostel in Copiapo (it wasn’t perfect, but it was liveable and cheap), and spent the next four days lying on Chile’s most beautiful beach. It was honestly spectacular. Words and pictures really don’t even do it justice. What was not so spectacular is the super intense sunburn I got on my face and legs. Oops. Yeah, showering has been painful, and I have been peeling for the last few days. But what can you do? It was my fault for not realizing that SPF 30 does not cut it in the desert, and cloud cover does not mean that you can’t get burnt. Sigh. But yeah, on the whole, it was a nice relaxing vacation. I caught up on a lot of sleep, and I didn’t bite my nails at all!

Anyway, this week has been back to reality, since we can’t live on the beach forever, but after a five-day weekend (we had Halloween and All- Saints day off), the week was only two days and two classes for me. Plus, I got that Estetica test I mentioned in my last post back, and it went really well, which was a much-needed confidence booster. Max is still out of town gallivanting around Peru and Bolivia, which means that after 50 days together (yes, we hung out for 50 days straight, and he somehow didn’t kill me), we are spending 10 days apart. I am hoping to use these days apart to be productive though, because tomorrow the parents and Grandma Cookie and the entirety of Super Target all arrive! I am super excited to show them around the city that I have called home for the last four months. Plus, we are going to visit Jo in Vina this weekend, and I am returning to Valpo for the first time since July. Then it is off to Puerto Montt, Chiloe, and Puerto Varas next weekend to see some penguins and volcanoes (I decided we are seeing the Volcanoes, the parents have no choice). Anyway, I am really pumped for their trip, and I already have a mini-itinerary planned in my head, though of course, there is always room for changes. Hope all is well with my followers! I’ll post pictures in a bit.

Photos as promised

So this is what I have been up to this month (and a little bit of last month, oops.)

Never a dull moment

Once again, there has been quite the delay between updates. Things are really starting to pick up speed here, and it becomes increasingly difficult to find an hour to sit and blog about what I am doing. However, I think it is definitely important to keep everyone informed and to help me remember what all has happened in this crazy Chilean life of mine.

Well, I think I last updated you all about the soccer game, but I am not going to back nearly that far because sadly, we lost. Though two people on my team did get red cards and the goalie (el amor de mi vida) got a yellow card, which was pretty awesome. Plus after the game two of our players almost punched the referees. Anyway, later that same week, on the 29^th of September I was scheduled to have my final scan done. Max accompanied me to the hospital, and we left right after class since my scan was at 2 pm. As with most things in my Chilean life, it did not go according to plan. It turned out that I didn’t have the correct medical order to be able to have the scan done, so I had to head up to neurology to get said form from my doctor. We then found out that my doctor was out of the country and would not be returning until Tuesday, which was pretty upsetting since he not only neglected to give me the necessary forms but also because it meant that he wouldn’t be able to examine my scans right away. Finally, we got a different doctor to write me the form and headed back down to radiology to get the scan done, which turns out was the kind that required me to be injected with dye to help them see my brain activity. NOT OKAY for a person who is afraid of needles. By the time the whole ordeal was over I was pretty hysterical, thanks to the frustrating system coupled with not eating for many hours (I was told not to because of the scan). Anyway, it was definitely one of the low points of my experience here so far, but thankfully Max prevented me from totally losing it.

Since I couldn’t get an appointment with my doctor, I still wasn’t cleared to exercise and therefore couldn’t go on the bike trip that CIEE planned for us around the city that Saturday. Instead Max and I took a very very leisurely hike up Cerro San Cristobal on October 1^st. The views were spectacular, and the weather was great for hiking. I’ll post pictures later for sure, so you can see what I’m talking about. I would really like to take the funicular up as well though since it looked like a lot of fun, so I may force my parents and Grandmother to do that with me when they come visit. Nothing quite like a monorail up a huge hill. At the top of the hill there are people playing instruments and selling touristy things, and Max and I took it all in for awhile as we sat under the GIANT statue of the Virgin Mary. It was a pretty great day on the whole, and I would definitely love to go back up there (or at least explore some of the other excellent views in the city). The next day Max and I took a nice walk through Parque O’Higgins, and I got inspired to go paddle boating in there some time. The park is like a sketchier version of Central Park, but I think it merits some rundown paddleboat fun nonetheless. Plus, there is a giant fountain right outside the park with tons of kids playing in it that would be very tempting to jump into on a hot day. Not going to lie, I almost did it that Sunday.

On Monday the 3^rd, Max and I returned to the hospital to pick up my scans and decided to take our chances and try to make an appointment with a random doctor, upon finding out that my neurologist (freaking Pablo Reyes) had no available appointments for another 16 days (!!!!). Yeah, it turns out Pablo is the only inaccessible neurologist in the building (we saw him walking around typing on his Blackberry, clearly he was not a. in another country or b. incredibly busy), and we were able to meet with a perfectly competent doctor, who told me that everything looked perfectly fine, and that I could return to life as normal! I was basically beaming, and Max and I sprinted out of the hospital to celebrate. It was an amazing feeling to know that I am totally okay. It makes me happier than words can describe. Really.

Needless to say, it was a week filled with celebrations. I went out to dinner with Max on Tuesday night and had amazing Peruvian style ceviche (mmmm), and the next night some friends and I went to a bar in Bellavista and to a dance club. The next morning though I had to get up bright and early to register my Chilean visa. NOT FUN. So much waiting in lines and dealing with bureaucracy. However, I’m glad to have that out of the way and be able to stay in this country for the next few months legally. Thank goodness. Then it was off to class and then to take a nap (I had gotten up at 6 am) before Jo got into town. Yep, that’s right, Jo was in Santiago this past weekend. Thursday was a pretty rough day on the whole, what with discussing legal matters, having a conversation with my host mom about our house rules, and more flurries of activity on minimal sleep, but Friday was MUCH better. Jo and I had a girls day complete with sushi (delicious, though it gave me stomach trouble later), pedicures, a chat with Lauren Harden, and thus all was made right again in the world. We topped off the night by heading to a bar in town along with poor Max, who couldn’t eat or drink because of Yom Kippur. My host mom actually asked him why he endures such torture, not realizing that it was for religious purposes. Haha. 

I spent the rest of this long weekend with Jo and her friends from Vina, Gabe and Emily hanging around Santiago. On Saturday we went to a party at my friend, Felipe’s house, and I had an excellent time. Max enjoyed it too since by that point, he and I had broken his fast by stuffing our faces at the Chinese buffet in town. Not going to lie, I always like mixing different groups of friends, and it was nice to mingle with everyone. Unfortunately, yesterday was spent studying for my first exam of the semester, but studying with Max (aka me studying and Max reading ESPN) made it much more entertaining. I think the test went pretty well, though I most likely didn’t need to study at all. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

School here is pretty ridiculous. I have kind of given up on learning anything substantial. In all of my classes I have only two to three graded assignments throughout the semester. I go to all of the lectures, and I take pretty good notes, but sometimes I actually miss the intellectual stimulation of Wisconsin. Not that this is a critique of PUC as a whole, I just think the classes that foreigners are recommended to take are probably some of the less rigorous ones. I mean, it’s not like I am taking upper level engineering or anything like that. Still, the best learning experience I can take from this semester is knowledge about life. That sounds really cliché and stupid, but I actually mean it. This experience has taught me to roll with the punches. I can say for a fact that most of things that have happened to me so far I never would have expected in a million years. Arriving to the country with strep throat, being surrounded by months of strikes and student protests, having to register for classes in an unstable and confusing environment, getting hit by a car, learning a completely foreign healthcare system, and somehow ending up obscenely happy and healthy in spite of it all. I don’t know. It’s changed how I see myself, for sure. This week we had a meeting with our CIEE program directors to discuss all of our experiences so far, and I shared that one of my highlights so far this trip came after getting hit by a car. Sure it was scary, and I would never want to go through it again, but it proved to me that I really do know Spanish. I was able to communicate and get what I needed in that hospital for thre greater part of three days without any help (giving credit where credit is due to Patricio for dealing with all of the paperwork and legal processes). I just felt like I had succeeded at what I came here to do. I still have a lot to learn, but I would say I AM a Spanish speaker, gringa accent and all. I don’t know, it just makes me proud of what I have accomplished.

Anyway, life is good otherwise. I have some more celebrating to do on Friday, and I am hoping to play soccer that day as well. Oh and eat Friday lunch with the girls, of course. I have yet to go on a run since the accident, but since tomorrow marks five weeks, I think it will be a great day to go on my first one. Plus, I think Max may come with, which will hopefully keep me from freaking out too much at crosswalks. Other than that, I have been missing American food something fierce recently. It has gotten so bad that I actually compiled a list of things I want to eat when I get back to the states. Priority number one: Chipotle, followed closely by Davannis. Yummmmmmmm. I’m sorry, but Chileans just can’t make tasty food. Someone needs to show them how to flavor things. Seriously.

Well, now to plan some trips and catch up on reading. Life really does move too fast. Sometimes I can hardly believe it.

Yep, MORE photos

These ones are of random dates throughout this month (including SUPER attractive shots of me in the hospital).