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. :)