I'm leaving Valdivia today. I'm much more sad than I thought I would be. I've grown so accustomed to the way of living here and came to appreciate my chilean family. They have done so much for me and I will not soon forget it. You were so welcoming and it made my experience only that much better. I thank them for that, all the lovely ladies Silvia, Mariana, Sra. Blanca, Javiera and of course the crazy Nina! You've filled me with lots of joyful memories, but more importantly filled me with yummy Chilean food! :)
To my new friends, I will not forget you. I hope to see you in the future, especially you Ducks! The Central and Western students will have to make a trip down there and party it up Chilean style! To all my vegetarian gringos, we'll make a completo night no one will ever forget, Eugene and Eburg edition! :D I will miss you all! I hope the future brings you all more amazing adventures just like ours here in Chile.
I will say it again...Viva Chile! I love you.
...but now I will have to miss you.
Muchas Gracias por todo!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Last Week in Chile
The last week is turing out to be bittersweet. I'm sad to leave this country I've fallen in love with, but I miss home so much. The difference between cultures is really starting to hit me now. When I first arrived it wasn't so much a shock, I adapted very quickly. Now I wonder what it'll be like going back home.
Here I have little to no responsibility. I have to take care of myself when I leave the house and I have my school work. At home I do very little to help out, not because I'm unwilling but simply because they don't want me to. I tried to do the dishes when we made Thanksgiving dinner. Our host mom basically shoved us out of the kitchen. When I first arrived I came into my room and everything had it's own place. The bed was made and later I found out that they make the bed when I leave. I came home and it seemed like a miracle. I then started to make my bed, but then I'd find it re-made when I came home. So I sort of gave up on the bed making. It's one of the main cultural differences. The women here are so maternal, they need to take care of all the children. I have only cooked once since I've been here and our host mom kept coming into the kitchen making sure we know what we're doing. They can be rather invasive here.
On the subject of food, the meal system here is a lot different too. Everyday at 2 and 7-7:30 we eat. We eat a large lunch and then a smaller dinner. The family also always eats together. My host mom drinks tea as if it's going out of style. She tells us that's how she gets her water intake, her 10 daily cups of tea. Since I've been here I've eaten a lot of seafood, but no meat! They have a lot of it too. They have a plate called Crudo and it's a slice of white bread with raw meat on top. You cover it with mayonnaise, lemon juice and green onions. I have a friend who is in love with it and know others who won't go near it. They also have what's called a completo. It's a hot dog with EVERYTHING on it. The ingredient list includes, tomatoes, onions, avocado, mayonnaise and ají. El Ají is basically a hot sauce, that I LOVE. There's another dish called Chorrillano and this is probably the most appealing to me. It is a pile of french fries covered in every type of meat imaginable, cheese and an egg or two. You end up topping it with ketchup, ají, mayonnaise or mustard. Those are the favorite condiments in restaurants. Some other favorite foods are empanadas and alfajores. They're both delicious and I can't wait to make them for my friends and family when I get home! Also when you go out to eat they look at you weird if you just want water. They all drink pop, fanta and coke are the favorites or they drink alcohol. You can find a pisco sour any time of day, that's their national drink.
This reminds me of the other part of the restaurant atmosphere. Chileans smoke more than any other country in South America. They can smoke any where they want too. There are a few places they can't, where children eat, but that's about it. It's probably the one thing I will not miss about Chile.
One thing I've learned since being here is to enjoy the time that I have. In the US we always want to be busy or moving. If we're bored it's the end of the world. I'm going to take this concept back to the US. I've had little to no stress since I've been here. I feel so much healthier with such a little thing.
The main thing that has really made an impression on me is how proud chilean people are. Throughout their history they have been devastated time and time again with earthquakes and/or economic or political crisis. Even though they sometimes have little to be proud of they never lose faith (a good case of this are the Chilean Miners). Also, they have this yearly event called the Teleton which is nationwide event that helps raise money for a different charity each year. Many chileans go to the bank to donate money each year. This is something they should really be proud of and they are. The US could easily do this, but we choose not to. It's obvious we could learn a thing or two from these people in the south.
I love you Chile! Viva Chile! :)
Here I have little to no responsibility. I have to take care of myself when I leave the house and I have my school work. At home I do very little to help out, not because I'm unwilling but simply because they don't want me to. I tried to do the dishes when we made Thanksgiving dinner. Our host mom basically shoved us out of the kitchen. When I first arrived I came into my room and everything had it's own place. The bed was made and later I found out that they make the bed when I leave. I came home and it seemed like a miracle. I then started to make my bed, but then I'd find it re-made when I came home. So I sort of gave up on the bed making. It's one of the main cultural differences. The women here are so maternal, they need to take care of all the children. I have only cooked once since I've been here and our host mom kept coming into the kitchen making sure we know what we're doing. They can be rather invasive here.
On the subject of food, the meal system here is a lot different too. Everyday at 2 and 7-7:30 we eat. We eat a large lunch and then a smaller dinner. The family also always eats together. My host mom drinks tea as if it's going out of style. She tells us that's how she gets her water intake, her 10 daily cups of tea. Since I've been here I've eaten a lot of seafood, but no meat! They have a lot of it too. They have a plate called Crudo and it's a slice of white bread with raw meat on top. You cover it with mayonnaise, lemon juice and green onions. I have a friend who is in love with it and know others who won't go near it. They also have what's called a completo. It's a hot dog with EVERYTHING on it. The ingredient list includes, tomatoes, onions, avocado, mayonnaise and ají. El Ají is basically a hot sauce, that I LOVE. There's another dish called Chorrillano and this is probably the most appealing to me. It is a pile of french fries covered in every type of meat imaginable, cheese and an egg or two. You end up topping it with ketchup, ají, mayonnaise or mustard. Those are the favorite condiments in restaurants. Some other favorite foods are empanadas and alfajores. They're both delicious and I can't wait to make them for my friends and family when I get home! Also when you go out to eat they look at you weird if you just want water. They all drink pop, fanta and coke are the favorites or they drink alcohol. You can find a pisco sour any time of day, that's their national drink.
This reminds me of the other part of the restaurant atmosphere. Chileans smoke more than any other country in South America. They can smoke any where they want too. There are a few places they can't, where children eat, but that's about it. It's probably the one thing I will not miss about Chile.
One thing I've learned since being here is to enjoy the time that I have. In the US we always want to be busy or moving. If we're bored it's the end of the world. I'm going to take this concept back to the US. I've had little to no stress since I've been here. I feel so much healthier with such a little thing.
The main thing that has really made an impression on me is how proud chilean people are. Throughout their history they have been devastated time and time again with earthquakes and/or economic or political crisis. Even though they sometimes have little to be proud of they never lose faith (a good case of this are the Chilean Miners). Also, they have this yearly event called the Teleton which is nationwide event that helps raise money for a different charity each year. Many chileans go to the bank to donate money each year. This is something they should really be proud of and they are. The US could easily do this, but we choose not to. It's obvious we could learn a thing or two from these people in the south.
I love you Chile! Viva Chile! :)
Monday, November 29, 2010
Chilean School System
I've realized I have not done nearly enough posts of Chile. I wish I had. It's harder than you think, to keep a blog updated. I hope everyone has enjoyed my posts, it will probably be more useful for me than anyone else in the future. This specific blog is dedicated to the time I've spent here volunteering in the schools teaching English.
I volunteered for two different programs, English Opens Doors (Ingles Abre Puertas) and American Corner. Both of these programs are worldwide. EOD is a program for exchange students to help out in the high schools or elementary English classes. I spent every Tuesday and Friday in a high school helping students with their English. I was so pumped at the beginning of the program, but it didn't initially turn out to be what I was hoping. Most of the students had no interest in even learning English. It is a subject here that every student is subjected to.
I found the school system a bit dysfunctional. I just want to warn that this is completely my opinion and my critique of the school system here. Many of the students horse around in classes and talk while the teachers talk, and this is with out an end. It is always occurring. I know it happens in the states as well, but the students eventually shut up and show respect to the teachers. To make matters worse, in my opinion the students have little to no responsibility.
The thing about chilean students is that they are not required to grow up until later in life. Down here I am considered a child still that must have things done for her. If I hadn't insisted I would never have done a single dish or ever made my bed once in Chile. It's completely normal to have your mother do everything for you until you move out and get married. The chilean children for the most part live with their parents until they are married. I've noticed that many men are not required to do anything. Women are a different story. Their culture is very machismo. My host mom has a daughter who lives with her still, but she helps her mom out a lot with laundry and dish washing. I don't know any male students who live with their parents still, but I have heard that they tend not to do anything. I believe that it's part of the culture and the machismo presence in the culture.
Anyway, back to the school system. I was saying that the students have little responsibility and the classes are set up for them to have little responsibility. The students are grouped with the same group of students for the entire year. They stay and sit in the same room all day and the professors come to them. It's as if the culture enables them to live with out responsibility. It's different, but eventually the students clean up their behavior for college. So even though I disagree with their system, it seems to be working for them.
One other thing I've noticed in the classes and among the students is that they don't believe in themselves. The professor when I first met her explained to me the characteristics of each class. She said that 2 class had little to no motivation and that one class had more motivation and that I'd have fun with them. She went so far to say that the students know very little. I think this was completely her opinion. I worked with these students for about 3 months and they knew more than they let on. I was pleasantly surprised how much they did know. A funny thing about the English classes here is that they learn how to speak British English and many of them have British accents. Just as an fyi, British/Spanish accents are one of the best accents I have ever heard in my life.
Nearing the end of my trip, I am so glad that I participated in this program. The students were so fun to work with and I will not be forgetting them any time soon.
The other program I participated in is called American Corner. I had a lot of fun with my students in this group. It was basically a small group of college students and/or teachers who wanted to practice their English. That was the main difference between the two groups of students. The students in American Corner are highly motivated and always come to learn. We basically just bullshit the entire time about culture differences and share stories. Today we played card games the entire time. The pictures on the side are us playing BS and spoons(with pencils). The games got intense and were full of smack talk. I just hope they enjoyed their time with us as much as I did with them!
Thank you to all who made my volunteering experience possible! :D
(Also these are the first pictures I've posted b/c I just learned how...opps on my part!)
I volunteered for two different programs, English Opens Doors (Ingles Abre Puertas) and American Corner. Both of these programs are worldwide. EOD is a program for exchange students to help out in the high schools or elementary English classes. I spent every Tuesday and Friday in a high school helping students with their English. I was so pumped at the beginning of the program, but it didn't initially turn out to be what I was hoping. Most of the students had no interest in even learning English. It is a subject here that every student is subjected to.
I found the school system a bit dysfunctional. I just want to warn that this is completely my opinion and my critique of the school system here. Many of the students horse around in classes and talk while the teachers talk, and this is with out an end. It is always occurring. I know it happens in the states as well, but the students eventually shut up and show respect to the teachers. To make matters worse, in my opinion the students have little to no responsibility.
The thing about chilean students is that they are not required to grow up until later in life. Down here I am considered a child still that must have things done for her. If I hadn't insisted I would never have done a single dish or ever made my bed once in Chile. It's completely normal to have your mother do everything for you until you move out and get married. The chilean children for the most part live with their parents until they are married. I've noticed that many men are not required to do anything. Women are a different story. Their culture is very machismo. My host mom has a daughter who lives with her still, but she helps her mom out a lot with laundry and dish washing. I don't know any male students who live with their parents still, but I have heard that they tend not to do anything. I believe that it's part of the culture and the machismo presence in the culture.
Anyway, back to the school system. I was saying that the students have little responsibility and the classes are set up for them to have little responsibility. The students are grouped with the same group of students for the entire year. They stay and sit in the same room all day and the professors come to them. It's as if the culture enables them to live with out responsibility. It's different, but eventually the students clean up their behavior for college. So even though I disagree with their system, it seems to be working for them.
One other thing I've noticed in the classes and among the students is that they don't believe in themselves. The professor when I first met her explained to me the characteristics of each class. She said that 2 class had little to no motivation and that one class had more motivation and that I'd have fun with them. She went so far to say that the students know very little. I think this was completely her opinion. I worked with these students for about 3 months and they knew more than they let on. I was pleasantly surprised how much they did know. A funny thing about the English classes here is that they learn how to speak British English and many of them have British accents. Just as an fyi, British/Spanish accents are one of the best accents I have ever heard in my life.
Nearing the end of my trip, I am so glad that I participated in this program. The students were so fun to work with and I will not be forgetting them any time soon.
The other program I participated in is called American Corner. I had a lot of fun with my students in this group. It was basically a small group of college students and/or teachers who wanted to practice their English. That was the main difference between the two groups of students. The students in American Corner are highly motivated and always come to learn. We basically just bullshit the entire time about culture differences and share stories. Today we played card games the entire time. The pictures on the side are us playing BS and spoons(with pencils). The games got intense and were full of smack talk. I just hope they enjoyed their time with us as much as I did with them!Thank you to all who made my volunteering experience possible! :D
(Also these are the first pictures I've posted b/c I just learned how...opps on my part!)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
What I Would Call an Awesome Weekend
It all started Thursday night with a friend's 21st Birthday. We all know how these go in the states, so I don't really need to elaborate. Plus I'm pretty sure if I did, Ray wouldn't appreciate it. Let's just say I had a lot of fun dancing and singing the night away with amigos!
The next day, Fridays we don't have classes b/c we're abroad and need more time to explore the world around us? It's the best idea since cheddar cheese. Anyway, after a night of a little too much fun some friends and I spent a day in a pool getting tan :) It was so relaxing except that my friend's host sister is TINY, a lot of chilean women are twigs! Other than feeling inferior I soaked in some sol and had a good time relaxing.
The NEXT day we went to the beach, Niebla :) This beach is so gorgeous, we just relaxed in the sun all day(again). At one point I bought an empanada with shrimp! It was super yummy. Alicia, my roommate, and I saw a sign in English that attempted to translate empanadas. "Dough pocket filled with cheese" It's a fairly good description just a bit hilarious. Also, I saw a cute cat. You'd be surprised how uncommon cats are here. There are an abundance of stray dogs here, but no cats :( I think the funniest part of the day was seeing these two grown men on the micro(bus) have a tickle fight! I wondered if they were trying to impress some women. I haven't seen men play like that before especially in public, so I wondered why they would. Anyway, it was just an interesting part of the day.
Sunday :) I have a friend in my American Corner Group (it's a group of chilean students that want to learn English, so the exchange students volunteer at this place) who is a Kayak instructor. He invited us out this weekend and took us to this little town about 2 hours away in kayak. It was a perfect day for it too, the only problem was that most of us are not experienced in kayaking. Sooooo it was very interesting at the end of the day, extremely sore and burnt.
The day started out lovely and everyone was very excited. We passed a bunch of things including a man fishing without pants on. He was a little embarrassed to see a bunch of gringos pass him. It's a part of the river that doesn't get much traffic, so obviously normally he'd be free to not have pants on! About half way there we stopped at this lookout point that I jumped on. It was coming out of the water so I could have easily jumped off. It's spring here, so it's not overly hot for swimming in a river. So, I opted out of jumping. I took some awesome pics of the water though!
When we finally got to the town, we wanted to eat right away. We ended up finding a place with empanadas filled with cheese or beef. They were really good and their dogs loved us by the end even though we didn't feed them. There was a cute little girl there too who was VERY talkative. She was also very hard to understand b/c of her squeaky voice. She told us all about her dogs and how all of their names were either Camilo or Camila depending on the gender. On our walk towards the beach we ran into a cute dog who just wanted to play. She followed us, even into the water. She wanted to come with us so bad :( I felt bad and just wanted to take her back to Valdivia, but that really wasn't possible.
By the end of the trip everyone was done for. Either you were burnt or your arms were noodles, or both. The trip was difficult, but so worth the good times. One of the best things to think about is that up north ya'll have cold weather, while we on the other hand are headed towards summer. I'm loving Valdivia right now. I hope this feeling continues. There's no reason it wouldn't, I mean we have Harry Potter coming up :D To all the peeps in America we get to see it an entire day earlier than you :P Sometimes being in another country pays off!
Can't wait for another weekend full of sun(please Valdivia please don't PMS next weekend)!
The next day, Fridays we don't have classes b/c we're abroad and need more time to explore the world around us? It's the best idea since cheddar cheese. Anyway, after a night of a little too much fun some friends and I spent a day in a pool getting tan :) It was so relaxing except that my friend's host sister is TINY, a lot of chilean women are twigs! Other than feeling inferior I soaked in some sol and had a good time relaxing.
The NEXT day we went to the beach, Niebla :) This beach is so gorgeous, we just relaxed in the sun all day(again). At one point I bought an empanada with shrimp! It was super yummy. Alicia, my roommate, and I saw a sign in English that attempted to translate empanadas. "Dough pocket filled with cheese" It's a fairly good description just a bit hilarious. Also, I saw a cute cat. You'd be surprised how uncommon cats are here. There are an abundance of stray dogs here, but no cats :( I think the funniest part of the day was seeing these two grown men on the micro(bus) have a tickle fight! I wondered if they were trying to impress some women. I haven't seen men play like that before especially in public, so I wondered why they would. Anyway, it was just an interesting part of the day.Sunday :) I have a friend in my American Corner Group (it's a group of chilean students that want to learn English, so the exchange students volunteer at this place) who is a Kayak instructor. He invited us out this weekend and took us to this little town about 2 hours away in kayak. It was a perfect day for it too, the only problem was that most of us are not experienced in kayaking. Sooooo it was very interesting at the end of the day, extremely sore and burnt.
The day started out lovely and everyone was very excited. We passed a bunch of things including a man fishing without pants on. He was a little embarrassed to see a bunch of gringos pass him. It's a part of the river that doesn't get much traffic, so obviously normally he'd be free to not have pants on! About half way there we stopped at this lookout point that I jumped on. It was coming out of the water so I could have easily jumped off. It's spring here, so it's not overly hot for swimming in a river. So, I opted out of jumping. I took some awesome pics of the water though!
When we finally got to the town, we wanted to eat right away. We ended up finding a place with empanadas filled with cheese or beef. They were really good and their dogs loved us by the end even though we didn't feed them. There was a cute little girl there too who was VERY talkative. She was also very hard to understand b/c of her squeaky voice. She told us all about her dogs and how all of their names were either Camilo or Camila depending on the gender. On our walk towards the beach we ran into a cute dog who just wanted to play. She followed us, even into the water. She wanted to come with us so bad :( I felt bad and just wanted to take her back to Valdivia, but that really wasn't possible.
By the end of the trip everyone was done for. Either you were burnt or your arms were noodles, or both. The trip was difficult, but so worth the good times. One of the best things to think about is that up north ya'll have cold weather, while we on the other hand are headed towards summer. I'm loving Valdivia right now. I hope this feeling continues. There's no reason it wouldn't, I mean we have Harry Potter coming up :D To all the peeps in America we get to see it an entire day earlier than you :P Sometimes being in another country pays off!Can't wait for another weekend full of sun(please Valdivia please don't PMS next weekend)!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Argentina
Well, it turns out that not every trip can be as amazing as the one I had to Mendoza. This time my friend Maggie and I went to Buenos Aires, the Europe capital of South America. I mean what could possibly go wrong? Okay, maybe I'm building it up a bit too much. The trip just wasn't the best. It left me tired and worn out. It also left me missing home after 2 months of already being here. Anyway...
My friend and I ended up busing it the entire way to Buenos Aires. It wasn't actually that bad. It was a total of 30 hours of travel, which sounds painful but in the end it was alright. I woke up in the middle of the night to thunder storms. It was surprisingly very beautiful. The thunder would light up the sky and I could see the ground and what was around us. It was all flat with a few trees. Thats the trip from Mendoza to Buenos Aires.
When you get to Buenos you can immediately tell. It's a huge city and you don't miss something like that. The first building I took a picture of had a gigantic clock on the top. One of the very many breath taking sights in Buenos. When we arrived we took a very expensive taxi to our hostel. They made us wait for an entire hour before we went to our room. Obviously the only thing they did was put blankets on our beds. The room was still a disaster and hostels never put sheets on themselves. On the plus side my friend found some brazilian money that the last hostelers left. It was good too b/c she was on a strict budget. The first thing we did as Americans in the city was find a Starbucks. It was as good as the real thing.
After that we went to the capital building, La Casa Rosada. To be honest I feel a little bad. I've been to two capitals and capital buildings in two South American countries, but I haven't been any where near my own. One thing thats very interesting to me is their pride down here. All Latin Americans are very proud of where they come from. I wish my people were like that. I mean, the USA has done a lot of bad, but I was born there. It's my own country. Instead of talking shit about my own country I should embrace it's defaults and help fix them.Throughout our time in BA we went to three different well known communities San Telmo, La Boca and Recoleta. In San Telmo we had little adventures trying on old hats and meeting other Americans. There were so many people at this market, it was a little insane. La Boca was very beautiful. I loved the colorful buildings and all the tango dancers in the streets. Also the jotes(in other words creepers) that would not leave my gringa friend alone. She heard SO many pick up lines in the 5 days we were in BA. Some of them included...
"Is your name Barbie?" -Jote
(just playing along) "Yeah" -Maggie
"Well I'm Ken" -Jote
We were taking a run in the city and as soon as we step out the door...
"Holy Shit?!!!" -Another Jote
"Oh look, my future wife." -Yet again...Jote
"Can I give you my number?" -Jote
"Hermosa" "Chica linda" The list goes on and on and on.
One of the creepiest "pick up" lines was when this guy started throwing money at us. This day we were both wearing skirts. I thought for a second the money was coming out of my purse. We looked at him and he was like yeah yeah... Oh Argentineans who just don't know what to do when they see Maggie. It was the entertainment on our trip.
The reason BA left me tired was because I got really sick. One day after a night of partying out on the town I got a fever. It wasn't very pleasant and all I wanted to do was lay in bed. I felt bad for my friend b/c she wasn't sick at all and wanted to enjoy our time in BA. I was finally getting better the day we left. We ended up going to catholic mass that morning. The church was overwhelming gorgeous and epic. I mean all the architecture in BA is gorgeous. Many of the buildings have the classism style of architecture. I love this style. None of the pictures I took in any way shape or form do any justice to the city. Everything looks so tiny when everything was just gigantic and epic.It may have just been because I was sick, but I felt like the city had chewed me and spit me out to fend for myself. I felt defeated and started thinking about how much I missed home. I haven't been missing it until now. When you get sick in a foreign country there really isn't any of the comforts you would normally have when you're sick at home. I can handle it when I'm in Valdivia b/c it now feels like home, but I was alone in a strange HUGE city. There's just no clear way to explain how I felt. Anyway, It all ended well and I made it back to Valdivia safely.
Even though the trip wasn't as amazing as Mendoza was I enjoyed it none the less. I mean I went to Buenos Aires. That in itself is amazing and I never thought I would actually get the experience to go there. I'm reminded every day how lucky I am to be down here in Chile. It's an amazing experience I wish everyone could get to experience.Until next time...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Por Fin!
When we arrived in Chile the 33 miners were missing. They went missing August 5th and I arrived August 20th. I heard about their story not long after I arrived. I'm not gonna lie, when I found out about them, I had absolutely no hope for these men. A few days go by and we found out they were alive! My family was absolutely ecstatic, as was I. I was amazed, the phones were going off my host mom was yelling in the background. THEY'RE ALIVE! THEY'RE ALIVE! All 33 missing miners were alive.
Some things got lost in translation at first, I thought they were alive and completely out of the mine at first. Then I heard on the street, some where, that they wouldn't be out until December, by the time we would leave. I was shocked! I wondered how they would survive and I slowly was able to translate my way through the story and technicalities.
Time went on and the story wasn't as popular. We still got daily updates about how things were going. Yesterday they arrived to the miners and began taking them out one by one around midnight last night. They were all above ground by 10pm the next day(today). I was studying in this fast food restaurant and the place was closing. We heard some honking going on in the background and wondered what was happening. I quickly realized THE MINERS WERE FREE! We packed our stuff and headed outside. We walked to the plaza because that's where most of the noise was coming from. There were cars after cars honking in excitement and people screaming Viva Chile! I was speechless, I had absolutely no words. It's something you only see once in your life and I saw it here in Chile.
Now I wish all the 33 miners and their families all the luck(which obviously they do not need) in the world. They gave Chile(and even the world) a reason to hope. I hope they can live their lives normally and never have to step foot into a mine ever again.
It's like a fairy tale, good things actually do happen. Chile has captured my heart and I will never forget it. VIVA CHILE! :)
Some things got lost in translation at first, I thought they were alive and completely out of the mine at first. Then I heard on the street, some where, that they wouldn't be out until December, by the time we would leave. I was shocked! I wondered how they would survive and I slowly was able to translate my way through the story and technicalities.
Time went on and the story wasn't as popular. We still got daily updates about how things were going. Yesterday they arrived to the miners and began taking them out one by one around midnight last night. They were all above ground by 10pm the next day(today). I was studying in this fast food restaurant and the place was closing. We heard some honking going on in the background and wondered what was happening. I quickly realized THE MINERS WERE FREE! We packed our stuff and headed outside. We walked to the plaza because that's where most of the noise was coming from. There were cars after cars honking in excitement and people screaming Viva Chile! I was speechless, I had absolutely no words. It's something you only see once in your life and I saw it here in Chile.
Now I wish all the 33 miners and their families all the luck(which obviously they do not need) in the world. They gave Chile(and even the world) a reason to hope. I hope they can live their lives normally and never have to step foot into a mine ever again.
It's like a fairy tale, good things actually do happen. Chile has captured my heart and I will never forget it. VIVA CHILE! :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
Chile Night Life
Dear Mommy,
I just want you to know that...hmmm...how to say this. This pre-letter is to inform you that I am just fine and safe. I know you and I know you're going to freak out when you read this blog. It's just a pre-warning. Just remember I am here writing this, so that means I am okay.
I love you,
Kelsey Louise :)
Now that is said, I have a couple stories about the night life here in Chile! The other night a couple of girlfriends and I went to un obra de teatro! Se llama "Epitafio para un zapato enterrado vivo". It was about two men wanting to commit suicide. It was a comedy and in the end they talked each other out of it. Basically that's what happened. After wards, it was raining SO hard and we decided to get a drink at "Las Gringas!" I ordered a Daquiri thinking it was going to be this awesome fruit smoothing w/ RUM! Well, it had rum but that was about it. It came in a margarita glass with rum and a dash of lemon juice. It was so strong and I was really feeling it when I was done, I mean even before I was done! It was so strong. I'm still getting used to the difference in drinks here. Anyway, it was a good time and we had a lot of laughs. We all live really close to this place, just over the bridge and a couple blocks away. BUT it was raining cats and dogs outside! We decided to risk it anyway, like crazy americans would do. The other factor was that the WIND was blowing like crazy. I have never experienced wind like this before. It literally would blow us aside, I was constantly fighting its strength! By the time I got home I was DRENCHED, but this has become normal. OMG I forgot the drunk guys!
SO, we were sitting in the cafe minding our own business and all of a sudden these two drunk off their asses guys are outside the window. They were motioning us to come meet them outside and one was even caressing his body (as if that would interest us). They stood there for a few minutes and I motioned them to go away. Eventually they did so no crazy boy stories (yet)!
The NEXT night, we planned to go dancing! It's all the rage down here in Chile. haha So we went to the Discoteca around 10, but to our surprise it didn't even open until 11! Dumb Americans I suppose. So, we hung out at Strike for a couple of hours before we went dancing. I had a Mai Tai and they are SO much more amazing here than in the US and also like 3 times as strong. That one drink lasted me all night. We ended up singing a little at Strike, I mean who can pass up Journey? Anybody? Didn't think so. So we were all just having a great time, then we decided to go DANCE! The reason we came out.
We got in and it was hopin, like literally. They were playing our music too! Britney Spears...KE$HA! When I walked in I said "Oh that'd be so awesome if they played Ke$ha" and they did. All of us girls were dancing together and slowly one by one was asked to dance by men in the club. I was not asked that often, but when I did I said no. One guy was trying to get my friend to dance with him, she said no to him, then asked me. I responded "No soy la segunda" meaning or at least I wanted it to mean I'm not a second choice. He looked at me like he had never heard that before. It was a good moment for me.
Later everyone had some creepy boy or man all over them. I didn't until around 3ish. Yes, mom I stayed out that late. My partner kept on wanting to look at my face while I was dancing and I am not for that! I just wanted to dance and that's that. haha The men here are a little strange. They also try to go in for kisses anytime they can. It's simple here though, if you don't want that you simply say No. No is all it takes, unless you've already kissed a guy.
One of my friends found out the hard way. She didn't know that the men would try and kiss her, so she was blind sided when one did. He ended up becoming infatuated with her and would NOT leave her alone. It was kind of scary at one point. Most people know me as an aggressive person and I know where the line is. I was trying to help by keeping him away from her. At one point he grabbed her arm and I just told him "NO" and pushed his hand away. He gave me the scariest look then as if he wanted to harm me b/c I was keeping him from her. We then had to walk home and he started following us. We were walking over the bridge and he was screaming "Don't leave me! Don't leave! Please stay!" It was a calm night so it was echoing through the area. He eventually stopped, but it was definitely a freaky night. Now I know, when in Chile do not lead men on! haha
In the end we both made it home safely to our beds! Where we finally got some sleep. We got home around 4, but my host mom begs to differ. She says it was about 20 til 5. Either way it was VERY late. I also had to be somewhere at 8am that same morning! So I was not a happy camper when I woke up. Another lesson learned, get SLEEP! It's nice.
Since tonight is a weekend night, I am ready to have a good time. and I'm planning just that! There is a band here that covers the Beatles! I can't believe it. So that's where I'll be tonight. My first concert in Chile :D
Kelsey
I just want you to know that...hmmm...how to say this. This pre-letter is to inform you that I am just fine and safe. I know you and I know you're going to freak out when you read this blog. It's just a pre-warning. Just remember I am here writing this, so that means I am okay.
I love you,
Kelsey Louise :)
Now that is said, I have a couple stories about the night life here in Chile! The other night a couple of girlfriends and I went to un obra de teatro! Se llama "Epitafio para un zapato enterrado vivo". It was about two men wanting to commit suicide. It was a comedy and in the end they talked each other out of it. Basically that's what happened. After wards, it was raining SO hard and we decided to get a drink at "Las Gringas!" I ordered a Daquiri thinking it was going to be this awesome fruit smoothing w/ RUM! Well, it had rum but that was about it. It came in a margarita glass with rum and a dash of lemon juice. It was so strong and I was really feeling it when I was done, I mean even before I was done! It was so strong. I'm still getting used to the difference in drinks here. Anyway, it was a good time and we had a lot of laughs. We all live really close to this place, just over the bridge and a couple blocks away. BUT it was raining cats and dogs outside! We decided to risk it anyway, like crazy americans would do. The other factor was that the WIND was blowing like crazy. I have never experienced wind like this before. It literally would blow us aside, I was constantly fighting its strength! By the time I got home I was DRENCHED, but this has become normal. OMG I forgot the drunk guys!
SO, we were sitting in the cafe minding our own business and all of a sudden these two drunk off their asses guys are outside the window. They were motioning us to come meet them outside and one was even caressing his body (as if that would interest us). They stood there for a few minutes and I motioned them to go away. Eventually they did so no crazy boy stories (yet)!
The NEXT night, we planned to go dancing! It's all the rage down here in Chile. haha So we went to the Discoteca around 10, but to our surprise it didn't even open until 11! Dumb Americans I suppose. So, we hung out at Strike for a couple of hours before we went dancing. I had a Mai Tai and they are SO much more amazing here than in the US and also like 3 times as strong. That one drink lasted me all night. We ended up singing a little at Strike, I mean who can pass up Journey? Anybody? Didn't think so. So we were all just having a great time, then we decided to go DANCE! The reason we came out.
We got in and it was hopin, like literally. They were playing our music too! Britney Spears...KE$HA! When I walked in I said "Oh that'd be so awesome if they played Ke$ha" and they did. All of us girls were dancing together and slowly one by one was asked to dance by men in the club. I was not asked that often, but when I did I said no. One guy was trying to get my friend to dance with him, she said no to him, then asked me. I responded "No soy la segunda" meaning or at least I wanted it to mean I'm not a second choice. He looked at me like he had never heard that before. It was a good moment for me.
Later everyone had some creepy boy or man all over them. I didn't until around 3ish. Yes, mom I stayed out that late. My partner kept on wanting to look at my face while I was dancing and I am not for that! I just wanted to dance and that's that. haha The men here are a little strange. They also try to go in for kisses anytime they can. It's simple here though, if you don't want that you simply say No. No is all it takes, unless you've already kissed a guy.
One of my friends found out the hard way. She didn't know that the men would try and kiss her, so she was blind sided when one did. He ended up becoming infatuated with her and would NOT leave her alone. It was kind of scary at one point. Most people know me as an aggressive person and I know where the line is. I was trying to help by keeping him away from her. At one point he grabbed her arm and I just told him "NO" and pushed his hand away. He gave me the scariest look then as if he wanted to harm me b/c I was keeping him from her. We then had to walk home and he started following us. We were walking over the bridge and he was screaming "Don't leave me! Don't leave! Please stay!" It was a calm night so it was echoing through the area. He eventually stopped, but it was definitely a freaky night. Now I know, when in Chile do not lead men on! haha
In the end we both made it home safely to our beds! Where we finally got some sleep. We got home around 4, but my host mom begs to differ. She says it was about 20 til 5. Either way it was VERY late. I also had to be somewhere at 8am that same morning! So I was not a happy camper when I woke up. Another lesson learned, get SLEEP! It's nice.
Since tonight is a weekend night, I am ready to have a good time. and I'm planning just that! There is a band here that covers the Beatles! I can't believe it. So that's where I'll be tonight. My first concert in Chile :D
Kelsey
Sunday, August 22, 2010
University, Lunch, Cemetery, Bar! All in One Day.
The night I traveled all the way here, I slept like a baby. It was amazing. I heard the same things from all the others. So,(a tip) If you want a good night sleep travel somewhere far away. When you get there you'll sleep like a baby :)
I had to get up early the next morning to go to Orientation. I met up with all my friends I met on the trip. We met our Director, Raquel, her job is to basically help us with any problems we have. When she started speaking I didn't even realize she was speaking Spanish, because I was understanding EVERYTHING! I interrupted my flow when I thought about this. I got so excited but then went back to listening right away. She was speaking very slowly, but still it was a great moment. Our counselors are all very nice. After we were hit with a ton of information we took a tour of campus where we were hit with MORE information. There's no way anyone can remember it all.
Later they treated us to lunch. Lunch in Chile is the largest meal of the day, so this is how it went. We got there and we were all starving! Before we arrived they asked us what we wanted to eat, there were three choices 1) Carne de res (a beef steak) 2) Pescado (Fish but today specifically it was Trout) 3) Fettutine. I went for the Trout b/c when in Chile you eat Seafood. BUT before we got our meal...They asked us what would you like to drink? They had a few options, I went for the Pisco Sour. Aqui en Chile es muy tipico. So I had to try it. I also was brought water, but water con gas! (carbonated water) I'm not a fan but it was just fine. So then they brought us our drinks and appetizers. They were meat balls that you dipped in a wine sauce and we also had little boat crackers with a fish paste in it. It was delicious. They also brought us bread. Then finally our meal. The vegetables were even to die for. Perhaps it's because I am biased (thinking this place is heaven), but for now they were amazing.
Even more interesting part of my day. The back story...My family's father passed away about 2 years ago. They go to his grave site maybe once a month(This is what I was told). So something I never even thought I would experience here. The cemetery and a funeral. There was a funeral going on and there were SO many people and SO many flowers. I wanted to take pictures so bad, but I made sure it was okay before I did. Some of the graves have 5 or 6 people in one. They said just staked on top of one another. There is also a wall of cement where there are different rectangular shapes to place the caskets in. They are not in the ground but in this wall. I didn't get a good picture of them, but they are in the distance in the pictures I have. I only tell you all of this because it was so different and to me interesting. We were at a very old cemetery and oddly enough I didn't have any weird feelings. I felt completely fine and safe.
Later that night I went out with the entire group! We all have to find our own way to and from these places, which at first is a little nerve racking. I live really close to everything, but I never want to walk alone in the dark(don't worry mom I didn't nor will). Mariana drove me there. It turned out to be a KARAOKE BAR called Strike! It was so much fun. I had a Pina Colada(It's so true that the drinks here are so much stronger than in the US). So I only had one drink. It was so much fun. All I did was speak spanish and laugh the entire time. One downfall is that so many people smoke in Chile. Almost everyone. So there was much smoke in the bar. I still had a good time, and I'm still able to breath. Thankfully. Even the taxi ride home was fun. My friend Maggie's new cousin was with us. They dropped me off first b/c I'm literally 2 min ride away from the bar. I didn't know the address, but I knew the road. It was all good. I got home safely, opened the gate and then door and I was off to bed.
I then slept for about 12 hours. Much needed :) Today is a new day. I'm ready for anything even if it is sitting here with my Chilean family all day waiting for the different meals. I have no obligations what so ever, except to practice Spanish.
Kelsey
I had to get up early the next morning to go to Orientation. I met up with all my friends I met on the trip. We met our Director, Raquel, her job is to basically help us with any problems we have. When she started speaking I didn't even realize she was speaking Spanish, because I was understanding EVERYTHING! I interrupted my flow when I thought about this. I got so excited but then went back to listening right away. She was speaking very slowly, but still it was a great moment. Our counselors are all very nice. After we were hit with a ton of information we took a tour of campus where we were hit with MORE information. There's no way anyone can remember it all.
Later they treated us to lunch. Lunch in Chile is the largest meal of the day, so this is how it went. We got there and we were all starving! Before we arrived they asked us what we wanted to eat, there were three choices 1) Carne de res (a beef steak) 2) Pescado (Fish but today specifically it was Trout) 3) Fettutine. I went for the Trout b/c when in Chile you eat Seafood. BUT before we got our meal...They asked us what would you like to drink? They had a few options, I went for the Pisco Sour. Aqui en Chile es muy tipico. So I had to try it. I also was brought water, but water con gas! (carbonated water) I'm not a fan but it was just fine. So then they brought us our drinks and appetizers. They were meat balls that you dipped in a wine sauce and we also had little boat crackers with a fish paste in it. It was delicious. They also brought us bread. Then finally our meal. The vegetables were even to die for. Perhaps it's because I am biased (thinking this place is heaven), but for now they were amazing.
Even more interesting part of my day. The back story...My family's father passed away about 2 years ago. They go to his grave site maybe once a month(This is what I was told). So something I never even thought I would experience here. The cemetery and a funeral. There was a funeral going on and there were SO many people and SO many flowers. I wanted to take pictures so bad, but I made sure it was okay before I did. Some of the graves have 5 or 6 people in one. They said just staked on top of one another. There is also a wall of cement where there are different rectangular shapes to place the caskets in. They are not in the ground but in this wall. I didn't get a good picture of them, but they are in the distance in the pictures I have. I only tell you all of this because it was so different and to me interesting. We were at a very old cemetery and oddly enough I didn't have any weird feelings. I felt completely fine and safe.Later that night I went out with the entire group! We all have to find our own way to and from these places, which at first is a little nerve racking. I live really close to everything, but I never want to walk alone in the dark(don't worry mom I didn't nor will). Mariana drove me there. It turned out to be a KARAOKE BAR called Strike! It was so much fun. I had a Pina Colada(It's so true that the drinks here are so much stronger than in the US). So I only had one drink. It was so much fun. All I did was speak spanish and laugh the entire time. One downfall is that so many people smoke in Chile. Almost everyone. So there was much smoke in the bar. I still had a good time, and I'm still able to breath. Thankfully. Even the taxi ride home was fun. My friend Maggie's new cousin was with us. They dropped me off first b/c I'm literally 2 min ride away from the bar. I didn't know the address, but I knew the road. It was all good. I got home safely, opened the gate and then door and I was off to bed.
I then slept for about 12 hours. Much needed :) Today is a new day. I'm ready for anything even if it is sitting here with my Chilean family all day waiting for the different meals. I have no obligations what so ever, except to practice Spanish.
Kelsey
Friday, August 20, 2010
El Viaje sin Final
I began my journey early yesterday morning. I was of course not yet packed when my family arrived to pick me up at 6:30am Bellingham time. I had to rush to get ready and get all my things together. We were off around 7:30am. At this point I was looking at a long day of traveling...not excited at all. I was only excited to see the end...if there was an end.
When I arrived at the airport, it still didn't hit me "I'm traveling to the other side of the world". Still now I can't believe I'm here in Chile. El sur del mundo! No puedo creer eso. Anway, I got my ticket, my mom was a little emotional but I was on my way none the less. She couldn't stop me now! I was able to meet up with my friend Maggie whom I traveled with. The trip was so much better to have a friend around. I can't imagine my trip without her now. It would have been scary and boring (well more boring).
I'm getting to the interesting part. We boarded the plane and the first thing I saw as we lifted up in the air was an amazing view of Mt. Rainier. I'll post the picture, it's literally breath taking. I felt it was a good sign. My trip was going to go well and I was happy. On this flight I met a lovely couple traveling home to South Carolina from Alaska. I didn't get the man's name, but the woman's name was Susan. She was delightful to talk to, she had a southern accent which caught my attention right away. She ended up giving me her information so I could find her on Facebook. Now I get to share my travels with yet another person. The flight to Dallas was about 4 hours. Too long for me, but we finally made it.
I was in Dallas, somewhere I had never been before. The first thing I saw was a TGI Friday's. I wanted to eat there, but realized it actually isn't my kind of food. So Maggie and I went to a little Cantina where I had Enchiladas de Espinaca! They were delicious. We had our minds on the trip and the long flight ahead. We finished eating and went to the gate. I then had my first panic attack (I was on the verge of crying during this time).
I realized I didn't have my passport!!! I remember being in the bathroom and putting it down on my luggage. I watched it carefully, but at this moment I didn't remember putting it away after that. So I had lost my PASSPORT! The first place I went to was that bathroom...running at this point. I looked around deleriously, it wasn't there. I ran upstairs to the Cantina, also wasn't there. I was really worried at this point and went to wait in line at the front desk hoping someone had turned it into the gate (oh and my boarding pass was with it)! I then went back to check my luggage one more time...just to make sure. It was in my backpack! I got myself worked up for nothing. In those few moments I realized how important this trip is to me. It's so true when people say "You don't know what you got til it's gone". I thought my dream was gone at that point. All turned out okay though, it was just me freaking out! haha
Later we boarded the plane with no problems. All I wanted to do was sleep and I did, for the most part. I woke up about every 2 hours then I would stay awake for at least 1. I read and just sat there in between. The most interesting part was when I woke up around 6-6:30. We were flying over the ocean, Chile and the Andes to our left. I saw the most beautiful view, the sun was rising over the Andes. It was incredible. I woke Maggie up right away, but she wasn't very happy with that. Opps :( I just had to share that view with somebody! It was the perfect way to wake up. I watched the sunrise for about 30 mins before they came out with breakfast. To top it all off I was able to watch my favorite show, The Office as I watched the sunrise. It was an amazing moment for me. No other words besides happiness could describe it.
After the 9 1/2 hour flight we were in Santiago trying to find our way to immigration and then customs. I had another freak out! I was suppose to bring these documents, that I simply left at home. Luckily enough they just let me go through. We then went to get our luggage. I was nervous they lost it, but no it was all there :) One of my favorite parts of the trip...we grabbed our luggage and walked through these sliding doors that you could not see through. So that you cannot prepare yourself for what's behind the doors. As soon as the door open I heard "Taxi? Quieres Taxi? Luego necesitas Taxi?" I had about 10 people trying to get me on their taxi. It just started busting out laughing and said no. No gracias.
Then we had to check in to our domestic flight to Valdivia...Finally we were just 2 hours away. When we finally arrived I was so...not even sure what I felt. Perhaps it was excitement. I'm not sure. haha I was overwhelmed with so many emotions! I still can't believe I'm here speaking Spanish and hearing it every where. I love this town so far.
I just had dinner with my host family. Words cannot describe how wonderful they are. They are willing to cook w/out meat, talk slower for me, they gave me a phone for down here!!...the list just goes on and on! I know someone has been looking out for me. Who ever that is...Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Until next time :)
Kelsey
P.S Sorry for the length...I just found everything so interesting.
Buenas Noches.
This was my first Chilean friend, Nina :)
When I arrived at the airport, it still didn't hit me "I'm traveling to the other side of the world". Still now I can't believe I'm here in Chile. El sur del mundo! No puedo creer eso. Anway, I got my ticket, my mom was a little emotional but I was on my way none the less. She couldn't stop me now! I was able to meet up with my friend Maggie whom I traveled with. The trip was so much better to have a friend around. I can't imagine my trip without her now. It would have been scary and boring (well more boring).
I'm getting to the interesting part. We boarded the plane and the first thing I saw as we lifted up in the air was an amazing view of Mt. Rainier. I'll post the picture, it's literally breath taking. I felt it was a good sign. My trip was going to go well and I was happy. On this flight I met a lovely couple traveling home to South Carolina from Alaska. I didn't get the man's name, but the woman's name was Susan. She was delightful to talk to, she had a southern accent which caught my attention right away. She ended up giving me her information so I could find her on Facebook. Now I get to share my travels with yet another person. The flight to Dallas was about 4 hours. Too long for me, but we finally made it.I was in Dallas, somewhere I had never been before. The first thing I saw was a TGI Friday's. I wanted to eat there, but realized it actually isn't my kind of food. So Maggie and I went to a little Cantina where I had Enchiladas de Espinaca! They were delicious. We had our minds on the trip and the long flight ahead. We finished eating and went to the gate. I then had my first panic attack (I was on the verge of crying during this time).
I realized I didn't have my passport!!! I remember being in the bathroom and putting it down on my luggage. I watched it carefully, but at this moment I didn't remember putting it away after that. So I had lost my PASSPORT! The first place I went to was that bathroom...running at this point. I looked around deleriously, it wasn't there. I ran upstairs to the Cantina, also wasn't there. I was really worried at this point and went to wait in line at the front desk hoping someone had turned it into the gate (oh and my boarding pass was with it)! I then went back to check my luggage one more time...just to make sure. It was in my backpack! I got myself worked up for nothing. In those few moments I realized how important this trip is to me. It's so true when people say "You don't know what you got til it's gone". I thought my dream was gone at that point. All turned out okay though, it was just me freaking out! haha
Later we boarded the plane with no problems. All I wanted to do was sleep and I did, for the most part. I woke up about every 2 hours then I would stay awake for at least 1. I read and just sat there in between. The most interesting part was when I woke up around 6-6:30. We were flying over the ocean, Chile and the Andes to our left. I saw the most beautiful view, the sun was rising over the Andes. It was incredible. I woke Maggie up right away, but she wasn't very happy with that. Opps :( I just had to share that view with somebody! It was the perfect way to wake up. I watched the sunrise for about 30 mins before they came out with breakfast. To top it all off I was able to watch my favorite show, The Office as I watched the sunrise. It was an amazing moment for me. No other words besides happiness could describe it.After the 9 1/2 hour flight we were in Santiago trying to find our way to immigration and then customs. I had another freak out! I was suppose to bring these documents, that I simply left at home. Luckily enough they just let me go through. We then went to get our luggage. I was nervous they lost it, but no it was all there :) One of my favorite parts of the trip...we grabbed our luggage and walked through these sliding doors that you could not see through. So that you cannot prepare yourself for what's behind the doors. As soon as the door open I heard "Taxi? Quieres Taxi? Luego necesitas Taxi?" I had about 10 people trying to get me on their taxi. It just started busting out laughing and said no. No gracias.
Then we had to check in to our domestic flight to Valdivia...Finally we were just 2 hours away. When we finally arrived I was so...not even sure what I felt. Perhaps it was excitement. I'm not sure. haha I was overwhelmed with so many emotions! I still can't believe I'm here speaking Spanish and hearing it every where. I love this town so far.
I just had dinner with my host family. Words cannot describe how wonderful they are. They are willing to cook w/out meat, talk slower for me, they gave me a phone for down here!!...the list just goes on and on! I know someone has been looking out for me. Who ever that is...Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Until next time :)
Kelsey
Buenas Noches.
This was my first Chilean friend, Nina :)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day of Take Off
I'm sticking with the theme of Take Off. So I'm at the airport, waiting for my flight to start boarding. It still isn't all that real. I mean...I will be in a Spanish speaking country for the first time in my life. It's a little insane.
I would like to do a shout out to my mother, who is freaking out! I called you twice after i got to the airport! My friend has a phone with her, so I was able to to call...but you DIDN'T ANSWER! I just wanna say I was trying to help relieve some of your sorrow and worry, but you didn't let me. I love you mom! I hope to talk to you soon.
The plane should start boarding in 15 minutes. I can't wait to be there...about a day later. I'll do my best once I'm down there to keep posting, but it may be a couple of days. I'll also make sure to mention any interesting folks I meet on the way. (That's always my favorite part about traveling) I just want to say again thank you so much for all the love and support :)
I love you all,
Kelsey
I would like to do a shout out to my mother, who is freaking out! I called you twice after i got to the airport! My friend has a phone with her, so I was able to to call...but you DIDN'T ANSWER! I just wanna say I was trying to help relieve some of your sorrow and worry, but you didn't let me. I love you mom! I hope to talk to you soon.
The plane should start boarding in 15 minutes. I can't wait to be there...about a day later. I'll do my best once I'm down there to keep posting, but it may be a couple of days. I'll also make sure to mention any interesting folks I meet on the way. (That's always my favorite part about traveling) I just want to say again thank you so much for all the love and support :)
I love you all,
Kelsey
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day Before Take Off
Hi Everyone!
My name is Kelsey and I'm off to Chile tomorrow afternoon. I'm mainly writing this blog so all my friends and family can see what I'm doing when I'm gone. My mom is very nervous about me leaving, and I hope this will sort of ease her mind and calm her down.
I also want to take the time to thank everyone that has support me so far. I am so blessed to have all of your support. I never imagined such support. The road here has not been an easy one, but you've made it possible. Thank you all so much.
A special thanks to my immediate family. My mom, while I'm gone just know that I'm doing what I have dreamed about. That in itself should make you happy :) Kelly and Amanda, you two always give me such great advice and support me in all my decisions. Alex, my brother, I know you're happy for me(even though you don't show it how others do). I hope to see you doing what you want in the near future as well. A huge thanks to the family I'm living with now(Aunt Adrian, Uncle Michael, Aunt Gail, and Kateri). Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your everyday life this summer. It meant everything to me to be here.
I didn't want to thank individuals, because I knew some people had to be left out, but I hope the ones who are not mentioned know how much they mean to me as well. I have not forgotten you and you are close to my heart as well.
So tomorrow...I'm leaving for the greatest adventure of my life (so far). I'll see you all again in December!
Again, Thank you so much!
Kelsey
My name is Kelsey and I'm off to Chile tomorrow afternoon. I'm mainly writing this blog so all my friends and family can see what I'm doing when I'm gone. My mom is very nervous about me leaving, and I hope this will sort of ease her mind and calm her down.
I also want to take the time to thank everyone that has support me so far. I am so blessed to have all of your support. I never imagined such support. The road here has not been an easy one, but you've made it possible. Thank you all so much.
A special thanks to my immediate family. My mom, while I'm gone just know that I'm doing what I have dreamed about. That in itself should make you happy :) Kelly and Amanda, you two always give me such great advice and support me in all my decisions. Alex, my brother, I know you're happy for me(even though you don't show it how others do). I hope to see you doing what you want in the near future as well. A huge thanks to the family I'm living with now(Aunt Adrian, Uncle Michael, Aunt Gail, and Kateri). Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your everyday life this summer. It meant everything to me to be here.
I didn't want to thank individuals, because I knew some people had to be left out, but I hope the ones who are not mentioned know how much they mean to me as well. I have not forgotten you and you are close to my heart as well.
So tomorrow...I'm leaving for the greatest adventure of my life (so far). I'll see you all again in December!
Again, Thank you so much!
Kelsey
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