My Top 3 Spanish Slip-Ups

- Three times I have dropped extremely inappropriate slang words at extremely inappropriate moments; one of them being in a meeting with my boss

- I asked an elderly woman if she wears diapers

-While trying to describe to my host mom that I slept in a ball last night because of the cold, I actually told her that I slept naked

Me being goofy, as always

School Starts

Yesterday morning we got the kids all dressed up in their school uniforms and walked them to their first day of school. It was a difficult process though. With 4 kids all wearing the same uniform and 3 of them all being the same size, it seemed as if every item of clothing had to go on at least 2 kids before finding the right owner. I never thought that kids could be so eager to get to school. They downed their breakfasts and were yelling at Paola to hurry up and eat so they could get to class. It was so cute!

And today was the birthday of one of the 6 yr old girls, Aurora. The moms, Alex, our grandfather, Aurora`s dad and I set up a party in my front lawn. We had streamers and balloons, tons of candy and a delicious cake. There were about 10 kids that ran around screaming and playing all afternoon and into the night. We did face painting and even had a piñata. Grandpa cooked a terrific BBQ while the women sat back and drank pisco sours to enjoy International Women’s Day. Doesn’t it sound a lot like a typical little girl’s birthday party back home?

Chilling on Chiloe

Well, the job is not really working out. That little job description about the algae is just a project that Paola, my host mom, is trying to start. I have no idea what ELI was planning that I do when they sent me here. I have been making the best of it though. My host mom Paola has hooked me up with the company she is working with to start the project in the municipal health office. The man Paola is working with, Jaime, is a doctor that travels to smaller communities to set up clinics there. I went to a consultation with him on Friday. I was also able to sit down and talk with the social worker there too, Erica, but she needs to speak with her boss until I can really come and be of any help to her. In terms of me ´working´ so far, that is the extent of it after a week and a half. It is little disappointing but it is hard to be upset when I am having such a terrific time anyway.

Just because the job isn’t working, doesn’t mean I am not loving the island. I have already made some good friends here. Most are extensions from the family but that is OK with me. My `uncle` has offered to be my mini tour guide so we have gone out on little adventures around the island. Also, Paola has introduced me to a neighbour who is really big into kayaking. We have only gone out once so far but we are planning more trips to spots around the island. I signed myself up for a girl’s soccer team here with a woman from the office. That starts next week which should be fun to be a part of a team and continue staying active. I walk a lot here I have must admit that I have been indulging a bit in all the little snacks lying around the house for the kids.

The only thing is that only 1 of these people is under the age of 30 other than me. I do kind of stand out as the young one but I definitely hold my own! I would like to meet some younger people but I must say that it might be weird now just because I have become accustomed to an older crowd.

Chiloe itself is beautiful. I have lucked out with beautiful, bright, sunny weather every day so far. The city of Castro is great as well. It has everything I would every need but it is still tiny and low-key just like the rest of the island. It is right on the water and is known for the houses that are on stilts plus this great church in the plaza. I constantly forget that I am on the ocean until the tide moves out. I think the best part though is the people. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful; it is also really safe. You never really need to worry about being robbed; you can leave your bike out on the street without an worries. Also hitchhiking is the way to go here, it is part of the culture which I think just goes to show how relaxed it is here. Another thing that I love about the people is how proud they are to be Chilote. I have learned so much from people just being eager to talk about their culture. The stilt houses, the make their boats by hand out of wood, myths, places to go, and so much traditional foods!! It will be really easy to spend a month here.

I am proud to announce that I have my OWN first house! Ah I feel like an adult! EEEEeee! J ! It is green on the outside and orange on the inside. It has a bathroom, and a kitchen, and an entry room (I don’t know what it is called) and my bedroom with a smaller room attached. I have this great sky window directly above my bed to look at the stars before I go to sleep. I have big windows that look out to my apple tree and garden. It is perfect! I am next door neighbours to my family, less than 50 meters away. (FYI- I think in meters and stuff now). It is great because I have a nice, large, quiet space to myself. Then I just walk next door for meals etc. I am only missing a dresser. My little sister came in today and she commented on how my room was a little messy because all of my clothes were on the floor. She just didn’t realize that they were in organized piles on the floor.

The next awesome item on the list is my family. Together we are seven. 2 moms (sisters), 1 foreigner*, 1 ten yr old girl, and 3 feisty six yr olds (a twin boy and girl, and a cousin). Just by stepping out the front door, I can hear the screams coming from the house. They are a handful; but also very sweet and loving. I love getting my goodnight hugs and kisses. My moms are so cool. They are 39 & 36 and so freaking hip. They are really relaxed and friendly. As you may have noticed, I did not mention any pops. They both separated very shortly after giving birth to the twins so they have been living together helping each other out. It is easy to recognize that these are both very strong women. It is a happy household but it is hard on them. Still they are extremely social. There is a group of about 5 people who cycle through the house daily. Now referring to the ´*´. One of them is this complete hippy German guy named Alex. He passes through here every year and has been friends of the moms for years. For the last week he has been sleeping on the floor of my entry room. He spends his mornings sleeping, afternoons making jewellery, and nights selling the jewellery. We get along great; I am sad to think he is moving out next week. We also have a dog and 2 cats. One of the cats had a litter before I came so we have had 6 little fur balls crawling around the house getting tortured by the kids but we are slowly giving them away.

If it weren’t for an awesome location and an ideal host family I think my spirits would be a bit lower about the job. But in all honestly I am having too much fun!

Port Hopping

With a week free until my second job, I got back to travelling. I had to pass through the city of Puerto Montt which is kind of the last easily accessible place South

. As a jumping off point for Patagonia it is great; other than that there is nothing that interesting about the city. From here I went to Puerto Varas which is only about 20 minutes inland but much more beautiful. The German influence in this lakeside city is evident at every corner. It has a gorgeous beach that looks across the large lake to 2 snow-covered volcanoes.

With the warm, sunny weather, I took my towel to beach to soak up some rays. When I returned to my hostel, I had a terrific surprise waiting for me. Will McNiel, a fellow student from my Carpe Diem Semester this past fall, was staying in the same hostel while travelling with his father. It was a shock for both us! I made us tasty pizzas for dinner and we talked and talked and talked about everything we have done since the program ended in mid December.

During my 1 full day there, I decided to invest and go canyoning! It’s an adventure sport I had never really heard of before or had the opportunity to do so I thought “What the heck! Why not?” They suited me up in a wetsuit, helmets, gloves, and sneakers. We spent about 4 hours working our way down this pristine river in the center of a national park about an hour outside the city. The water had carved out lots of tiny rushing slides for us to go down, tons of waterfalls to float off of, and many high rock ledges to jump from. The highest one was about 14 meters or 46 feet; it was so much fun. With the wetsuits on, I never felt the sting of my skin hitting the water. To finish off the afternoon we all rappelled down the side of a 35 meter waterfall. I was surprised how much fun I had. If there was something like that around where I lived, I would be ecstatic.

The next morning we slept in before we headed up north about 4 hours to spend the weekend in Valdivia where they were having their yearly “Night of Valdivia” festival. Valdivia is located where 3 rivers converge before emptying out into the Pacific. The fish market is home to families of sea lions. They just come right up to railing to bathe on the warm cement or linger nearby waiting for fish to be tossed over to them. It is like paradise for these guys.We spent our day on this boat tour exploring the rivers which use to act as a base for the Spaniards when theyheld power here. We made two stops to explore ruins and watch a re-enactment of when the Chileans reclaimed their land. We didn’t learn much from the guide because his Spanish was so difficult to understand and we were the only foreigners there so we just goofed around the fortresses while he talked.

The festival was so much fun! Will and I spent our evening roaming around the fair trying all the different types of street food. It was delicious! When it got really dark there was a parade of river boats. They were all decorated with strings of lights and had music playing. Some people went all out and had large floats constructed around their boats. The festivities finished off with a great firework show over the thousands of people that lined the riverside. It was a great ending to a great weekend. In the early morning hours Will had to head back to Puerto Montt for a flight and I had leave midday to the island of Chiloe where I am going to be based for the next month.

The organization that I now plan to be working with as a social work volunteer is called ELI Abroad. They have arranged for me to work on a project involving sustainability education in local communities around the island with a focus on the women who collect algae. Going into it, the details that I have are limited but I have high hopes for this job. I will be staying with a family on the outskirts of town in my own private house! My first house! I am really excited for this placement also because I would love to have the opportunity to explore the mystic island of Chiloe.

The Fast & Furious Futaleufu

A week of pure adrenaline was just what I needed. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I travelled down to the sleepy town of Futaleufu in Northern Patagonia to join my Dad on his 60^th Birthday Adventure Trip. He planned for us 10 days of rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, and trekking alongside one of the top 5 commercial rafting rivers in the world! There are not many other rivers that can say they have nearly the same power, rapids, or beauty.

We were based at this beautiful campsite right along the banks of where Rio Azul feeds into the Futaleufu. To get to the campsite, one had to climb down from the road and have a staff member row you across to the camp. This barefoot friendly area had its own tranquil beach. My favourite place to be was in the hammock with the river rushing past me and with the mountain known as the Three Nuns looming overhead. After an intense day, my Dad loved to hit up the sauna to relax. I honestly was spoiled there. A couple, Gary & Divine, constantly fed us with some of the best comida I could have dreamed. Every meal was a large buffet but you had to go before the guides because otherwise there would be absolutely none left.

Those guides work hard and play hard. They are some of the best kayakers that I have ever met. They make class 5 rapids look easy.

While there we did one day of mountain biking and sea kayaking. It had been a while since I had last been on my bike but eventually I got use it. It was gorgeous ride; I never minded stopping just because every turn we made or every hill we climbed had a new sight for us to admire. We biked to a nice lake to have lunch; then we hopped into some boats and spent 2 hours out on the water. It was nice to use some other muscles and get off those seats. We took the same route back and shared Valentine’s Day gifts. I did not feel so far from home with my Dad and a card from my mom.

We also went on a little 2 day trek into the Valle Bonita (Pretty Valley). We hiked alongside a long lake with 4 glaciers on the other side. We had the great opportunity to stay in our local guide’s waterfront property in a little cabin. We used this time to talk and catch up about what had been happening in our lives since we last saw each other. We climbed the hill to house to have dinner and breakfast with him, his wife Marisel and his 2 very young children. It was extremely interesting just to spend one night with them and learn about how they lived. I know that my Dad really enjoyed. The trek would have been for longer but I think that we just missed the river way too much.

I absolutely LOVED rafting. Rapids mostly come in at Class 4 but there are many Class 5. The Futa is absolutely packed from top to bottom; the longest stretch of flat water is about 2 kilometers. The river break down into 3 parts: The Wild Mile, The Terminator Section and Bridge to Bridge. Every single day was different even though I had completed the whole river by the third day. Some highlights include flipping in Casa del Piedra (5+), breaking an oar while surfing in Mundaca`s Hole which is big enough to swallow a small bus, accidently running over our safety kayaker, and finally swimming through the Terminator section.

It was hard to leave this place that I felt a strong bond to. I fell in love with the river and would love to return. The crew was friendly and the camp was gorgeous. My Dad got to stay for another week to kayak. The time I got to spend with him was special. He still treats me at as a kid sometimes but I know that he views me as a friend as well. It was tough when I drove away without my Dad. But that is the story of travelling. You go to new places and meet interesting people, but at some point you need to leave. You would think it gets easier but it just gets more difficult as they accumulate over time.

I know that this time with my Dad will be one of the highlights of my entire year abroad.