Time Flies
Today marks being in Chile for one whole month. Let me tell you, it feels like it’s felt like so much less! Time has been flying by. The initial culture shock has gone away and I can see that my Spanish has significantly improved. Although sometimes I forget how to say some things time to time, I have noticed that I am no longer translating words that I hear. It just automatically clicks. This is especially helpful when I am exploring the city and need help with directions.
Last Friday, I switched host families. No worries though, it’s only because my first family is on vacation to their beach house. Since I couldn’t stay in their house alone, I am with a different family. I now live with just two host parents. It’s funny because they have the same jobs as my real parents. My host dad works at AT&T and my host mom is a professor. What a coincidence!
When I first arrived at their house, I was nervous. I really knew that I was going to miss my first family. I was greeted with a big hug from my host mother and a kiss on the cheek from both my parents. (A kiss on the right cheek is a typical greeting when you meet someone). Before I could even unpack my things, they told me that they had a surprise. We were going to Viña Del Mar that weekend! Surprised yet excited, I couldn’t wait to be in the beautiful city on the Pacific coast.
We left as soon as we could, arriving at their apartment that they own overlooking the sea at about 9:00pm. We simply ate dinner and went for a walk. We walked along the ocean in a place that reminded me of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. People filled the streets while venders tried convincing the tourists to buy their goods. The main attraction was the waves! The waves were so huge, I have never seen them that big! They were spashing up on the rocks so big that they were splashing over the sidewalk, over the road, reaching the other side of the street! It was an amazing sight!
The next day, while my host parents went to a family reunion, I explored the city. First, I walked down the main street where there was every single type of shop and restaurant, whose delicious smells filled the air. There were also music performers at every corner, differing in their style. I heard everything from traditional Chilean music, complete with dancers, to a Jazz Band singing songs in English.
After grabbing lunch somewhere, I walked the other direction, discovering the beach! It was a beautiful 85 degrees. Although I didn’t have my swimsuit on, I walked the length of the beach with my feet in the water. I have never been to the Pacific Ocean before, but I really enjoyed watching the waves and seeing people of all ages playing. On the way back, I walked on the sidewalk, discovering a large market made up of all artisan crafts! It was amazing!
After this amazing weekend of exploring a beach town on my own, I returned to my last week of the Spanish immersion class! Like any other class, the last week was filled with numerous tests, presentations, and papers. You could say that I’ve spent most of my week studying. Hard work always pays off in the end because now I have just under a month to travel. My next adventure starts Saturday as I make my way to Argentina and Uruguay for two weeks! I am so excited. I have heard a lot about Buenos Aires and I can’t wait to experience it.
I am so grateful of all the opportunities I have been given and I am so excited to discover and learn about other Latin American countries!