Final thoughts

It's 8:45am and I'll be on a plane home less than 12 hours from now. So, final thoughts are appropriate. My last couple months have been wonderful, more than anything. But all of it, of course, has been an invaluable experience, and unforgettable to say the least. I've learned a language. I've seen things my eyes never thought they would. I met this woman and formed a real great friendship with her. I've made friends. I've been an outsider. I've been lonely and frustrated. I've been euphoric. And a traveler. And made fully aware how darn good I have it.

To bring it back to my last few weeks, the only negative I can share is how I went through finals and felt the real, real frigid cold come creeping in. But, vacation started. While my plans to go south to see some national parks fell through (most of the parks are closed due to the cold and rain), I made the best of it and filled my days here in Valparaiso with walks, bike rides and "last time fors." I've been seeing Dan for a couple months, from Massachusetts. So we were make-the-most-of-it travel buddies. We did end up heading about 6 hours north to Valle de Elqui and La Serena--Valle de Elqui is a desert like area, known for its star gazing. When we tried to stargaze, the sky was covered in clouds. And La Serena is a pretty city--small buildings, beautiful architecture, and on the beach like Viña. We went to a "feria indigena" and toured as many churches as we could. Really beautiful. I even FINALLY got to a mass! I'd been meaning to do that all year.

My last day was wonderful, yesterday. I woke up, said goodbye to the professor that helped me with thesis ideas, had lunch with Dennise and then tea with my host mom and sister from last semester. I had some pictures printed and while waiting had a short conversation with a Chilean man that very soon was explaining the dependence of Chile and South America on the U.S. It wasn't so much a critique or condescending vent, so much as it was him just sharing an observation. He agreed it was too bad it was that way, but, it was interesting to see him present it with this fact of the matter attitude. I went to a dance class for the last time, and then had Jeanie and Billy over to share some wine and such. I was happy to spend that whole day, up until Billy and Jeanie arrived, talking in Spanish. Unfortunately, I've realized this past month I haven't been speaking much Spanish, or at least, every day had a lot of english in it. It gets me down so I won't dwell over it, but with the date of departure creeping up on me I've found myself lamenting over that. I'm happy with the spanish I've got, I'm confident to talk about pretty much anything, but grammatical errors still persist, talking and writing, and I wish that could have been cleaned up.

Last night confession: some alfajors (a delicious cookie I bought as gifts) were in my bag, and I decided that what better way to finish out my last night in Chile by going crazy and eating more than one of 'em. That would make it a chilean wine and chilean alfajor celebration. Como manjar. I knew it was crazy to be pigging out late, but luckily no stomache problems ensued. I'm going to embrace my last day with gluttony. Plus, it's SO COLD. And eating feels good for it.

So aside from posting some pictures below, I guess I always imagined ending the blog by listing a what I will and won't miss. Obviously, I'm limited to what I think of right now. Maybe I'll keep coming back to this list. But here are some lingering thoughts (note: not in any order):

WHAT I'LL MISS ABOUT CHILE

-Palta (avocado)
-The bread and the smell of those bakerys
-The wine
-The micros (when i have a seat)
-The micro drivers, especially when they do weird things like feel through all the coins with their fingers for fun.
-The commute from Viña to Valparaiso
-LIVING BY THE OCEAN.
-My home and lifestyle here with Susana
-Es decir, SUSANA
-Dennise
-Crackers, cheese, instant soups.
-Alfajors
-Instant coffee and its unidentified foamy top layer that forms.
-SOPROLE natural yogurt and my breakfasts with it.
-Dance classes with Arturo
-Standing out, being the foriegner and not speaking the language perfectly making up a large part of my identity
-Living in a city that is an art museum in itself
-Living in a city where the mentality is, "Well, the neighbors painted their house bright yellow. How about we paint ours a bright blue?"
-Jogging along the ocean
-Matias, Billy, and Kyle
-Relaxed schedules, arriving late being normal.
-The trucks of gas that clink-clink as they go by letting people know gas for their homes is ready for purchase right then and there.
-The crazy fashion
-Speaking in spanish
-Sunsets here
-The traveling spirit of being an exchange student
-Being so close to amazing and aweing parts of the world
-Spontaneous friendships

WHAT I WON'T MISS
-The bread, o sea, the temptation of the bread.
-Instant soups
-Wondering what negative effects speaking in english is having
-Not understanding the norms and rules of school. Not understanding wHAT is going on in school in general.
-The sight of US influence everywhere
-Earthquakes...
-Tremors that might turn into earthquakes..
-Tsunami threats
-Living right next to a mall
-Seeing yankees hats everywhere.
-The food
-Being so far from friends and family
-Instant coffee
-The milk
-The juice
-The whistling men
-Feeling, always, like an outsider

And so for now, that's the list. I like the idea that I'll add to it.

During a bike ride to Concón we climbed up a rock--this a view of Viña

We cooked dinner one night! Filled peppers with a fried egg on top. Deliciousss

At La Reserva de Peñuelas, a water reserve nearby Valparaíso

Epic shot. Time to head home, Valpo.

un finde

Which means, un fin de semana. A weekend. Getting the internet Spanish down has been an entirely other aspect of learning this language. Also, my spelling in English is shot. All over emails, facebook, this blog, I just find I make so many errors. I don't know if I'm trying to blame that on being here or just, announcing it. In the entry below, I said "roll" instead of "role." On facebook I said, "balling" instead of "bawling."

This weekend was in a lot of ways totally average, so I wanted to post about it. It technically started Thursday because Friday was a holiday for the Bicentenario down here. But, in the end it started on Wednesday. Had an afternoon soup with Jeanie at this new place we're finding we like to meet at. The soup is SO GOOD. And I went out Wednesday night to this folklore bar I really like with a new friend I made on the volunteer trip. It ended up being a long night, but I was happily wooed by music and conversation and new faces so it made whatever fatigue I had the next day okay. I had a dance class, and the instructor asked me if I've considered dancing professionally so I blushed and smiled and simply said no , but was very flattered by the comment of course.

And I spent the days of this weekend reading reading reading. And yet despite all that reading, distracted so that I feel like not much got done. Mostly towards my thesis, so it was all enjoyable!! And Susana had visitors--I met her brother and his wife (figure) and it was strange because after talking with them for just a bit I realized that they were probably the most intellectual adults I had met in Chile in a social setting like that (ie, not in school). His wifey is French; he lived in France for a long time. I also met a family friend that day, a young guy in his twenties I'd guess, who is from Concepción, right where the earthquake hit. He was the first person I've heard tell stories like he did--he was down there pulling already disintegrating bodies out of the water, watching looting, talking about all the fires, the craze that went on after dusk in the streets, the lack of organization and communication. Heavy as it was, it was good to have heard it personally.

And I had a relaxing couple nights going to hear some American girls I know play live at a bar, and went to see the Alice in Wonderland movie that's out, and cooked soymeat burgers with some new friends + Jeanie. I slept until about 11 both days which is nutty for me. And this morning woke up to a sunny one and chatted with Susana over instant coffee on the balcony about pishposh but also about hopefully traveling together one weekend this semester. And after a slow start and a big lunch and a bit of reading we went to see a play that was selected on a national level and put on for free! It was a simple production with three actors that retold, more or less, the story of Pedro de Valdivia and the conquest of Chile. They used an array of instruments, so that a lot of the show was really a musical perfomance, and overall was so well done! Would have been a great historic play for kids, kind of thing.

Tomorrow, a test! And much reading to do this week. And the usual routine. And more new faces to be with. And a goodbye to a friend that's been around since I've gotten here and is now heading back. Apologies for typos.

Casas, viajes y empanadas

I've been unfortunately slacking, again, with posts. I'm busy! This is good. Below I've got some photos of a couple adventures I've gone on recently with Susana, my host-mom. AmaIzing at is she's got to be my closest friend this semester--in the end, the switch to this house was so great, so important. We talk all the time and about anything and everything and the thought of leaving her makes my stomach turn and will probably be the hardest thing about being back home.

That being said, why haven't I been posting? I got started with an advisor here on my thesis--about constructing the idea of the Chilean nation post-independence, and literature's roll in that--and finally found a way to be dancing four days a week. After a week of studying for tests I spent the following, unlike my usual behavior, trying my best to get out of the house and hang out with people at night. I've made a couple new Chilean friends lately and that's exciting. I haven't been seeing Dennise as much as I'd like to be, and that's frustrating! But, the week goes by quickly with work and activties and during the weekends I've found I want to take it easy and hang alone, or with Susana, or with the various people I didn't have time to hang with during the week. I tend to feel silly that I have this feeling of stress to find social time when on the other hand I feel stress for not having more chilean friends. Goodness!

This weekend I went a few hours south with an organization called Un Techo Para Chile and built an emergency house called a "mediagua" for a family whose home was destroyed by the earthquake. Although there was some disorganization, it was a great experience. We got to know the family a bit; they were so lovely. Many houses got put up, and the organization exceeded its goal of 20,000 mediaguas a couple of weeks ago. I met some interesting people, more americans!, and was lucky to have chosen a weekend that in the end was sunny and beautiful for the work. It was refreshing to travel a bit and be outside. I went by myself which made it great for bouncing around to get to know a bunch of different people. And, ended up alreadying knowing some people on the trip. Too much english was being spoken! Unfortunately, that's just how it is.

The semester is flying by and I'm not sure what to think! I have a growing anxiety about leaving--I'm used to being me HERE now. And then I'll go back and have to wiggle my way into the me that's THERE. But, I also have a growing longing to be back in New York, and Kenyon. I'm so excited for my last year, and so glad I'll have this refreshing approach to it. I'll also have to prepare myself. School down here is totally different, with much more time to live while studying. Whereas over at Kenyon, most of the time spent "living" is paired with "i have 200 pages to read and essay to write what am i doinnggg right now." Hah, but, that has it's own unique charm to it. And I'm looking forward to that. And for the pizza/diner coffee/real coffee/broadway strolls/summer nights/fire island/friends/glam etc. that awaits me in New York. I've found myself thinking this year, maybe I won't end up in New York, and yet I know that if that's the case, it'll be in some time. Because for now, I hate the idea that it's been going on for so long without me.

On Mother's Day in Horcon, a fisherman's town about an hour and half from Valparaíso.

The town, like many coastal towns, has greattt empanadas. Crab and cheese! Yumm.


We ate that this restaurant later in the day. Had a "Paila Marina," a shellfish/fish soup.
Dad, we tried that together!


A view of Horcon during sunset.

A shot of my neighborhood.

A few weeks back Susana and I biked about 12 miles along the coast.

When we passed through Reñaca.

a snapshot

so yes, it actually is only the third week of school. and because of odd scheduling and a holiday, we have yet to have a normal week. even today there were some classes cancelled! but, here is what my schedule is turning out to look like: mondays and fridays at 8:15 (eek!) i have América Latina en el Siglo XX, a history course. apparently, it's more of an economical-political-history course. we'll see. mondays at 3:40pm i have Historiografía Chilena, which is pretty specific but in a cool way. I think I'll learn more about the discipline of history than history itself. It'll be a good course for the language too because we have to read and respond with about three pages every week. Speaking up is supposed to be important, but that's so hard for me!

tuesdays are my fun day: danzas tradicionales, modern dance and then an internship with kids with developmental disabilities in the afternoon. Wednesdays i have Culture, Literature y Sociedad Chilena en el Siglo XIX. We've had cool readings for that so far! I also will meet with an advisor on Wednesday's as a follow up with that internship--we work alongside it and it's a class! Thursday's I have modern dance and then the internship again for four year olds! And friday only that early early morning class.

In a week or so i'm going to fit in a yoga class to do with my Chilean mom, Susana. And I also am going to work on my Kenyon thesis with an advisor here! I just want to get some ideas going, get some interviews in--i should take advantage of sources like that while i can!

I can't believe there is so much time left, and yet i can't help but feel like it isn't that much. Not after 8 months now! I only have four more to go. I guess that's a comforting place to be. I know it's a bunch of time to enjoy myself here, but not an overwhelming amount! Winter is coming and i'm looking forward to that! They're sunny and briskly nice here. Once it arrives, i'll have my temporal proof i'm rounding up a full circle of year down here! woah

the end of the world, patagonia

it's funny because while i trekked along through patagonia, i remember being overwhelmed by feeling something and wanting to say or scream or sing something, but i never really could do much of it. i smiled a lot. actually, i did at one point make sure to sing something from frost valley, some tacoma cheer and some silly jingles (ie, agalina magalina for those of you who get me), because i just had to tie my frost valley magic into the patagonia magic. and then i managed to get some other songs out, but not many, because hiking along with a 40 pound pack or whatnot wasn't the most diaphram-opening state. so, here i am supposed to reflect. and even during the hike when i journaled i couldn't find much to say. i was stuck writing more about the bare details, how the group dynamic was, how my clothing was keeping up, how the weather was, the heavy but memorable sensation of such a heavy pack, the couple of tripups we faced. "This place is, for lack of better words, AMAZING no más," i wrote. I also wrote that i was happy to be traveling with my oh so fabulous camera. it felt like i was sharing the experience with it ;-).

these were some vistas BEFORE the hike even sTARTED. my friend taylor is a bitty speck in the middle of this photo above, and there's a rainbow floating there too!

on the ferry ride, the colors are so awesome. we were amazed by the blue of that water.

so, on all those surface details, there is little to say but GOOD. we were blessed with weather--essentially no rain. sunny hikes. not too much wind. the group got along really well. i was very well clothed--always comfortable hiking, and more or less WARM at night. i was, ill add, wearing maybe 6 layers plus hat plus socks plus warm sleeping bag plus 5 people in a four person tent.

yeAH, glaciers! a huge one! and little floating bits.

the hike itself was just the perfect bit of hard and not so hard and totally enjoyable. each hike/each day took us through parts that were entirely different from what we had seen before. we started off with this fantastic glaciers, hiked through more savanna looking areas, sound of music like backdrops, large lakes with islands that reminded me of jurassic park or something, always huge mountains, one next to another and all looking so very different. we climbed upwards to be in rocky areas, shorter trees and vistas of all the COLORS hitting patagonia. fall/winter is moving in. so beautiful. really, a lot of the hike was flatter ground. and so all you could do was kind of look around mouth sorta open eyes pretty wide, and then smiling or something, because the place really is unbelievable. all that unimaginable and magnificent stuff that comes with idea of "patagonia" was REAL. and the pictures just don't do it.

it was magical doing it all with jeanie. to have someone around to say i love you to, because that was all you felt like doing. sappy? always. but what else is there to do at the end of the world!? when everything is so amazing! and then i got to know the other people (there were 7 of us ! ), and ended up really getting to know a couple of awesome girls, the kind you don't always meet. and we did at least one crazy thing like jump into an ice cold lake in basically very cold weather. and went to sleep no later than about 10pm, which was late. that is cate's dream life :-).

brrr

and i basically got through it all harmlessly. the boots i have are a bit small, so my toesies were really aching a lot of the time. but, by the end of a night out of the boots, i started each day off strong. and the last day, in an attempt to speed up the pain i was going to take with my toes, i mostly ran/scurried down the mountain, which triggered my old aching knee problem i remember oh so well from my outward bound trek in costa rica a few years ago. bUT, that was AFTER the hike so whateveerr. even though i'm walking around kind of limping its like i'm still carrying some part of patagonia with me. in a strange painful way.

there are jeanie and taylor hiking along to the left! so bitty.

and this here is the ePIC one--LAS TORRES. look at those colors. so incredible.

we finished up at the main base camp, a big snazzy hotel where we had some coffee and lulled over how great cushiony sofas feel around the bod. we were in the national park Torres del Paine, by the way! and we did what's called, "the W." from east to west. we finished waking up to take a sunrise hike up to the torres to catch its sunrise.

and we made it back to Puerto Natales, the small city nearest to the park. went out for some delicious beers at an american founded place, actually. a microbrewery, some of the most delicious beer i've had down here--the dark brew, always my preference. the next day we walked around for some souveniers, and the whole group save cate left at abotu 1 pm! meaning i had a whole day, utnil my bus at 8pm, to wander about myself. i had a bunch of reading to do, so i went to some cafe and got that done just a bit before dinner time. i really was just dying to go back to the american restaurant, for a hearty cheeseburger, fries and one of those delicious brews. funny, how i was so amazed at my being a little dot at the end of the world, and eager to get myself to the american bar. it was comforting and delicious :-D.

and after a 3am flight and directly to my 10am class i hobbled back home and now i'm taking a break from all the reading ive got to catch up on! and so i'm warm and cozy and even sipping on some cheap red wine! there is no denying being back so comfortable like this is not just fantastic. but, also comign back had a melancholic-tough feeling. it was so awing all of it, it made things seem so right, knowing i should be just where i was! and then, back with school and other things looming/waiting ahead it was hard not to feel a bit bleh. and yet, it passed! today was beautiful and i'm reading interesting things and..this wine is good.

enjoy the photos. GET YOUR ASS TO PATAGONIA

fam photos

Here are some photos from when mom and dad visited! they're actually in backwards order, and only a select few! But it's a taste at least!

home sweet home, part 2

I'm moved in! To my new house. First and maybe most importantly, the bed is perfect. jaja. Soft sheets, underneath a window. So lovely. It's nice to finally be in a bigger spacious room after living at Dennise's for several weeks. All my bags are still not packed, and looking over all of them I'm worried about making it all fit. My clothes have accumulated since first arriving. But it will fit!...somehow.

Last night I arrived and like all the other times I've come to have conversations with the lady I'm living with, Susana, last night was just the same except this time we said goodbye to her friend and I knew I was here to stay. I'm still so excited to live here with her. She's comfortable to talk to, and we have a lot of things in common, it seems. I'm thrilled by the thought of months more to really get to know her. I can't believe there is still an entire semester to go!

Last night there was another strong tremor. At this point I'm used to them coming and going, though every day you kind of hope they've finally stopped. But, it's also a good reminder that in other parts of the country, this earthquake is so much so still a reality and a horrible one. I'm happy to be able to forget that sometimes, but I know in some weeks I'd like to be a part of relief help.

Jeanie gets here in a couple of days! How fun it will be to welcome her! Chile part 2 on its wayyyyy