Hey everyone, so I was cleaning my room and I came across my letter and card stash and it just really kinda gave me a giant happy/sentimental/ sad pit in my stomach. I had to read them all again. I want to thank all you guys for sending me mail and keeping in touch with me and just how special it is to have people in my life like you all even when I'm thousands of miles and a hemisphere away. I'm pretty sure I have the biggest mail stash out of anyone else in my program, but I won't go ask around just because I don't want to make others jealous. But really. This is so special and is always such a highlight. This experience wouldn't be what it is if I didn't get to share this experience with all of you and I want you all to know how special and helpful it has been to have your support, encouragement, love, interest and contact. Thank you for this and keeping me in touch with your lives. I'm so excited to see you all whenever that may be ,but since I've been here I don't feel like I've gotten further away from any of you. It's been difficult to be deprived of your company, but I look forward to reuniting with all of you at some point or just being in contact. You all are the best and I love you all soooo much. Thank you for being you and being there for me. <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 Now I have to clean my room with letters and cards everywhere.
Hey! So here I am with not even 2 months to go. Crazy right? It's definitely gonna fly by with all of the school work I have to do and soaking up my last stretch of time here. Today there are clouds and it is wonderful and tomorrow it's supposed to rain. It was funny because we had our hottest day on the first day of fall which was around 97 degrees.
I think I left on the 5th for my spring break! On the day my pigeons eggs hatched...so the chicks are kinda big now. There's poop everywhere. They were kind of habituated in a bird poop stash. They climbed out of the nest though...so maybe they got tired of that or my roommate scared them. They're pretty cute. So we got to the southern town called Punta Arenas in southern Chile. We arrived at 12am since the bus we needed doesn't run that late we spent the night in the airport to catch the 7am bus to Puerto Natales and then to Parque Torres del Paine/Patagonia area. It was a pretty small airport, so we went up stairs, rolled out our sleeping bags and managed to get as much sleep possible in that kind of situation. So we got up early, packed up and caught our bus which brought us to Puerto Natales and then we took a bus to the park. We arrived around 4:30 and began our hike at 5. We had about a 4 hour hike to go and it was probably the easiest we had since it was fairly dry and flat. In my group was one girl named Richelle and 2 guys, Luke and Adrian. It was cool because while hiking on a narrow path on the side of a hill, we were surprised by a herd of horses passing on our path. I'm not sure if they were wild or not, but no one was with them and they weren't equipped with anything either. So that was pretty awesome. Maybe around 50 or so had passed us? We got to our camp( Camp Serán) around 9 pm and made our dinners(mine being ramen) which tasted sooo good after a long day. Day 2 This day was tough, but was kind of a warm up for what I was in for. We headed towards camp dickson. We lucked out with rain, until we got to camp, but then it started raining on arrival. This is the day I got my gnarly blister on the bottom/side of my heel. We had met some drunky/hardcore hikers who were planning on popping it for that night because they were going to pop this guys blister in their group who had a gnarlier blister than mine. They let me have some moleskin for it during the hike though. When they came for me at camp to be my blister popping doctor, I became aware that it had popped on it's on...and I was kinda grateful for that. That night Richelle and I stayed in the warm lodge...where we probably weren't supposed to be since we weren't paying to stay in the refuge....but it was warm and the camp rangers were cute and nice and shared wine with me. It was fun. Eventually I went to bed, but didn't get much sleep because of how cold I was. I also had to pee for half of the night ,but wasn't going to go out to the bathroom...now looking back it maybe would've been worth it ,but it was cold and rainy. I think the hike we did this day was a six hour hike Day 3 This day was rough...because it rained a lot and it was muddy, but the hike was incredible and we began to see more of the glacier. We were headed to Camp Los Perros today and it rained a lot, was cold and muddddy! It was like an obstacle course. Streams /small rapids to cross, sketchy bridges, steep hills and slopes to go up and down...but we made it!!! We got to camp wet. My feet were soaked and muddy from crossing streams and dodging endless patches of deep mud. At our camp there was a little lodge that they let all the hikers take over to dry out our wet stuff...which space was pretty competitive for that. It was pretty crowded because the hikers that had gone to do the hike beyond that camp that day had hike a good 3 hours to the top of this mountain pass..on the other side the snow was too deep and the wind was too strong so they turned back...which sounded super sucky. It was iffy if the conditions would be better the next day so the rangers said that the next day, any hikers planning on doing this hike would have to meet with them at 8 am and we would do it together. One camp ranger stayed in front while one stayed with the last person in back. So we tried to get our things dry for the next day. I wasn't really feeling like meeting anyone and just went to bed as early as possible. It was hard to not get muddy, especially because I couldn't wear my hiking shoes anymore than i had to because they were just killing my feet so I was walking in pretty deep mud at times with my flip flops on...yea no wonder i had some infected owies. Day 4 So we went off to do this hike that we didn't even know we'd succeed at...most difficult and awesome hike I've done. The first stretch was foresty, full of mud and streams. I was trying to appreciate the mud...and right as I did that I fell forward , hitting my knee on a rock which made it a little tender for the rest of the day, mostly on down hill. Then there was the part where I actually saw what I was climbing up...and it was really like a mountain. The people in front of me looked like tiny little things. Lots of the mountain was just rocky with water/streams running down it , but that eventually just became snow. I had know idea I would be hiking in snow. At parts it was over a foot deep too. Luckily, the weather was being much better that day. The view while going up the mountain was absolutely incredible. I would look at an area and it would just all be white.. and made me feel like I was in another world. I made it to the top. Going down hill was probably more intense, plus hurt my knee. It was very steep, slippery and kinda windy, but it was so incredibly beautiful. At the foot of the mountain was an amazing view of a blue glacier. I didn't even really know what a glacier looked like or that it looked so incredible in person. The last third of the hike was back in the woods ,but there were little views of the glacier that would surprise me every now and then. I was having a rough time on the way down. I just kept falling and falling and falling and falling. I also probably rolled my ankles a couple of times, but after 5 hours, I made it! I reunited with my group and we decided to hike the next 3 hours to the next camp that had a lot more to offer(such as a lodge and a little shop) since this camp was kinda plain and not in a very good area. So we did that. My feet...were just terrible and felt sooo manyy different versions of pain with every step...but we made it. This was a really nice camp...for the people paying to stay in the lodge at least. They had a bar, shop and restaurant. It was kind of difficult to meet people because I was sharing wine with my friend and she's kinda a conversation/attention hog so I barely would get words in. Just as I was getting kind of annoyed and had to go back to the shop for something, I think he was a worker who had stopped after seeing my face and had to touch it and then tried kissing me ,but I told him no. He's probably tried kissing all the white blonde girls there. Anyways, it was a fun and lame night. Day 5 We had a shorter hike this day. I think it was like a 3.5 hour hike. Weather was finally good this day. We still were getting awesome views of the glacier and glacier ice and the lake and just beauty. It was alll so cool. The camp we got to was at the foot of a valley and was soooo windy. Maybe the windiest I've ever experienced. This area was beautiful, there was a boat, the valley, so much space, and alll of these cute colorful tents. This night didn't really differ from the others. We had finished Circuit O and Richelle and I were going to do the "w" which is a much more popular and shorter hike the next day and the guys were going to split off to do the "q". I went to bed that night and realized how painful it was for anything to be touching my big fat ex blister that I had gotten the 2nd day. I woke up the next morning and kinda discovered that it seemed fairly infected and hurt a lot. It was shitty because I didn't really have soap ,but I managed to drowned it with antibiotic ointment. So it came down to a decision. There was a ferry that would come and go to that camp every so many hours and go to an area where buses picked up/dropped off campers. So I could take that...and go back to the city, or continue hiking and have no access to leave for 2 more nights. So I chose to go. I left with 2 other people in my program who had planned to leave that day. We arrived and they got on a bus, I waited because I had a 2 way ticket but my bus wasn't there....and it didn't show up for like 5 hours... so I went and wrote in small, pricey cafe with some coffee. It felt pretty good though. My bus came and I got into town maybe around 11? I needed to find a hostel. I didn't really want to walk at night ,but I should've at least walked a block to find a different hostel than the one right across the street that cost like a million dollars. But it was comforting to have that and have more control over my foot situation...plus, in the morning I got to shower ...which I hadn't for 5 days. So then I left that afternoon to punta arenas to spend another night at a different hostel. I was very short on money because of the dumb hostel I stayed at and could only make sure to spend it on a hostel and for transportation to the airport the next day. I got to Punta Arenas, found a cheaper hostel, paid for a shuttle to the airport the next day and went to go find beer to buy with the dollar I had left. I walked around the town a lot and it was pretty cute and quaint. There's not a beach, but lots of boats and it's a pretty cool area. It was kind of a tease walking around with no money. I went back to my hostel to make dinner out of leftovers from my hiking trip...carrot, dehydrated veggie meat and instant mashed potatoes. It was pretty gross, but it was good to have food. It sucked though because the beer I had was seriously the most disgusting beer I've had in my life. I met some nice people at that hostel and went to bed early. I woke up the next day and just didn't have a lot to do. I had to check out of the hostel, all I had to eat was a stash of carrots....really bitter carrots and just had my journal. So I wrote a lot. I hung outside when I could, but it was rainy so I stayed at the bus station for like 8 hours on and off, waiting for my ride to the airport at 8 pm. Eventually that happened. My driver was awesome...and scary. He had asked about my adventure and then managed to show me pictures of himself at Torres del Paine on facebook from like 10 years ago. Then I mentioned to him that I liked to salsa and he got so excited. He blasted on his salsa cd, began hollaring and dancing to the music. It brightened my very non eventful day. I got to the airport...to spend the night once again since our airplane would leave around 6am on Saturday. I hung around waiting to meet with Richelle. A young guy who worked at a chocolate shop began talking to me since he was pretty bored and there wasn't anyone interested in his shop. So he was good company for the next 2.5 hours and even offered me some chocolate samples which....I appreciated so much, only having had eaten terrible carrots that day. So the night past and I spent the night there and shinanigans. The next day I arrived in Santiago and that was the end of that trip!It was cool on my hike because we could drink the stream water...and it was the best water I've had in my life and you didn't have to worry about purifying water or anything since it was just water coming from the glacier and snow. My next adventure was this last weekend. I went to a beach town (el Tabo) with some friends, my friends boyfriend and his friend. We rented a cabin for a night and it was awesome. We spent some good time on the beach, relaxing, walking and playing soccer. I had a blast and everyone was impressed with my soccer moves so I'm glad I can still do some things. The guys were pretty into playing music. There was a guy who would sing, and there were two guitars and 2 odd percussion instruments. One being the güira which I think takes special talent to make sound good...since I had to play it and I'm pretty sure I wasn't making it work. It's kinda like scratching a cheese grate with a fork? I'll post a picture of it. I had lots of fun dancing and hanging out with everyone while having drinks and eating bread with avocado and grilled veggies. I brought vegan brownies for everyone to enjoy too. The cabins were pretty cute. We saw some exciting wild life. I found a really cool moth and we also saw a tarantula -like spider which was creepy since it was right after I had gone under the porch to grab keys I had dropped. One of the most fun weekends I've had here. I also danced a lot and just had a blast. It was a lot of fun getting hanging out with the girls in my program and the guys and just being goofy and jolly. Hey! Not a lot has been happening...I think I've felt 2 earthquakes this month? Once while in bed and then another while at school. the one at school was a 5.8, but my professor just shrugged it offf...I guess if it had lasted longer we would have evacuated. Anytime when someone in my class is bouncing the leg...shaking the floor, I have to realize that it isn't an earthquake. I've now felt 4 though, definitely something to brag about. Not a lot has gone on this month. I had a field trip to the beach which was the same as last semester. This time I didn't stay the weekend though so I could celebrate valentine's day. I haven't been dancing that much, but I think I'm still improving. It's not that I've been enjoying it less. Just less opportunities maybe. This time at the beach the sand dunes were too hot to climb and I saw dolphins from far away!
Classes have been good. I really enjoy all of my classes. My short story and essay class is really cool. We get really deep into discussion about important themes/concepts in latin america that are portrayed in writing and it's actually really interesting. I never though I could enjoy a class so much, especially in spanish. Then there's my writing class where we write but also read some trippy stories...that sometimes just don't make any sense. Then I have my latin american cultures class where we learn about the inkas, aztecs, mayans and the spanish conquistadors. So, I'm going home kind of soon. I'm starting to feel pressured to make the most out of the remainder of my trip. It's weird because Chile has become a second home to me. A way of life that will soon be thousands of miles and dollars away. Chile isn't even that different than the states, but it is. It's been difficult lately because I get excited that I'll get to go home soon....but then I get sad because I realize I'm leaving soon. It is going to be incredibly bitter sweet and as excited as I am, I'm uneasy about it. There are plenty of things in the states that I don't miss...and that's what I think about when I'm missing home. I'll do the same when I leave Chile I guess. Living in my apartment has been good. Traffic is loud, but it's loud everywhere in Santiago. After this experience I am going to want to travel more, not necessarily to Chile, but to other latin countries. Plus the Spanish is bound to be better anywhere else. I feel like there are many small differences here that I will miss. Like people being more approachable. Being a foreigner here can be terrible for my confidence at times ,but it can also be great for it. They also have hugeeee, parks here...the most beautiful, nice parks I've ever been to. I have more fun here, I've had the most fun I've had in my life. Fun is more accessible and part of the culture I feel like, or maybe it's part of the studying abroad culture. Maybe I'll be better at having it though. Traditional chilean food....mmm nothing I'm going to miss, but I'll miss the cheap market I got to to buy my produce sometimes . I'll miss seeing the Andes mountains everyday ,but I won't miss the smog. I'll miss the metro system. I miss being able to compost. I will miss the big giant windows that I can have open all the time without too many bugs entering, but not the heat that keeps me from sleeping and dehydrates me constantly. I miss more affordable, vegan friendly and thai restuarants. I will miss the incredibly diverse landscape of Chile, but I'm now encouraged and excited to travel and explore more of what the states has to offer me. I miss yummy water. I don't miss the usa media and I love being away from it. I'll miss the clothes that are in style and sold here. Their style is much more fun. I will miss seeing men wearing fashionable scarves. I won't miss being catcalled but I might miss being called beautiful by strangers. I miss paper bags and free public bathrooms.I will miss spontaneous 5 dollar buses that will take me to the beach.I will miss the ability to completely block out noisy conversations ,but I miss being able to understand a language pretty much all the time. I'll miss the salsa, bachata and old school english music they play here. I'll miss the non annoying and pretty birds here ,but I miss the squirrels. I miss having a backyard. I miss actual mexican food and my bed. I'll miss seeing that people love each other in public and graffiti as real art, I miss things being easily accessible. I'll miss everyone I have met here and been lucky to have had this experience with such as David ,the relationships that I've developed in my program, with people in Chile and other travelers , but I miss all of my friends and family more than ever and more than I knew I could. I just know though that it is going to be more difficult adjusting back to things than it was to adjust here. This week I'm going to the south for about 9 days. I'll be going with 4 other people so I'm pretty excited but have a lot to do. On Thursday we will fly to the south of chile in Punto Arenas and then take transportation to Torres del Paine national park to do the "W" circuit which should be about 4 days. So I'm going to Patagonia pretty much, the Chilean part. Patagonia is also in Argentina. I'll post a picture of Torres del Paine. Today I was going out shopping for warmer/better hiking clothes and totally managed to lock myself out. I have been really great about having my keys on me, but I went running yesterday so I disconnected them from my key chain, not realizing my keys weren't attached when I left. So that was annoying. I went down to reception to see if they could help me in any way and he tried to bust through my door with a plastic thing which didn't work..luckily my roommate was coming back from vacation today and would be back in 3 hours. So I went and did my shopping and it all worked out really well! I was proud for how well explaining my problem to the receptionist worked or just that he understood me and what not. I've been salsa dancing, but not as much as I had last term. It was cool because David planned an outdoor salsa/bachata event at a park that had a really great outcome. Every now and then I go to couch surf meetings at a bar where travelers/foreigners go to meet eachother and chileans just to chat and mingle. It's a lot of fun and I always meet new people who are patient with my Spanish. I guess I really enjoy these events because they're fun and that I don't feel intimidated or uncomfortable when speaking spanish. So yeah! That's kinda the scoop. Oh and there's the pigeon, that I've already told you all about! she'll probably be traumatized with me leaving the week and get pissed that no one is feeding her peanuts, but maybe her babies will be there when I come back! |
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