Domingo, el 26 del Octubre

Some of the Family outside on the Patio
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Well well well Long time!!

Sorry i havent updated for awhile, i have been soo busy, and was really being to lazy and crazy to write everything down lol! well since i last wrote, many exciting things have happened:

I celebrated my First Chilean Independence week, and let me tell you, by the time it was done, i was glad it only happens once a year! Its amazing how another country's traditions can make you feel so much closer to your own country.... Im glad we celebrate the 4th with ONE big day, because here we celebrated from tuesday night to sunday night! I spent the week with my chilean family at different family bbqs and then going out with my Siblings.. the weekend I spent with new friends Chilean and American and by sunday I couldnt look at another bbq, empanada, or Pisco bottle (traditional chilean hard liquor.. that runs around $3 a bottle lol)

Vanessa and Amelia on my bed
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After the Holidays i had some time to relax and then my birthday quickly came up! Thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful bday wishes! I had a wonderful wonderful bday and got to celebrate it around 4 times lol! the wednesday before I went to this club that all the foreigners go to, then the saturday before I went out with some friends and danced the night away until the morning, then on sunday i had lunch with my family and then went out of town about an hour away to a friends house where they put on a big Bbq on for me (THATS RIGHT!!! ANOTHER BBQ!) It was perfect! We were out of Santiago in this small little town... no noise, no smog, just relaxing with new friends and fun. Then the next weekend my Cousin (who's bday was a day after mine) put on a joint birthday party for him and I and we had a good time dancing it up again... after that, all of my Chilean friends were giving me crap.. "Oh so how many time exactly are we going to celebrate your birthday???" LOL

Vanessa, Amelia, Me, Carin... before our Wednesday Night Fun
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This weekend I went to the Coast for the first time since I have been to Chile! It is amazing that this is the longest I have been away from the ocean in my entire 22 years of life! It is around an hour and a half bus ride to the ocean, and we arrived thursday night. Matty set us up in this amazing hostel that cost $15 per person, per night. We had cute and comfy beds and in the morning we were served breakfast in bed :) We were sooo happy. On friday we walked down to the beach... when i started smelling the ocean water, i started running.. and didnt stop until my feet touched the cold pacific ocean! I was sooo happy... It truly made me realize what a huge part of my life the ocean is and I cant wait to move to the coast this summer and enjoy it more often! I had an amazing time this weekend, although it was overcast at the beach.. but friday i had quite a funny thing happen to me... well lets just say the creepy guys were out in full force this weekend, and i spent much of the night time trying to avoid them lol... on friday night i was with my friend, and in a last ditch attempt to hide from this guy, i knocked my wooden stool over and plummeted to the floor... it was quite a humbling moment... and needless to say, i am still icing my bum from the spill.... im pretty sure i bruised something back there.. which should say something about the nature of my spill, because we all know that i have plenty back there to protect in case of a spill LOL.

Me and my friend Roshan in Los Andes on at my b-day BBQ... This was the view from their front yard!!!
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Besides all of the parties and the BBQs and the spills, I have been studying a lot and just finished a presentation in my literature class, in which i had to read a novel and then teach it to my class. and right now, i am successfully putting off writing a 5 page essay on women in Chile :)

Although i go through my bouts of home sickness, I must say that my spirits are high here. I have been doing a lot of walking and trying to enjoy being in the moment. I must say that my happiness here is a pure and peaceful happiness, Looking at the Andes when Im walking home, being with a family in which i truly feel like their daughter, and watching the weather get more beautiful everyday with friends who are positive and supportive... it makes it hard to be upset or stressed. As I sit here with ice on my bum and finals two weeks away... all i can think about is how i wish everyone of you were here with me to experience this truly life-changing experience!

Amelia, Vane, I... Via Del Mar
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I love you all!

Besos y Abrazos! Gringuis :)