Vacationing: how sweet it is

Hello everyone!

Im really not even sure where to begin. I have been having a whole ton of adventures as of late and am now in the process of trying to get back into the swing of school and studying, at least a little bit. :)

Last Thursday, the 13^th, I left the city and noise and busyness behind and rode 12 hours south in a bus to Valdivia, a little college town in between a series of three rivers, close to the ocean coast. We stayed in a hostel and met a French man who spoke a bunch of languages and was spending the year traveling the world. Visited the university campus of Universidad Austral de Chile and walked around the botanical gardens along the Rivers Valdivia and Cau-Cau. We walked through residential neighborhoods which I haven’t really seen in chile on our way to a little park and it made me kind of miss the tranquility of suburbia. One thing that really struck me in all of our travels was how green and just absolutely beautiful everything is here. There are so many different varieties of trees and birds, my eyes were so happy the entire time. We had great weather in Valdivia with sun and brilliant blue skies, we even walked around in short sleeves during the day! Also went a little farther south to some islands to see the most southern Spanish forts in the world from the 1500s. they weren’t terribly exciting but it was fun getting down there nonetheless and seeing more countryside—including a black sand beach! We had to take a boat across the bay to go to one of the forts and that was pretty fun as well, just a little covered fishing boat.

Villarrica was definitely my favorite city that we visited-it was small and cultural feeling, with amazing views of Volcano Villarrica which was covered by at least a bit of cloud most of the time—completely snow covered. We were hoping to do some hiking in the national parks while there but forgot that it is still winter and there was no public access…on account of there being 3-4 meters of snow covering all the areas we wanted to go hike in. Instead, Heidi and Eric and I decided to rent bikes from our hostel and go through part of the national park of the volcano. Of course we chose to do this on the ONE day of rain that we ended up having and as we began our 30 mile trek it started to rain, but we decided to just keep on going. Our non-waterproof jackets held up for a little while but not long enough. It was about a 6 hour journey mostly uphill, we even saw snow on the side of the road at the highest point. When we did not find a bridge we were supposed to cross to get across a canyon we decided to turn around. We were all pretty miserable and took a break inside a wooden structure on the side of the path for a while, trying to motivate ourselves to reenter the rain and complete the ride. We finally did and as we began to descend, the sun came out, dried us off a little and treated us to some pretty spectacular views as we realized the whole time the volcano was right in front of us but just hidden in all the rain and clouds surrounding it. We decided to cook most of our meals while traveling, not only b-c it was cheaper but b-c we could. That was so fun, I missed cooking and doing my own dishes and eating something I made by myself, with the collaboration of friends. Im sure next semester I will get tired of it after a while but for now, it was definitely enjoyable.

Pucón was pretty blasé and boring. Just like an adventure tourism Colorado mountain town. The most exciting thing that was going on was that the hotel-casino in the town was on fire and got pretty destroyed. We stood around and watched that for a while and then peaced out of town to some waterfalls: Ojos de Cabargua about a half hour away. More amazing views, got to hike through the forests a little and see 3 waterfalls all spilling into a pristine, clear, blue lake. It was absolutely fantastic.

Independence Day was fun as well. We listened to Chilean music the whole day and for lunch had kababs with pork, beef, hot dogs (of course), and onions. Normally we would have had empanadas which are filled doughy masses with cheese or meat or really whatever you can think of to add but the price of onions is really high right now so we didn’t. milk is also very expensive…about 8 dollars for 8 liters of powdered and a $1.25 or so for a liter of premade milk in a bag. I miss my calcium intake. I walked along the beach and through the town, the beach was definitely the place to be as everything in town minus a very small handful of restaurants was closed. Children were flying kites and playing in the waves (it wasn’t that warm…) and families just passing the day wandering through the sand. At night I went out with my Chilean parents to one of their friends houses in a neighboring suburb of Viña. They tried to teach me to dance the cueca which is the national dance of chile with handkerchiefs. Basically independence week is the one week of the year when everyone is super patriotic and in love with chile and there is pure Chilean music and dancing and festivities…when all of chiles culture comes out. After its over, they become gringos again, adopting other cultures and such as they do. More meat at this party and lots of dancing. It was fun to meet more people and just experience an independence day party. We left for it at about 10.15 and I was pretty tired so I caught a bus at 2.45…my Chilean parents didn’t get home til 5.30! and such is how life goes…

The next day I caught the train to the end of the line about an hour away into the mountains where leslie, marc, Christian, adam, Jordan, eric, franz, caroline, leslies sister Kristin who is visiting for a week, and cordelia all rented a cabin in the mountains. It was again, super beautiful and soooo relaxing to just hang out, walk around in the area and experience warmth and sunshine and good company. We played Frisbee and walked through the town and tried to find a rodeo but missed out b-c it was the tail end of the festivities and most of the Chileans were all celebrations out and starting back to work and school.

Since then ive been trying to get back into the groove of school, my first philosophy test is on Tuesday and I have a paper and presentation coming up. October is going to fly for sure, lots going on (including my moms visit!!!)

As I said before, the homesickness comes and goes but lately I have been really really really loving it here. Of course I miss home and everyone there but at the same time here I am in chile and I have made some pretty amazing friends so for now, while we are all together here, learning Spanish and experiencing a foreign culture, I am going to live it up and soak up the culture and enjoy being here. Not to mention that the weather is getting spectacular…its going to be very difficult to study as the days get nicer and nicer here with more and more sunshine and warmer temperatures. It still gets pretty cold at night but the days are nice, minus the wind from time to time that rips through, disheveling everything and everyone in its way.

Heres to vacation, and now getting back to a bit of school mentality so I can at least pass these classes. :) love you guys!!

Katie

Immersing myself in a culture

Heyo!

I figured I should update now before we leave on our vacations and I come back and have 3 whole novels worth to tell you.

The homesickness definitely comes in waves and i´ve found the best remedy to that is to just get outside and walk around and explore. Not only do i love being outside but it makes me breathe in the culture and realize that i am in a special part of my life and in an amazing place.

We´ve had quite a few days lately of cloudy, semi cold weather which has been lamentable but today and yesterday were gorgeous and warm...i was even sweating trekking across town! Friday i went to a folklore concert with Kelan and Leslie. it was in the theater in the center of town and FREE! very interesting, neat cultural event. there were people who dressed up in many of the traditional outfits of indians throughout chile and played traditional music and acted out scenes and danced different dances. it was pretty neat and very beautiful to see all their traditional wear.

saturday i went with Caroline Adam and Jordan to Isla Negra, a little town about 1.5 hours south of Viña where one of pablo nerudas homes is located. there is not much else in this town aside from pablos house but it was a very beautiful area with a unique coarse sand beach, interesting pine trees, and a house full of all sorts of collections such as ships in bottles, TONS of shells and sea life from a narwhal horn to green shells from cuba, huge oyster shells, all sorts of stuff. a large fake horse with 3 tails, and all sorts of glass bottles and busts from boats. neruda had a large obsession with the sea and this was evident in our visit to this particular home where he spent most of his life. we met a couple on the bus back, the woman was from San Diego and her boyfriend from southern Chile. they were spending the weekend in Valparaiso and we met up with them later on in the evening to hang out and trade stories as well as experience Valpo.

Sunday was a fantastic living life day. I woke up decently early and walked all over Viña..down to the mall 20 blocks away and then back along the beach, walking barefoot watching families playing with their children, flying kites, even a group of guys playing in the ocean and getting engulfed by the large waves! sundays are bustling, family days and itw as fun to just wander and be a part of that. after a lunch of all types of grilled meat on our new grill i caught a bus to Valpo and wandered from one side to the other. i found 3 plazas and saw all sorts of people out in the streets, selling books, antiques, food, souvenoirs, gokart rides, kites. i bought a kite but didnt have the proper supplies to construct it and was told so while attempting to build it by a little boy of about 6 years of age, after his own kite hit me about 3 times while sitting in the plaza. at the last plaza which was by far the largest of those i found this day, i stopped and just breathed in chile, soaking up the sights and smells of a sunny sunday. there was a music group playing and talking on the hill in the center of the plaza amidst a statue of one of the founders of Chile, Bernard O`Higgins. Many of Chiles founders were from Great Britain thus the presence of many English names and buildings named after these specific heroes. Upon exiting the plaza, I saw a man playing guitar and singing on one of the street corners and decided to stop and listen. his manager came over, convinced me to buy a CD, and talked to me about how i enjoyed chile, what i was studying...the normal questions of almost every Chilean or non-Chilean that i have met. i stayed for quite a while, just listening and watching people bustle about as the sun began to set. i caught the metro home and found my way to a panaderia for some cake...i still havent found actual cake here and settled for a nutty, pastel papery manjar layered cake with pineapple slices. later in the evening i met up with Leslie, Christian, Marc, and Matt for our weekly sunday reunion at Ciao for 2 for 1 happy hour... 2 for 1 drinks and some of the best pizza ever. It was a relaxing evening of conversation and camaraderie on everything from this past weekend to the U.S. university education system, U.S. perspèctives of cultural experiences and travel, a German perspective from Christian on WWII and how it is treated and thought of in Germany today, etc.

Thursday evening i leave with Heidi Jordan Adam and Eric on a 12 hour bus ride down to Valdivia and then to Villarrica and Pucón for a few days until the 18th, independence day. The week of all of Chile`s culture rolled into one week of festivities. There are flags everywhere, traditional music, and all sorts of events. Upon our return and celebrating Tuesday, I am meeting up with Leslie, Marc, Christian, and a few others in Olmue, a small village in the country with cowboys and rodeos to go camping and see a different side of celebrating the 18th.

Hope everyone is well, as always, keep writing and sending stuff and conversing, i´ve been here for just about 2 months now..crazy huh?

to end this edition i am leaving you with one of my favorite songs. it is by John Mayer, titled Why Georgia. I challenge you to ask yourself the same questions he poses in this song. Are you livin it right? Write me of your adventures and strive to begin each day truly making the most of every moment and opportunity, cachai? (understand?)

^i am drivin up 85 in the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon...
either way i wonder sometimes about the outcome of a still, verdictless life
am i livin it right?
so what so ive got a smile on. but its hidin the quiet superstitions in my head. dont believe me, dont believe me when i say ive got it down
everybody is just a stranger and thats the danger in going my own way. i guess thats the price i have to pay. still everything happens for a reason its no reason not to ask myself if i am living it right..am i living it right?^

Días Buenas, Llena con las risas y sonrisas (Good days, full of laughs and smiles)

So its been a while since I’ve updated this, I’ve been studying and living life and wanted to wait until I had a few things slightly notable to write about.

Yo no quería una vida normal,
no me gustaban los horarios de oficina.
Mi espíritu rebelde se reía
del dinero, del lujo y el comfort
Y tuve una revelación,
ya se que quiero en esta vida.

I didnt want a normal life

I never liked the hours at the office

My rebellious spirit laughed

at money, luxury, and comfort

I've had a revelation

I know what I want in this life.

I’ve been immersing myself into Spanish music…not necessarily music from chile though some of that too but just music where they sing in Spanish instead of English. Most of the Chileans here have learned English from watching movies and listening to music in English and I figured I might as well give it a try with Spanish. Plus its kind of like studying while I listen to music! I am completely obsessed with Julieta Venegas and Maná right now…check them out their music videos on Youtube if you want.

Life is SO good. I am loving every minute and as spring approaches, living here gets better and better. The flowers are coming out and blooming and the air is getting warmer, the wind is picking up and I have been told that September is the windy month so vamos a ver…we will see. Im beginning to realize what a unique opportunity I have been given to come and study here. Here I am, some fairly normal student from the U.S. and I am studying in Chile, surrounding myself in Spanish, learning an entirely different culture. And that is SO COOL. I am known for always laughing. about everything. all the time. it has been a month of laughter with some great new friends. how can i not laugh and smile? life is meant to be enjoyed.

Technology is also so wonderful, it makes the distance seem much shorter than it actually is to be able to communicate and talk, even call my house for pennies through Skype. My parents both bought plane tickets here, I guess they miss me a lot ;) so I will be hosting my mom in October and then my dad in December, adventuring with them and showing them this country I am inhabiting for a time. I cant wait!

I am now officially registered with what classes I am going to take this semester so the final count is Communicational Spanish-Chilean Culture, Philosophy, Personal Management, and the Language of Film. I am also taking a kayaking class but have only been out once b-c last week i just couldnt bring myself to go out onto the water when i was cold before getting wet and it was cloudy. the first time i went out was super fun but VERY hard, my arms felt like they were going to fall off but i made it and hopefully i'll get back in shape soon. Fifteen credits makes for a fairly easy semester but as they say, most of my learning this semester is going to be outside of the classroom. I cant wait to travel more!! Chile is honestly one of the best countries ever…its got everything!! From desert in the north to volcanoes, beach, rivers, lakes, forest, mountains, adventures are literally around EVERY corner.

For those of you following the progress of my foot, i am finally BOOT-FREE!!! i went for a run the other day and have been running a lot, just in the streets and by the beach and such. its so nice not to have to lug that thing around and its good having a nearly completely healed foot.

I had my first Chilean test today and spent a good portion of the weekend studying for it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect and was a little surprised when it was 3 long essay questions. I think I did okay, I had something to say for each question and maybe I’ll get a bit of a break for being a non-native speaker but im not counting on it.

Our apartment is being completely remodeled, all new tile floors in most of the rooms, new oven, two grills, and a bunch of other random furniture. Keeps life interesting with my uncle and sister sleeping in the living room and eating in one of the bedrooms while the kitchen is worked on. But it will be nice when its done and we’ve had some really good food with all the new stuff. The other day for lunch we had Chorripan which is a small sausage type thing in a toasted bread bun and then you put pebre on top which is some sort of tomato, parsnip, onion sort mix. And the argentinian steak we have from time to time is amazing grilled! Im looking forward to the 3^rd week in September when they say all of Chile’s culture comes out and is celebrated with lots of dancing and good food and traditional dancing and just good fun.

I’ve been meeting lots more new people. Tomorrow I meet my exchange of language partner, she is trying to learn English and im trying to learn Spanish so we spend an hour talking, one half hour all in English and the other half all in Spanish. So that should be pretty neat and im excited about it.

I cant believe its already September. Time is flying, just as I knew it would. Keep the emails and letters coming! Love you guys.

Katie :)