Lima, Peru

Hello all!
Writing here safely from Jessica Schwabs house in Lima (a friend of my Dad). We arrived early in the morning of the 27, and have gotten to eat some really good food and explore Lima a bit both with Jessica and her family as well as with her niece, Carol. Carol is 24, and really nice and has been our guide for the past two days. I am traveling with my friewnd Margot (who is playing the piano right now!) and it is just great so far.
Lima is alright. We are planning on going North tomorrow, however, to spend New Years in Trujillo, on the coast and then make our way up to Ecuador and eventually Colombia. Last night we went with Carol and her boyfriend and his friends to watch them all play soccer in this barrio that was a little sketchy. We werent in danger, though because we were surrounded by her and her big, Peruvian guy friends. The soccer game was interesting, and there was a nice mix of Peruvians hanging out. Margot and I constantly get a kick out of the differences between the Peruvians and Chileans, and whos -is -whos. In Chile, Pisco is Chilean, but here in Peru of course Pisco is Peruvian because "Chileans try and steal everything that is ours...". So, it has been interesting to see that there is some tension between the two countries still. Even Carols boyfriend didnt recieve us too nicely when we said we had been in Chile. "oh Chiiiile, poh!?" mimicking the sing-song Chilean dialect. We did notice as well that a lot of the "Chileanismos" have carried over to Peru as well. Bakan and other words (which we previously thought were CHILEAN) are actually more common. Including, for example, our favorite "wevon" it sounds like "weoown" when spoken and can mean anything from "dude" to "asshole" to "lazy bum" to "friend". Also, (we got a kick out of this one...) it can be used as a verb or even adverb! In an interview a Chilean poet described that most interviews are written "huevonamente" Ha, definately one of my favorite words so far. We are not spending too much time in Peru now, but after our Ecuador Colombia adventures, we will most likely come back through and do the Cusco, Machu Pichu, Lake titicaca thing. Margot also wants to go into Bolivia, so well just see where we go! So far, there have been lots of laughs, and there will hopefully continue to be as we carry on our adventures. Good vibes coming from here! Happy holidays and Happy New year to you all up there!
Chauuuuuu!

Chilean Christmass and travel stuff

Hello All!
Writing here after a wonderful, different Christmass spent with my Chilean family. I am so glad to have experienced this day with them, and got to see how Chileans do Christmass. The food is about the same-Turkey, etc... and I even made Mom´s Southern Stuffing which was SOOO tasty! There is a little more drinking, a LOT of presents (I even got some!) and a much later night. We opened presents at midnight and my little cousin was SO excited, she could HARDLY wait. But, then midnight rolled around, we opened presents and continued to laugh and drink. This same night, I got a call from my friend Margot (who I am traveling with!) and she said she and her family were going out. So, I met up with them in Valpo for some drinks (approx. 2AM) and Valpo was Hopping! People were out everywhere, just as if it was a regular party night! ha, So crazy... These Chileans... Anyway, after the bar we went to her host brother´s other house, and ended up chatting, drinking wine, and playing guitar until 8 AM that morning! Wow, one for the books for sure. Christmass day itself was pretty uneventful, we had a nice big lunch, and then went to the beach for the rest of the day (jelous??). :) It was great...
AND NOW I am getting ready to go to Lima! So, my travel plans are as follows:
I have a round trip to/from Lima Peru leaving tonight and returning on February 25 back to Chile. In Peru, we may only stay one night in Lima, then catch a bus to Arequipa (Margot has friends there) and then up to Cusco where we will spend New Year´s. Then from there..... I would like to go into Colombia and Ecuador, and Margot may want to do Bolivia, so we´ll see... But I will keep you all posted and am sure will have many stories to share in these upcomming months! Wish me luck and uneventful flights and buss rides!
Chau!

"Valparaíso, mi amooooor!"

Heeeeelo all!
I have spent a lot of time in Valpo lately and it has been just wonderful. I reeeeally love it. I´ll do a little overview of how the last few days have been, as they have been lovely time spent with friends and a mom.
A few nights ago, My friend Emilie Sanchez´s mother (who is visiting from CA and is just lovely) took me and some of our other friends, Sophie, Ali and Nico out for a really nice Pizza dinner in Cerro Alegre in Valpo. It was this cute little restaurant tucked away in the midst of the un-seperated bildings and had a nice homey feel to it. We sat around our table in chairs and the bench seats with pillows. For dinner we got some wine and pizza, and conversed about everything from "hipsters" to the concept of infinity and movement. I learned a phrase that is "sobre mesa" and literally, it means "about (over) the table" but it signifies conversing before, during and after the meal, just because you can. Where food is not the central theme or reason for your going-out, but rather a nice touch, an extra little something to do while you are talking about big, small and interesting things with your company. We were there for about 3 hours, and it was one of the better meals and "sobre mesas" I´ve had. After dinner, we went to a lookout it see all of Valpo, and I learned that the Southern hemisphere actually sees more stars than we do in the North because they look through a bunch of different galaxies, while we look only through the Milky Way. (something like that, at least...)We then proceded to sing and play songs on a funy, beautiful instrument that Nico, our ´token Chilean´ had, made out of an armadilo shell. It was a reaaaallly nice night.
The next night was very Valpo. My other friend, Emily invited me to her friend´s art exhibition which consisted of a display of his photographs of people wthin Valparaíso. They were hung on clotheslines outside in the open air. The photos in black and white were set on either black or white clothing, and those in color were set on clothes that complimented the tones of the photo. Sunset over Valparaíso, Chile, drinking Pisco Sours and wine, conversing over the makeshift fire amongst an open-air photo gallery... yea, good stuff...Later on in the night, our friend started playing (wonderfully!) his accordion, and I agreed to translate a Noam Chomsky book, Government in the Future, for the man who owns the Communist Completo stand and bookstore. Again, very Valpo.
The Next night (last night) was a little more frantic, but awesome as well. I had agreed to go to see my friend play the accordion at this commie Bookstore, and so Emilie and her mother and I all went. I took the "wrong" micro to get there, but ended up meeting a nice guy from Kansas who studied in Santiago, so there you go... Anyway, I had inquired about a dance class earlier in the week to find out that Tuesday nights at 8:45 there was a class of baile contemporanea. I was so excited, and wore a leotard underneath my dress so that I could go see my friend play the accordion, then back to Viña to daaance. So, Emilie her mother and I walked a bit up the cerro into the bookstore, into what seemed to be a gathering of some sort. My friend wouldn´t arrive for another little while, so we made small talk and got lost in an idealogical discussion amongst the folks there. Then, my friend came and played some songs with this girl who really rocked her guitar singing Violeta Parra songs. We only stayed for a bit, though, as we had another engagement to attend down the street. It was getting close to time for me to leave for my dance class, but I had already agreed to go to this poetry reading/book launch, and so I did for a little but. I didn´t stay long, however, because my mind was dancing, and I knew I "had to dance". So, I flagged down a micro and caught traffic back to Viña. I was running about 5 minutes late, but figured Chilean Time was in my favor. I excitedly ran up the stairs and asked the lady (whom I had talked to earlier) where the class was. "Oh," she looked at me, "the classes won´t resume until January as we are in the holidays now..." awesome.
SO, went Back to Valpo, because one of our profesors was reading his poetry that night, and it sounded cool. Little bummed that I didn´t get to dance then, but I made up for it later...
Got back to Valpo and had a complimentary glass of wine, and listened to some poetry and a (not so) short story, written and delivered by a 12-year-old. ha, Another Valpo moment. Then Emilie and I conversed with our profe/friend for a bit and agreed to meet up later to celebrate his book release (which was what the event was for). We walked Emilie´s mom to her hostel, and ran into our friend, the accordion player! With him, we went to a new bar (for me) and got some wine blended with fruit of the season. So yummy! A little bit about his bar...
You walk in, and the floor and parts of the wall (as well as a sculpture on the bar) is all in mosaic tiles. It is dimly lit, and has paintings on the walls, and every table is painted differently as well. We were next to a painting that depicted an over-exaggerated body (eyes, arms, stomach painted with large strokes that gave it a very surreal, desolate look) in a "field" with train tracks overgrown with weeds, and tree stumps littering the ground. The figure, with eyes BULGIING, was eating his own fist. It was weird. And I loved it. Then we were sold a student magazine for 200 pesos (like, 60 cents)and an accordion player came in to play some songs and ask for money. The "art scene" in Valpo is just wild, its Everywhere! On the walls, floors, tables of buildings, on the streets, in the air... its awesome.
Later into the night, we parted ways with our accordion friend, and met with our profe friend Alejandro Banda. We went to his friend´s house (which is in the construction process of becoming a restaurant) and then to another friend´s house to play insturuments. We were listening to some jams, Emilie sang (like an angel) and then they asked me to dance. Well, I thought... "I´m not wearing this leotard for nothing!" So I warmed up stretching, and daaaaaanced. and danced, and danced. And they played and played and played. It was great. Then Sr. Banda gave me a ride home, and I feeeellll asleep. Por fin.
These past few days Have been great, and I am looking forward so much to starting my travels (on Saturday!) and then coming back to experience Valpo again, deeper and with more intention. Let the journey continue...
Happy holidays to you all up there, love and miss you all...
Chau!

...on time, a year and other things...(like my genie)

Heeelo all
If you aven´t seen the movie GATTACA, and enjoy a good strange flick then you should watch it. It is set in "the future" where people are geneticly pre-determined. Good hair, Dad´s nice eyes, not prone to heart desease, depression or any of that sort, and with a long life expectancy. The main character was naturally born (oh no!) and is predetermined to have a bad heart, short life span, agression, etc... He works in a space station as a janitor until he finds a man ( a former Olympic swimmer) whose DNA he can use so that he can be "qualified" to go into Space. So, he goes through this whole process of shedding excess skin and hair everyday and sprinkling his workstation with the shedded skin and hair of the other Geneticlly Superior guy (who is tragically confined to a wheelchair), as the company does routine DNA checks to keep everything good and square. Anyway, the story develops and gets good and it is a movie that I definately recommend.
We watched this movie in Pucón when we were down there, and I was very pleasently surprised that it was on. There´s this one point where the protagonist is dancing with a woman he is beginning to fall for just (conveniently) as he is about to go into space for a year. They exchange words about "wanting to leave and then finding a reason to stay..." and then the woman, Uma Thurman says "well, what is a year but one rotaiton around the sun?"
...And so begin my thoughts on that...
A year. One year around the sun. I have thought about this so many times, it makes my head spin. "I am going to Chile for a year" was in the forefront of my mind for months before I came here. I WAS in Chile in February, March, April, may, etc.... And then I got here, and it was like, "ok, now what?" Like being put into a room (or something) and told to make something of it. Make light, put stuff on the walls, re-model, paint, create, invite friends to come and see it. Something like that. And then it seems to be over. I will get on a plane back to the US, and then what? I´ve thought numerous times about re-uniting with my friends and family, and having fun and seeing everything with different eyes, etc... But I´m not there yet. I am here. Sometimes I can´´t think at all and others I think it may be the death of me. Where is the balance between thinking, living, doing and just BEing. I don´t think I thought about my 7th grade year this much, so why is this one any different? I mean, it is infinately different, but I´m still here, still living and still me. Still. Me. I´m different and the same all at once. I am ever changing and transforming, and eternaly Me. Always.
Reflecting always comes around this time on a New Year. New goals, desires, improvements, firsts, lasts and a good look back at how the year has gone so far. Last year at this time I was different (obvio). In a comitted relationship, and getting ready for a big adventure to go down the Grand Canyon for 15 days. THAT was a fun trip. I didn´t journal much about it, but it has penetrated into my soul in many ways. This end of year has been so wild when I think about where I was at the Beginning of the year. Knowing I was coming here, and still being there. January of 2009 is like an ooooold memory from far far away. But it wasn´t that long ago really. hm. Juuuust thinking... But its great, really this whole "time" thing we´ve created. It is fun to manipulate it and have a Good time, have it fly or crawl or whatever. Whatever we make of it is what it is.
on Ted.com (which you should ALL check out) I watched this video lecture by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author, as she talked about "genius" and inspiration, and where they come from. I guess the Greeks and Romans believed it to be a kind of spirit or something that visits you, and helps you (or inspires you) to create your work of genius. Certianly us mortals cannot take all of the credit for these great works of art ourselfs! There is another force working here that helps us realize our greatness. So where is my genie!? I´ve been needing it lately-maybe it´s with someone else right now. So I´ll wait. I´ll hang out and do my thing and hope it shows up to do its thing.
There is always music here! Weather on the radio, blairing from other houses, or a man walking the streets with a guitar and singing. I love it.
I am almost done filling the pages of a journal (Book) that I´ve had for over 2 years. there´s quite a bit of stuff in it, and it mostly serves as my pensive (any Harry Potter fans out there? Dumbeldore´s Pensive???). Its great.
So, a new Decade is upon us. What shal we make of it?
Until next time...
Chau!
oh! And I took a Cuban dance class last night, and it was great. :)

viajes de mi vida...

Hello all!
Writing here after what was probably one of the best trips of my life- so far. A lot happened, so I will just go day-by-day and give some highlights and insights. This trip taught me a lot about how to travel, how to be a traveler, and how to prioritize my travels so that I am having fun and being safe and smart all at the same time. I got to get back to some of my roots, and even discover new ones. This may be a little long, so get comfy or read day by day. Overall, it was fantastic, so here we go.....
Day 1: After a long, overnight bus ride, we finally showed up in the beautiful and surprisingly suny town of Pucón, Chile about 14 hours south of Viña. We were showed to our Cabañas which were amazing, and my friend Amy and I took a much needed nap in one of the enormous beds. We Nearly missed breakfast, but thanks to the Chilean hospitality, were treated to a lovely meal. Then we had a presentation on the activities we had to chose from for our "free day" the next day, and the rafting got me all excited... But, thats for the next day. After this presentation, we all then got ready to take the bus to a Mapuche community and spend a day with them. This consisted of firstly asking the space for acceptance to enter it, and then getting a guided tour of their museum, and asking questions about their lifestyle and practices.
We then made it upstairs where we sat around a big, circular (so you can see everyone´s face when they talk) indoor fireplace (where they boil water and bake bread) and just chatted about their lifes and ours. It was very cool.
I asked the lady about their religious practices, and she talked about how they believe in spirits, and divine beings, and how when they pray, it is for the whole world. So just think- somewhere in the middle of the South of Chile, there are ancient Mapuche peoples praying for not just them, you or the environment, but for the whole world...
That night we did a little partying, as it was one of our last nights all together as a group, and hung out with some recent high-school grads as they were having a weekend party at the same resort we were at. It was pretty funny because they were all just Mezmorized by our "cool gringo ways". it was great...
Day 2: This day ruled. Since I couldnt ride horses in the morning as I had wished, I went zip-lining through the forest and over the river, instead! It was SO tranquilo to literally be flying through these environments. It was awesome. Then, in the afternoon, I got into a raft and rafted down a river! One of the guides was in a "safety" kayak, and watching him huck the nar and paddle just made me realize how much I really wanted to be kayaking! I´ve had a strange relationship with kayaking because it scares the shit our of me, but is also really fun. So now, I think its time to just go for it. It is definately a goal to look forward to. The rapids were so enticingly awesome, and definately got me pumped. I literally thought to myself instead of traveling this smmer, I Could just hang out here and be a kayak bum all summer.... Ha, but the excitement of my travels is just too big to give up. Maybe after I graduate I will disappear into Pucón with Amelie and raft and kayak....
That night, we went out on the town for what WAS going to be a just one drink, but turned out to be many and 4 AM. How this happened, was me going to the bar and ordering another drink, and hearing a guy order a "shot" who was clearly North American. In English, I asked him where he was from and he said West Virginia, and I found out that he teaches History at a Kayaking school! He was really nice, and introduced my friends and I to his kayaking friends (who are all professionally sponsored, btw...) and we had a great time chatting. Then we hit the dance floor, and I met even More kayak bums. One guy was really nice and from California, and we chatted and daced thoughout the night. Since my friend Conor (who I furthur traveled with) and I decided to stay in Pucón an extra night and didn´t want to pay for a hostle, I asked my new friend if we could crash at his place in exchange for cooking breakfast the next morning. He consulted his roomies, and all was well.So, we went back to our cabaña that night, and woke up leisurely the next morning to prepaire to go to the Hot Springs around Pucón.

Day 3: Very tranquilo day at the hot springs. Not to much happened this day, just a lot of hanging out in the Springs and chilllllllling. Much needed. I also did a lttle river walking and exploring, and realized that walking up, down and through rivers is one of my very favorite things to do. The place where the springs were was just so naturally beautiful, and got me very excited about my upcoming ravels to the South of Chile in the Lakes District. That evening, our program had a (surreal) goodbye dinner wih everyone, and we all said our farewells. It was so crazy to reflect on the first night we were all together in Chile during Orientation, and then to be here now saying goodbye??? It was really strange, but all part of the journey...

Then, Conor and I found our Kayaking friends place, and went out for some drinks and crashed on their floor. The next day we made breakfast (as promised), and left a beer in their fridge for them to enjoy.

Day 4: Then we started our adventure! The plan the whole time was to hitch hike to "cut down on costs, and up the adventure" so thats what we did. We woke p fairly early to get a good start on the day, and planned on getting South. We hitched some really friendly rides with some nice people, and ended up in these beautiful lake towns. One, Lican Ray was particularly beautiful, and we ate a nice lunch by the shore. At one point, we weren´t having much success making the distance we wanted, and decided to stop in one of Chile´s cooler cities called Valdivia, where they brew yummy beer. :) It was founded by German settlers, and has a very distinct style that I really enjoyed. We checked into our hostle, cleaned up, and made the trek to the cervecería Kuntzman. With beer as our motive, we walked and walked, but couldn´t find it. Finally we flagged down a micro and went the extra few kilometers to get there. Once we did, we took some silly pictures (soon to be on Facebook) and enjoyed our much deserved beers. So yummy! Conor ordered this Cerveza Miel (honey) which is so sweet and SO delisious! I ordered an unfiltered Lager that was divine as well. Then, we left and found a restaurant and drank more cervezas artesenales. It was great.

Day 5: We had bought bus tickets the night before to get to the town of Puerto Varas which was close to our Final Destination of this town called Petrohué, which is the launch point for a 3 day trek we had planned. So, we got to Puerto Varas, walked into town, did a littlefood shopping, and caught a bus to Petrohué where se set up our "tent" and spent the night underneath Volcano Osorno. I say "tent" because Somehow, Somewhere in between Pucón and Petrohué, our tent magically malfunctioned. We set it up in Pucón and it was fine and normal, but for some reason in Petrohué it.... just got screwed up- I don´t really know how to describe it other than "not right". (Again, Facebook offers a lovely description) But, nontheless, it was a shelter and it worked...

Day 6: We had spoken with a boat captian the day before about ferrying us over to the "town" where we would begin our trek, and he offered us a deal, so we met him at about 7:30 Am for the 2 hour ride over. When we got there, however, there was a small shore, a shack and two horses. Nothing else. But, it was the place, so we began our journey. The beginning of the hike was just beautiful. It was misting, and we walked through green pastures,and thick bamboo (yes, bamboo!) forests. There were some sketchy suspension bridges to cross, but other than that, it was magical. Our map indicated that there were farms along the way, so we decided to check one out to see if it had any food for sale. We found out that the lady would make us lunch so we agreed and hung out for about an hour while she prepaired what turned out to be one of the most heavenly lunches I have had. It started with bread. Freshly Baked Bread that she had made by hand only hours before. By the first bite, I was smitten. Never ever have I had such divine, tasty bread in all of my life. It was SO GOOD. damn. so good. Then we had soup, rice, a seafood thing, and some potatoes. All with the sides of bread and homemade goat chese. THEN, for dessert we had cherries that were lovely as well.

After peeling ourselfs from our chairs, full bellys and hearts, we continued. Our destination for that day was the Hot Springs of Callan. First, we stopped at another farmhouse to get the keys to the hotsprings, and chatted more with the lady who lived there and se gave us cookies! And two cans of beer :).

About 2 Km. later we arrived at the hot springs. We were thinking a pool of sorts, but unlocked the door to find two hollowed-out Tree Trunks that were the "baths". So, like naturals, we stripped down and jumped in the hot hot water. Then, like College students, we cracked open our beers and said "salud".

That night, we made a fire, checked out the stars, and slept in the hot tub room because, lets face it, it was way better than our "tent".

Day 6: Starting the day with another dip in the Springs, we were ready for the 16 Km treck this day to another lake. We started climbing and hiking, and ate lunch, and enjoyed more of the lovely scenery of where we were. We WERE folowing a path (which was mostly farm animal tracks) when, all of a sudden, there was No path to follow. hmmm.

yea, the path we had ben following literally just ended. Even when we back-tracked, we hardly got anywhere, because the paths were so obscure. Our map did little to help us, but we both kept our cool, and continued looking for any kind of path. Finally we came upon one, and I went to check out one way, and Conor the other. We agreed to turn around in 2 minutes. My way of the path looked farmiliar and un-promising, and when I heard him call my name, I was pretty sure he found something. And he did! We followed it and it took us right where we needed to go. phewph.

Side note on this: Getting lost and getting found have many different components. Sometimes you´re lost, lost and have NO clue, sometimes you´re found found and have Every clue going for you, and then other times you´re lost and found even when you´re not expecting either, and yet other times you´re found when you´re lost. I think that´s just how things work out sometimes. You´re always somewhere on the chart of being lost, found, found, lost. Something like that.....

Anyway, we eventually emerged into the rolling, green pastures of farmland emmersed in between mountains, lakes and volcanoes for what was one of the most beautiful sights I had seen. We bought some bread and cheese from another farm lady, and were walking when one of the people from the farmhouse the day before stopped us and recognized us and enticed us with a bottle of vino tinto. So, we agreed, and were poured two glasses of wine, as we sat tranquilo in the midst of this beautiful land. We cracked into our bread, cheese, avocado and tomato, and had a lovely feast and chatted with our farmer friend about (what else!?) American politics! He was very curious to hear our opinions on which administration we thought was better (bush or Obama) and we both expresses our pro-Obama opinions. Chile´s elections are today, and when I asked our new friend who he was voting for (I prefaced it with "may I ask you a personal question" because the Chileans are just like that...) and he never told us who his candidate was..

Well, after our bottle, we were on our way to camp down by the lake. We got there, set up our tent, admired the sunset, built another fire, and were greeted by Another farmer named Sebastián who was also very kind, sold us beer, and was Also curious about our Bush vs. Obama opinions. ¿¡Qué raro!? We chatted for a bit, but once he went on his way, we both passed out and sept soundly.

Day 7: This day we woke up slowly and took a dip in the beautiful lake that was at our feet. We only had a few kilometers to walk that day, and we did them in a very tranquilo way, until we got to this dirt road that eventually led us into the town of El Poncho where we would catch a bus back to Osorno. Upon arrival in Osorno, we set out to look for a good pizza place Conor had read about in his guide book. We were trying to find it, and couldn´t so we asked some locals who gave us another recommendation. We went there instead and feasted on pizza, salad,and yes, some beers. Then, Conor decide to get a hostle and continue his journey down South, and since I didn´t have a whole lot to do, I considered going back to Pucón to say hi to my kayaker friends, but then realized it wasn´t really vale la pena (worth it), and decided to come back to Viña instead. That took care of both a place to sleep that night (a 12 hour overnight ride) and transportation.

Day 8: Arrived in Santiago at about 10 AM, exhausted, and came back to Viña. My house is decorated with Christmas stuff, and it is so cute! Then, I napped and ate some dinner and drove around to look at the Christmass lights with my Host mom and sister. It was just lovely. A great way to end (or begin) my trip. Summer break has officially begun!

Now I am here, and still working on just exactly what it is I am going to do in the next few weeks. I need to be in Quito, Ecuador on January 4,so we´ll see how that works out. :)

...And that´s that! Thanks for reading. It was a wonderful trip, and so much fun. Happy Holidays to all of you up there!Salud.

Chau -Celine

mmmmm. más adventuras....

Hello all,
So its been a while, and I thought I´d give a little update on how these past few weeks (?) have gone...
Last Friday was Amelie´s last night in Viña- CRAZY how time flies! So to celebrate, we made a pumpkin pie (not Quite as good as home, but still...) and had some food at my house, then went to her house for a Surprise Party(!) that Jeannie and I had planned. We had some snacks and drinks at her house, then went out dancing for what was one of the most fun nights I have had dancing in... a long time. The energy was just SO good. We entered, and it was ON. We took a tequila shot, and danced the night away. However, tired me ( I had gone to a concert in Santiago the night before, and out the night before that!) had to go home at the early hour of about 3:30... So, Amelie and I said our bittersweet good-bye´s, and I made the trek home. Despite being a little sad, I still feel so grateful for the time we got to share, and am so excited for both of our wonderful adventures to come. :)
Then, the weekend passed, and one morning I happened to be glancing through the newspaper my host mom had gotten to look for jobs for my host brother. As I was skimming, I read that an "original rock band" needed a vocalist. So, of course I immediately called the number and set up an audition. Then, I had a friend come visit who is traveling around South America, and we went out and hung out, and she (thankfully) came to my audition with me!
Getting there was a bit of an adventure as I had to call the guy like 5 times to figure out exactly where his friend´s appartment was. But, nevertheless, we got there, and only one member from the band was there (out of 4...) but there was a microphone and music. So, I sang some songs, and chatted with the guy who complimented me a lot on how nice I was, and how I seemed a lot like a "mujer" or, woman, and told me I had a Powerful voice. And that was it. So, maybe I´ll get a call and maybe not. I went. I went to a band audition in Chile. yup.
So, that was fun. Then, I´ve just been hanging out for a bit and trying to get all of my plans and stuff together for my summer (still) and trying not to stress at all about schoolwork and all of that... But, doin good. A little homesick sometimes, but I am in good hands here. Love you all up there!
Chau chau!

Thanks Ocean

Hello All,
So in my microecon class today we talked about positive and negative externalities. Negative externalities are easy- take any kind of big, polluting operation (power plants, factory farms, etc...) and the price the consumer pays to use these resources. While the consumer "pays" for, say energy or something, they are actually not paying for all of the external costs of that resource such as air and water contamination or elevated cancer rates amongst people who live close to power plants. Things like that. When we send in our energy bill every month, we are only paying for a fraction of the "real" cost of that energy.
Positive externalities are, well, more positive. The example in my book was that of a bee farm and apple orchard situated in or near the same land. The bees are happy because they have tasty apple trees to gather polin from, and the apple trees are happy because their polin is being spread- just how they were supposed to be. On my bike ride home from class (along the coast) I was trying to think of my Own example of a positive externality. I thought of one that works, but only if it is not over-exploited...
Many people who practice the Hindu religion do not eat cows, as they are seen as "beings of un-selfish giving". And this makes sence, because why would you kill something who´s excrement serves as fertilizer to grow your fields? This example stuck out to me as one of a positive externality because the cows give fertilizer, you get healthier grass. duh. BUT WAIT. A Negative externality is painfully and ironicly obvious as well- the waste from Factory Farms (or, CAFO´s Confined Animal Feeding Operations). This waste serves as a HUGE negative impact on the environment due to the extreemly high nitrogen content in the excrement of the thousands of animals being overfed and under-nurished. Hello dead-zone in the Gulf of Mexico! Not to mention all of those icky antibiotics and hormones being leached into there as well-eew.
So this is funny. Here I have thought of the same thing. On one hand, the cows people and land are happy, and on the other, we all suffer. hmmmmm. Humans, COME ON! And with the bees, too- why is their population declining???
Anyway, I titled this blog because I had a great moment looking into the sea today. I was riding my bike home from class, the sun was setting, and I stopped on this plank that looks out over te sea. From my vista I saw two plastic bags floating, swirling, undulating in the waters. Bottle caps littered on the shore, and algae breathing with the waves. Pirched atop the horizon I saw BIG cargo ships, all set to take things all around the world. I realized after some time how calming the sound and sights of the ocean are. Waves on sand is probably one of the most relaxing sounds to humans. Like breath, like a whisper from a good mother.
Oceans regulate the temperature for our Entire planet. They are what keep the cold parts cold and the warm parts warm. They have served as ports for ideas and goods to be transported throughout the world. They harvest as much (or more?) life as us creatures have above her waters, and they are so fun to play in as well. Oceans rule! So, why don´t we honor that? I know most of you reading this are Many many miles from any ocean, but just think tht every drop of water on this planet is the same water that has been and will continue to stay on this planet since Forever! All rivers lead to oceans. Every drop of rain, every snowflake- all part of this incredible self-regulating system we are privelaged enough to have on this life-sustaining planet of ours. So thanks, ocean. For all that you do, and for all you provide. I hereby promise to do everything within my powers to keep you alive and well so that someday I can sit on your shores and watch generations after me enjoy you as well.
That´s all.
Chau Chau

just another weekend in Chile...

Hello all,
Writing here after a weekend of doing things I love doing. Dancing and cooking for friends.
Friday night I had a party for the folks in my Theatre class. And by party, I mean asado-ing and drinks and Karaoke until about 4am. It was supposed to start around 7 so people could come, enjoy and get off to studying for their tests the next day (some of them had 8 AM Saturday tests... Fome...). And by "7" really meant that people didn´t start showing up until about 10. I think we started eating at around 11:30 or so? But, in any respect, it was a really fun time. I got to really take advantage of my Spanish skills, as I was the Only Gringa at the party (it was at my house, so duh...). But it was really fun, and at somepoint into the night, the people from my class asked me if I would dance for them. They were very curious about what I meant by "danza moderna" and had asked if I wouldn´t mind demonstrating. Well, duh! I love to dance, obvio, and so we turned the music off (because it can sometimes just restrict me), and I Danced in the wonderful space that we had made in my living room. I don´t really know for how long I danced, or how it looked "" or anything, but man it sure felt good. And I think my classmates and Profe were all pretty impressed as well. In all, it was a great night, and at about 4:30 or so, I said my goodbye´s and went to bed.
The next day, I woke up and, as planned, went to Santiago to visit a Chilean friend I had met a while back in Viña. He is from Punta Arenas (really beautiful in the South of Chile), and is studying archiecture in Santiago. So, I gathered my things, walked to the bus terminal and headed off to Santiago. I had told my friend that I would arrive at 2:30, and called him when I did. He said he was on his way, so I waited. And waited. And Waited. Finally at about 3:30, my friend came and got me and we hung out at his apartment ad did some art. His brother is this crazy-good artist, and super nice as well, so we all had a great time. When dinner time rolled around, I was not settled with just pasta, so I went to the market and bought fresh vegetables (almost un heard of to these guys), and cooked a most excellent concoction. Then, the next morning I bought some eggs, and again made a delishous breakfast for us all to enjoy.
I had almost forgotten how much I really love cooking. Some of my greatest memories involve cooking with my mom, listening to music, and the occasional glass of wine. But cooking is more than just food on a plate. It is about the actual food itself and How you chop it, What you add to it, and how you treat it. I believe cooking is one of the rare great gifts we can share with eachother across cultures, and above all else. It comes from the heart and goes to the stomach. What could be better!? So, after my weekend, I am feeling just dandy about everything in life, and am really looking forward to spending another lot of months here, getting deeper into myself, and my artestry as a person, dancer, cook and friend. Chile has treated me very well, and for this I thank it. I went to the beach when I got back to Viña, and ate an ice cream along the way. How wonderful!
Hope you´re all doing well up there. :)
chau chau!

summer legs, part 2

Hello all
Again, hello. It has been a while so I thought I´d give a bit of an update on how life has been down here lately... We are entering summer, and (again) it is So beautiful. I walked to the beach the other night after one of my classes to watch the sun set, and it was one of those "oh my god" kind of sunsets. I sat there nearly the whole time thinking to myself "wow, I Cannot Believe I LIVE here! I LIVE HERE!" It was amazing, there I was, just sitting on the beach, watching the sunset and enjoying life. Very tranqilo. (Unlike the other day when my "sunset time" was interrupted by a drunk bum who wanted "nada con nada, mi Amor! No sales mi amooooorrrr!!!!!". ugh...) Life is so funny sometimes, how it just comes and goes. I can´t recall a time in my life where I have been able to so deeply talk to myself. To ask myself the deepest questions of my heart, and to really explore my being. It has been lonley at times, but so fufilling. Sometimes I find myself laughing- to myself and at myself. And I think that´s great. If you can´t laugh at and with yourself, then who can? If you don´t love and cherish and respect yourself, who can? This is where WE come in. Into ourselfs.
I had a final the other day where I had to answer the question of what I think it means to "be human". Damn, there aren´t enough words in any language to describe that... But, I did my best with the time and resources (and my Spanish-English Dictionary, aka best friend) that I had, and think I managed to express all the important things. well, "important things". Meaning the things in that moment I believed were important enough to share... On the school note...
I am having a party tomorrow night for my "final" for my Theatre class. I offered my place, and about 25 folks are going to come and have an asado (BBQ), drinks and maybe some Karaoke as well(?). There will be nothing that even closley pertains to Theatre. Oh Chile...
But, its not all Pisco and Parties... These next few weeks (2) will be pretty rigorous as I will be studying, gathering information for presentations, and getting all of my stuff together to travel! Two weeks from now, I will be on my way to Pucón, Chile; a small town in the South that Amelie said reminds her of the Butte! I am way excited. And after that, I will be traveling around down there with my friend Conor for another week, exploring as much as we can. Then, back to Viña for my host sister´s birthday (the 15) and then sometime late December, to Peru, Ecuador and Colombia! wooooowwwww. Yup, thats Actually going to happen. puuuucha, I can hardly believe it sometimes. Go life! Even when life is shitty, or sad, or lonley or whatever- its Still Good. Its still life. It is not stopping anytime soon (until it does), so... Have fun. Enjoy everything, because that´s what you´ve got. We have what we have, and we give and recieve what we have as well.
I have been doing a lot of thinking about food lately. Food, and how we grow it, and how we get it and where we get it from, is the Future. If we are to survive on this planet for much longer, we MUST start really thinking seriously about the quality (and quantity) of the food we grow and consume.
ok, more on that later, though...
I went to Conor´s sculpture class the other day to check out his bronze sculpture he made, and it was so neat! They made everything from scratch, including the oven which they baked the liquid bronze in. It was really neat, and I got to help him polish some of his piece! Also, I am pretty certian about living in an apartment in Valpo next semeser with other Chileans. :) I think that will be a really great experience. I LOVE and adore my host family So much, but think a little more independence down here would be totally rad...
So, thats just a little update on where I´m at right now.
Oh, and the "summer legs" thing is in reference to how much I love my legs in the summer. They are tanned and toned, not from the gym or tanning beds, but by work and play and sunshine. Three of my favorite things. And much more to come in the next few months as well!
Hope you are all well. Stay warm, stay light, and eat WELL and consciously!
:) Chau chau!

Gay bars and crying Babies (!?!?!)

Hello all,
I´m a little sleepy while writing this, so pardon the lack of lucid thoughts.... Anyway, the reason I am so tired is because I have gone out for the last two nights and gotten home at about 4 AM. Thus, Chile has provided lots of good times and early mornings! But, nontheless, I have been having a blast and would gladly trade sleep for a fun conversation or dancing till dawn!
Tuesday night, I was sitting in my room (admittedly killing time on Facebook) and Camilo, this guy who lives in my house, popped his head into my room and with a grin said "CELINE! CARRETE!?" It was a Tuesday, and I didnt have much to do the next day (an English lesson at 11 and class at 330) so I said, "yea, po! Al tiro!". So, after some discussion about my dislike for weekly Reggaeton, we decided to go to a gay bar in Valpo where they play fun, danceable pop music. He had a girl friend who wanted to go as well, so we made some Piscolas and went off to Valpo to meet her. After circling Valpo for a while, we finally made it in, and boy was it a sight! Firstly, there were these manicans proped up at the bar, with ambiguous parts, and there were some silly wigs and other strange things as well. But not to be distracted from all of the homo-sexual humans making out and having a good time. I was dancing (obvo) and happened to be near this cute girl. As I was dancing, however, I think her Girlfriend got jelous or something because the next thing I knew they were making out and then fighting! huh, and there I was, just dancing...Anyway, the night passed and it was pretty fun (I met a girl from Argentina that told me that my Gemini and year of the Snake birth order was "dangerously powerful" -hahum).
Its funny how life works sometimes... Earlier on that day I had met up with a group from this class I´m in about Love and Sexuality, and we conversed about everything from homosexuality to porn to sex education. Then later on that night, before going out, Camilo and I had a very interesting conversation about sex vs. sexuality. He was coming from a more a-sexual point of view, and said that he just doesn´t have much interest in persuing SEX. I mean, we have these parts to pro-create, but maybe there are just some people who are not fit for that. Population control? who knows.
Anyway, the other day I was on the Metro and JUST made it, too. phewph. So I sat down, calmed down (it was a sprint to catch it, and the heat of the day made me perspire) and my ears were imediately flooded by this young boy (strapped in a stroler) who was just WAILING! I mean, Screaming and Crying as if something horrible was on its way out of him. At first it made me smile a little, because kids are just so funny in the way that they are constantly testing their vocal limits. So at firstI thought he was just experimenting with his vocal chords, but then after about 10 minutes of it, he just seemed truly miserable. Trying to squirm his way out of his confined situation, and just continuing to cry and cry. And the poor mother, she had seen it all before, just let him cry, let him squirm. After many failed attempts at putting a pasafire in his mouth, she just sort of gave up, like "yup, he´s crying, and will cry for a while...". I must say, I was definately glad to get off at my Recreo stop. Crying babies. hm. I wonder how many babies are crying right now? How funny that of all the crying babies in the world, this one just happened to be on the same metro at the same time as me. Well, there you go. I may have some kind of metaphor or something to draw from this, but it is burried in a pisco-covered fog at the moment. So, thanks for reading.
Chau chau!

Chilllllll(e)

Hello All!
Writing here after a really nice weekend to a small town in Chile called Curicó where two friends Amy, Will and I spent time hanging out and looking at some Beautiful waterfalls! We left on Saturday and arrived in the afternoon to walk around and hang out in Curicó. There wasn´t much to do there (not even a movie theatre!) so we just kind of relaxed a bit and went to the mall (where the Supermarket is, of course!) to get food for our hike the next day. We then went to this restaurant because the lady at our hostile didn´t let us use the kitchen, and had a really good meal. Then the next day we got up and went to find a bus to take us to the town from which we would take another bus to get to the National Park. Well, we missed the bus to the National Park, and ended up successfully hitch-hiking the rest of the way to the park. We then hiked and played amongst the rocks of this beautiful, clear, turquoise river and marveled at the Waterfalls. on the way back and got a ride from this Colombian couple that were Really nice, Really cool, and Really stoked about how awesome Colombia is. (Confirming that, yes, I AM going there this summer...). So in all, it was a successful fun trip.
There´s this attitude in Chile that is "work hard, play hard". And seeing as how I don´t really work, per se, I do quite a bit of playing (and by playing I mean relaxing...). The whole concept of time down here is just SO different from that of the US. There isn´t such an obsession with controling it. It is not something to be manipulated or to be used against us. It seems down here as it exists only to enjoy and to be taken advantage of. Being late to something is not as heavily penalized here, because who knows? Maybe you were doing something awesome that ran over a little, and thus caused you to show up "late", or something... There is just this air of mystery concerning the concept of time, and once you get it, and stop trying to control or fight it, it flies by and is passed like the breeze. So many of my days down here have been passed so easily, and I can maybe count on one hand the amount of times I have been or felt STRESSED for any substancial period of time. "Shit, I am running late for class-where is my Metro card, I may miss it and be late, ugggghh..." then"well, I missed the Metro, but wow the clouds look nice today, I wonder if the Professor will be there on time (if at all) hummde dummmm." and that´s it. Stress for one second tops, and then back to enjoying my life. Stress is such a funny thing. It is great that we have an instinct to warn our bodies of over-stimulation, but when we remain in that state (or any state for that matter) for any sustained period of time, it doesn´t serve us. As humans I feel that the Only thing that is constant is that we are constantly changing. (Did someone famous already say that?) Every moment, every thing we see, hear, think about and feel changes us. Even if just for a second, we become different. I could easily write a blog every day about funny things I see here: Dogs going through the trash, a mom helping her little boy Pee on the sidewalk, the guy in the Metro playing Clapton and Bach on the wodden flute.... It is endless, and every day something is different. These things I experience (that we ALL experience) do not necessiarily change us immediately, rather they open up new pathways in our minds as to what ELSE. What else is Possible, probable, acceptable...What else is Out there? What are we thinking!? As individuals, communities, countries, as a planet? Is it just noise, or is there something else. Maybe there is an underlying rythm without language, without Politics, without wars, energy, food, money... Maybe there just is. A pulse, maybe? Can we hear it? Do we have the Time to stop and listen to it? Do we even care??? Because what is it, really? Why do we get up at a certian time every day? Go do our things "on time", get home "on time". What if we just let it be. Sleep until you feel like getting up, do what you feel like doing when you Are up. TAKE time, Enjoy time, have a GOOD time. Because it IS limited. One day we will die. Will "time" exist then???
shit, I don´t know...
Until then, however, I am going to make the best of my time and let it happen. Wherever we are-there we are. Thanks for taking the time to read this. :)
Chau Chau!

thoughts...

Hello all (again!),
So, after the day I have been doing some thinking and am ready to share some thoughts...
On the issue of weight: I have shared many experiences with the girls (and guys) about the fact that we´ve ALL gained some weight. But we have gained so much more, no?? So I figure, its not HOW you gain (by eating too much Pan, maybe??), but what you gain it and how you carry it. How you carry yourself no matter what Size you are. I saw on the profile of one of my friends this video about "fat talk" and how (I think it is Delta Delta Delta) has this whole campaign to try and stop it. This "I´m so fat" or, "do I look fat in this?" that kind of stuff. It is so negative and so un-necessiary. Whenever I have gotten a compliment that I "look good" it is because I have FELT good. Inside and out. And weight is such a temporary thing, anyway. Our bodies are such wonderful and delicate tools that OF COURSE what we put into them, we get out of them. Science. Common sence. Being "in-tune". so, thats that. If you feel good, look good, bee good...All is well...
On the issue of light: Today, while walking home from the metro, I realized something. It was within the context of one of those can´t-take-your-eyes-off-it sunsets, setting over the sea... And I realized that I felt, absorbed, radiated and walked in Light. Luz. I wrote this word in my book the other day luzco. And it means "I shine" and I like that. Then I came home and had a wonderful conversation with my host mom about many many things, some pertaining to light and the light you carry within you. (sidenote:My host brother got a tattoo today of a sun on his right shoulder to represent the fact that he has come forth from a darkness and is now into light. yea.) Monica shared many things with me about myhost sister´s father (not the same as my host-Brother), and how he was just "terrible, terrible". He seemed like a dark person, and Monica did an impressive job of describing his soul to me. She also said some really profound things about the improtance of having people in your life to support and be there for you. Now...
On the issue of family: Monica has said so many times, that I am a part of their family here. She is somewhat religous, and shared with me that she believes it was God who put me in this house with them. Although I may not believe in any conventional "GOD" per-se, I do believe there was some wonderful series of events that lead perfectly to my arrival. In more conversing, we talked about how important it is that we have trust in eachother, and she told me that she is ALWAYS going to be there for me, no matter what. The importance of this is bigger than words can hold, and something I can only feel. She said "when people are alone, Celine, and feel sad at the same time- this is when they make mistakes". And I agree. I have comitted many errors in the past, and of course will commit more throughout my life, but after knowing how to Dissapoint my parents (family, friends) I have decided that I like making them Proud better. And this isn´t to say I ´ll Never mess up again (Pretty sure I AM human, after all...). But that I will try to instead seek support over solidarity. Comfort over control, and love over lashing-out (ok, that last one was just for the alliteration, but I think the point stays clear).
On the issue of "Trivial things": I have an ice cream date tomorrow :). I was a little nervous (for some reason) and Monica calmed my nerves. The very WORST thing that could happen is that it is slightly awkward, and we find out that we´re not conversationally compatible. OH WELL. The best, is that I have a new friend to talk to and chat with and hang out with. And Why cover the best of me with nerves? Isn´t it the best of me that I want to show!? Isn´t that the point? Here I am at my Very Best. ¿Ya? Because if not, then that is only less of my best to share with you, and more to share with someone who recieves it and shares back. Another Monica saying "You don´t have to only be pretty after a couple of Beers, Celine" and "It is nice to go to bed with someone, but waking up with them is nice, too. And doing that every day can be even nicer". Oh Monica... Thank you.
So, thats (more-or- less) where I am at this point in my examination of life...Which is what this is, really. Just one big experiment to try, examine, explore, get results, and try again...mmmmm. wow, I am bursting with thoughts at the moment, but may need to let them stew a while longer so they are more savory when shared at last. After all, I need to get rested for tomorrow! haha, sort of kidding :)
Chau chau!

Where in the world!?!?!?

Hello all,
Writing again not the day after, but two days after Halloween. The Day after was spent in bed. Sleeping. From about 2PM to 7 I slept, then got up and ate at 7, then went back to bed until about 9 this mornng (with some minor interruptions by my cat at around 2 and 7 AM). But, por fin, here I am alive and well and about to share my first (and hopefully not last) Chilean Halloween experience. The night was pretty long, so I´ll do a timeline of the night- thoughts and events. And when I say "timeline" I mean a VERY rough estimate of what time I think it was (as looking at a clock has become a rare occurance down here...). So all of the"times" are like within a half-hour to hour of what time it Could have been... So, here we go!
9ish:Went trick-or-treating (or, Dulces o travesuras) with my adorable little niece who was here visiting along with my Chilean aunt and uncle. She was dressed in a cape and had little light-up devil horns. Very linda.
10ish: Came home and played dress-up. For my costume, as Carmen Sandiego, I wore...A black trenchcoat with a brown belt, a red hat and some boooots that my host mom let me borrow. And underneath, I wore my strapless black and white dress (that I wore for a fashion show last November) and some shorts with some fishnets. I meshed it all together with some RED lipstick, and Became Carmen. The plan was to go meet up with Amelie and Jeannie at a party in Valpo, and then maybe go to two other parties that I knew of. Well, that was the PLAN at least. But 2 out of 3 isn´t too bad...
10:30 ish: Went to either catch the metro (if it was still running) or take a bus to Valpo which is where I would then take a colectivo to the party where Amelie and Jeannie were. So, went to the metro and it was running, but wouldn´t be at my stop for another 12 minutes! So, I thought for a second, then decided on taking the bus instead. So, took the bus, got off in Valpo, and began the (eventually unsuccessful) search for the colectivo.
11ish: After having wandered a bit around Valpo, and calling Amelie to Make SURE I was waiting in the right place, I still hadn´t found the right colevtivo. I am positive I was in the right place, but after asking several drivers if the knew where the street Ollino (?) was and getting contorted replies, I decided I may just spring for a taxi.
1130ish: Trying not to get in a bad mood about STILL waiting for a colectivo, I did decide to just spend the money on a taxi instead. So I began to walk up (again) to the place where most of the taxis go to see if I could get one that wouldn´t rip me off. On my way, I saw one taxi and for some reason that was more like instinct, I decided not to flag it down. It just didn´t feel right. So, I walked a little more and literally Ran Into my friends Pancho, and Margot (Margot is Pancho´s host sister). It was so great, because I was planning on going to the smae party they were going to later. So, I decded that it was not vale la pena to try and navigate my way up and around Valpo, when I could go to the place I was planning on going to anyway. So, I called Amelie and told her my plan, and went with them.
12ish: Went to the bar in-between Viña and Valpo called Bar Amsterdam, and partied-down with most of my friends from CIEE (my program) and some new and old Chilean friends as well. My Carmen costume was a total hit, and every time I told someone (both from the US and Chile) who I was, they were Thrilled! It was sooo much fun, and people loved it. We stayed there for most of the night, and I had told my Chilean friend Rodrigo that I would be there, and we agreed to meet up.
2ish (?): this is where time gets a little fuzzy... But, at some point we though we were going to leave and go somewhere else, so a bundle of us got ready and went outside to go to the "Theatre" (which was somewhere, and had a cover charge..) but, not all of us were really into that idea, so we decided to stay at Amsterdam instead. But, it was getting a little fome, and because I knew of this other party, we decided to go there instead. It was in Viña close to where we all lived, so it seemed like a good thing to do. After waiting and waiting for a micro, we finally got one that took us to Viña. "Va a calle Ecuador?" "sisisi, venga" ok, so it went to Calle Ecuador (or so we thought). And, nope- it turned about 3 blocks to erly, so we got off and huffed a bit about how the driver lied to us... oh well... So we walked (3am now???) to where the party was. On the way, the two girls (Callie and Maddie) who Connor and I were with decided to go home. So Connor and I contunued walking and ended up running into the party! They had abandoned their house, and were walking to this bar called Journal, which we freequently visit. So, I decided to go with them (what would Carmen do!?) and Connor decided to go home.
330ish (or was it more like 4? They were closing the bar, so maybe more like 4...): Rodrigo called, and was outside, and they wouldn´t let him in (or anybody-again, the bar was closing...) So I went out and met him, got him in (thanks to my friend Sebastian who works at the door!), but ended up only staying for a bit.
430ish: met up with Rodrigo´s friends (I guess they were waiting or something???) and decided to drive around and look for something and maybe stop at the ocean on the way. Turns out, I had what we were looking for at my house, and was able to grab it AND change my clothes as well. (as awesome as the high-heeled boots were, 5am was a little too early for them to be out...). So, with some new ropa, I was ready for the next adventure as Celine.
530ish(???): Well, I thought we were going to go to the beach and enjoy ourselves, but we ended up going to get fast-food instead (eew). Since I did not have any desire to do that, Rodrigo and I waited in the car and talked about life. Finally his friends came back, and we decided to go to Reñaca and chill at his friends house.
6ish (the sun was beginning to rise, so..... 630? maybe???): hung out at a lookout, and I was very pleased by the hilly architecture of Reñaca. It was very pretty. At some point I went to relieve myself and discovered just how much I love the fauna here! There were the prettiest purple and yellow flowers on the hillside, and they looked so lovely in the dawn light.
7ish: Went to Rodrigo´s friend´s house, and by using a (surprisingly sharp tipped) straw, and the end of a match stick, I introduced how to transform an apple into smoke.
730or-so: Finally got to rest my head in a real bed! Que bueeeno. But, was woken up early by- who knew- cartoons! how silly... But, I somehow managed to sleep in until about 12 30, then managed to de-suction myself out of bed, and take a micro home (my host brother was getting Confirmed at church at 4 that day). My head was throbbing, though and by the time I got home (at about 2) All I could do was sleep. And that is what I did. I SLEPT. Forever. And it was so nice...
And now, here I am, alive and well, and with fond memories of a fun holiday in Chile. I don´t think there were too many pictures taken of me in my outfit, but maybe Carmen didn´t want to have anyone know where she REALLY was. (Then they would find her! oh no!) So, I´ve got some memories and laughs... And now it is November! Happy November everyone! :)
chau chau! (more on the "thoughts" of the night later...)

(Mis) Adventures in the Micro

Hello all!
Frst of all, I am going to explain a bit about the Chilean Micro system( its like MEEcro, not MYcro). It appears at first to be a series of disorganized, "Get em if you can" type of thing, with busses flying by, stopping suddenly (if at all) and weaving in and out of eachother. Every day I go to catch a micro, it is a mystery as to weather or not I will get one that goes to my destination anywhere within 1 to 10 minutes of waiting, checking the number, flagging one down, and finally boarding. Sometimes I will see the bus I need just in time for it to fly past my stop.
Today was one of those days, until I saw (what I thought to be) the right micro. I was running a bit late for class-oh well- and half-heartedly waved my micro down, as I thought for sure it would not cross three lanes of busy traffic in time to pick me up. But, alas, I was wrong, and I happily boarded it about 100 feet away from the stop, where it had nearly sidded to pick me up. Good, I was going to Just be on time for class... Like usual... Then, we turned onto Calle Libertad, which is strange because normally we don´t turn until 5 Norte. O well, says me, This should be close enough. I´m sure we´ll turn eventually onto either 5 Norte or 10 Oriente...
OH NO. We did NOT, in fact, turn on either of those streets. Wat we did do, however, was turn up up up and over the cerros of Viña until we were nearly half way out of town. With each turn in the wrong direction, I kept thinking- Surely we´ll turn around Eventually! But we did not. Before I knew it, I was nearly on my way to Concon, which is another town entirely! After explaining to the bus driver that I needed to go back to Viña (and then learning that the bus did NOT go back in that direction), I got off with the bus assistant, and he led me to another micro, which I rode safely back to Viña, finally.
In total, this took about an hour. Most of which, I was either 1)Smiling at my silly mis-adventures or, 2) trying to understand what the hell the bus driver was saying to me.
So, I was way too late to go to class, and since I already had my swim suit top and appropriate bottoms on, I decided to go to the Beach instead...
Just another day. :)
Chau!

Santiago, and other thoughts...

Hello all!
Well, there´s a lot going on right now, so I figured I would keep everyone updated a bit on how my life looks right now. I am settling in more and more into Chile and the lifestyle it has offered to me. Translation: I am letting myself get swallowed. I think for a while I was trying to fight it, only to get choked on and spit back out, but thats not what I really want, thant not what I need. What I need is to get swallowed, and find my way through the system of this place (and others) and come out in a newer, different form to continue my next journey. A lot of peple from my program celebrated their half-way point (my quarter-way point) in being here. Some are excited to go, some wish they could stay, I am just happy to be where I am. I get the occasional "fuuuck! What am I going to DO this summer??? Can I do everything I want, do I have the time, money, space, travel buddy, desire, can I actually do all of these cool things I see myself doing in my mind and spirit´s eye!?!?" and then, I just breathe. I realize that pretty much anything I do will be awesome. It will not take place in Colorado like it has for the last 20 years, and I will learn, grow and have a blast reguardless. But, how much should I leave to fate, and how much of my own powers do I need to inject? I have been trying to find that balance lately between what I want to do, and where I am supposed to be. Or rather, where is the most beneficial place for me to be. Will it just Happen, or will I have to seek it out? Or both? I think both.
Anyway... In other news, I went to Santiago last weekend and liked it much more than I thought I would... Although we didn´t see the sun the whole time, I got to get a feel for the city where 40% of Chile´s population lives (!)- crazy, no!? I went with my program, and stayed in a room with two girls from my program. It was one of the girl´s birthday (Emily) and she also had friends who were studying in Santiago, so we all met up at our hotel and pre-gammed and went out. We went to this club first that was a pretty small little underground disco called El Tunnel, and danced for a bit. THEN, I met up with a friend from Boulder who is traveling around South America for 6 months, and happened to be in Santiago at the same time. So we met up and hung out (it was His birthday, too) and then went to another bar where we met up with a Chilean friend of mine (Rodrigo) who is from Punta Arenas in the SOUTH of Chile. We had a great time, and the night was fun. Also in Santiago, we went to Pablo Neruda´s house called "La Chascona" which is an indegenous word that means "messy hair". It is called this because his third and final wife, Matilde had crazy red hair that always appeared rustled and messy. This house was really cool, and had some secret passageways in it as well. We also got to eat some of the best food, and have some of the best conversations on this trip. I sat with people who I hadn´t really gotten to know up until this point, and just had a lovely time. One girl, Hayley, had spent the previous semester in Senegal, and just had some of the mos insightful things to say about the women there, and how they treat other human beings with dignity and respect. She also said something that was very great to hear about when women get married. She said this "...It´s great because women are expected to gain weight after they get married. It shows that, ya know, they´re happy, they´re realxed, they are well fed..." I just thought that was so lovely. As my body has changed a little from being down here, I have realized that I am happy, relaxed and well fed, so of Course this machine that is my body is going to respond to the input and output of the lifestyle I choose... So, all is good.
Antother addition to the weekend was that my traveling friend (his name is Christian) came to Viña and spent a few days here with me and our mutual friend Will who is also from CU. It was fun, and really inspired me to know my city more. I mean, I love Viña and know where a lot of cool places are, but I really need and want to fully meet and get to know her. Good thing I have lots of time! And time is what I have. It has flown by quickly, so I am trying my best to make the most of it, and squeeze as much in as possible. My budget is really tight, and sometimes that limits what I can do, but the beach is free, and smiles are too. (Cheeeeze, I know...) Also, it is Jackson´s birthday today- Happy Birthday Bro! Love you!
Chau!

Playing Sporty Spice

Hello All!
Maddie Thomas, Brooke Caldwell, Gracie Coburn and Kerri Councilman can definately contest to the fact that as a younger version of myself I LOVED the Spice Girls. We would play and dress up as them, and watch their movie like, um, every day when we were younger. Oh how I loved to play Posh Spice, (or, "sexy Spice" as I think she was for a while...) Brooke as Baby, Maddie as Scary, Gracie as Ginger nd Kerri as Sporty. It was always a toss up for me as to weather or not I wanted to play Sporty Spice or Posh Spice, but I always setteled on Posh because she had the straight brown hair (like me) and wore those "littul black dresses" that I always secretly thought were too short, but MAN did she rock them... So I played Posh Spice. But something about her was a little too boring for me, and for a while I just wished I could be ALL of the spice girls- cute like Baby, promiscuous like Ginger, craaazy like Scary, and tough like Sporty. Throughout these last few years, I think I have managed to pretty successfully fufill my dream, and today- I played Sporty Spice.
I am in this class that is about Human Movement. Originally I thought I would get some kind of Dance Minor credit for it, but it appears that that won´t be happening 1) Because the class is kind of a joke and 2) I would never be able to justify it to the CU Dance Department. But, reguardless, I have stayed in it beacuse, well, it is entertaining and the one time a week I can balance my bread intake with activities that do not include laying in bed or on the beach. So today in class we talked about games and why people play them, and what kind of games we play, etc... The Profe is very kind to me, and I think he loves the fact that I am a gringa. He was very interested in the kinds of games we play in the US as kids (which aren´t that different from the games in Chile) like "house" "tag", things of that sort. SO in class today we simulated the game "date" where someone comes over for a date (this is in my lecture, btw...). The date was me and Profe, and we "ate palta" and "talked about our days". How silly! I must say, though- it Was the first time I have dated a professor... Ha, only in Chile... Then, fot he next half of the class we palyed games like we usually do- basketball, volleyball and such (although sometimes we do obstacle courses or play piggy-back basketball where the guys piggy-back the girls... Que raro!) and as something new, we went into the weight room! We worked on all of the machines, and huffed and puffed lifting weights. Now, I´m not the most "athletic" person out there- I mean, I dance and stay active, but weights aren´t really my Thing. But, MAN! Some of the people in my class are way worse off than I am, and I find it so funny that they study something that they don´t apply into their lives (kenisiology and sports medicine). But, ha, such is life... So today I worked out, played a little volley with a friend, played Basketball with another and walked ALL around Viña, finally stopping to rest at the beach. I am home now for the first time today, and am prety tired BUT a friend of mine had a birthday yesterday, and we are celebraing tonight! Then tomorrow another full day, then Thursday my first day of teaching my sister and her friends English, then to Santiago this weekend! ...And school fits in there, somewhere.... (actually, I have been studying a lot for my classes and have realized that I do NOT have to hate Microecon- simply pass it and try to get out of it whatever and all that I can...)
So, life is gooood. Now I´m off to do a little partying! O Chile...
Chau!

...Being Good (at, for, to...)

Hello All!
So the beach is such a funny place to go sometimes. It is the one place in the city where anyone can go-reguardless of social class, economic and racial backgrounds, size, shape and color- and simply marvel at the phonomena of the place where water meets land. People frolic, burn, play, laugh run, swim, show-off, build things and get nekked ALL at this one concentrated piont. It really amazes me. Every time I go I laugh at some Thing that someone does, weather a little naked boy doing everything within his power to cover himself enitrely in sand, or a little girl yelling at me "queRicoElAgua" or the lady whos thong is almost entirely covered by the REST of her... It never ceases to entertain and giggle me. Thanks, Beach.
I´ve been thinking a lot about this whole thing of "being good" and what that means. I remember I was in a dance piece (with Joy French) one time, and she discussed the mundane-ness of "good". Have a Good day, read a Good book, I´m Good today, we have a Good relationship... Things of that sort. But, what got me thinking, is that what if being good is good enough? And is it really?
We have talked in my theatre class (which I will share a story about in a minute) about what it means to be an actor, etc... And he was saying that in order to truly succeed, you need to pick something, and make it your best- refine, polish and craft it to where you are the only expert in that specific field. This struck a chord in my soul instrument because I am still trying to find out what exactly it is (or what I want it to be) that I am REALLY Good at. Like, MY specialty, MY thing, My very best. I am a good dancer, a good friend, a good listener, a good student, and a good person for the planet, but where does good get better?
After much thinking, and trying to maybe focus my "goodness" into one specific area or specialty, I realized that maybe I don´t need to. Maybe I can just work on being the best human I can possibly be- for myself for others (friends, family and lovers) for the planet and for the general well-being of every creature with whom we share this space. So that´s it. Thats My thing. Being a good human. Which doesn´t necesairly mean being a Perfect Human (anyone close to me can tell MANY stories of Celine Fucking Up...) but a Good one. Because in our imperfections lie lessons and wisdom. Within our mistakes lie realizations, and within our failures lie other roads to new and different places. So really, life Is perfect, simply because we live within it to figure it out however we see fit. However fucked up we get, or wherever these lines of chaos take us- there we are. And in those moments we should be happy, we should be free, and we should make them the best places for us to be, simply because we are there and we are Good.
So, thats a little bable for ya, and now time for a story about my theatre class yesterday, which I am very proud of :)...
Sometimes in Theatre we listen to the Profe babble for a but about drama, action, gestres vs. movements, etc... And he always makes a point to incorporate the gringas (there are about 6 of us) into the class bt either cracking light jokes at us, or asking if we understood the jokes he just cracked at the others. So, yesterday we played an improv game where two people- guy and girl- got up, and just improved a skit. No premisses or anything- just improv. So, a few people had gone, and I was feeling balsy, and raised my hand to go next. I went up to the front of the room, and the Prof. picked my partner who is a guy with some very apparent acting skills. Before we went, he turned the lights off to breathe, concentrate and get ready to act. So I breathed, concentrated, and then proceded to do one of the things I do Best- perform. The skit went like this:
him "Hey, lets go to this party it will be so much fun, I can see it now... Empenadas, blah blah blah-" *All in Spanish, keep in mind...*
Me (holding my stomach in apparent pain) "no, no I can´t. I can´t go..."
Him "but, but why not? It will be so much fun and-"
Me "No! Seriously, Do you not remember what happened last night?"
H- (chuckling a bit) "well, kinda.... but, hey, don´t be upset, I mean we had fun, eh?"
(He reaches to put his hand on my shoulder and I shrug it off)
He then procedes to try and get me to warm up, saying something along the lines of "just come, it will be fun, we can dance..." And I was still being cold
Me-"No, poh. Its just that I can´t trust you anymore. Not after what happened..."
Him- "But we had so much fun! I mean, the first time, the Second time-"
Me- "yea, that second time!? What was that all about?!"
Him-"sorry, what bothered you?''"
Me- "Its just that. I just don´t like animals."
Scene. With that, my partner soon went into laughing hysterics, along with the rest of the class. The Prof was impressed, adn I think I earned some brownie points for Gringas everywhere. It was great to just get up there and do it! And I felt very wonderful afterward. It is so important to be able to have another energy when trying to create something. Both parties have to be comitted not to a goal, but to a form. To creating some kind of maliable form which can be interpreted and processed on many different levels.


Al right, time to go watch the Chile Ecuador game now. Thanks for reading. I hope you´re being and staying "good" :) Love you all.
Chau!

Llena de gracias....Full of thanks

Hello All!
Writing here after a truly wonderful and magical weekend that could have only happened in one place in all of the world- Chile. I had a weekend full of deep profound conversations (in Spanish), LOTS of new friends(or Old friends?) and a little Pisco and Escudo to top it all off. I´ll give some highlights, as it was a pretty packed couple of days, and a long weekend to boot!
Friday: After many plans that had fallen through, and many rain-checks, I finally got together with a new friend Andres. I had met him at his house when he had a party a few months back, and we had talked about hanging out for a while, and so Friday night we finally did. We went to the Botellería (liquor store) and got a bottle of Pisco, Gingerale, ice and two cups for about 6 USD ish, and proceded to walk up onto this cerro hill to drink and check out the view of Viña and el Mar. It was very beautiful and very tranquilo. Then, within the next few hours, we proceded to have what was one of the most fufilling conversations I have had in quite a while. We talked about life, philosophy, and what it is that we are searching for in our souls... During this time, we had a little music, smoked a little joint (or, pifla, I think) and just hung out. As we were sitting there, I casually reached down to touch the firm brown dirt on which we were sitting. And then something happened that was a sensation I had not felt in a Very long time-if ever. Not only did I just touch the dirt, but I felt it. With every cell and fiber of my being, I felt the earth of the hillside. The tierra, the ground, the EARTH. And it moved me. It shifted something within my soul to where I thought "This is where I need to return to".
Within the following events, Andres and I chatted about how fortunate we are to be living this life, and he Thanked me for coming to Chile. It was beautiful...
Then, we met up with some of his friends who we had seen earlier in the night, and went to Valpo to party down at a disco. In all, a very good night...
Saturday: With Andres and more friends including a very cool girl named Pia, we had an asado or, BBQ complete with beers, meat, and a World Cup qualifying game in which Chile beat Colombia 4-2! yeaaaa..... Then Saturday night, I slept. Por fin...
Sunday: Went to Laguna Verde with my family to spend the lovliest day in el campo with one of Christians friends and his family. They live in this beautiful cozy wooden house (without water or electricity) in the midst of an impressie grove of Eucalyptus and pine trees. Shaded by the trees, their outside area is equipped with swings, a hammock, more plants, and garden gnomes. Very lovely. That day, we ended up going on a lovely nature walk, and picked an impressive array of flowers and plants to bring back to the house where we ate lunch, and spoke exostentially about life and death. Very tranquilo. Then, Sunday night I went to the birthday of Christians Other friend, Ignacio and met some really fun people (some of whom thought I was Chilean!) including these two girls from Ostralya (Austrailia, haha) who were just great! They are here traveling around, and one of them is "Pololeando" dating Ignacio (whos birthday it was), and since they are leaving soon, we are going yo go get drinks this Wednesday at a popular bar here.
Then today, I just chilled, watched some futbol, and went to the beach with Ameile....
Good day.
So, everything here on this side of the globe is good, and am just hoping you are all well, and sending good things your way! Love you all :)
Chau!

Tacos, Tequila, Amigas! ¿¡Cachai!?

Hello all!
Writing here from a very good place. Last night was my first night out with new Chilena friends from one of my classes! I met a group of girls in my class of Human Movement (which I originally thought I could get dance credit for, but I can´t...) in the Kenisiology school at my University. We met at the beginning of classes, and now that I am getting more and more comfortable with the language, am finally able to relate with them on a more personal level. So, they invited me out last night for a night of Tacos and dancing. At first, I thought we were going somewhere and get tacos to eat, but we ended up going to this one girls house where she lives mostly alone, but partially with her aunt, and found more friends and some of the best Chicken, Guacamole, corn and mushrooms (!) and cheese to make tacos. The mushrooms were a surprise, but suuuuuper riiiico. mmm. Then we washed it down with some ¡Tequila! Of which, I only had three little shots from this teacup because EHWEH! Tequila is... Sometimes great, and sometimes not. So, I took it easy with the salt, lemon (because there are no limes here apparently...) and Tequila, as we did our Saluds to friends, good nights, the Moon (which was rising and looked SO big and beautiful) and good health. Sidenote on where we were: This girls appartment (I actually forget her name, because its either Cata, Cati or Carla or something...) is on the top of this BIG hill and overlooks ALL of Viña and out onto the ocean. One of the best views I have seen from a window.
Anyway, Then we went Dancing! We went to this Disco called Scratch here in Viña and entered with our "freepass" that a lot of people get (somehow). So we didn´t have to pay, which was awesome. Then, we were greeted at the door with empty cups, because there was a free bar. So, we went (or, pushed, shoved and wriggled our way) to the bar and held our cups over the edge in hopes of it being taken and filled with More alcohol. What a sight that was! From my vista, I saw bodies with arms extended and plastic cups in the hands. Some were shaking "fill me fill me" others more like "pleaseeeee" and still others like "come ON, I´ve been waiting longest!". And finally after minutes of standing there trying to keep my feet in one place, the free bar closed and we resorted to dancing a little less drunk... But not for long!
Cultural Sidenote: Chileans always (well, almost) ASK you to dance first. Which is nice. BUT agreeing to dance is basically agreeing 30% to dancing, and 70% to the possibility of making out. At first this was a fun venture and I admit I have had some "culturally fufilling" dancing nights. But Last night I just was NOT into it, and finally told my dance partner after several attempted makeout sessions, that I really only wanted to dance, and NOT kiss him,
¿cachai?? And, go figure- first guy to ask for my number at the Disco....hm.
Two of the greatest compliments I have recieved are that I Habla bien, and that I Baile bien. Which is great, because I´d like to think the language I speak most fluently is dance. Que Bueno. Yes, another good night in Chile. Drinks at 3:30AM? SURE! Bring it on...
Finally at the ripe hour of 4:30 we returned to our friends apartment, talked about boys and had a sleepover! It was great, and I learned some funny new slang that I will ONLY repeat when talking amongst girlfriends... :) So, now I´m off to enjoy the day, maybe go to the beach, and just... chill.
Love you all, and hope you´re staying warm up there! Besos :)
Chau chau!

Recetas

Hello All!
So the Chileans love food. For the most part, it is similar to the food in the US- veggies, meats, beans, etc... But it is prepaired very differently than what I have experienced. It is usually pretty simple to prepair, but very sabroso (usually with salt, cilantro, and lemon). Here are some recipies for anyone who wants to eat like a Chilean for a day ( or a meal...).

Ensalada de Cebollas (onion salad)
Sounds a little strange, but I had it for lunch today and it is very rico y refrescante!
Slice raw onions (for however many people are beiong served)
mix with salt, cilantro, and lemon juice
Eat! That´s it! I had it today with my usual "salad" of celery and avacadoes with lemon juice.
Variations: Add cooked lima or pinto beans, and chop the onions instead. Also, add a little bit of oil along with the three main seasonings; cilantro, salt and lemon juice.

Tortilla (kind of like quiche without the crust- and faster, too!)
This can have many variations, but my favorite is with Couliflower and onions...

• Sautee onions until you like them
• Steam cauliflower and add to the onions at the last minute so they share some flavor
• In a seperate bowl add enough eggs to cover the couliflower ( I feel like I am not spelling that right...) and a little bit of flower to thicken the mixture

-this is where I would vary from what my host mom does-
Add some seasoning! A little salt to start, then... whatever flavor you want! You can either make it spicy, sweeter, or herb-ier, whatever you want!

• Then mix everything together (the egg/flour mix and the veggies) in the bowl
• THEN, over a medium-heated, oiled pan- pour (or set) the mixture and let cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through and hot.
• It should come out flat (like a tortilla) but thick- about 1 inch or so, and however big of a diameter as you want. Then, cut and serve it with salsa, or just plain!
• Can be eaten for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

-Variations could include spinnach, mushrooms, broccli or any meats- try not to make it too mushy, though. It should be firm in texture (that´s where the flour comes in...), so harder veggies are suggested.

I am sure there are many more recipies I could add, but for now, that should be good. Happy eating!

As far as everything else goes, I am still in the midst of figuring out travel plans for this summer, as well as how to Afford those travel plans... I have gotten accepted to work on a farm in Colombia, so we will see how the Financial gods smile on me in the coming months... Also, the weather here has just been lovely! Lots of sun and beach :) very happy. And I am planning a trip to Buenos Aires in November (So cheap!) so I´m pretty excited about that. As far as school goes... WHY did I decide to take Microeconomics and Bio!?!?!?!? SOOOOO hard! ugh. anyway, es la vida.... Until next time!

Chau!

I´m on a BIKE (and..)!

Hello all!
I am slightly tired because I got a bike yesterday (!) and just got back from an awesome ride up the coast (no big deal...). Ah, and I feeeel good. This is being written at the end of a really nice week. The weather has been so lovely (although today a little chilly with the wind), and I have just felt really good. I re-arranged my room so that my bed faces the Ocean. It is hard to have a bad day when you wake up with your feet at the Ocean and waves... I have been getting SO much more comfortable with the language (this has been happining for a while now), and no longer have to "turn on my Spanish brain". It just comes more naturally now, and I´m soooooo glad :). Also, I met up with my friend Connor (he is a fellow CU-er) and we have started planning a trip to Buenos Aires in November! I am SOOOO excited, and can´t wait to have my first out of the Country (Chile) experience. I have heard that the Spanish is very different there (duh) and am excited to be able to differenciate between different dialects now that I´m actually understanding this one!
I have met so many new people recently! It is amazing how things just happen so naturally. I had heard that the first few weeks or months are a little strange to ajust to, and then you reach sort of a climax with the language and everything, and that is totally where I am right now. Everything just has this really good rythm that I´m following and enjoying a lot. The Chilean people are just so nice and fun and welcoming. They are always so willing to share everything with everyone, and its really nice. Ha, last night we were at this bar, and I arrived a little late (I had met some friends on my way and chatted with them for a bit) to meet up with Amelie and her friend who is ALSO named Amelie AND, they were sitting with these two people (Chilean and Peruvian) who I assumed were friends of theirs. Turns out that they were total strangers that just offered to let them sit at their table. (side story- they were supposidly cousins, but were MAKING OUT a lot, like allllll night! Ha, que raro....)
But, yes... Chile is just great. I feel like my whole experience down here is like the life of a flower. Planted, beginning to grow, and continuing to grow and spread itself furthur. Ah, life...And I do miss everyone- my family, friends, Boulder and such, but its hard to be upset when I can just walk to the Ocean- or even just knowing that I am here and BEING here, its really tranquilo. And my host family is SO awesome. I really feel like I am a part of the family. Like we are of the same blood- and we are, in a sence... We All are. Yea, good time to just think. About everything, about nothing. My thoughts are constantly fluid, and mostly good. And my bike will set me free! No more paying for the Micro! :) Que buennnooo.
Anyway, thats where I´m at right now, and I hope you are all enjoying fall and life ingeneral. Remember "la vida es corta- disfrutala!" Life is short, enjoy it!
Chau! :)

Besties

Hello all!
So, I was thinking last night about all of the wonderful people in my life, and decided to tell you all just how much you mean to me. This goes out to all of my best friends. My family, family friends, and friends who are my ´family´. You know who you are, and I hope you know how much you all mean to me, but in case you don´t I will tell you...
You are my roots and my rocks, my sky and my ground. From each of you, I have acquired tools that have helped build and construct the person I am today. You have given me wings, reality-checks, shoulders to cry on, and experiences to never forget. I am so fortunate to have such a strong web of support to catch me and support every effort and endavor of mine. Every conversation, smile, and hug is manifested deeply in my soul. You have seen me low, and high, and everything in-between. From you I have gained strength, perspective and wisdom, and I appreciate everything. Every one is so beautiful, and I am so humbled by the fact that I have been lucky enough to share my life with such wonderful people. Thank you all. Everything you have given me is gladly returned to you in love and light. So salud to all of you, and all of the relationships you share, and everything you are.
I hope you are all staying healthy and maintaining a good relationship with the most important person in your life- you! Thanks for reading, I love you all more than there are words, waves or stars.
Chau!

Mi viaje al Norte

Hello all!
Well, I am writing back safely in Viña after the greatest trip of my life! It started when Bailey Valian came to visit Chile last Friday (the 11). We hung out (and went out) in Viña and Valparaíso for the first day she was here,then Amelie Kastning, Jeannie Winkler, Bailey and I cought a bus to Chañaral Chile (11 hours away!) where we arrived the next day on our way to our final destination of San Pedro de Atacama. We stayed in Chañaral, and passed the time going to the Ocean and hanging out around the town. We had an 11 PM bus the next day, so during the day we went to the Pan de Azucar Parque Nacional and had the most lovely time! We drove up to this lookout point that was breathtakingly beautiful. Desert on one side, Ocean on the other. We then came down for the most delicious fish lunch we have ever had! Again, eating on the most beautiful beach... We then went back to our hostal to find out that we couldn´t stay there longer because he had to rent out the room, so we literally just ´hung out´for abuot 6 hours while waiting for our bus. Fortunately for us, we are all fun and creative, and managed to make our oun deck of playing cards (good thing I brought my notebook and colored pencils!), and played cards and drank cheap boxed wine until our bus came.
Then, for the next 11 hours, we drove to San Pedro de Atacama. When we arrived the next day, we were greeted at the bus station by a lovely lady who offered us a Hostal to stay at. Since we had nowhere else to go, we said yes- and good thing! It was so nice! There was a central spot to hang out with tables, chairs and hammocs, and at night they lit a fire for everyone to enjoy. There was also a kitchen and we were able to make our meals, and converse with people from Chile, France, New Zealand, Israel and Austrailia. While in San Pedro, we went to these natural Geysers and Hot Springs, and were fortunate enough to swim while the first snow fell on us! It reminded me of being in Colorado in the winter :). We also walked around the town, and encountered the CUTEST group of kids dressed up for the Cueca (because it was Chile´s national holiday). Then, we went to Valle de la Luna, and encountered LOTS of wind, and some of the most beautiful sights I have seen. We walked thruogh this canyon that was just magical, and felt the Desert energy as we froliced amongst the rocks and sand. We then climbed a huge dune, and watched the sun set over the Andes.... Just another day in the life..... Later on that night, we went back to our first Hostel (we had to change hostels the last day, but liked our first one so much we went back to say hi) and helped two girls visiting from Tel Aviv, Israel to celebrate the Jewish New Year. We ate Apples and honey with them to ensure a ¨sweet new year¨. It was awesome. Then, later that night we went out with our Chileana friends dancing in San Pedro.
We finaly came back to Viña after a 22 hour bus ride with smiles and memories we will never forget. The ONLY thing that soured the high was the fact that, while we were gone (my family was gone, too) a robber came in and stole some of my family´s jewelry, money, clothes, and my laptop. I am not so upset that my actual laptop is gone, but more upset that it was just taken, robbed from me. I´m pretty bummed, but think I can still survive without it. My host mom has offered to pay for it, but I am more concerned with using any extra money to travel and get a bike!
So, in a short nutshell, that was my week! There are many more stories, of course, but there are also a lot of pictures on Facebook (both Amelie and Jeannie took a lot) to fill any blank spaces. I hope all is well with everyone up in the North! Today is the first day of Spring here, and I am looking forward to a beautiful time down here.
Until later, Chau!