La Gringa*

I’m in love with Chile already.

I flew from Chicago, Illinois, to Dallas, Texas, and then on to Santiago, Chile.  On my first flight, I pulled out a book on Chile and Easter Island.  A woman sitting next to me noticed this and asked if I was traveling to Chile.  (She had traveled there before.)  Our conversation led to her giving me an inspirational pep talk.  Her last words of encouragement were “Conquer the world!”  I took our meeting as a good omen.  On my second flight, I became even more excited because I was hearing conversations in Spanish all around me.  And then the words “Bienvenido a Chile!” were said and they couldn’t have sounded more beautiful.

Everyone in Chile is so friendly.  I couldn’t find mi mamá at the airport right away, so a man offered to help me search for her.  When we found her, she came up to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.  We were both so excited to meet each other.  After our initial meeting, she and I had coffee together.  Anyone who knows me well knows my obsession with coffee, so I knew that we were a good match.

I absolutely love my new family.  First is mi mamá.  Her name is Orietta.   Next are mis hermanos.  Their names are Antonio, Felix and Ignacio.  I love having older brothers.  I am so grateful to belong to such a wonderful family.

The first night I was here, Chile was playing Bolivia in fútbol.  Mis hermanos told me that it’s tradition to throw un asado before a game, which is the equivalent to a BBQ in the United States.  So that’s exactly what we did.  I got to meet many friends and learn a thing or two about fútbol.  I also got to try Pisco for the first time!  Pisco is a famous beverage in Chile and Peru.  I was told that Chile and Peru argue about which country has the right to claim Pisco as their own.  (It’s Chile, obviously.)

Everyone here is happy to help me with my Spanish.  That is one thing that I really need to work on — being able to speak fluently.  Tomorrow I start my Spanish Intensive Class with the other gringos. I’m excited to make improvements!

*Originally written on January 13, 2013

This is my backyard where we had the asado!