From Darkness Comes Light

This entry somehow is coming over a month after the last. Time is going by faster than the space skydiver. There are a few reasons why it has been so long since I’ve sat down to write. So, here we go.

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a very wonderful friend of mine from the Valdivia bus station. Georg had flown from Germany to spend three weeks visiting both Jon and I, and to go on the adventure of a lifetime. I know Georg from when we worked together in the lab in Minnesota. During his time there, the three of us became great friends, identifying with the same likes and loves of exploring the outdoors. A little over a year ago in Minnesota, the three of us sat down and talked about the possibility that I was going to be in Chile during the Fall of 2012. We decided there and then that we were all going to meet back up in Chile, and make our way to Patagonia; the ultimate place for an amazing hiking trip. Like many promises in life, I wasn’t too sure how or if this would all pan out.

Fast-forward to a year later and you will find me at the bus station waiting for my nutty German pal. He arrived and so began our awesome journey. Friday the 21^st we went to a coworkers house by the beach for a party. It was his celebration for defending his thesis to become a Vet. Chileans know how to have a good time. We spent the night sharing beers, wine, pisco, and melt-in-your-mouth grilled meat. When people weren’t dancing, they were laughing at the Gringa in the room. When they weren’t laughing at the Gringa, they were laughing at the German. This went on until we found ourselves back at my house at 4am. The funny part of this was that we had to get up at 5:30am for our bus.

A very rough morning rolled around, and we made it to the bus station for a bus to head to Puerto Montt. From Puerto Montt, we would take a plane to Punta Arenas. From Punta Arenas (the end of the world) we would take a bus to Puerto Natales. From Puerto Natales, we would take another bus that would finally drop us off in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. In true Chilean time, our initial flight was delayed by 6 hours. Weather in Punta Arenas was unforgiving, and no one could fly in or out. Nearly 48 hours later, we were finally settled into a hostel in Puerto Natales, ready for our adventure to begin the next morning.

Bright and early, with packs in tow, we FINALLY boarded our bus to the park. We were in Patagonia, and it felt amazing. I don’t even know how to begin explaining the minutes, hours, and days of the whole trip. It is something that words, as eloquent as you try to make them, cannot describe. Even before we arrived to our starting point in the park, I was blown away at the sheer beauty of this place. Untouched and preserved wild as far as the eye can see. It was breathtaking. The drive into the park had views of the pure blue-green glacier water, freshly covered snowy mountains, and Guanacos, a Patagonian llama. Apparently this was nothing compared to what we’d experience in the 5 days that followed.

Our plan was to hike the “W” trail of the park, but in reverse. The first day started out with a good warm-up of flat hiking. As we continued on, the snow-topped mountains got closer and closer, until we were finally navigating them. For a few hours, we hiked through, up, and over a lot of different terrain and through very antsy weather. This was our first experience of the winds that Patagonia is capable of; being the first place in the southern hemisphere where the winds touch land, Patagonian winds are unlike anything on the planet. You can’t even get annoyed by it…all you can do is stand there, and laugh at how much you are able to defy gravity.

After about 4 hours, we were at our first camp, next to Lago Pehoe. This was absolutely beautiful. After some warm food, and a cold-night’s rest, we would set off for Glacier Grey the next day. On day two, we had a 30 km hike ahead of us. It was 15km one way, in order to reach the amazing glacier. This proved to be a long and tiring day. As hard as it was, this did not matter. Once the glacier came into view, it was by far, the most mind-boggling thing I’d ever seen. You are looking at this beautiful glacier-blue lake, with bobbing iceburgs floating around. You look a bit ahead, and see the upcoming mountains clogged by a tremendous glacier. As far as the eye could see, the Patagonian ice field swept through the mountains. It was beautiful. Eery and beautiful. Photos never do wonders such as this justice, but here is an attempt to see what I am talking about:

The glacier was just one of many highlights of the trip. For 5 days, we spent the days navigating ever-changing terrain and weather. We chatted with hikers from all around the world, there for the same reason; to experience Patagonia. There were so many highlights, that it is hard to put it all down. Instead, I will show you through pictures.

Along with the many life-highs that I experienced on this trip, there were also the moments of self-defeat. The most difficult parts of the whole trip were the nights. After long and exhausting days, I found myself freezing. It didn’t matter how many layers of clothes I had on or how tight I cinched my sleeping bag over my head; I was frozen. Each night I found myself waking up to wind, rain, or just a new cold spot on my body. I would try and shift and stuff more clothes in my bag, but I never could shake the cold. The last night we were there was the worst. My clothes were damp, I was chilled, and I’d had enough. That night, I lay there staring at the ceiling. I kept thinking, “Well, you’re not cold enough where you are going to die. You’re not going to get hypothermia. And in a few hours, the sun will rise and all will be good”. After impatiently waiting for the light, it finally came. 

With the light, came the coolest morning of my life. The life-saver of a sun rose, and we were off to make our final ascent in the park. On a trail that was 95% incline, we hiked through an increasing amount of snow. Being that it was early morning, the snow looked like something out of a movie. The sun glistened off every flake. The snow had that, “just snowed” smoothness to it, which made it feel ever more like Narnia. The trek to the top was difficult to say the least. I wasn’t very well equipped for thigh-high snow. It made it that much more interesting. Having to carefully plot your every step, and make sure there is Earth underneath you, makes for a very interesting hike. Nonetheless, we survived. And most importantly, we made it. 5 days and almost 100km later, we had reached the end; Las Torres del Paine. Standing at the top, it felt wonderful. It was awesome to think of the past 5 days, but more peaceful to just stand at the top and admire the view. For 360 degrees, it was perfect. It felt like I was truly experiencing untouched perfection. While we admired the view, 4 more people that we had met on the trip also joined us. Once everyone was at the top, the 6 of us took pictures, congratulated each other, and just sat in awe of how amazing the park was. I don’t think I could have asked for a more perfect trip. 5 days of pure beauty. 5 days laughing with a good friend. 5 days of time with my thoughts. On the walk out of the park, I thanked God for all I was blessed with. It had been a while since I actually did that, but I could not have thought of a better time to drop in and say hello again.

I did not know how ironic and important my time in Patagonia would become. The nights were a perfect metaphor for the coming days; Miserable in the darkness, waiting for the light. When I returned to town from the trip, there was an unexpected turn of events. And after this amazing trip, life changed. Without sharing all of the details, I found myself returning to Valdivia as a single woman. I want to share this in such a public place as this, because I am hoping that it would maybe help someone in the same situation see the brighter side of things.

 The days ahead of my trip were filled with crying, long talks with family and friends, and self-reflection as to why this all was happening. After such an amazing trip, and during such an exciting time in my life, WHY? That is the hardest and most frustrating word. This of course will be a tremendous process to go through, but it is exactly that; a process. Losing a loved one, in any capacity, is horrible. As I said, the nights in Patagonia were a perfect metaphor for my days ahead. I have so much faith in the light. Those nights were miserable, but the days that followed were amazing. With the light, came the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. In the past 2 weeks, I have looked back at my pictures of the trip and have tried to remind myself of how beautiful life is. After all of the pain, heartbreak, and exhaustion, beauty still exists. Life still continues just as it did before. 

This is how I am looking at all of this. From the darkness, something great is going to come. And when it does, I will be ever more grateful. I wish everyone had the opportunity to see places like Patagonia. Life is a funny ride that can change in an instant. It is much easier to be weak than it is strong when you are thrown a curve ball. I think the thing that you need to remember is that with the bad, comes the good; with the dark, comes the light. Life is filled with straight crap, but its also filled with beauty that is often times, overlooked. When you remember to appreciate the good and the beautiful, I think that is when you have got it figured out.  I have no idea what the future holds, but I know that it is exactly what it is supposed to be.

Patiently and graciously waiting for the sun…

Ashley

Empanadas Are For Lovers

I have officially been a resident of Valdivia for 2 weeks today! That is nuts....the time is flying by WAY too fast. My experience in Chile thus far has been much better than I expected. Its not that I expected anything bad, I just expected that it would take some time for me to adjust to this new life. A life without Jon,  a different country,  a new job, a new language...new everything. I enjoy breaking out of my comfort zone, but it usually always takes that initial adjustment period for establishing a routine, and being comfortable with the uncomfortable. When I went to Costa Rica, I was miserable for the first 2 weeks. I was unable to see how amazing my experience was, and just wanted to come home. For this trip, I haven't felt that way at all. It is a little weird. It is weird how everything here feels, and has felt, so uncharacteristically normal. It is a very refreshing feeling. As I have said in every other post, I love it here. I love everything about it. I don't like being away from Jon, my family, and friends, but Skype makes that a whole lot easier. It makes it seem like everyone is around the corner. I am also so incredibly thankful that everything worked out the way it did and Jon was able to do his study abroad in Santiago. Although its not down the block, it is a short flight or modest bus ride away. Its a tremendous comfort knowing we can see each other whenever we want.

Besides my obvious happiness with my happiness, the week has been great. Things are much clearer for the project, and its seems as if we will be off the ground running on Day 1 (Sept 24th). You may be wondering why the start date is over a week away. Well, let me tell you about this little celebration known as Fiestas Patrias; Chile's independence day. Tuesday, September 18th is the actual day. But unlike the United States, it seems as if Chile spends 10 days celebrating the immense pride they have for their country. Where I live, there is a big fair ground practically across the street. For the past 2 nights, there have been parties that can be heard until 3am. Apparently, that is just the start of it. The next week here is supposed to be filled with lots of food, drinking, dancing, and fun. Everywhere you go, there are Chilean flags. Both Thursday and Friday, we had a party at work. There was trays of empanadas and chilean sweets. It was glorious. It is making me incredibly excited for the actual day. If the days leading up to it are this great, I can only imagine how Tuesday will be. The exciting thing is that I get to spend it with Jon in Santiago! I can't wait to see him..as always.

Besides relishing in the festivities, I have actually done some work. Believe it or not. Claudia, my research advisor, was here Wednesday through Friday. It was great because we were all able to hash out our plans for the project and lay out who is doing what. This was something that was important for me to have just so that I knew nothing was being lost in translation. Claudia's visit made me feel very comfortable and happy with the weeks to come. She is insistent that I learn and get exposed to as much as I can and want to be exposed to. There are endless opportunities for me to work with different people, projects, and techniques. I am really excited to dive deep into all of the field work opportunities that I will have. Oddly enough, one of the things I am most excited about is doing the necrposies of the rodents we capture. I thought that I would never want to touch another rodent again after doing it for so long, but this is going to be cool. Who wouldn't love to open up a crazy, wild, infectious rat while wearing a biohazard suit? Call me crazy, but I am pumped. And crazy.

I am going to spend my Saturday eating some delicious food that Marianna whips up, and then am going to the mall. Lame, I know. But apparently, I didn't have a brain when I packed for this trip and ended up coming to find that I am severely lacking clothes. When people say that it is cold here, they are telling you the truth. And when you dress for cold weather in Minnesota, you dress knowing that you are exposed to cold for about 10 minutes, and then you sit in a nice heated building in a t-shirt. Here, wrong-o. I might as well take my paper thin shirts I brought and sew myself another blanket.

Until next time, here are a few photos from the week.I am going to watch the gopher game now:) Go GOPHERS!!

Feliciano the desk cat

The sea lions that line my running path:)

Puerto Rican pina coladas made by Christina. Delicious!

Ciao,

Ash

A Great Work Week

As the title of this entry suggests, I was pretty happy with the way my first week in the lab turned out. With the Spanish challenge aside, things went really well. One of my favorite days this week was Wednesday. Wednesday was when we ventured out of Valdivia to go to los campos. Our lepto study needed to enroll 5 farms for the project. These were all locations from a previous study that tested positive for Leptospira bacteria in the water surrounding their homes. The previous study looked cross-sectionally at contamination, and our goal is to look temporally. Therefore, Marcelo and Gunther made a list of the homes that had the most positive samples, and we went from there. The trip took us about an hour or so away to the town of Lanco. The drive out to Lanco made me love it here even more..everything is just so beautiful. Once we got to Lanco, it was the perfect, quiet place I've been to in a long time. The roads to the various farms were tiny dirt roads with next to no traffic. All you see is livestock, modest little houses, rivers, and mountains. Perfect. I was nervous for this part of the week because I knew that I may end up having to talk (pathetic. I know). I was afraid of what the people would think. But then, we arrived at the first house, and I realized how wonderful all of the people were. They all seemed like the type of people that would invite you in for a dinner and a good conversation. At each house we visited, Marcelo gave a run-down of why were there and what we wanted to do. Everyone seemed legitimately willing to help, and concerned about what the previous study found. Every house we visited signed off on our consent forms and were completely willing to be part of our study. 100% success rate. Yay! I am super excited to go back to the farms and start our sampling. We will be taking water samples, as well as animal blood samples, and trapping rodents. Just from that one day, I realize that I am and already do love field work. Lab work is great, but it is nice to get out and interact with the people. Hopefully by the end of the project, I will be able to have a full conversation with all of them and tell them how grateful I am.
To top off the day at the farms, we stopped at this little roadside stand for what I was told would be a "huge sandwich". They weren't kidding.

 This glorious work of art was the weight of a small child. The bread was made in a brick oven, and the meat cooked to perfect tender perfection. It was absolutely, ridiculously delicious. The best part was that it was from a little stand that I never would have known about or stopped at by myself. The little hidden gems of travel spots are what makes traveling so addictive.
The rest of the time at the lab was spent working on our study questionnaire, and looking into other things to do for the project. Friday was by far the most taxing day. It started by me getting to work at 11:30am. From there, Marcelo, Gunther, and I took a nice stroll through the gorgeous botanical gardens on the UACh campus. It is filled with different trees from all over Chile, and runs alongside one of the main rivers here. After that, we went for lunch and beers at Kuntsman! Kuntsman is the brewery/restaurant here that I really wanted to go to. It is a little piece of bavarian Germany, in the middle of Chile. It was awesome, and the bock was even better:) After that, we drove another 5 minutes to the point where the rivers meet the ocean, and it opens up into the Pacific. This was indescribably beautiful. I loved every site, sound, and smell. The best part is that the coast is only 10 minutes from Valdivia. Just a short bus ride, and I can be there whenever I want. Friday just made me fall in love with this place even more, because it has everything that I love. Gorgeous scenery, water, mountains, culture, good food, great beer, and quiet. I wish I could have all of my family and friends here to see why I love it so much.
So, that was my work week. I am so happy with the opportunity that I have been given, and am enjoying every second of it. Today I made a trip to the Mercado Municipal and bought the sweetest alpaca sweater know to man. It is most definitely going to be my new go-to. Other than that, my Saturday night plans consist of Spanish flashcards, teatime with my house family, and red wine with the ladies.
Take care everyone!

Ash

The Most Loborious Labor Day. Ever.

What better day to start a job in a foreign country than labor day. Ironic? Yeah. Today was Day 1 working with the group at Universidad Austral de Chile here in Valdivia. I was excited, but very, very nervous to start. When I think about it, I have been preparing for today for almost a year. A year ago, I talked my professor about opportunities he knew of for me to do my MPH field experience and thesis. All I knew was that I wanted to do some type of field work in infectious disease, and in Latin America. When I volunteered in Costa Rica back in 2006, I absolutly loved it and therefore knew that I could not do my field experience in any other way. I'm not going to lie...there have been parts of me that wished I did a simpler route and stayed in the Twin Cities. I then remind myself that I like to make mountains out of mole hills, so I shouldn't be too surprised with me being here. When I was setup with my research adviser, I was beyond excited to finally have an opprotunity to gain some insight into this field. Claudia has been great through it all. I told her I wanted to apply for a global grant through the U of M and she worked tediously with me to get a proposal together. It paid off, and here I am.
Today was exciting and equally, overwhelming. I first have to say, my hats off to people that come into the United States to work without fully knowing English. I think I have 1000 times more respect for you. It is very difficult to not understand someone, and to not be able to express what you want to say. It is frustrating becuase I don't want anyone to think I am the lazy, dumb American. I doubt they do, but it is such a natural feeling to have. All of the people in the lab are very, very patient and helpful. Marcelo spent a lot of time writing things out, because I told him I understand that better than I understand when he talks. That helped a ton. And then there was Spanish Dictionary.com. Holy man, I love that website. I don't know how many times we used that site to translate today. Of course, I tried my hardest to understand or to come up with the words on my own. Once I got a little more comfortable and a little less shy, I felt better saying straight out, "I have no idea what you are talking about". This whole language barrier is most definitely humbling. It makes me want to work twice as hard, and leave here practically fluent.
Language barrier aside, it was a good day. It was good to finally be here and start ironing out what is going to happen in the project. It was cool to see the lab, and see how things are different compared to home. The one thing that I still unsure of is exactly my place in the lab. From what I understood, it is really up to me. I want to get the most out of the experience for myself, while contributing the most to the project. I think as of now, I will be trying it all out. I'll be writing the questionnaire I've been working on (Epidemiology questionnaire addressing Leptospira transmission risk factors, and risk perception), going out to communities to collect environment samples, trapping and performing the necropsy on the rodents (big.wild.rats.), administering the questionnaire (my Spanish should probably improve before that), and working to detect lepto in the lab. The exciting and challenging thing that I may be doing is a certain technique I have done countless times in the lab in the U.S. It hasn't been done here, and no one is sure if it will even work. If I manage to get that up and running, and working, I will probably be the happiest person on the planet.
So that sums up the first dya, overwhelming and self-defeating. Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully a day where I know just a little bit more Spanish. I have the week to get aquainted, and then Claudia (my advisor) will be here for a week to get things going. This will be nice for more direction. Then the week after that is Chile's week long holiday celebration where people apparently drink a lot of chicha,  eat empanadas, and not work (a week long makeup for my missed labor day). I'll take that. So, 2 weeks, and then a break. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
Now, I am going to wrap myself in 5 blankets, and watch the worst American chick flick I can find on Netflix.
Happy labor day everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last day of summer, and have great plans for the upcoming fall.

Lost in Translation,

Ash

Valdivia!

I have finally arrived to my final destination for the next few months...Valdivia! The past 24 hours have been exhausting but filled with lots of new things. Timing worked out wonderfully and Jon was able to meet me to take me to my bus in Santiago. I felt 1000 times better being put on the bus by him as opposed to lugging my copious amounts of belongings through the city, with no one to see me off. Although we only got about an hour with each other, it was exactly what I needed. Man, I love that guy:)
I left Santiago at 8:30pm last night for an 11 hour bus ride to Valdivia. The bus was shockingly great! My seat was in the front row, on the upper deck. It was a pretty cool view, even though it was dark out. The seats were comfortable and could pretty much recline all the way down. The Condor staff was also incredibly nice. They give you a pillow and blanket but instead of coldly handing it to you or charging you $5, they gently fluff the pillow, put it behind your head, and practically tuck you in with your blanket. With this great setup, I thankfully slept for most of my trip. I woke up to an early morning filled with rain. Apparently it rains a LOT in Valdivia and in this general vacinity. When I arrived to the city, I got off the bus hoping that the person I was supposed to be meeting (Marcelo) would be able to pick me out. Never seeing each other before, I thought this may be hard, but then I figured that being a gringa, I stick out like a sore thumb. Well, I was right. He find me easy peasy. Marcelo is a faculty member at the Universidad Austral de Chile where I will be working on my project. He has been incredibly kind and helpful, emailing back and forth with me even though my spanish is terrible. After the bus, he drove me around the city, made sure I had everything I needed, and introdcued me to my new house.
I now am 1 of 3 students living in the nicest, cutest pension. It is conveniently directly across the street from the university. It is quiet, pretty, and the perfec place for me. My room is also really comfortable. I have plenty of space, a desk overlooking the field, a cozy bed, and even a cute little reading chair. My clost here is twice the size of mine at home too! Other than my room, the rest of the house is adorable. It is two stories and is just filled with charm. My new house "mom" is named Mariana and is very sweet. At first, I was freaking out about how fast her and Marcelo speak, but it already has gotten better. I am realizing that I just have to take it slow, ask for help, and listen as much as possible. They even said that I was doing well...I'll take it! The other two people that live here are both students. One from Puerto Rico, and one from the U.S. Having someone else in my same shoes makes me feel a thousand times better. It looks like we will have to help each other a lot.
I really love my living situation here so far. Everyone is nice, and it feels like a little family. Meals are eaten together which allows for a lot of conversation. I LOVE how chileans eat too! Our biggest meal was lunch, which consisted of delicious food made on the wood stove. It made it feel cozier in a weird way. Instead of dinner, we just had what they call "Once" (ohn-say).  It felt very European because it consisted of bread with some meats, cheeses, ham spread, and mashed avocado. To wash it done, was the steaming hot tea. By the time we sat down, half of my body was shivvering because of the temp here. Having no central heat will take some getting used to. The house is heated by a wood stove, which makes it seem more hardcore:) Anyways, the hot tea was perfect. This was a nice meal to end the day because we all just sat and chatted, learned new and random words, and got to know each other. I also brought my house mom wild rice from Minnesota which I think she thought was great.
Overall, a great day. The thing I was freaking out the most about before I left for Chile was my arrival here. I was afraid to be here alone, meet who I would be living with, meet who I would be working with, and try and stay afloat on the language boat. So far, I will chalk this day up as successful. I think I am going to like it here. I actually think I am going to love it here. I guess I will have to revisit this thought on monday when I actually start work, but hopefully it only gets better from here.
Tomorrow is going to be more exploring day. I am sure I will have plenty to talk about:)

See ya dudes.

Last Day in Santiago... :) / :(

So, today is my last day living out of my suitcase in Santiago. I have one more private spanish lesson in an hour, and then I officially graduate from a seriously intense week of Spanish instruction. It has been quite to week. I never thought that I would naturally begin to think in Spanish, but that is all I have been doing. Hearing and speaking Spanish 6 hours a day has really had an impact. Although I still sound like a child raised by wolves when I speak, I have indeed improved. I have also made a few new friends, which is always nice. Today, as it was the last class, we all brought in treats. It was fun to celebrate the tough week with people from all around the world. To be specific, there was Callum from Australia, Malissa from Thailand, Juana from Germany, Emma from Australia, Cherryl from The Phillipines, and Sandra from Italy. Being in situations like this, it makes you realize how great of a world we live in, and that although it is big, we are pretty much just like one another. This is getting slightly sappy, but this is why I love traveling. Meeting people from corners of the world you could only dream of visiting is pretty interesting. Sharing travel stories, asking about recommendations of their home countries, and poking fun at each others' cultures really never gets old (lots of Obama comments in the past week...). Overall, this has been a great experience thus far.
I am excited to move on to my new home in Valdivia, but sad to leave that guy I am marrying. The good news is that he is going to escort me to the bus station tonight! I didn't think he would be back in time, so this is indeed, a very pleasant surprise. I saw him only 3 days ago, but it feels like a month.
So, now that I have been in Chile for over a week, I figured I would share the top ten funny/odd/interesting/uncomfortable/endearing things I have learned about Santiago.

1. If you cook onions and/or garlic in your house, be prepared to be shunned by your neighbors and yelled at by your landlord. Apparently it counts as a "very smelly" food, which is not allowed. Controlling??
2. Public displays of affection in Chile make all Americans look like the awkward teenager with braces that has never been kissed. Seriously...I've never seen so much rolling around in public as I have here. In a totally non-creepy, non-perverted, non-molestor kind of way, I find it kind of sweet.
3. Stray dogs are equals. The butcher gives them fresh chicken. 50% of them are wearing fleece sweaters. They know when to cross the street, and when to wait for the signal. They seem to sniff out the "Extranjeros", and follow them...hoping that our sympathy bone kicks in and we share our empanadas with them.
4. When you build a city in the middle of the Andes, expect smog. Lots of smog. I was even told that when children in schools here paint a picture of the city, the horizon is in grey. When the smog is not as bad, it is beautiful.
5. You can try your hardest to dress, act, and talk like a local, but everyone knows you are not. I have accepted this, and find myself laughing daily at the awkward stares I get.
6. Chileans are classy. They dress nice, and they seem to be polite.
7. Chileans have eating habits figured out. Big lunch, small and late dinner. Cheap wine, whenever you please. These things...I love.
8. Although they talk REALLY fast, it seems as if the people of Santiago are willing to help you if you are willing to help yourself.
9. Department stores make no sense. At least to me. The TV's are next to the boys' clothing, and bed sheets are by the heaters. Como?
10. This place loves, LOVES avocados. You can smash it up and put it on just about anything. When you buy an avocado and slice it open, it is a heavenly, perfect green. It is spread on hot dogs (as we use ketchup), it is spread on bread, slice on a salad, mashed in your beer (kidding. but wouldn't be surprised). It is everywhere, and that makes me very, very happy.

Santiago, you're pretty cool. Take care of Jon for me. See you soon.

Adios,

Ashley

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my blog! I decided to start this for 3 reasons. 1. I want everyone back home to be able to share in my experiences. 2. I want to remember years from now all of the minute things that made my trip what it will be. and 3. I express my feelings best through words...and in a country where I barely speak the language, it looks like a blog in English will be my best outlet. So here it goes..

Jon and I arrived in Santiago last Thursday morning. We had until yesterday (Tuesday) morning to explore the city, immerse ourself in the language, and spend our last days with each other. Our home for 5 days was a hostel call La Chimba in Barrio Bellavista of Santiago. This hostel is pretty great in terms of its location. It is right next to San Cristobol, a beautiful monument on the top of a very large hill. Our first full day in Santiago was spent hiking up to San Cristobol and enjoying the views. It was very surreal at the top, because all in one picture, you see snow-covered mountains, spring tree blossoms, endless buildings, and smog. The view was beautiful and awkward all at the same time.
Other than our hike, we have spent countless hours on our feet, exploring the city. Although Santiago has an amazing metro system, we decided we would learn more and see more on foot. Although this was true, it got pretty exhausting....Santiago is huge. My favorite highlight thus far was visiting the zoo in Santiago. It is built into the mountains and has countless beautiful animals, including PENGUINS. If you know me well, you know how exciting that is for me!!!
Overall, we had a pretty great few days together, but then yesterday morning came. I was dreading it. Jon had his first day with his study abroad program, which meant that our status as roomates was over.
They left for the coast early yesterday morning to begin their orientation and to enjoy in the must-haves of Chile. The second he left was when my new journey began...flying solo in a place far from home. I'm not going to lie...it has been hard. I thrive when I am surrounded by those I love. I enjoy learning, seeing and doing new things, but not alone. When I am alone, that is when I find I learn and experience the most, because I have no other choice.
That being said, I am enjoying this new alone time, because I am keeping myself busy. I have been in Spanish class for 3 days now, and am exTREMely overwhelmed. For 6 hours a day, its solo espanol. If I have a question, I have to ask it in Espanol. If I say anything in English, it is rarely understood. My level of Spanish before I came here was pretty low. Although I have only been in class for 3 days, I already can see an improvement. A class where English isn't an option is most definitely the best and only way to learn. It is frustrating, but it is helpful.
Although Santiago has treated me well and has been interesting, I am very anxious to move on to Part II of the trip. I leave for my city, Valdivia, on Friday night and arrive there Saturday morning. Although it will be further away from Jon, I am excited to finally reach my destination and to settle into my new home. Word on the street is that Valdivia is muy tranquillo...I think that is what I need. Calm and quiet. Santiago is a bit much for this little northerner who is used to glasses of Malbec on my quiet deck next to my fiance.
All in all, I couldn't be happier that I am here. It is good to put yourself out of your comfort zone. It had been a while since I did that, so here I am. With every passing day, I get a little more comfortable. Hopefully, I also get a little more fluent.
Until next time, I would love to chat with all of you whenever! As is probably obvious, I get lonely and love to share in the happenings of things back home.

Take care everyone!

La Gringa