Wow time has flown by fast. I know I have been saying that for a while, but holy right now I have 7 days until I leave to go back home! I am super pumped and can't wait to get home, but of course I will miss Chile. It has been my home for the last 6 months, where I have made lifetime friends, shared stories, and had the time of my life. But like the others who just left for travelling I am not feeling that sentimental yet. I think it is because I am so excited to get home, that it hasn't really hit me that I will not be coming back to Santiago for a LONG time.
I made a last dinner for my Chilean family the other night and it was so good! Did it American style and they loved it. I will miss them so much, they helped me that first month and the next 5 so much. I felt homesick, but they helped me through it and worked with me with the spanish language. I am forever grateful to those who have helped me to the level of spanish speaking I am at today. I am scared to go home for this matter. I am not going to be around a lot of spanish any if that when I get home and it will be 1 month until I get back home. So the looming fear is that I am going to forget everything I learned here. I need to figure something out to keep working on it.
But just finishing things up here in Santiago. I have said a log of goodbyes and the last of them mainly will be this week. I am also at midterm and final time for my online classes which happened to be in my last week here. So for sure it will go quite fast. I am going to Atacama this weekend, friday after my final, and come back on the 4th. I am a bit sad to not be home on the 4th, but will be home just a few short days later!
But I don't have much to write about, just homework and more homework and goodbyes. I will cherish this time forever and am so thankful of the help I got while being here. Viva Chile!
Ciau from Santiago
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Uffdah!
Well it has been about 2 weeks since the last time I wrote, but it is only because I am staying busy. I am just shy of finishing one online class, but the other is what is taking up most of my free time. I am behind in reading and just don't know how to motivate myself to get back on. I am getting stressed out a bit lately. I am done with classes here in Santiago, but still have 2.5 weeks until I get home. It is not a lot of time which is stressing me out. I sometimes feel that I have not done all I can here in Santiago, but if I think about all the things I didn't do I will forget all the things that I did do. I have 17 days left in Chile and I need to make them count. But I am also scared of going home. I am so ready to be home and know that I have been wanting it for a bit due to homesickness sometimes, but scared of being with all those I know again. It has been so long and while I have been here I have only talked to a handful of people. The fact that while I am here experiencing and don't hear from a lot of those I know makes me scared to go home. Like it matters. I haven't seen people for 6 months and just nervous to see them again...pretty much reintroduced into their lives after being absent for almost 6 months.
I have friends leaving here tomorrow..and tonight will be a lot of goodbyes. Possibility of a goodbye bash with classmates will have me saying goodbye to those who have made me feel comfortable here. Do I want to stay or go home. Here I practice my Spanish and have improved so much and my confidence has increased tenfold, but scared to go home, where am I going to practice and with a month away from school I am so scared that I will forget it. What happens then? All this for nothing? This is important to me.
Other than nerves and an ever changing mindset I am finishing my time here in Santiago. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart, cling to them as you would your life...For without them, life is meaningless.. This deals with me when I chose things over those who are right in front of me. Life is full of surprises and I am finding them everyday in my life. It is what makes life worth living. This opportunity has opened my mind to the goals that I can reach in my life. I am worth it, I am significant, and dang it I will succeed at what I do.
I will finish off my weeks here, with goodbye bashes, goodbye dinners, shopping, new restaurants, and a trip to the Desert. Now is the time to do it in the present. I will hopefully get another blog or two in before I fly out. 6th of July is the day I leave Chile, with hopes of coming back one day while making and sharing my experiences again.
I have friends leaving here tomorrow..and tonight will be a lot of goodbyes. Possibility of a goodbye bash with classmates will have me saying goodbye to those who have made me feel comfortable here. Do I want to stay or go home. Here I practice my Spanish and have improved so much and my confidence has increased tenfold, but scared to go home, where am I going to practice and with a month away from school I am so scared that I will forget it. What happens then? All this for nothing? This is important to me.
Other than nerves and an ever changing mindset I am finishing my time here in Santiago. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart, cling to them as you would your life...For without them, life is meaningless.. This deals with me when I chose things over those who are right in front of me. Life is full of surprises and I am finding them everyday in my life. It is what makes life worth living. This opportunity has opened my mind to the goals that I can reach in my life. I am worth it, I am significant, and dang it I will succeed at what I do.
I will finish off my weeks here, with goodbye bashes, goodbye dinners, shopping, new restaurants, and a trip to the Desert. Now is the time to do it in the present. I will hopefully get another blog or two in before I fly out. 6th of July is the day I leave Chile, with hopes of coming back one day while making and sharing my experiences again.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Busy...Busy...little bee
Well it has been a few days longer than I wanted to write this, but as I wrote: busy, busy. I recently started my second summer class through the internet and this has filled up all of my free time that I had. I have much to read as this class will finish my history minor and is challenging. My courses are about American Indians and the Crusades. I have to admit that I am a bit of a history nerd and like learning about this stuff, so it is interesting to me I just have to get into it. Other than summer classes through my university in South Dakota, things in Santiago are starting to wind down. I have 3 weekends left in Santiago until I take a trip to San Pedro de Atacama the just days before I leave. The time has gone by fast and I know I will have mixed feelings by the time its all done. I am ready to get home, but when am I going to have this opportunity again and then there are those people who I have bonded so greatly with in the last 5 months. But other than that things are happening at home. Summer vacation is there meaning summer sports, SUN, swimming and much more. This is what I am pumped for...WARMTH.
This week has been eventful in Santiago. Sunday I went running...28 minutes only one one minute stop!! and when I got back the consierge told me that there was an emergency alert for Santiago. The 'contamination' smog in the air had reached a critical level that running was not suggested and people were recommended to stay home. I realized that something was different for when I was running, it was extra hard to breathe and now I know why! So as I have 8 runs left in 30 days I WANT to finish...working up to 5k...so I'll figure it out. Other than that type of exercising I have started to attend Yoga classes. You know after my body gets stretched out and feels so relaxed it is such a nice thing to do. So I try to exercise everyday..but Wednesday's those are my relax days!! Got to watch the great..bread and typical Chilean food for a bit...again b/c its summer back home!
Today I went horseback riding for 2 hours with a few girls and we had a picnic afterwards. It was a great day and so fun. The thing I know I will have withdrawals from is the view of the mountains. The sights I saw today were just breathtaking and I know I couldn't get a just picture. I am trying to do stuff every weekend to make the time count. Tomorrow I will be going to Ruby Tuesday's here in Santiago..to compare...and then to see the new Hangover movie. Should be an eventful night again. The next event will be next thursday where I organized a group dinner for a bunch of us who have known each other since the first day, this will be at a famous restaurant here in town so cross fingers its worth it.
Nothing else besides homework and getting ready for final exams here. I do know my speaking has improved because people tell me all the time. Although I don't believe them a lot, they assure me that I speak like I have been here for a long time. So I got that going for me. Also it is quite funny to look back at my first videos to now and see the improvement. I have been watching baseball live on the internet and it is nice to finally see it again...even if I am jealous at the nice weather.
So time is winding down and I am becoming a little more busy with classes so I will try to keep these updated as much as I can. Thanks to those reading I appreciate it so much. Until later, Ciau from Chile.
This week has been eventful in Santiago. Sunday I went running...28 minutes only one one minute stop!! and when I got back the consierge told me that there was an emergency alert for Santiago. The 'contamination' smog in the air had reached a critical level that running was not suggested and people were recommended to stay home. I realized that something was different for when I was running, it was extra hard to breathe and now I know why! So as I have 8 runs left in 30 days I WANT to finish...working up to 5k...so I'll figure it out. Other than that type of exercising I have started to attend Yoga classes. You know after my body gets stretched out and feels so relaxed it is such a nice thing to do. So I try to exercise everyday..but Wednesday's those are my relax days!! Got to watch the great..bread and typical Chilean food for a bit...again b/c its summer back home!
Today I went horseback riding for 2 hours with a few girls and we had a picnic afterwards. It was a great day and so fun. The thing I know I will have withdrawals from is the view of the mountains. The sights I saw today were just breathtaking and I know I couldn't get a just picture. I am trying to do stuff every weekend to make the time count. Tomorrow I will be going to Ruby Tuesday's here in Santiago..to compare...and then to see the new Hangover movie. Should be an eventful night again. The next event will be next thursday where I organized a group dinner for a bunch of us who have known each other since the first day, this will be at a famous restaurant here in town so cross fingers its worth it.
Nothing else besides homework and getting ready for final exams here. I do know my speaking has improved because people tell me all the time. Although I don't believe them a lot, they assure me that I speak like I have been here for a long time. So I got that going for me. Also it is quite funny to look back at my first videos to now and see the improvement. I have been watching baseball live on the internet and it is nice to finally see it again...even if I am jealous at the nice weather.
So time is winding down and I am becoming a little more busy with classes so I will try to keep these updated as much as I can. Thanks to those reading I appreciate it so much. Until later, Ciau from Chile.
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