Iffy Situations

As some of you may or may not know, I have been having a few problems over here in Chile. Some of them are pretty serious, but I have talked to a lot of people and gotten a lot of help and I am glad to report that everything will be okay. 

What I would rather focus on, other than what these problems actually are, is how I have accepted my situation and gotten through them. If there is one thing that exchange does for you, it makes you stronger and very independent, and I am feeling a lot of that right now. This past week has been very emotional for me, but I have been able to take deep breaths and figure things out when all I wanted to do was Skype my mom and cry. I have chosen, after much thought, that being happy is still the best thing I can do! I don't want to waste my exchange with negative thoughts. I want to be happy, so I will be. 

My entire exchange up to this point, I have honestly tried to be the best exchange student I could be. I have smiled, made friends, and been nice and outgoing and positive. It seems, however, that even while trying my hardest, I have made a few mistakes that have offended some Chileans in ways I could never have imagined. Rather than hoping they can accept that my culture prevented me from realizing my errors, I plan to apologize whole-heartedly, and then go on being Sally with just a bit more caution. I am so grateful to be in this country and experiencing all these experiences, and I understand that it's my job to adjust to this Country, not their job to adjust to me. 

This week I have also learned how many people are here for me. Some of them are here for me on Skype, one of them is downstairs in my parents bedroom, and one of them is ready to take the train an hour to see me at a moments notice to take me out and eat sushi and bring me "I'm sorry you're having a bad day" chocolates (I love Evan so much). I have received various Facebook messages and phone calls checking to see if I am doing okay. It's funny how I never realized how many people cared to ask how I am doing until my answer was anything other than "I'm doing fantastic!"

I send a thousand "THANK YOU"s to eveyone who has been here for me. More than anything, I want to thank the Lorenzini family. Franco's mom, Claudia, heard about my problems and immediatly insisted I come visit her family for a while. I am currently writing this blog entry while laying out in the sun by her pool and listening to her adorable little boys laugh and play. Today marks one year since Franco's accident, and I love the idea that I am spending it at Franco's house! In this moment, I am completely at peace with the world. The sky is blue and I am in Chile with amazing people and my exchange less than half over. My problems are temporary and will pass over soon and everything will be okay, which essentially means everything is okay right now. I love life and I love all of you as well.