Contenta

I can honestly say I am so happy. I have continuously been thinking that since I got here. I feel like I am finally doing something right, important, relevant, and worthwhile.

It was really hard for me to feel this way at UPS. Especially after I took African Politics in the Fall of my sophomore year. It r

uined me. Destroyed me. I felt so helpless to the catastrophes and the injustices that take place on our planet. Especially things that could be prevented. But today, I feel relevant. I feel like I can play a small part in changing this disastrous world. Maybe not yet, but soon.

I really can't complain about much. Other than these unbearable shin splints. Gross, and the fact that some man tried to show me his genitals y

esterday. Still a little bit scarred from that. He just thought it would be a good idea to give me a show while he walked past me. EWWW.

I am slightly worried Christmas is going to be somewhat unbearable. My friend just had his 21st birthday here, and he had a really difficult time. I hope its not like that on Christmas for me, but I expect it to be.

Recently, tons has happened. I went to a festival called Mil Tambores which means a thousand drummers. It reminded me of the Fremont fair in Seattle where everyone paints their bodies and rides bikes in the nude. At Mil Tambores there were naked people painted everywhere. And tons of drummers and dancing and drinking in the streets in the middle of the

day into the night. CRAYZAY.

Also, last weekend I went to Santiago. I only stayed for a day bec

ause two of my friends birthdays the following day. I'm going to be honest, I hated Santiago. Its not Viña del Mar or Valp

araíso; I wasn't in Kansas anymore. There were 10X as many people, it smelt worse, and I was in a constant state of stress; worrying about my bag, my

blonde hair, by tiny build, getting lost, getting stolen. All of it. Tuve mucho estrés...I am sure once I settle in there, it wont feel so overwhelming, but it definitely doesn't have the relaxing safe feel of Viña. :(

¡Today I'm going to Pilates! Yayyyyy, exercise. Gotta work off all that bread and beer I've been taking in. Surprisingly, my pants still fit. Woohoo.

I ran today, first time in...more than six months. It was only like a half of a mile...maybe less. I wish i knew the metric system, maybe it would sound longer. haha. I also went to this Pilates class with Julia and had an amazing time. Probably because your first time is free...I hate paying for stuff. Such a cheap skate. I feel good though, full of energy. Still struggling to do my homework though.

So this is the plan: this is my last week of actual classes, already, right? Time flies. But that only means that its halfway through. Next thursday, our excursions start. I decided to go to the north to Iquique y Arica. Up there, it is the driest place on earth, and one of the best places for star gazing. In a way I wish I could look up at the stars and believe you all are looking at the same stars, but I know that there are different constellations down here than up there. I'll get to see the Valle de Luna and hopefully some flamingos. So we have two weeks of just cultural immersion, not homework, just journaling. Should be awesome. Whats even more awesome is that I wont be spending money, except on souvenirs and stuff. I wont be going out or anything..yay!!! two weeks of saving money. gotta love it. Ok. Enough for now. Chao lovas ;)

P.S. No idea why the first part is a link. haha

Go Big or Go Home

Maybe its not always the best motto, but it sure is mine. And I would say in most cases, its a good one. For example, I have decided to stay in South America through Christmas time. I think this is a good choice at least for the reason that I don't know when I will make it down here again. Maybe after college? Hopefully...Also, I will get the chance to be laying on the beach in 80 degree+ weather why yall are gunna be freezin your asses off. ;) There are many more reasons than these, such as the inconvenience of coming home for a total of 10 days, which I would most likely be sick for from the climate change.

Sometimes going big can be peligroso. For example, I drank way too much on wednesday night. I think enough that I had alcohol poisoning all day yesterday. This was my first major mistake here in Chile and my first experience with alcohol poisoning, and definitely my last. Wednesday night, every thing was hunky-dorey, I made it home safe, I didn't get sick, didn't black out...nothing. But when I woke up friday still a little drunk, I knew it was going to be a hard day. For some reason the 4 bottles of water I drank in my first spanish class didn't improve my hangover. Things just got worse. I threw up after class and had to go home where I failed to hold anything down including water. Why am I admitting this to you, and all the other people who have told me REPEATEDLY to be safe? I don't know. Probably because I've learned my lesson in that sense. You know how everyone says they are never drinking again after a rough night? I said that yesterday. Maybe my first time ever. Or maybe I am also sharing this because its a good story. I am not going to candy coat this experience, so reader, please don't expect me to.

Unrelated to my title, and even worse than alcohol poisoning, I have lost a lot of respect for myself for liking a Justin Beiber song, and if you have too, I COMPLETELY understand.

It rained here on Sunday night. The first rain since I got here. And it was fierce. It was appropriate for the night I had. It was also the first night I've cried since I've been here. Stage 2 of culture shock set in, at least for that night. But it would have been the same situation anywhere else in the world. Its always the same. Even though relationship suffered, maybe forever, I may be able to move on. I better. Immaturity and insecurity are things that don't effect my life anymore. I'm sorry if they rule yours.

Its also pretty incredible that if I need to talk to someone it really isn't difficult. I don't have to sit and suffer alone in a foreign room, I just use icall, or skypecall. Thanks Izz.

Anyway, I guess this should be more about Chile than I have made it. In a few weeks I get the opportunity to go to the northern most part of the country, a town called Arica. We'll fly into Iquique and check it out before Arica. I get the privilege of staying in the driest place on earth for 2 weeks. Not a drop of rain. Just me and the Atacama Desert. STOKED.

Anyone wanna come travel with me in January and February? You wouldn't regret it. Promise.

For summer, I am considering flying to Montevideo, Uruguay maybe camping on the beach for a week or so, and then heading into Argentina. You know, if you enter countries like Chile, Argentina, or Brazil by any other form of transportation than Airplane, you don't have to pay their $140 reciprocity fee. Well that explains Uruguay. ¡Thanks for the advice Maddie! It was great to meet a fellow UPSer that I had not know before getting here. Maddie is in the same program as my roommate, Marina, from freshman year. Her and I definitely work well together.

School blows, but I suppose it would suck in the U.S. as well. So really, oh well. Idk if its pass or fail or not. haha. Maybe I should figure these things out. All I know, is that I definitely am receiving my P&G credits this semester. Its going to be funny that when I come back, my spanish is going to be ridiculously Chilean. Chileans are so funny. They never use s's, they speak super sloppy and have and alternative chilenismo for every actual word...i mean, it seems like it. Why wasn't it advertised that Chilean men aren't as attractive as other Latinos? People keep asking me, are there tons of hotties down there? And I keep replying...."no, actually none." JAJAJAJA (hahahaha) Its quite a let down. They either have chocopandas (mullets) or are jotes, just creepy as shit. Wtf, mate? Oh vell.

Okay, thats enough to indulge in one entry. I will try to get better and updating this regularly. For now, ¡Caio!