Uncharted Territory
Dear Family and Friends!
My journey just started a mere 24 hours ago, but I already have so much to tell you all! My flight from the States went well, and I even made some new friends along the way, including graduates who are meeting up with their parents to go hiking for a few weeks, tourists and a handful of professional photographers form Durango CO that are traveling the world together with their huge maps, cameras and safari gear. If that didn’t get me excited then I don’t what would have..Plus the view from the airplane the last hour of the flight was spectacular! The Andes mountains are more tremendous and breath taking then I ever imagined. Landing at the airport and going through customs was pure chaos. I was so thankful that I had a friend there, Eva from Loyola that I knew or else I would never have gotten out of there!
After many confused looks and misinterpreted spanish we finally ended up on outside waiting to see our family with a sign with our names on it. Sure enough, the cutest little boy came running to Eva shouting her name and pulling her towards her host family. I stood there a bit dazed and confused for a while until the little boy turned to me and said ” Oh tu estás Charlie?” I corrected him and said Shirley, but he just kept saying Charlie so I gave in and he grabbed my hand and brought to me the beautiful woman- My host madre! So it appears that my name is Charlie just because of the accents, but I actually like that name better than Shirley, so I’m not complaining.
After many hugs and kisses on the cheek and signing paper work we finally said Chau Chau and I followed my host mother ,Katty, to the car where we drove through the city and she talked to me about everything from My flight, Swimming and to Chilean soccer compared to Argentinean. I am so lucky that she is so nice to me, she speaks slowly and repeats phrases when I give her blank stares (which is often) I already feel as if my spanish is improving already!
After we arrived at the apartment building where I’ll be living she asked me if I would like to shower, and I told her I would like to go see the Park first and go for a walk, so she simply replied ” Oh Sí!” and then she told me she was going to el supermarcado and gave me a key to the apt and left. So, I did my best to look like a local which so far I am succeeding I think! And walked around for about 20 minutes just taking in Santiago, it all seems like I’m in a really good dream and tomorrow I’m going to wake up and be back in cold Chicago.
When Katty returned from el Supermercado she told me to unpack and I gave her my gift of tea towels, she hugged me and kissed me and acted like a little girl on Christmas, she absolutely loved the gift! After a hot shower, Katty sat me down for my first traditional Chilean Almuerzo or lunch. She told me she made something very traditional that was passed down by the indigenous people in Chile! It was a hot corn bread type of dish wrapped up in the Corn husky with onion and spices..served with cold pineapple juice. It was a great first meal to the say the least.
Tonight we are going to el Barrio del BellaVista, which is the artsy, musical, fashion district of Santiago because Katty who is a musician is going to be singing at a bar! I am so excited to go out tonight with them and also to meet my host father who is at work right now and the other family! There is also a boy from the United States who is staying here for just a week, who I have yet to meet..I have been sleeping because the lack of sleep finally caught up to me. So, here I am sitting in my tank tops and shorts with palm trees, green grass and hot sun beating down on me. It is so hot here, I forgot what it was like to actually be warm without ten pairs of socks on. I love it!
I have the whole weekend to relax and “be calm” as my host madre calls it, school doesn’t start until early Monday morning but I am already anxious to meet everyone and get started with Spanish!
I miss you all and wish you could be here right now on this amazing journey that is slowly unfolding. Expect lots of pictures to be coming soon! 🙂
~”We live in a wonderful world full of beauty , charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. ”