Me ENCANTA Deportes

Todas school was just school. It wasn't super exciting but it was bad at all either. I talked to people, participated in a skit (that I still have no clue what was about), and tried to take legible notes in ESPAÑOL. The exciting stuff happened after my classes. Since its Friday, we got out of school at 1:00pm. I ate lunch with some friends and then decided to join the volleyball team! I have gone to volleyball camps and played with friends, but I am not exaggerating when I say I had NO clue what I was doing. Learning how to play a sport after the age of 10 is difficult, but learning to play a sport in another language? HAH. Forget that! I was completely surprised after volleyball when the coach came up to me and told me I was very talented and that he hoped I would continue to come. After volleyball, I ran across the school to go to soccer practice. Today, the trainer made practice a little bit more difficult and it was very nice, but not as amazing as what happened after practice. After practice, the trainer came up to me and invited me to TRAIN WITH THE BOYS! I realize that I am not at their skill level - not even close - but I am so excited because doing this is going to make me so much better. I feel so honored! I am going to wait until I am comfortable with my Spanish first, but I am so so so so so excited. That's all I have to say right now. Chao!

(My blog needs more pictures so here is something I drew today in class..)

My Host Dad is Pretty Cool

Today I woke up really excited for it to be warm again, and it ended up being one of the coldest days I have experienced in Chile. HAHAH. Thanks, Chile. But that's okay because today was a silly and awesome day anyways. During my classes today I did barely anything, as usual. I drew pictures and smiled at people and had little conversations and stuff. It was a lighthearted and sort of fluffy day. During lunch, Dani helped me call my parents and explain that I was allowed to leave at 4:00pm today because my art class had been canceled. After lunch, my biology class had a test so I went and hung out in the library with a bunch of my friends. We played a game that involved running between all the book shelves but every time a teacher entered the library we had to act studious. We were laughing so hard! At one point, a teacher came and asked us if we would help set up the school theater for a folklore dance competition that would take place later in the evening. We then hung out on the stage and hung up flags and folded little papers and played around with the microphones. I realized, while lying down on the stage with friends I had met a week ago, how amazing it is that I am so comfortable with these people. One of the most common questions people ask me here when they find out I'm an exchange student is whether I am accustomed to Chile yet, and I think it's time for me to start saying "yes."

At 3:00pm, I got a message saying my dad was waiting for me in the office. I got super scared because I realized that I had told him the wrong time in Spanish and I didn't want him to be mad. I somehow forgot for a moment that I have the COOLEST host parents in the world. My dad laughed when he learned about my mistake, and congratulated me on getting to miss another hour of biology. He seemed happy to hang out with me and took me running before taking off to teach a security class to the new cops. My dad is a retired cop because in Chile, cops can retire after 30 years of service and still get payed, so he pretty much just does whatever he wants all day and gets payed for it, which is awesome. After running, I skyped Juliana for about half an hour until my mom got home. It was so nice to talk to Ju! I had/have sooooo much to tell her that I cannot put into words and I don't have very much time to try. When my mom got home, she told me she was going to the supermarket. I asked her if she wanted me to come and she got super excited and happy! We went grocery shopping and got coffee and talked a lot. When we got home, we ate dinner and talked more. I love talking to my mom. She is so interesting and happy and always has the patience to listen to what I am trying to say. What we miss through the language barrier we make up for with smiles and hand motions so every conversation is lively and entertaining! I am going to sleep now, guys. Goodnight!

Awkward Sally Moment in Chile #2

Today was a very fun, very silly, and very warm day. When I got to school I noticed that nobody else was wearing the tights that we all usually wear. It turns out that was because today ended up being a pretty warm day! I don't understand Celsius yet, but today I learned that 25 degrees Celsius is too warm for tights. Today many people in my class participated in a debate competition that was held at our school. Apparently are school is awesome at this and wins every year, so a lot of pressure is put on the participants. The cool thing is that the rest of the school doesn't really have to do anything for the entire day because the schedules get so mixed up. I spent half the day trying to understand the debate, and the other half eating lunch twice. 

During my last class of the day, art, my teacher gave me the option of watching the debate instead of taking the art test with the rest of my class. When I went to watch the debate, I discovered it was lunch break for the debaters and decided to eat lunch with them instead. I met so many new people and I remember none of their names! At one point during lunch, I was walking across the cafeteria when suddenly I found myself sprawled out across the floor on my hands and knees. Tons of people rushed over to help me and make sure I was okay, but soon we started laughing because I had slipped in food that was on the floor and had some how managed to fall in slow motion. I was sooo embarrassed, but surprised at how nice everyone was to me about it. One boy from one of the other schools even leaned over and told me "don't worry, you look beautiful even when you are falling." Hahahahah ohhh these Chileans. They are so perfect. 

When I went into my classroom to get my backpack, I discovered a note for me on my backpack and I have posted a picture below. It was not signed by anyone and I think it looks like a girls handwriting, but nevertheless it made my day a little more interesting. In the same picture is a drawing another boy in my class made for me. I think it's awesome! 

El Fin Day Semana Sin Fran

It's Sunday night and I have just gotten into bed at 8:32pm because I am absolutely exhausted from this weekend. I have been so busy the last couple nights that I didn't have time to write! I have done so many exciting things over the weekend so I hope I remember to include them all in this post, but I don't know if that is possible while I am in this sleep-deprived state of mind, hahah. 

On Friday I went to school and had a very fun day! It was fun because we did absolutely nothing but talk all day in our classes. Apparently this past week was a very relaxed one for my class and starting tomorrow morning things will be a lot more serious, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. After school I went out to lunch with my parents. We went to a buffet and it was yummy! On our way home from the buffet, someone crashed into the back of our car. I was wearing a seat belt (which is an abnormal thing to do in Chile) and I am glad I was or else I might have been injured. The car is fine and my parents are fine because it was a very minor accident (and I mean VERY minor, mom, so you don't have to ask Lilian about it or flip out or worry). When we got home, I changed my clothes and my parents took me to my first soccer practice at Colegio Coya. I had fun because the girls were very nice, but in all honesty we barely did anything and very few people showed up and I don't think what we were doing actually counted as "playing soccer." When I got home, I took a shower and then got a call from my next door neighbor, Sofi, telling me to come over to her house and meet her school friends. I hung out with her for at least a few hours. Her friends were super nice and accepting, of course, because they are all Chilean and lovely. My mom came over to Sofi's house to get me at around 9:30pm and I though we would just go home but instead she told me we were actually going to another one of her friends houses. We went to the house and ate delicious crackers and I was trying to smile and engage in conversations but I was so exhausted. At 1:20am I decided to close my eyes for a few seconds, and at about 2:45 I was awoken by two giggling Chilean women. I was SO confused. I said a few things in English and they just kept laughing. I quickly remembered where I was and found it quite hilarious too. We then drove home and I fell asleep within minutes of lying down. I was too tired to blog, hahah. 

The next morning I woke up at about 10:00am to go running with my dad. I ran three miles and felt very happy! When I got home I began the long task of switching from the guest room to my new room (Fran's old room). For those of you who don't know, Fran is completely obsessed with One Direction and the walls of her room were covered with posters of their faces. After moving my clothes, I spent hours carefully removing the posters and then scrubbing away the pieces of paper and tape that wre stuck to the wall. It took forever, but I am very pleased with the results! At 7:00pm my parents drove me to a friends house for a sleepover that some girls in my class put together for me. My friends and I went to the Jumbo to buy ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. They don't have chocolate chip cookies in Chile, and I wanted to do something nice for these people who have been nothing but kind to me! When we returned from the Jumbo, I got to meet the German exchange student who had arrived in Rancagua earlier that day. His name is Nigel and he will be going to the same school as me. Seeing him made me very excited! It's funny how close you can feel to someone just because they are going through the same stuff as you. Nigel is from a different country, we speak different languages and probably have very little in common, but I know we are going to stick together through our exchanges. 

When Nigel and his host brothers left, I made the chocolate chip cookies. I had no clue if I was using the right ingredients, I didn't have any measuring devices, and I am already a terrible baker, but the girls liked them a lot! I was so happy, even if they were just pretending to like them it felt good to give back! We didn't end up going to sleep until 4:00am. 

This morning we woke up at about 8:30am (yeah I got 4 and a half hours of sleep...) and hung out and ate breakfast and talked and stuff. Then, I went to my friend Francesca's house to help her and some other friends film a video for what I am pretty sure is a history project. We spent all day filming and filming and laughing and talking at her beautiful house in the country. I got home from her house a little while ago and have come to the conclusion that this was a pretty great weekend. 

Before I go to sleep, there are a few more things I want to tell you guys. First of all, Fran is having an amazing time in the US. I know this because she has been messaging me and I have inspired her to create an exchange blog of her own! If you are interested, it is itsfranstange.blogspot.com. You should all check it out sometime!

Second of all, while I was at the sleepover I got a text from another friend I have here in Chile named Dani. Dani was already very special to me because she is so special to Fran, who I trust a lot, and told me that I can trust Dani with anything. But last night, she sent me a series of texts that made me so happy and that I have to share with you. In a nutshell, the texts said that she had read my blog post about Fran's departure, and that she wanted me to know that I have her and her friends here for me in Chile who will cry for me just as they did for Fran when it is my turn to depart from Santiago Airport. This message was so simple but SO heartwarming. Dani doesn't speak very much English, so the idea that she struggled through reading my blog and then took the time to send me a long response to it meant so much to me. People like Dani are the reason I feel loved and at home in Chile. 

Goodbye Fran

School today was amazing. I talked to people and laughed and was surprised by how much I noticed my Spanish improving!  The girls in my class are so sweet, hahah. They all wanted one of my Rotary business cards so I distributed them during class. I left school early to eat lunch at home with my family and Dani before going to the airport with Fran. All her things were packed up and ready to go when I got home, and the house felt a little emptier. We ate lunch, hung out for a bit, and then took off to the airport. 

We were at the airport for hours. It was a very lengthy goodbye, but I don't see how anyone could ever regret a single moment they spent around Fran. Almost our entire extended family was at the airport along with about ten of Fran's friends. I was impressed by the amount of people there, for the airport is over an hour away from Rancagua. But that is just how great Fran is. So many people love her so much and nobody was content with the idea of living with her absence for an entire year. 

I am not a very emotional person, or at least I don't like to be. I didn't cry when I when I left for my exchange because I was too excited and almost even selfish about it. Something about Fran leaving made me extremely sad. At first I thought I was sad because watching her mom cry touched me, and then I thought it was maybe because I was afraid of not having a human translator around me at all times. But as I hugged Fran goodbye, I realized it was because I felt the same way I imagine my little sister felt when I left. My big sister is leaving for a year, and I don't have anyone else like her in the world. This might seem a little dramatic because I met Fran two short weeks ago, but it is how I feel. I feel close her because she met me at the most fragile I have ever been, and took care of me and made me comfortable in her home with her things and expected nothing in return. I cried when I tried to say goodbye to Fran. I tried not to, but this time I couldn't hold back the tears. When people saw me crying they rushed over and hugged me. They comforted me with words I couldn't really understand, and I just cried more because they were acting as if my feelings were the most important thing in this world. I felt loved and safe and incredibly guilty, but peaceful despite the chaos of things. 

I am ready to live in Chile without Fran's help. It's going to be tough, but I know that I am more than capable of succeeding with this exchange. I don't miss Ukiah because I feel at home here, I'm just still getting adjusted to everything. I am glad I can feel this way while Fran is off having the time of her life in the US. 

Fran, since you are definitely reading this, I hope you had a peaceful flight (no fake French guys) and liked the letters I wrote you and the pictures I tried to draw. You are so lucky to have so many people who adore you in Chile. How exciting is it to know that in a few months, you will have two of these kinds of families?! I will take good care of your family and love them very much in your place. 

I took a lot of pictures today but I am too exhausted to upload them. Sorry guys! I have school tomorrow morning and I don't want to fall asleep in class, so goodnight. :)

My First Day of School

This morning I got up at 6am with that typical "back to school" feeling that is both nerve wrecking and terribly exciting. The difference was that I am in Chile so you can multiply that feeling by like 854 million and maybe come close to what my sentiments were this morning. I took a shower, put on my uniform, ate breakfast, and then got into the car with my host parents. 

When we arrived at school, I felt very numb and shaky. I tried my best not to look nervous and smiled at everyone in the hallways. When the other high school students saw me, they rushed towards me and hugged me and kissed me and touched my hair a lot. I was overwhelmed for a large majority of the day, but the girls in my class are very sweet and tried really hard to have conversations with me. Throughout the day, I was invited to 3 parties, asked to lunch by 4 different groups of people, and invited to a sleepover being held "in my honor." I love how friendly Chileans are! They are so welcoming. At lunch, my host mom brought be a lunch and Fran, and I ate with Fran and her friends outside in the grass. During lunch I realized that I am beginning to understand more of the conversations Fran has with her friends. After lunch, everything went smoothly except for one short awkward Sally episode where I entered the wrong classroom and forgot how to speak. 

I'm not going to lie, school today was really hard for me. I felt extremely lost and unsure for most of the day, and completely exhausted for the rest. But the difficulty of this experience gives me hope for the future, because I know that if I push through this, things WILL get better and this year WILL be amazing. I am excited to go to school tomorrow and get even just a few more words right. Progress is progress, after all. 

All of the confusion today made me really want to run, so after school my dad took me to the track. I ran and ran and ran and the more I ran the less I thought and the less I thought the happier I was. When I have a lot to think about, I can run for a long time without being tired. Running helps. 

Now I am going to write Fran some letters for when she is on the airplane. I had a very interesting day and I doubt tomorrow will be boring either! 

First Trip to Santiago

Today, instead of going to what should have been my first day of school, my host family decided to take me to Santiago to go shopping. Now I usually hate shopping, but in Chile it's soooo cool. All the stores are outside and everything is so colorful! We walked around and got pins for Fran to trade in the US, and then we started looking at clothes. Whenever I looked at something for longer than two seconds my host mom would try to buy it for me, but I didn't want to waste their money. But then we started finding things like 10 dollar adorable sweaters (Fran got a white one and I got a burgundy one) and while walking though a shoe store we found Uggs for $20! Fran and I each got a pair. We decided that if there was one thing I needed in Chile, it was a pair of the jeans that everyone in Chile wears. My American jeans made me stand out, and because Rotary told me not to overpack, I had under packed and only brought two pairs of jeans with me! We spent a long time trying to find a pair of jeans for me that weren't "flaite" (which is pretty much the Chilean version of "white trash") and finally found a store that had a pair that fit me well! Yayyyyy I am now a Chilean with Chilean pants. In another store, Fran found some high waisted shorts that she loved and told me to try on a pair too, so I did. I loved them too, but when I tried to buy them she insisted they were a gift. Fran is so giving. Last night she randomly pulled out a wrapped gift for me and I opened it and it was a pretty rosy colored windbreaker! She really is the perfect definition of what a little girl wants when she asks her parents for an older sister for Christmas. Before leaving Santiago, we stopped at another store where mom bought us each a beanie. Mine is navy blue and I can wear it with my uniform! I fell asleep on the ride home in Fran's lap because I was so exhausted from the things we did today. When we got home, Fran and I put on all the clothes we got and just sort of hung out in them and felt cool. 

Now I am blogging earlier than usual because Fran and I want to watch episodes of Modern Family and get to bed early after dinner. YOU KNOW WHY I NEED TO GO TO BED EARLY?! I have my first day of school tomorrow! I am soooo excited. I can't wait to hang out with my friends and speak Spanish and meet even more people and wear my uniform. Tomorrow morning as I walk into the school, I know I will be shaking tremendously, and I will look very nervous because that's just why my body does before I see a bunch of people. Fran says I am a Chihuahua because of this. 

Well I hope your day was as fun as mine and that you have an even better night! Wish me luck at school tomorrow. :)

My First Fiesta

I didn't post anything last night because I was at Fran's goodbye party having the time of my life. We danced and danced and danced and it was so much fun! I thought I didn't like dancing, but in Chile it is really fun because people don't just jump up and down and stuff. At the party, there was always a crowd of people around me asking me questions about the US and myself. Last night, I discovered how difficult it can be to be a center of attention while having no idea what is going on. I didn't go to sleep until 3:30am and I slept until 10:30am this morning. 

Today we drove to Doñihue to visit Fran's moms side of the family. They were so welcoming and I already feel like part of the family. It never occurred to me until today that I am not only a host daughter and sister, but also a host granddaughter, niece, and cousin. I already love this family so much! Tomorrow we are going to meet up with my host dads side of the family as a "welcome Sally/ goodbye Fran" kind of thing. I am so tired and I know this post is kind of lame but I wanted to at least give you all a little update. 

 While in Doñihue, my family took me out to the countryside to show me how pretty the hills were. It was very beautiful! 

When we returned we decided to take some family pictures, and this one is my favorite. :)

REUNITED!

I don't know what it's like to have an ordinary day in Chile yet, but I do know that today was extra special, and that I will remember it for the rest of my life. Today I woke up and found out that Fran and I weren't allowed to go to the movies with our friends because there were people coming over to our house later in the afternoon. At first I was sort of bummed, but I got over it quickly because I don't want to waste my time in Chile being upset. For lunch, our dad took Fran and I out for some pretty delicious Chinese food. You know what is weird? Ordering Chinese food in Spanish! Lunch was nice, but I had no idea what I was in for in the evening. 

When we got home, Fran and I just hung out in her room for a while. At one point we went downstairs and helped our mom slice some bread for sandwiches, but other than that we just sort of sat around. At about 5:00pm, my host mom called to me upstairs saying "Sallyyyy! Someone wants to talk to you!" I thought maybe there was someone on the phone or something, so I ran downstairs. Instead, my host mom pointed to the door. I walked over and opened the door and OH MY GOODNESS FRANCO WAS STANDING ON MY DOORSTEP! (For those of you who don't know, Franco is my Chilean friend who came to California as an exchange student but had to leave half way through his exchange because of a head injury he got while we were snowboarding.) Franco lives in Talca, which is about two hours south of Rancagua, where I live. His whole family drove two hours just to have dinner with my family! 

It was so nice to see my friend again! I am extremely touched by the idea that these two families who barely know me, and know each other even less, got together and planned such a lovely evening to surprise me. I cannot completely put how I feel into words! I am blessed with such beautiful families and I just want them to know how special they are to me! This is a perfect example of how Rotary brings people together. I had such a fantastic evening and I am so grateful to be a part of this program. 

My Other Californian

Today I took a break from running and woke up early to go to school with Fran so she could take her school pictures. While they were taking the school pictures, I stood behind the photographer and took pictures with Fran's phone for Fran. Everything was normal until the photographer said something in Spanish that I couldn't understand and all the kids laughed and left the room. I don't know what was going on so I just sort of stood their next to the photographer hoping that everything was okay. All of a sudden, one of the boys ran into the room and twirled around in one of the burgundy uniform skirts. Behind him came all the other boys in the class wearing the uniform skirts, and all the girls wearing the boys pants! I was laughing so hard, and when they saw me laughing they laughed even harder. Everyone was laughing! 

After that, we went home and ate lunch and just sort of hung out for a while. I like hanging out with Fran. She makes being bored fun hahah. At about 4:00pm we took a cab to the other side of Rancagua to meet Alex, the other exchange student from California. Alex is sooo sweet and so much better than me at Spanish! I am so glad that she is in Rancagua with me, and I am glad that all the people she will meet in Chile will have her as their first impression of the California; she makes us look good! Alex, her brother Cristobal, Fran, and I hung out for hours. We talked and laughed and had such an amazing time. Tomorrow we are all going to the movies together. I like these people a lot.  

When we got home, I discovered that the tailor had finished working on my uniform. I was so excited that I had to try it on. I had such a great day today and I can't wait for tomorrow! It's so easy to be optimistic in Chile, hahahah. 

Salt Grinding and Stuff

Today my host dad woke me up at about 9:30am to go running again. Guess what?! I actually ran three miles. This is a big deal for me because, being a sprinter, I am not the best distance runner. Whenever I pass my host dad on the track he smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up and I wave to him; it's like our thing, hahah.  I think that I will take a break from running tomorrow because I have a busy day planned with Fran. We plan to spend the morning at Colegio Coya (to take the school picture) and then go meet Alex, another exchange student from California! I am so excited to meet Alex and her host sister. I have talked to Alex a few times on Facebook and she seems very nice! I hope we can become good friends and help each other with Spanish. I bet she will be a lot better than me though, for she has taken four years of Spanish classes and I have only taken two. 

For lunch today, my host dad prepared fish. He likes fish and fishing a lot! It tasted very good because he is a really good cook. After lunch, we were cleaning up and I noticed that my dad was using what they call a "mortero" to grind salt. To me, this was super foreign and cool so I had a total tourist moment and had to take a picture of it. Seeing my interest, my dad handed it to me and let me finish it for him. I felt helpful and non-American and it was fun. While I was doing this, my dad grabbed my camera and took a picture of me. 

I really like how in Chile, all ingredients are super fresh and how a lot of things are made at home. Things here are so simple, and I am really learning to appreciate that. :)

Soy Chilena! (Mas o menos...)

Last night my host dad told me that today at 9:00am we would go to the international police so that I could get my Chilean I.D. Card. But whoops! I thought he said we had to wake up at 9:00, not leave at 9:00, so when I woke up I had to rush to get dressed and I didn't have time to take my morning shower. I am already not the most photogenic person, but to make things worse, I had to get my picture taken for the I.D. after I had just woken up! I think the picture is terrible, but I don't care, it makes a good story. Now I am Chilean because I have a Chilean I.D. :)

Later I went to school with Fran and Stephy because they thought that they had to take a school picture. When we got to the school, we found out that the picture is to be taken on Wednesday, and everyone at school was playfully teasing Fran and Stephy about their mistake. We hung out in their classroom for a while. I didn't mind because I love going to school and seeing all of Fran's friends and meeting more people! During class, different students would wave to me and I would wave back. Other students would text Fran saying "does she speak Spanish?" or "her name is Sally, right?!" and we would laugh and Fran would point to show me who had sent the message. I cannot wait to start school!

When we got home from school, my host dad agreed to take me to a near by track so I could run. I told him that if I don't run, I will eventually need to get a new uniform skirt, and he laughed. When I went upstairs to change, I opened the closet door and the rod where I'm supposed to hang my jackets fell out of the closet. I told Fran and Stephy and we were laughing really hard while trying to fix it. We gave up after a few minutes and just took the clothes out of the closet. I changed into my running clothes and got into the car with my host dad. Driving with my host dad is hilarious because he likes to dance in the car! It's so funny. Also, in Chile they play music that is popular on the US, except here the bad words are sung loud and clear because they don't mean anything in Spanish and sometimes it shocks me to hear such bad words in a car ride with my parents! We got to the track and the weather was absolutely perfect for running. I love running in the winter because its refreshing to feel so cold and so warm at the same time. My host dad ran and walked while I ran. I only ran two miles, but it still felt so good to exercise after doing nothing for the past few days. I miss crossfit, but I would exchange Chile for crossfit anyday, hahah. While I was running, I could feel everyone at the track (which goes around a soccer field where a bunch of boys play soccer) staring at me as I ran by. I felt a little self conscious, but then I realized it made sense because I was the only girl at the track PLUS I look totally foreign to everyone in Chile! I'm still getting used to looking different, hahaha. Tomorrow, my host dad and I are going to run again. I think tomorrow I will run three miles. Everything is great here! I hope you all had/have a good day too. :)

I'm So Lucky

Today I had fun, but my day is not what I want to write about. Well, actually, I do want to tell you that I made a new friend today. Her name is Monse and she and her family are very nice! Before I fall asleep, I just want to take a moment to tell you guys about my host family. There is a joke that Chileans are really lazy, but in the past few days I have noticed how often my family goes out of their way to make me feel at home on their house. When my host dad found out that I like to drink water, he brought a big bottle of water up to my room and made a sort of water station for me so I can have water whenever I want. My host mom always asks before entering my room (as to not invade my privacy) and even took some of her coats out of the closet of the room I am staying in for now so that I would have room for mine, and then began helping me hang up my coats! This evening when we got home from having dinner at a friends house, Fran ran upstairs and turned on the heater in my bed so that it would be warm when I decided to go to sleep. I don't know what I did to deserve the best host family in the world. I hope that Fran feels the same way when she is in Wisconsin, because if anyone deserves a good host family, it's Fran. Okay, goodnight. 

Tengo Amigas en Chile!

Today my parents and Fran took me to buy my school uniform. Walking around downtown Rancagua was exciting but difficult because I kept losing track of my family and wandering off with strangers! We bought some school clothes and then went to get my uniform skirt tailored because it was too big. After that we went looking for school shoes. We looked in so many stores for the shoes that all of Fran's friends wear, because Fran wants me to fit in at school, but we didn't find any today. Before coming to Chile, people who had been here in the past told me that there are stray dogs everywhere in Chile. It's true! But when I imagined stray dogs, I imagined gross looking and starving dogs. The dogs here are not like that! They are adorable actually. You will be walking down the street and a golden retriever will just trot on by like everything is normal. The dogs even go in the malls! It's like the dogs are just more residents of Chile, and they have their own houses and go shopping when they want to. I  find this hilarious, hahah. 

This evening, after dinner (or "once"), I went to the house of one of Fran's friends named Elisa. Eight of us sat around a table and ate chips and talked and laughed. We played drinking games with soda, or at least they did. I couldn't really understand what was going on because everyone spoke so fast and loud! I had so much fun, though. Just listening is fun for me, and watching them laugh makes me happy. I can't wait till I can speak Spanish well enough to talk and laugh with them! Every once in a while one of them would ask me a question, and the room would get super quiet as I struggled to find the words to answer them. I like having Fran with me because whenever I am confused she knows how to explain things to me. When I am with Fran I know that someone is there to make sure I am okay, and it's really nice - she is like an actual big sister to me! But even without Fran I would be happy with these people because all of her friends are SO nice. Hahah, whenever I try to speak in Spanish it's like they play a guessing game and try to finish the sentences that I don't know how to finish! Fran told them I have a blog and now they are all reading it. Fran said that her friend Dani spent hours trying to translate it into Spanish. They are all sooooo sweet. Also, did you know that Fran is an AMAZING artist? Today she showed me a bunch of drawings she has done and they are absolutely incredible!She even gave me this one: 

Fran is so great! Fran's friends are so great! Chile is so great! :)

My First FULL Day

I woke up this morning and felt so amazing. I slept very well because my bed was really warm and I was really tired! Then all of a sudden I realized I was in Chile and completely freaked out. I didn't know what time it was or what to do! Fran had planned on waking up at nine, and when I found my iPad I discovered it was 8:50am - perfect! I made my bed, took a shower, and went downstairs with Fran for breakfast. Her friend named Stephy came over for breakfast too. We ate bread and had tea. After breakfast, we headed off to Colegio Coya (the school I will be attending) so that I could see it. The school is beautiful! Its very clean and was designed so that all the buildings go in a circle. I walked around with Fran and Stephy and everyone ran up and said hi. The little kids (schools in chile are k-12) looked up at me with wide eyes and when I smiled at them they would blush and look away. I cannot wait to go to school! I won't go until the 19th of August. After a tour of the school, we went to get sushi for lunch with a group on Fran's friends. They are all so nice! The picture above is us having lunch. After eating way too much sushi (lunch is a big deal for Chileans) we split up and Fran, Stephy, Dani, and I walked around downtown. Apparently people weren't exaggerating when they said that people in Chile like lighter haired girls, because people driving by would honk at us and the girls would laugh because I would be startled. When passing people on the sidewalks, I felt so many eyes on me. In Chile I feel so different and special. After walking around, Dani went home and Fran, Stephy, and I went to Stephy's house to plan Fran and Stephy's goodbye party since they will both be exchange students in the US this year. Stephy has two little brothers, and the younger one was SO adorable. Now I am at home in Fran's room. I had such a good day, and I cannot wait to have many more! Fran is the sweetest person ever. She is nothing but kind to me and even though she wants to practice her English she is patient and helps me as I struggle with Spanish. Ahhhhh Spanish! I love Spanish so much. I don't always make sense, but people seem to understand what I am saying, and I am only going to get better! Tomorrow we are going to get my school uniform and I am excited. Even the most ordinary things are exciting here because it is Chile and its all the same but so different. I love it here. 

My Flight and First Day

I am writing this wearing two sweaters, sweats, and high socks under a heated blanket. It's chilly in Chile! (I'm so original). It is only 7:17pm here but I am exhausted. Why am I so exhausted? Don't worry, I will do my best to explain my experience while not falling asleep. 

I don't know why anyone would ever walk into an airport and expect to have a normal day. Wednesday morning I said goodbye to everyone except my dad outside security at SFO. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty hard. My father and I walked to my gate and then waited there as my flight was delayed an hour. I ate half a sandwich, but I wasn't very hungry and didn't take any snacks with me in my flight. I checked with some airport people to make sure I would arrive in Dallas on time to board my flight to Santiago, and THEY LIED TO ME. Just kidding. They thought they were giving me correct information when they said I would be fine. On my flight to Dallas, I sat between two middle aged men. I had a lengthy conversation on the man on my left, who had been to Chile a few times because of his occupation as a wine seller. When he found out that I only had twenty minutes to get from flight to flight, he informed me that I would likely miss my flight. He decided to help me by jumping up and blocking a path for me to get off the airplane as our flight landed. I ran out to an airport booth and asked them to tell the plane going to Chile that I was on my way over. Then I ran across the airport and made it to my flight three minutes late, where they were waiting for me with unamused facial expressions. I walked back to my window seat and beside my seat was a young man in an Adidas jacket and I got excited because that pretty much meant he wasn't American. As our plane took off, I asked him if he was from Chile. But he answered in the thickest French accent that he was actually from Paris. And then we started talking. We just sort of talked. And talked. And talked and talked and talked until the sun rose over the snow covered Andes and we found ourselves in Santiago, Chile. David (oh, his name is David by the way) showed me through immigration and where to get my bags. We walked out and right into my host family. I hugged them and introduced them to my friend and they took us to coffee, which was delicious. We then said goodbye to David and went on to have breakfast at one Aunts house and lunch at another Aunts house. Is this confusing for you? I'm confused while writing it because I haven't slept in 38 hours. I'm am going to go to sleep in Chile for the first time now. I am in the guest room until Francisca leaves and tomorrow we will go tour her school. Chile is fun. I like Chile. :)

Now for the packing...

This is only the half I could fit in a picture. 

Pre-Departure Thoughts #2

This morning when I woke up, I had no idea how much my world was about to change. It seemed so ordinary waking up, going to crossfit, eating breakfast. It's funny how just one email -one sentence- can make your head start spinning. Today I got an email telling me that my flight has been arranged for tomorrow at 2:25pm! Most exchange students have weeks to prepare for their departure, and I have mere hours. This is stressful and crazy, but I am just grateful that I get to go. My plan is to leave at 8:00am tomorrow morning for SFO. I don't have to be there until 11:30am, but I don't want to cut anything too close. I will fly from SFO to Dallas, Texas, where I will get on another flight that will take me to Santiago, CHILEEEE! If my flight is on time, I will arrive in Chile at 8:10am on Thursday. I will then meet my beautiful host family in person for the first time. 

I have so many feelings about leaving that I just sort of feel numb. I just want everything to work out! I know that this is going to be an amazing experience. I know this not because people have told me so, but because I have decided that I can do it and will make the best of it. I am going to be the best ambassador that I possibly can, and I am excited to represent the US. :)