Monday, December 28, 2009

Back in the USA

So, I've been back in the United States for about a week now. Its good to be back. I'm still adjusting though. In some ways it feels like I never left. Home feels like home. Friends are the same as the always been. etc etc. Which I think is a good thing but a little unsettling.

My life feels a little disorganized right now. 60% of my belongings are in boxes in the attic, I'm going to be starting classes at John Hopkins this January but I'm not sure what classes I'm going to be taking or where I'm going to be living. Hopefully, things become a little more organized in the next couple of weeks.

Pictures to be posted shortly ... currently my laptop is being inspected hopefully repaired.

Christmas was good. Managed to replace almost all of my missing/destroyed clothes.

Buenos Aires was enjoyable but I couldn't fully appreciate it because I was ready to return to the United States. One of the most interesting things about the city was the people who spoke Spanish with a slight Italian accent.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Leaving Chile

My last couple of hours in Chile ... its weird leaving this place that has been my home for the last 8 1/2 months.

Torres del Paines was spectacular.

Ran out of cash when my atm card wasn´t working. Had to get parent to Western Union me some money.

Buenos Aires for three days then Home!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Bottom of the world

I´ve made it to Puerto Natales and tomorrow I start hiking (for 4/5 days) Torres del Paine National Park. I´m very excited ... this park is one (of many reasons) why I chose Chile to teach English .. Eversince I read a travel article about this park I´ve wanted to experience it. Many call it the best park in South America for its spectacular views. The cost though is very extreme weather. To save money I´ll be backpacking it, camping outside, and carrying my own food ... something I shamefully haven´t done in ages.

At Puerto Montt the sun didn´t set until 10. I´m curious now that I´m 2 airplane hours farther south what time it will set. Its throwing off my body clock ... yesterday I woke up at like 6 and swore it was much closer to 9.



PS. I´ll be out of reach the next couple of days ...

Saturday, December 5, 2009

On the road

Hi everyone,

I´m currently in Valdivia, a picturesque town in Southern Chile that is located at the junction of two rivers. This past week Emily, Jesus and his friend Clemente visited me in Chile. We had loads of fun in Valparaiso and Pucon. I´ll probably write about them visiting later but first I want to write about leaving Antofagasta. (This blog could lose chronological order for a little bit because I have a couple of blog entries written on my laptop that I have not been able to load online due to lack of internet)

I´m going to miss Antofagasta. At times I hated the city, its perpetual cloudiness, its dirtiness, my distance from downtown. But I created a little niche for myself; lucked into a host family who loved me and made me feel part of it, a school with frequently amusing, tiring but basically good students, and friends who I could chat and relax with. Its weird that the things that through eight months had become standard events aren´t going to happen again. Roughing housing with my family, walking to the grocery store to buy bread, going to the disco until dawn and then walking for a mile or so (for reasons I still dont´understand) until you could catch a collectivo, calming overanxious students down with phrases of no importa o no te preocupes, walking to the other side of the street to avoid a barking dog.

My host family has been very cute since I´ve left Antofagasta, calling me throughout my travels to southern Chile. Through the internet, I´m going to be able to stay in touch with them. I´m very grateful to them for all that they´ve done for me and am regretful that I´ll not be able to see them again for a long time (if ever).

Still despite all of this, I am very happy to be going home soon. I look forward to seeing my family, hanging out with friends, and being able to be independent again.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Traveling in Southern Chile

So I´ve officially finished teaching and I am currently traveling in Southern Chile. I´m currently in Pucon and planning on seeing Chiloe, Punta Arenas, and Buenos Aires. I´ll post more when I have time (which maybe when I return to the states on December 20th). Currently though I´m enjoying my travels and look forward to seeing everyone when I get back to the states.