i haven't updated this one as much as the other simply because I can't figure out how to post pictures anymore, but today i am having a terrible day and can't write about it on there cause i don't want to worry the padres. nothing is actually wrong. i am just sick and feel so tired and can't breathe the air here really well. the combination of pollution/smog, smoke and talking so much with so many new people has really killed my throat. not to mention the air in general is thick and hard to breathe. so that has been really annoying and I am ready to leave the city.

also, it is cold, obviously i dont like this. i hate having to time my showers so the cold water isn't too cold cause it's also freezing outside and im not a fan of shivering all the time. thank god for my down sleeping bag. so today was just one of those days where i was uncomfortable and cold and tired and so i wanted to be home and didn't want to deal with the little hassles of learning my way around here. it will get better, just today wasn't so great. at least i go to the warmer city of arica on sat! bright and early-leaving at 6:30am.

but the important part i should update about, which i will add pics to in the other one eventually, is that i went to visit vivi and guido (my old host parents) yesterday. i got out of my orientation early at 4 and metro-ed to the bus station and then took a 2 hour bus to their house. i was really proud that i remembered how to get to their home from the bus station, especially since so much has changed there since i last lived there. it is even prettier than before because when i was there there had just been an earthquake so everything was a bit messy, but now it is all new and reconstructed and was absolutely beautiful.

so i went to their house and had dinner with vivi and their new host kid, then she and i hung out. i had planned on leaving that night around 10, arriving to santiago at 12, but she said i couldn't go so late to the city, so i should spend the night and take a morning bus. so then guido came home and we all talked and he looked at his new camera i brought him and they showed me pictures and then we went to bed. so then i got up at 5 and guido walked me to the bus stop and i got back around 7:45, took the metro to the hostel, changed my clothes, and walked to orientation. it was a very long day to say the least. not only cause i got up so early, but also i didn't sleep at all because their house was so so so cold.

it was really nice to see them and strangely normal and familiar. i will see them again in december before bill comes and then again when we visit for the new year so that is nice that i will see them so much

so tomorrow is the last day of orientation and tonight is our last night all of us together (all 80!) so people want to go out and as much as i want to join in, i think my body would actually implode if i did. so instead i think i will go to bed now. start fresh and again tomorrow.

hope you are enjoying your warm beds and the sticky weather.

sick love from chile

I'm alive. I'm tired. I'm happy.

I was very energized to write this entry earlier, but I am losing steam as the day progresses.

I left Cbus yesterday at 1pm after some tearful goodbyes, flew to Dallas, had an 8 hour layover and departed at 9:25pm to Santiago. The wait was surprisingly ok, but the flight was a little rough, only because it was especially cramped and cold, but I got some sleep and before I knew it, it was 8 am and I was landing.

The view from the plane as you are heading south along the Chilean coast before you turn east to head to Santiago is beautiful.

The sun was rising over the Andes, the water on the coast was crashing, the fog highlighted the peaks and lakes, it was beautiful.

After 2 hours in immigration and customs, I finally made it through and without a hangup found my transportation company and joined a car with another volunteer, Katie. We talked a bit on the short drive over and then moved all our junk up four flights of stairs to our room, which we share with one other volunteer, Marissa.

Our hostel is nice, pretty basic. The other volunteers all seem nice so far. A group of us hung out at the hostel for a bit this afternoon and then walked around to whatever that smaller hill in the middle of the city is. --Chels we went there before with the castle, garden and Neptune fountain on top. It was smoggy but you could kinda see the mountains which was nice. Then we kept walking, saw a cathedral, the plaza de armas, a kid's park that was interesting and walked on back to the hostel. It was a nice day, not bad weather at all, but now it is starting to get cold. So now I am killing time until dinner at 7:30--looks like some sort of spagetti with potatoes an/or eggs. we shall see.

This day has been such a blur, I don't think it has hit me yet, it feels strangely comfortable and spanish, although I haven't used a ton yet, hasn't been a struggle. So I guess we are off to a good start, I have orientation tomorrow 9-6.  Hopefully I will get to bed tonight early, but off to meet other volunteers now.

Love from Chile,

Cali

ps...does anyone know why I can't post photos anymore?

turns out packing 6 months worth of stuff in 40lbs is kinda difficult.

i am currently in "i want to get this packing and goodbyes over with and just be there" mood. i am slightly stressed because packing is ending up being harder than i expected and I just found out (thank goodness in time) that my flights for tomorrow have been changed. Thanks American Airlines for notifying me-insert angry sarcastic cali-. so that means less time with family and more time alone in an airport..a little less than thrilled about this.

but I think what this all boils down to is that I am very anxious/sad about actually leaving. I know I have done this before, but it's different now-cough cough bill exists- and also I am more mature and actually get along with/miss my family. so I'm just going through the usual "what am I doing" phase, which I'm sure will pass as soon as I land Sunday.

I am still excited, don't get me wrong. I dont want to come across as a whiny brat...poor me I have awesome opportunities to go amazing places but all I can do is complain about missing people. I'm just in a mood I guess, and mostly I just want to get the sad goodbyes over with.

anyways, I just needed to get that out cause I was turning into a little ball of emotions. talk to you on the other side!...or maybe from dallas.

here we go again.


It almost feels like I just stopped writing the novels in this blog, but here I am, three years later, ready to document my travels in Chile once again. I think I am still a bit in disbelief that this is actually happening. All year it felt like I had so much time and so much to do before it was time to leave, but here I am two weeks before I depart and I think anxious is the word I am looking for. I am anxious to see what happens, but excited to give it my all.


I found out this afternoon that I will be living in the XV Arica-Parinacota region (http://www.aricaparinacota.travel/eng/01infogen_tips.htm). It is the most northern region and I am extremely excited because this is the region that I wanted to live in the most--mostly because it is supposed to have wonderful weather (mid 60s-80s all year!) and we all know I need me some warm weather :)

Possibly my new home town!

Receiving my placement also made this adventure seem more real and exciting, but overwhelming that it is coming up so soon. I have a lot to do to get ready, between packing, trying to learn something/anything about teaching English, practicing spanish, and spending time with my peeps (shout out to my mama) I feel like the days are slipping away quickly.  

So that's enough blabbing, time to do some of the many things I just mentioned. Thank you for taking time to read my blog and I hope that I have some good moments to share with you in the future.


ps. i promise to try to keep it shorter than last time, but...let's be real.