The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End...

Yes, that's right, two days ago I began my LAST semester of college.  Whoa.  That's crazy, right?  Me da mucho miedo. Pues, bueno.  This semester is going to be amazing.  I already love my classes, especially my dance class, where tonight we learned how to merengue.  :)  Although next week, I am finding a "hombre chileno" (Chilean boy) to take with me because there is a shortage of boys... Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do... Anyways, let's get back on subject - school.  La Universidad Andrés Bello is a private university located in Santiago Central in an area where there are many other universidades.  Also, it is located right in the middle of all the action with the protests etc.  So if any more things go down, I'll have a front row seat!!  (Haha, actually our program prefers that we stay as far away as possible for our safety and security.)  Anywhoo, the university is also located just a few blocks from El Palacio de la Moneda, which is where the President of Chile works, but only works because he lives at his normal home in La Providencia.  An interesting note about La Moneda is that, unlike the White House, you can get right up next to it and touch it!  Cars drive 10 feet from it's backdoor... I mean, that would NEVER fly in los Estados Unidos.  Kinda crazy, right?  Today, during my break, I walked up to the Universidad de Chile, which is the "headquarters" for all the protests and mobilization etc.  I'll post pictures later but you'll be able to see what I'm talking about because there are signs and banners all over the front.  It's pretty insane/cool.

Interesting note on food.  So Chileans like to put mayo on EVERYTHING.  Although about 64 people have gotten sick and one man actually died from salmonella poisoning from mayo, so my Mamá told me never to eat the mayo en las calles.  Pues, one of the Chileans' favorite (or most common) foods is called a "completo," which is pretty much a hotdog with diced tomatoes, guacamole, and mayo on it.  (Although there are many different types and varieties, this is the most common - completo italiano.)  So the other day I tried one and I have to say I probably won't get it again.  However, tonight at dinner, my host family told me I went to the worst place to get my "completo" and that they will make me a REAL completo.  Sooo I guess I'll have to get it another shot.  (I'll post pictures later.)  Speaking of homemade cooking, my host mom made empanadas the other night, which are like hot pockets with minced meet, onion, olives, and eggs in them... although they, also, vary.  DELICIOSO!!!!  Mi Mamá also told me that one of the best places to buy empanadas is located very close to our house... So I might be a regular customer, which probably won't be too good for my waist-line... But who am I kidding, you only live in Chile once?  (Or do you? Haha)  Speaking of waist-lines, I did go for an amazing run the other evening.  I had this amazing view of the Andes at sunset to look at while jamming out to some Rihanna, Gaga, and other English-speaking friends.  Could life get any better?  Perhaps not, although I do miss my family and friends, but I am surrounded by good company here in Chile.  I am so blessed to have the host family that I do as well as some Chilean friends already.  God is good and obviously wanted me in Chile for a reason I have yet to figure out.  (More on that later, I'm sure.)

Another interesting note... tonight while walking home from the bus stop with mi Papá, we got to talking about the dictatorship and government etc.  He said many people today would still prefer to have a military government over the "democracy" they have now.  I asked him what he wanted.  The obvious answer would have been "La democracia, por supuesto!!"  ((Us, in the U.S., think everyone wants democracy, eh?))  However, his answer was "better."  He said (pretty much) that all he wants is to have a good job that pays and a house where he can relax, enjoy himself, and spend time with family, whether or not the government is a dictatorship or a democracy doesn't really matter as long as his life is como así, like this.  I think a lot of people think like this, around the world.  They are removed from government as long as they can just live their life en paz.  

¿Qué más?  I really cannot think of anything too noteworthy for you all at this moment.  However, tomorrow I think I might add some more pictures because tomorrow afternoon I am going to go exploring a bit with my friend Amanda.  So stay tuned...

Saludos cariñosos,

Sarah

Cerro Santa Lucía 

(Santa Lucía Hill)

My Chilean Wal-Mart Experience

Okay, so I almost feel bad blogging this much... Almost... But you all could not possibly believe the cross-cultural experience I had yesterday.  It's too good not to blog.  Really.


So yesterday afternoon I met up with my Chilean friend Wen for sushi in the comuna La Florida.  The sushi restaurant was located at an enormous mall.  (The sushi was delicious by the way.)  Anyways, so after sushi we went walking around the mall - a good idea, in theory.  Whoa.  Talk about a shock.  I thought it was insane that JUMBO had Herbal Essence shampoo, but this mall could have been in the United States, seriously.  I think I knew more of the stores than were foreign (maybe that's an exaggeration...)  There was Hush Puppies, Naturalizers, Apple Resellers (Note:  Apple products are at least two times as expensive in Chile as in the US), JanSport, Columbia, Billabong, Roxy... the list goes on.  Plus, there was a lot of ENGLISH words.  Like one store was called "Shoes & Piel" (Piel meaning "skin" or "leather").  As you will see in one picture, a store had written "Chek This Out" on its window (obviously, they didn't have a very good Spanish-English dictionary, or spell-check).  As Wen and I were walking around the mall, she was surprised that I was so surprised by all the similarities in brands etc.  Then she said to me, "Sarah, we're all gringo wanna-be's."  In a sense, I think she was joking but there seemed to be some truth in that statement too.  


Anyways, then we went to the epitome of the U.S. influence in Chile - Líder, which the chain of stores that Wal-Mart owns.  If you can only imagine.... It feels exactly like Wal-Mart when you walk in.  The most shocking thing was probably the all the Great Value things.  They even had peanut butter, which was VERY shocking.  They also had Lays potato chips, Betty Crocker cookie and cake mix, Oreos, and even Chips Ahoy or however you spell it... Of course, most of those things were very expensive, but just the fact that they were available shocked me.  Anyways, when you see the pictures you might not even believe that I am in Santiago, Chile.  Honestly, I don't think I ever want to return to those enormous malls and the super-stores filled with Great Value products... Not really my cup of tea - in the US and especially in Chile.  

Well, that was short, for your sakes and for mine.  I am going to go back to playing Trivial Pursuit with the "fam."  (PS I won the first game even with my language handicap!!)  It's kinda rainy, windy and cold here in Santiago so it's a great day to stay indoors, drink tea, and play games.


Besos,
Sarah

The Key to Life & The Political Scene

Yes, I'm back already.  I know, I know, you all are already overwhelmed because you haven't read my last post yet.  No worries.  But I woke up this morning (to the sound of rain), had this amazing conversation with my host mom (Mamá) over breakfast, and am now in the "blogging" mood, if there is such a thing.


Alright, so breakfast this morning consisted of Nescafé coffee (para mí) and tea (té) for Mamá as well as bread (pan) with this cheese stuff (queso fondido) that is kinda like cream cheese, which we mixed with soy sauce.  It sounds really strange (extraño) but it was actually quite delicioso.  I also had some kiwi and orange slices with a Activia yogur - believe-it-or-not, they have Activia.  Haha.  Anyways, we got to talking about the key to life (la llave de la vida).  Yes, it was kinda deep for a breakfast conversation but it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  We both agreed that life is more than tons of money, tons of things, and a really exciting/successful career.  Those things aren't bad in and of themselves but one must appreciate their family, friends, and what they do have before anything else.  She told me that the people who concentrate on what they don't have and what others do have are not very happy and are only angry.  (This conversation was also linked to the one we had last night about politics.  My host mom doesn't care too much for politics.  She'd rather just live her life and not concern herself with the messiness of politics.) I was able to tell Mamá how my time in Spain really gave me perspective about what life is all about.  Before I went to Spain I was dead-set on traveling and living abroad for the rest of my life because I though life in the Midwest was dull and boring (haha).  However, observing and living the life in Spain taught me that friends and family are the bread and butter of life, without which life is not as meaningful, in my opinion.  Thus, I told her that I love to travel and experience new cultures and peoples but eventually I want to settle in the Midwest (surprise, surprise) and be close to "home."  Qué sabiduría, cariño.  I know the whole "settle down in the Midwest" thing surprised my mom (to some extent) but I just don't think I could stand missing out on the important stuff - like when Jared & Gina have kids, which they say will be awhile but they have already added a new addition to their family - a puppy!  It's kinda funny to observe that in the U.S. families often live hundreds of miles away from one another and only see each other on major holidays.  Whereas in Spain and Chile, for the most part, families live in the same town and often the same neighborhood or even the same house!!  Interesting, no?  Anyways, this is getting a little deep so I'll digress but it's just some food for thought, I suppose.


Next Subject:  What is with all these protests and demonstrations you've heard about in Santiago??  Well, during our orientation, we had a presentation on exactly that - the political and social scene of Chile.  We are in a very interesting time in Chile as the first generation removed from Pinochet's dictatorship arise and begin to have their voices heard.  There is a cry right now for education to be considered a right, and not just a freedom as the 1980 Constitution lays out (the 1980 Constitution was ratified under Chile's dictator and is still in existence, which is interesting).  Anyways, there is a lack of investment in education, which has led to a growing student debt.  There is also a growing amount of privatization of education, which has led to education being considered, and even declared by the President (Piñera), as a "consumer good," which is usually for profit.  A Few Facts:  Chile has one of the lowest numbers of public universities in comparison to private universities when compared among OECD countries.  85% of the costs of higher education is paid for by families and 15% by the state.  Federal aid is almost non-existent.  Most of education etc. is funded by Chilean municipalities (instead of the central government), which are usually poor because Chile has such a segregated society.  For student loands, there is a 6% interest rate, which is higher than their mortgages for most....


Enough with the facts, hundreds of thousands of students, children, parents, grandparents - people of all ages - have taken to the streets.  They want a Free and Equal education system, more financial aid, lower interest rates, and greater involvement in state education.  One problem, however, with these goals is that they are very idealistic and there is little room for compromise.  The government, on the other hand, has proposed little and often speaks empty words and promises.  (That sounds familiar, no?)  Anyways, most if not all of the demonstrations take places on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Most are peaceful, although the media plays up the violent protests.  A few nights ago the small group of more "violent" protesters set fire to a church.  Some of the news footage seems pretty crazy, scary, and chaotic.  One 16-year-old boy was recently killed due to these "explosions" of anger.  Many Chileans participate in cacerolazo, which is a uniquely Latin American phenomenon where people take to the streets banging kitchen utensils on pots and pans.  Many students have barricaded themselves in their universities or took place in short hunger strikes.  


Needless to say, there is a lot of noise being made.  ¡Basta!  Enough!  The cry for social change is huge.  Terremoto Social.  Social Earthquake, more or less.


A few more interesting facts I want to add because I'm a nerd and love this stuff...  Chile is the wealthiest country per capita in Latin America.  The seven richest families in Chile earn more than the entire GDP of Chile (essentially, they earn more than the Chilean government).  President Piñera is included in these seven families and he himself is part of the top 100 richest billionaires in the world.  From about 1989 to 2010, Chile was governed by a center-left coalition and with the election of Piñera about a year and a half ago, there is now a more right-wing government.  Costs:  The minimum wage of Chile is about $350 per month ($4200 per year) whereas college costs about $6000 per year, making it extremely difficult if not impossible to go to college.


Okay, okay, I'm done.  I could continue to ramble on but I have to go get ready for my afternoon out and about in Santiago.  I am going to meet up with Wen, another Chilean contact I have from my friend in Chicago.  We are going to go eat SUSHI for lunch.  These Chileans love sushi, including my host family, who, after finding out that I love sushi, has planned a day to go to the Asian grocery store and make sushi!!  If these aren't people after my own heart, I don't know who is!  Haha.  I hope you all are doing well and I hope you all are enjoying my posts.  If you would like to hear about any other specific facets of life in Santiago, please email me and I'll try to talk about that next time.


Saludos Cariñosos,


Sarah


PS  My Mailing Address, in case you all want to send me a card or something.  Note:  It takes about 3-4 weeks to send stuff.


Sarah Routh
Programa USAC
Universidad Andrés Bello
República 230, Piso 1
Santiago, CHILE - South America

¡Bienvenida a Chile!

Welcome to Chile!!

Where do I even begin?  Honestly, these past 72 hours have been absolutely sensory-overload and emotionally/mentally-draining, but they have been, on the whole, fantastic!  So I might as well start from the beginning and I will try to leave nothing out so that you all (my "followers") will be able to paint a picture in your minds of my experience thus far.

Well, Tuesday the 23rd (D-Day) arrived pretty quickly.  (And by D-Day, I mean, Departure-Day.)  Honestly, I wasn't ready to leave the U.S., which may come as a shock to most of you.  I felt a little unprepared, probably because I felt like I was a study abroad "veteran" since I had already been to Spain.  However, I think I was pretty darn prepared - or at least the airline attendants thought so when I arrived with two 50 lbs. bags as well as a backpack that was filled to the breaking point (literally - I had to buy another at the airport in Dallas, which is kinda a funny story if I wasn't so stressed out at the time).  Anyways, I took so much this time for a few reasons.  When I went to Spain I tried to "rough" it - BAD idea.  So this time I brought some comforts with me, such as my sweatpants and sweatshirt.  :)  But let's not get off on a tangent here.  I had a hard time leaving the U.S. because this time around it seems as if there is more on the line.  When I return (which is open-ended) I won't have college to fall back on as my safety net.  I will be in the "real" world, which begs the question of what the heck I am going to do with my life?!  (PS I'm open to suggestions!)  Other than leaving all the security and comforts the United States holds for me, I also had to leave a lot of people that I care about deeply, which, this time around, really hit me hard.  At the time and still, it kinda makes my heart ache a bit.  When did I get so sentimental??  Haha.  No sé.  (I don't know.)

To make a long story short, my long flight out of Dallas to Santiago went by quickly.  I got on the plane, ate dinner, took a sleeping pill, put in ear plugs, sprawled out across the three seats I had since the plane was barely half-full, and I passed out for the next seven hours or so until I woke up to a warm croissant and some yogurt.  Best ten hour flight of my life.  As we began to descend, I first noticed the AMAZING view of the Andes Mountains.  Whoa.  They make the Rockies pale in comparison.  (Note:  From just about any point in Santiago you have a stellar view of the Andes.  It is absolutely surreal.)  From there, our program (USAC) carted us to a hotel in Vitacura, una comuna de Santiago (a neighborhood, more of less).  For the next 24+ hours, we had our orientation, which there really isn't much to say about.  I was able to meet some people in my program, which was great!!  Then, on Thursday, the real adventure began when our host families picked us up.

I was fortunate enough to have a host mom who loves to Facebook so I had already "met" her.  In person, however, she was so much better!!  I have a host mom (Mamá or Ana María) and a dad (Papá or Jorge) as well as two sisters - Annia (21) who studies music and sings very well AND Macarena (19) who goes by "Maca," studies mathematics, and likes to knit and crochet.  We also have two dogs (perritas) - Sofie (a medium-sized dog) and Vilma (a golden retriever) who both live outside.  To my surprise, my host family lives in a home in la comuna Ñuñoa.  (Great location:  Very close to the Metro stop Bilboa.  Note:  The Metro system of Santiago is SUPER-nice and modern and clean!!)  Mi familia chilena also shares their home with the mother of Jorge (Papá) but it is almost like a duplex but not really... Anyways, I have my own room and bathroom, which is pretty private.  Also, the family as wi-fi, which is a HUGE plus for me and for you all, since that way I'll be updating this blog more frequently and with more details.  In general, my host mom explained her family as una familia muy simple y tranquila (a family very simple and tranquil).  They love to hang out with one another, are very relaxed, and love to laugh - Perfect for me!  Also, I want to mention that their favorite pastimes is talking, which is a huge plus.  Unlike Spain, I am able to begin my life with my host family with the ability to speak in complete sentences and understand what they are saying without them having to dull it down too much.  Thus, we are having a lot of fun communicating already.  The ability to laugh at oneself is probably the most important quality at this point in the game.  And communication is key.  Especially as we get to know one another as well as our habits, pet-peeves etc.  OH!  One more thing.  My host family LOVED their gifts, which consisted of a coffee mug with a picture of Snake Alley on it, a melted bottle (by Hannah Lloyd) that had a hand-painted (by me) skyline of Chicago and can be used for cheese and crackers or just as decoration.  Moreover, I brought them Reese's Pieces because they don't have peanut butter nor do they have any Reese's products in Chile.  The girls, I brough scarves, which they also love.  It was a SLAM DUNK if I don't say so myself.  :)

¿Qué más?  What more?  Well, Santiago is a huge city of 5.7 million people, más o menos (more or less).  There are tons of stray dogs and cats wandering the streets, which adds a little "charm" to the city.  The first night I was with my host family, Mamá and Maca took me to load money on my BIP! card (metro card) as well as to JUMBO.  Now JUMBO is as close to Walmart as Chileans get (although I was later told that Walmart bought out a Chilean company awhile back so technically Chile does have "Walmart" but under a different name.)  JUMBO has absolutely EVERYTHING.  And to my surprise, JUMBO carries pretty much all the same brands as in the U.S.  For example, I bought Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner, Colgate toothpaste, St. Ives lotion, Treseme (spelling?) hairspray... I also bought slippers since, like in Spain, Chileans don't have central heating, thus it's a little chilly inside la casa.  I've learned how to turn on the hot water heater, use the hot water bottle to put at the foot of my bed, as well as turn on the small gas heater in my room.  Another random note:  I have yet to actually try the water, which is safe but takes awhile to get used to.  I guess it's a little "minerally" so I am slowly weening myself off bottled water as to not get sick.  So far so good.  (Unlike Spain where I threw up all day on my second day there - not a fond memory.)  

That reminds me... the food... I don't want to go into intense detail quite yet.  I am going to wait a week or two so I have had more experience, but I will tell you that Chileans are known to put mayo on EVERYTHING.  Tonight at dinner my host mother told me NEVER order food with mayo on it outside of the home because some places don't store their mayo well and one man recently died of salmonella or something like that.  Speaking of current events, many of you may have heard that there are quite a few large demonstrations and protests going on in Santiago.  This is true, but I am going to write an entirely separate post just about the political situation so stay tuned.  

Really quick, before my computer dies, today after my run in the park, I met up with my Chilean friend, Christian, who I was put into contact with through a friend from Chicago that studied abroad in Santiago a year or so ago and met all these Chileans at the church he attended.  Anyways, we got together for café con leche or in this case, Starbucks.  Haha.  He also took me to La Plaza de Armas and the area Bellas Artes.  It was my first experience actually IN Santiago and it was wonderful!!!  More details to come but right now my computer is near dead.

Stay tuned for more details tomorrow!!!

Saludos cariñosos,

Sarah

¡Una Semana!

¡Buenos días a todos!


One week from today and a handful of hours I will be in Cedar Rapids boarding a plane for Dallas, Texas from where I will board another (larger) plane for the longer trek to Santiago, Chile.  Wow.  I really cannot believe I only have a week left.  And in all honesty, I am kinda freaking out.  This isn't another Euro-trip and this isn't another Spain experience.  This is more... real life.  When I go down there and after classes are finished, I won't have college to rest on.  A little scary...  But like I say to myself and others constantly (probably to try to keep myself sane), One Day At A Time.  My new life philosophy.  (We'll see how well I do at actually staying true to that life philosophy but that's another story.)  Anyways, yes, one week.  Another reason I have been stressin' is because I have to PACK and actually fit my life (once again) into two 50-lbs. suitcases, which, as all the female readers can attest to, is painfully difficult.  Shoes? Everyday clothes? A few nicer outfits? Layers? Sweaters and sweatshirts? Boots? Coat? Don't even get me started on accessories!  Luckily, one of my best friends, Ali, is coming into town today and little does she know that she will be helping me go through my wardrobe.  :)  Hey, what are best friends for if not to help you coordinate outfits??  Furthermore, another reason I've been a little on edge is because everyone has seemingly waited until the last week before I leave to want to see me.  I have been bombarded with lunch plans, dinner dates, etc., which is GREAT!  Believe me, I want to see everyone too before I take off for... SOUTH AMERICA, but it's just a little overwhelming, as you may be able to imagine.  Have no fear, I am dealing.  One day at a time, right?


However, I digress... I wanted to spend a little time in this blog post to inform all my faithful followers :) a little about Chile.  For those of you who don't already know (or who haven't already Google Mapped it), Chile is the long skinny country on the Western side of South America.  It has about 4,000 miles (6,435 km) of coastline and never gets much wider than a little over 100 miles.  Chile as a country has about 16-17 million inhabitants and about 5.7 (ish) million live in Santiago, the capital city, which is surrounded by the beautiful Andes mountains and is only a little trek from Valparaíso, probably the most well-known port city to us US citizens.  Chile has a Mediterranean climate.  One of the world's driest deserts (the Atacama Desert) is located in the North.  However, the South is probably the area where you are all most familiar with - Patagonia (which encompasses land in both Chile and Argentina).  Patagonia is home to glaciers, volcanos, and penguins!! among much more.  


As many of you may remember, Chile has frequently been in the headlines.  I'm sure most of you recall the Chilean mining debacle awhile back.  (Big industries in Chile are copper and nitrates among other things.)  Also, there have been earthquakes... Chile stretches along the Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean.  There have also been volcano eruptions, which have interrupted air traffic in Argentina and Australia.  Similarly, there have been crazy amounts of snow in the Andes, which have isolated many smaller towns and villages.  Sound a little crazy and dangerous?  Naw... not really.  Furthermore, Chile is one of the most economically-developed and politically-stable countries in Latin America (minus the occasional protesting that occurs in the capital and is often followed by tear gas).  Another fun fact, although much of the population has indigenous ancestry, there is an abundance of European influence that stretches back to colonialism (obviously).  Um... I could spew off more facts from BBC country profile or CIA fact book but I think I'll let you do that research at your convenience and leisure...  


However, one thing I definitely want to share is a part of Chile's history that some of you may find interesting.  Most times in the United States we speak of September 11th like 9.11.2001 is the only noteworthy September 11th in history.  However, September 11, 1973 was and is one of the most memorable moments in Chilean history.  In 1970, Salvador Allende took office as the first democratically-elected Marxist in Latin America.  Obviously at that time, "we" were deeply involved in a deeply ideological war - aka the Cold War.  Anyways, there's no time (right now) to get into the US involvement but on September 11, 1973, the opposition led a "golpe de estado" (coup d'état), which resulted in Allende's suicide (which was recently confirmed after the exhumation of his body) and the rise of the dictator General Augusto Pinochet, who "ruled" from 1973 to 1989.  Thousands of leftists and suspected sympathizers were detained, beat, tortured, and executed.  Many more went into exile, including Ariel Dorfman and Isabel Allende.  (Both are famous Chilean writers.  Another famous name is Pablo Neruda, poet.)  This all was occurring around the same time as the Argentinean "Dirty Wars" and many other oppressive regimes and gruesome injustices.  Anyone interested in history I would highly encourage you to read up on Latin America during the Cold War - the dictators, torture and murders, US involvement (just Google-ing "School of Americas" is a good place to start on that one)...  Very interesting and heartbreaking.  Looking into a country's and a region's history is a good way to begin to understand each unique perception of the world.


Anyways, there is so much more to share with you but slow and steady is best and patience is a virtue.  :)  Hope you all enjoy the post and there will be many, many more.


Besos,
Sarah

Santiago, Chile

Map of Chile

Andes Mountains

¡¡Bienvenidos!!

Hello Everyone!!

Hopefully I will have a few new readers this time around seeing as I just sent out a mass email asking people to subscribe to my blog.  I am hoping that this time around I will have some avid readers and loyal followers all the way down to Santiago, across South America, and back in time (at least) for graduation in May.  (Yes, I know, it's scary... graduating from college!  I'm not ready for the "real world" yet.  Haha)

Well, seeing as I am about to embark, let me give you a little nutshell-version of the next few months so you all can have an idea of what you are getting yourself into by reading my blog.  :)

On August 23rd, I will hop on a plane out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Then I will fly to Dallas and from there fly to Santiago, Chile.  All in all, the flight from Dallas to Santiago will be about 9-10 hours.  Luckily, on the big flight, I will be with some of the other students from my program, none of whom I know or have met yet.  But we will all be picked up at the airport in Santiago by our program director etc.  ((FYI:  My program is USAC - University Studies Abroad Consortium))  The first night we will be staying in a hotel in Santiago and get organized a bit.  However, after a day or two, I will meet and move in with my Chilean host family!!  ((I have yet to receive any information about who they are but that's typical... I'll find out about a week before I leave.))

Since I only have one more semester of college (I am graduating a semester early thanks to AP classes and good course planning), I only have to take a few general electives down there, which is great!  So I will be taking two just plain Spanish courses, a Spanish stylistics course, a photography course (which is going to be amazing!!), a one-credit Dances of Latin America course (learn a little salsa and merengue!), and then I will have an internship with an organization in Santiago, which is to-be-determined.  

On a different note, as some of you may know, I only have a one-way plane ticket to Santiago, which may seem a little crazy to many of you.  And honestly, sometimes I am surprised that I am not freaking out more.  But I am trusting God and taking it one day at a time, which leads me to my next note - what am I going to do after my courses are completed in December since technically I don't have to come back to the States until graduation in May????  Well, I would love to remain down in South America, perhaps Chile, and do some volunteer work or something!!  I have made a few contacts down in Chile while being in the States and I am certain that there are more contacts to be made once I get down there and figure things out.  I am trusting that God is going to present me with a sweet opportunity to lend a hand down in Latin America.  Perhaps an orphanage, maybe a summer camp (our seasons are opposite due to the whole side-of-the-equator difference), or even building homes or something of the sort... Honestly, the sky is the limit and I haven't a clue.  Kinda exciting, isn't it?

Alrighty, well I have been typing this out while sitting next to my mom, who is learning to upload pictures to Facebook, so I better go assist a little.  But thanks again for reading and I hope you subscribe over on the right side here to my blog.  Next time I will tell you all a little about Chile as a country and a people.  A little heads up on what I know about Chile already and a little on what I might encounter and expect.

¡Pásalo bien!  Y nos hablamos pronto.

((Translation (more or less) = Have a good time and we'll speak soon!))

Sarah