Little Things

The biggest thing that has changed about my life in Chile is that it is actually starting to feel like a real life. I'm getting accustomed to the ways things work. This is amazing in so many ways! The only downside is that I don't get home everyday aching to blog and tell the world about my day. What once felt like a vacation is now beginning to feel more permanent, and that makes me happy. 

Since today was a pretty normal day at school, I want to take some time to talk about something I noticed on the way to school. In the United States, we pretty much have a lot of everything. Meals are rather large and our houses are always working harder than we are to keep us comfortable. This morning I realized how having less of these things has affected me. Heat is the same in both countries, but I enjoy it differently in Chile. Here, I have noticed that just standing next to a heater, or climbing into a heated bed, or just stepping into the shower makes me so happy. It's not like I'm cold when I'm not near a stove, but it's interesting to feel like I am being greeted with a hug by a temperature every time I stand next to one. I think this sensation is magnified for me because I am an exchange student and therefore feel every emotion I am forced to feel 4 times as much as I would feel it in my home country. In Chile, I don't need much of anything to make me happy. Just a little semi-successful conversation in Spanish or a little Chilean bread leaves me feeling very fulfilled. Maybe these are silly things to say, but they feel true enough. 

I said I wasn't going to talk about my day but while writing this I remembered two things. 1)fell down the stairs at my friends house today and it was incredibly embarrassing and actually quite hilarious. 2) today at my friends house I met the little sister of my friend Javi (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JAVI BY THE WAY) and she absolutely made my day. I don't know what I liked about her so much, but she was so personable and sweet and fascinated about talking to me. She kept trying to make me comfortable in her home and offering me things and being a complete angel! I just wanted you guys to know about her. Her name is Fran (isn't that ironic?) and I actually have no idea what grade she is in or how old she is, but she's so awesome. That's all for now! Night!