one month down, five more to go

I left for Chile one month ago today...amazing. It has been a month filled with ups and downs, understandings and more misunderstandings, and lots and lots of new incredible discoveries. I am finally begining to feel comfortable with Spanish, I always heard that the first few weeks were the worst. This isn't to say I still don't have moments of utter confusion, but little by little I am adjusting.

Little by little I find myself more and more attuned to the intricacies of the culture in which I am immersed. I know my micro (bus) route, my local panandaría (bread store), and I can identify which incredibly steep hill takes me from the bus stop to my house. I know that Chile wouldn't be Chile wihtout consuming tons of pan (bread), palta (avocado), and instant coffee. Mullets and rat tails (often braided) are cool and so are high top converse, i mean the kind that go half-way up the calf. Dogs roam the streets and with such a dog poputlation naturally comes the constant stank of dog crap. Chilean's speak their own form of Spanish. Mexican slang that I learned for years does not apply, the Argentinian pronunciation of the double "l" I learned in school only gets me made fun of, and no matter how hard I practice, I doubt I will cease to be considered a slow speaker. Almost everyday I walk for miles, sometimes because its necessary and sometimes just because. I think the best way to get to know a new place is to explore it on foot. My absolute favorite activity is to walk the winding hills and random staircases of Valpo with a camera and explore the beautiful (and somewhat smelly) city of colors.

Yet, everyday I fall more and more in love with Chile. People are wonderful, culture is rich, and I see and learn things that I know will forever change my life!

I have many more stories regarding the past weeks, but I will post those in the next few days. However, I do have some exciting news. I bought a plane ticket to Patagonia. March 23-April 1 6 friends and I are heading down to the tip of the world. We plan to backpack for 4 or 5 days...very intense...but I am ready! Ciao!