Halfway Done

Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed.
-Joseph Addison

(FYI....This post was supposed to be uploaded on October 1st, but something happened and it didn't submit correctly. Lo siento!)


Today is Thursday, October 1st (rabbit rabbit). When I wrote something down in my planner today, and I saw that the months had officially changed, I honestly was filled with a sense of panic (however minor). I'm officially halfway done. This journey is halfway over. And yet, I still can't speak Spanish as well as I'd like. I still get overwhelmed in this city/country. I still have miscommunications with professors, host family members, etc. 72 days have passed, and 72 remain. It's amazing that this day is truly the halfway point for me.
I was also talking to Bobby the other day, and he was telling me that he couldn't believe how much I've changed. I'm not entirely sure I know what he means by this, but I definitely feel like I'm more willing to try new things. It's almost a new-found sense of bravery, but not invincibility; it's more of a competency and confidence. It'll be interesting to see what he has to say about me when I get back to Boston...
I've also had CRAZY focus issues here when it comes to school work. I mean, we joke at school that I'm the ADD child who doesn't sit still so well. Here, it's about a billion times worse. I hate having to sit down and focus on schoolwork... so I usually just don't (not that it's an issue here.... most of my exams never materialize anyway). I've never been as unfocused as I am here. But at the same time, I like to justify it by saying I'm just incredibly focused on other things - like travel. I can spend HOURSE on the LAN airline website, looking for round trip tickets to destinations for under $120 (mission accomplished many a time). I guess I'm just prioritizing?
Additionally, I've learned that I will never EVER be a "relaxed person." I don't think it would matter how long I lived here. I can definitely relax. And I have relaxed a lot here. But I'm still not a relaxed person. It's a fine line (for Spanish speakers, think ser vs estar :] ), but I've accepted it. I just don't think I'll ever slow down enough to truly assimilate. And I'm okay with that.

I have ten weekends left. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to Santiago for a night. And then! Next week, on Thursday, I leave for Mendoza, Argentina for four days!! We're hopefully going to get to ride bikes through vineyards, go rafting, paragliding, and lots of other "adventure"-type activities. I'm also still hoping to make a trip to Arica (the northernmost city in Chile) for a little bit, then hop the border into Peru for a bit. And I'd love to make it to the South, the Patagonias, and play with penguins. A few other weekend trips are planned, and then I'm home. 1000% insane.

AND! On Tuesday, October 6th, Harlem Gospel Choir is going to be playing a tribute to Michael Jackson in the Vina Theatre. GUESS WHO'S GOING!!!!

Last Friday, after deciding that we knew Vina pretty well but really didn't know ANYTHING about Valpo, a group of five of us went there for the day to just wander around some of the cerros and explore. We went to a museum that used to be this famous Chilean cartoonist's house, and it was seriously the best 600 pesos I think I've spent here. It's cool to see how some senses of humor are universal. We also went to a few cool cemetaries in Valpo, looking for graves of famous people. Though most people are buried in Santiago, we were able to find family members and things like that. The way they make cemetaries here is completely different, as you'll see in the pictures below. Families have entire tombs, but they're not just headstones like we're used to; these are huge, elaborate shrines. They were eerily beautiful, and peaceful.
Valparaiso is a fantastic city, and I'm so lucky to be able to spend time in it. All of the music on the streets, the ferias (fairs where artisans go to sell their works), the crazy colors of the houses... it creates an unforgetable environment that's entirely different from Vina.




I also had a fun experience today in the grocery store. I forgot my lunch today (and got chastised by Fabiola, our nanny, when I got home), so I went to the store to get Coca Cola Light and something small to eat before my next class. While I was wandering the aisles trying to decide what I wanted, I saw this brightly colored package of peanuts, complete with a sombrero. Intrigued, I went over to investigate further. Could it be true? Could this package of peanuts have SPICES and FLAVOR?! No. Way. (Chile is known for its rather bland food. Everything kind of starts to taste the same after a while, in the land of salt- NEVER pepper) I think it might have been the most satisfying lunch in a while...

And those little things like that keep me going! I love surprises, reassuring reminders that I made the right choice. I'm learning, adapting, and beginning to trust myself and my instincts in a way I never had before.

See you all in 72 days!

Love,
Colleen