Alittle late i know....

                

I decided it would be a good idea to make a blog so those not using Facebook could see I am alive!! and having a blast :D I am only just beginning this blog so I am going through my journal and picking out the super fun interesting stuff and translating it to english because yep, i am writing in spanish.  it helps my writing ability but also slows down my journaling... I am about 3 weeks behind right now actually.. maybe I should get on that.  Anyway you want to know I am alive and what is happening all the way down here in the south.   

                I arrived on July 20 and had hoped to hit up a Bikram Yoga class here (for those of you who don't know I did a 30 day challenge with my momma bear and Courtney D. in Pittsfield, yay Bikram Yoga Pittsfield!!), but it didnt end up working out in Santiago.  There was another student that made the same mistake as me and arrived a day early so we went out together and walked around Santiago and got a glass of wine at a wonderful little cafe near the hotel (which by the way was called "hotel rent-a-home".....)  It was a perfect relaxing entry into the coming week of orientation and tours and constant moving.  I must remember to accidentally arrive a day early for all my future trips. ;) The women at the cafe found it weird we were ordering wine with lunch, the waitress even watched us throughout our time at the restaurant... Having been in Chile now for a month or so this makes me wonder alot because it is very common I have found for people to have a drink in the middle of the day here.   But lets not jump ahead, that night we went to a pub for dinner, it was called Louisana Bar... we found this very amusing but the food was pretty good and not very Louisana-y at all.  However there was a women who sang kareoke the entire duration of our meal... she had a nice voice and her palolo (boyfriend in chileno) accompanied her on the piano.   

                My friend and I soon began to realize that Chilens don't really speak spanish even remotely close to the way we had been taught.  they speak "chileno" which is a very rapid slurred spanish.  In other words they have a very distinct accent that took some getting used to.  I expect it will be very interesting when I come back to the states and begin my spanish classes again..... I hope the professor can understand me. ;)

              Oh I should mention the weather right? thats what people on trips do..... well i wish I could say that the weather was beautiful etc when I was in Santiago but it was a shocking entry directly into the middle of winter after having left a wonderful 95 degree day. (but dont worry, its gotten better aka spring time!!!) Speaking of the day I left..... my amazing friends momma watts and miriah came with me to lunch and after to the airport with my mother.  It wasnt that hard to leave, it still hadnt hit me that i wouldnt be back for 5 months until i had already been here for 3 weeks..... thats when I started watching mine and mothers show- Gilmore Girls... bad idea. I miss momma bear mucho as well as missing all of you too!!! sorry i havent been able to call anyone, landlines are far too expensive here, so i hope this form of communication works.  I also have a skype that you can talk to me through (its a computer program) ask mother for the information.

                 So godmother wendy gave me a monkey to take pictures of all around south america and during my travels.  here is his first picture getting ready for the adventure...

                                After Santiago we moved to Valparaiso where i am living now.  We had the choice of a pension or a home stay and I chose a pension.  It means that I am living with 11 Chilean students my age and a family of 4 with a housekeeper.  I am loving every minute of it except that its sooo many people in a house.  I am used to me mommabear and matt.... here there is always stuff going on, always people around which I am beginning to love! I will have pictures of my family up soon.

                         The guy that lived here before me left me a note full of advice on where to go what to do etc while i am here.  My host mother and housekeeper, both of whom i adore!, talk about all the student who have been here before and they mentioned a name a few times that I recognized.  When i checked trusty Facebook I found that he went to my school, what a coincidence?! so he has also given me advice which is amazing because i have never lived in another country so Im having to figure everything out on my own here...

                        I have made alot of friends through my program ISA, and we have alot of fun together.  There are lots of trips for ice cream or 'carretes' which means going out at night.  Its nice to have done this program so i can have a support system here in chile.  theres actually a girl living in my 'cerro' (suburb of valpo) that has spent a semester here before already so she is very helpful.  As most of you know I grew up in a very sheltered rural environment so using public transportation is sooo sooo foreign to me.  every day i must take a "micro" (bus) to school and back or wherever else i might want to go and it is sooo stressful to figure out. (they dont have a bus map)

                      im actually going to go get ready for a trip to bravissimo (the best gelato place ever) so I will continue to write soon! i miss you all!