despedida season & the next ‘verybarry’ adventure

It’s about time I update mi gente!!! You were probably starting to think that I had moved back to Santiago at the beginning of the year, hitchhiked south to the most beautiful and remote part of Chile, perhaps the world, and was never planning to move back to the USA. The ‘truth’ is that I very much would have liked to have done that AND maybe sometime in the distant future I will. Instead I spent the South American summer in the big city working on my thesis, giving city bike tours with La Bicicleta Verde, and soaking up the sun from time to time in the parks, by my apartment building pool, or on top of Cerro San Cristobal. It may not have been as exciting as visiting the sacred sites of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile with my sister Hannah, nor camping at the base of Mount Fitz Roy with Kate Fatter and Molly Riddle, but it has been a summer filled with friendship and fun–thanks in particular to my friends at La Bicicleta Verde. Also, remember that I came back to Santiago to finish my thesis—which means that I spent just as much time reading and writing in cafes, the biblioteca, and holed up in my apartment, most times with several cups of coffee and in my PJs all day long. I hope to have a final, FINAL product very, very soon.

So while I begin to SLOWLY close this chapter of my life, which could arguably be the best one so far, I have started to look forward to my next adventure out in San Francisco, which begins mid-April. Seems a bit predictable, but many of you know how much I love Backroads. After working Camp Crew for two summers while in school at Wake Forest and leading trips for a full season in Yellowstone/Tetons and Costa Rica before moving to Chile (and then on and off while living in Chile), I am headed to Berkeley to work in the Backroads office. I could not be more thrilled for this opportunity! I am just as excited to get to explore another part of the world—a place that everyone apparently ‘falls in love with’ according to my inbox. While I created this blog to share my experiences during my Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship period in Santiago, it only seems fitting that I continue as I begin to make my way out to CALIFORNIA. GASP!!…if you still can’t believe it–YES, this southern gal is headed out west?! More details to follow…

I am experiencing such a mixture of emotions, there are so many different directions this blog posting could go right now…

I certainly want to take the opportunity to highlight some of my favorite memories from my Chilean experience–the Kulenko Vendimia, living with my cousin Lindsey, spending the night in a fisherman’s cabin at Punto Choros with Chris, Spencer, and Haley, etc… I also want to blog about living abroad and what that has meant for me, my friends, and my family. But in the midst of all of these emotions, perhaps the greatest feeling is knowing that my friends in Chile appreciate me and my presence in Santiago over the past 20 months just as much I appreciate and am so grateful for their friendships. I have been overwhelmed with love from my UDP classmates, the McQueens, the rotarians of Club Alameda, my students in La Pintana, my Bici Verde compañeros, etc… And so, right now I am soaking all of this up and taking it all in through what has been dubbed ‘Liz’s Despedida Season’. Perhaps it is selfish of me to expect everyone to want to celebrate me and my time in Chile, but in the greater scheme of things it is just another excuse to eat more pastel de choclo and empanadas, drink more pisco sours, and have another huge asado tomorrow night!

This despedida season started a couple of weeks ago, when I thought it would be nice to host a southern gourmet dinner for my compañeros at La Bici Verde and Will, of course! The menu looked a little bit like this:

• Pork tenderloin
• Twice-baked potatoes
• Ensalada (de verdad)
• Broccoli
• Deviled Eggs
• Ham Biscuits
• Ice cream topped with berries and the Barry Family chocolate sauce
• Chilean vino 🙂

However, the only evidence of this gathering is this grainy photo:

Southern Gourmet Dinner Gathering

The despedida season continued last weekend when I got together with some of my favorite peeps–Alexis & Jessica and German, Ximena, & Sofia–for a pastel de choclo lunch and late afternoon soccer match. I met Alexis and Jessica my first night in Santiago—July 23, 2011. The truth is I couldn’t understand a single word that was coming out of Alexis’ mouth for at least several months. But we became quick friends, biking up Cerro San Cristobal, taking trips to Concon and Yerba Loca with my first roomate Kathi and our other friend Vinko, and  more recently, enjoying ‘sushi and movie’ nights at their apartment which is just around the corner from mine. Jessica has been my big sister–watching out for me and always being there! I am so sad that I won’t be here for her in September to meet the new guagua! Again, thank goodness for technology—I’ve promised to teach the new baby lots of English via skype sessions. Here’s a look back down memory lane:

Visting Valparaiso–August 2011

Cerro San Cristobal–Spring 2011

I didn’t meet German and Ximena until Dieciocho (aka September 18, 2011–Chilean Independence Day) on our rooftop celebrating Kathi’s birthday party. We became fast friends as they took us to see La U play in Estadio Nacional one night in October 2011. I had already visited the rival’s stadium (Colo Colo’s Estadio Monumental) and watched them lose–so it only seemed fair to become a fan of the team that could at least come up with a tie…Vamos La UUUUUUU! I’ve been to several games with German and Xime over the past year and half, the most exciting being when they won in July of last year to be Tri Campeonesss. This was also the day that they gave me my own Ortega Family jersey :)–that I will continue to wear back stateside. Their daughter, Sofia, is one of my favorite gal pals to hang out and play princesses and ponies with. If only I could have her style and sass! I can’t wait to have them visit in San Francisco–which I know WILL happen, because they are big time travelers and adventurers, having spent six weeks in traveling through Europe with Sofia just last year!

Me and my princess Sofia–May 2012

Tri Campeonnnn–July 2012

Ya les extrañoooooo–March 2013

Yesterday I made sure to stop by my host club–Rotary Club Alameda–to thank them for all of their support throughout my time in Santiago as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Elena Torres, my official host counselor and current District Governor, is having a dinner for me on Monday. I will forever be indebted to the Rotary Foundation; without this organization, I would have never made it to Santiago. As a side note, I’ve heard that the Ambassadorial Scholar program has come to a quick halt due to a lack in funding, which makes me one of the last scholars to take advantage of this terrific, engaging program. I truly hope that Rotary can restore this scholarship program in the future–as you can see, it has had a huge impact on my life. While I have enjoyed working with Rotary Club Alameda, none of it would  have been possible without Mario. Mario spent many mornings driving me to La Pintana or Estacion Central to volunteer teach English in two different secondary schools. I am looking forward to spending time with him and his family this Sunday afternoon!! Future photos to follow…

As you can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to people who have had an impact on me and my time in Santiago over the past year and a half. The list goes on and on, and I hope to be able to see everyone and give credit where credit is due. Last night I got drinks with Anibal, the night before I was with UDP classmates and professors, and Saturday I will be with the McQueens. While it would appear that ‘Liz’s Despedida Season’ is revolving around me and my departure, I believe it is equally if not more important to express my gratitude to all of those people out there who have made this chapter of my life one of the best! Por lo tanto, I am having a huge DESPEDIDA tomorrow night. Many more photos, thoughts, memorable moments, etc. to come…

In the mean time, VAMOS CHILEEEE–it only seems appropriate that Chile plays Peru tomorrow night during my despedida  as well.

end of year highlights

This is embarrassing! I started writing this blog post just after my birthday in November. I wanted to post it a month after I had turned 25…well, that date has also passed. So it only seems fitting that I highlight what I was up to the last couple of months of 2012 as I also begin to look forward to what 2013 might bring (upcoming post!). So here it goes:

I love birthdays!…especially when mine falls on Thanksgiving Day. However, when I was younger, I never really  liked competing for attention with Mr. Turkey. Over time I have grown to appreciate what it must be like for my sister Hannah, whose birthday is the day after Christmas (every year). Regardless, I could not have asked for a better 25th birthday (November 22nd)—which started with a surprise birthday dinner and finished with a La “U” soccer match (and included Lady Gaga, birthday cake and champagne, a Thanksgiving feast, and a visit from my favorite Argentinian sister, Carla). Needless to say it was an incredible birthday WEEK and I felt the love from all over the world—literally from over a half dozen countries (Thank you Facebook!).

Before I delve into the birthday festivities from a couple of months ago, I need to share a story from the week prior to my 25th birthday! To set the stage…I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. In fact, I believe that most of the one billion users of Facebook experience a similar type of back and forth when it comes to technology. Currently I have 1,625 Facebook friends. That is just embarrassing and well, frankly ridiculous! But if you do the math, it makes a bit more sense. I started using Facebook in high school, I have accumulated friends from Charlotte (as well as friends of my siblings from Charlotte Latin and the greater Charlotte area), several hundred from Wake Forest, a fair number from IES Study Abroad, as well as summer camp counselors and staff from Gwynn Valley, and several dozen or so from Backroads. To add to that, you know you live in Chile when a majority of your newsfeed is in Spanish…so, add at least fifty more. Now, the benefit of these virtual relationships would be, for example, that when a friend  who I have not seen in 10 years flies down to Chile, happens to pass through Santiago, AND we are able to connect, go out for drinks, and catch up on the last 10 years of our lives. Yes, this happened…

NOC buddies for life!

Jon Clark was my white water kayaking instructor at NOC when I was teenager and sold me and my brother a nice kayak one summer. Jon came to Chile in 2002 for some paddling, bought some land, built a cabin, and now, returns every year around November for a couple of months to paddle and enjoy the rawness and beauty of the rivers and surroundings in northern Patagonia.

I guess the “hate” part of my relationship with Facebook is sadly, how often I find myself refreshing the newsfeed. I should really attribute this weakness of mine to Chile. As Chileans detail their life stories via Facebook (even more than American high schoolers) and then expect me to follow by refreshing my newsfeed on a fairly regular basis. But I also have to admit that while I am thousands of miles from my friends and family back in the USA, it’s one of the better ways to keep in touch.

Back to the birthday festivities…I had my first surprise party EVER, thanks to my cousin! We showed up at Tren Unel for dinner, and I began to glance around the restaurant, looking for a table for two. In fact, I was just about to walk to the back of the restaurant, when Lindsey pointed to the right and said, “I think these guys are here waiting for us…” SURPRISE!

SORPRESA!

Lady Gaga even came to Santiago to partake in my birthday festivities. I met up with Ximena and her friend several hours before the concert began at Estadio Nacional to grab decent seats. Kat and Haley showed up closer to concert time, and we were still there dancing and belting ‘Marry the Night’ around midnight. It was an amazing concert! Perhaps my favorite quote of the night was from Kat: “I’m not going to lie, this is making me a little bit uncomfortable (in response to the raunchy choreography).”

Gaga’s Monsters!

My concert buddy 🙂

Me and Hales

Gaga for GAGA!

After the Lady Gaga concert on Tuesday, I got geared up for the big Thanksgiving feast and the arrival of Carla and her boyfriend Martin. I was able to find a 7.5 kilo turkey at the Jumbo supermarket and dug through my email inbox to find the email from my grandmother with cooking instructions for the turkey, stuffing, and gravy from last year! After nearly six hours in the oven, we sat down to a turkey feast around 10pm!! Lindsey made green bean casserole, Kat brought over come mac ‘n’ cheese, we popped champagne and enjoyed making balloon animals and hair pieces in the kitchen post dinner before heading to El Tunnel for some late night dancing.

Carving el pavo

Happy Bday to Me!

Game Time

Carla and Martin stayed with me and Lindsey for the weekend, and I enjoyed showing off Santiago (though I will always have that soft spot for Argentina and Buenos Aires in particular). Perhaps one of the highlights was our Kiwi brunch at Melba on Sunday before they took off. After I saw them off, I prepared for the soccer match at Estadio Nacional with the whole gang led by German and his brother, Sergio, of course! It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. The only problem was that La U lost!! 😦

The Lovely Couple

Kiwi Brunch 🙂

Vamos La U!

The month of December flew by. I spent the first eighteen days living it up in Santiago—despedida after despedida. First we gathered for what was supposed to be a tranquilo dinner with friends before Lindsey took off to Torres del Paine. We met up with Will and his trombone friends after one of their crazy dinners. Kat also had a bunch of people gather to see her off and my last night in Santiago was spent with Jessica at Teatro Municipal watching The Nutcracker before meeting up with Will, Martin, and Haley for a final pisco sour and sammy from Ciudad Vieja. I barely got all packed up and out the door for a 2am taxi ride to the airport. Somewhere in there Haley and I decided to have an “American Asado” of sorts on the rooftop of my apartment building. Seeing as I have become friends with a guy who makes his own beer–Moloso, I managed to heckle him for a keg of the IPA. Muchísimas gracias Pepe y compañeros! I was gushing…it was an absolutely gorgeous day outside, Marc, Haley and Will came over early for some pool time, the burgers and dogs were DEEEE-licious, and so many of my friends stopped by to hang out. 

Chau Lindsey!!

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars at Kat’s Despedida

Post-Nutcracker/Last Night in Santiago

Gang on the Rooftop

I flew to San Jose, Costa Rica, on December 18th to get ready to lead a Backroads family trip over the holidays before making my way to Charlotte for 10 glorious days of Barry Family FUN. Those adventures will pop up in the following blog. Basically, my co-leaders Jon and Luis, and I decided that regardless of the guests, the weather, or any other mishaps on our trip we were going to have FUN all week long and finish up 2012 Pura Vida style…success!

’tis the season…for graduations!

I had the honor of being invited to my 8th graders’ graduations–licenciaturas–last week. On Thursday I went out to La Cantera in La Pintana, followed by Union Latinoamericana’s graduation in Estación Central on Friday. I hadn’t dressed up for a special occasion in some time, and even though Francisco had assured me that the attire was formal, I continued to struggle with what that exactly meant in Chile. I wanted to dress up, but I also didn’t want to be that “gringa girl” who showed up in a short, summery dress and heels and take all of the attention away from the kiddos. No worries, I felt much better once some of the mothers arrived in sequined gowns. I invited Haley to come along with me; however, little did we know, the short graduation ceremony and reception turned into a several hour affair (including the metro/taxi transit to and from). Though both licenciaturas were supposed to start at 6:00pm, not surprisingly, friends and family arrived and the students finally lined up around 6:40pm.

It was certainly special to be able to partake in both graduation events. While I enjoy working with Victor at Union Latinoamericana as an assistant in the classroom, I prefer being the “tía” or THE English teacher on Friday afternoons out in La Pintana, where I work with both the seventh and eighth graders. I have tried to make it to each school every Friday over the last year and half. I had things come up from time to time, but I truly will miss my Friday English lessons over the “summer” months here in Santiago. I believe many of the following photos capture just how proud my students, tío Francisco, and I were for having “finished [2012] strong”. I wish all of them the very best in the future!! Felicidades!!

somos caleta…andamos en bicicleta

Well…I started writing a blog post about my 25th birthday, Thanksgiving festivities, and Carla’s visit. For some strange reason, I haven’t been able to get it together and publish it to my blog as of yet. In the meantime, I thought I would share some photos from the Cicletada this past Tuesday evening. Here’s the insider info on how I became aware of the event and ended up biking through the streets of Santiago from 8:30pm until 11:00pm with several hundred more cyclists on December 4th:

I’ve started working for a company called La Bicicleta Verde. I quickly discovered that when I had all day, every day to do research and work on my thesis, that it was difficult to actually be efficient. So, I thought that working some as a city bike tour guide with La Bicicleta Verde would be the perfect remedy! Most days I either do the morning or afternoon bike tour and spend the other half of the day in a cafe or in the library, buried in ecotourism case studies. Not only have I learned more about Santiago, Chilean politics, and the Nobel Laureates Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda, but I have made some new friends within the company!

Early last week, Anibal, Anita, and I decided to partake in the Furiosos Ciclistas monthly cicletada. The first Tuesday of every month at around 8:30pm, cyclists from all over the city meet at Plaza Italia and take off on their bikes, clogging traffic for several hours. Apparently, this type of cicletada  originated in Chicago and is known as the “Critical Mass”. The three of us and Anita’s boyfriend, Elio, decided that next time we need to go more prepared with blinking lights, music, and costumes/pimped out bikes! Either way it was memorable and something to look forward to when I get back to Santiago in 2013.

Check out these short videos as well: http://youtu.be/NZfRIBBWKcI and http://youtu.be/NFVjD1aWKlA!!

Ready for the Ride

Oh hello!

Amigos Post-Cicletada

Critical Massssss

this is better than real life

You’ve probably forgotten that I am living in the Southern Hemisphere—which means I am experiencing opposite seasons. The problem is that as we were nearing the end of October, more snow was appearing up on the Andes mountains. I promised Lindsey that last year right around dieciocho (Septemebr 18) the dark clouds (and a little bit of the smog) lifted, the sun came out, and the springtime weather had arrived for the most part. We experienced a couple of those days—a tease really. However, a more accurate snapshot from the supposedly Chilean spring months looks a little bit more like this…Two weeks ago, I was curled up with blankets, a sweater, and wool socks while talking to my mother via Skype. She was going on and on about how wonderful the weather was in North Carolina over the weekend—like an Indian summer. Meanwhile, it was pouring rain outside and barely in the 50s. Argh!

Two weeks later and Santiago has reached the 90s. And yes, I am coating on the deodorant within seconds of getting out of bed. Just as we don’t have central heating during the winter, you can forget about the cool air conditioning during the summer. That’s why you escape to the Costanera mall or lounge by the pool from 11am-4pm. The warm weather tends to bring out the friendliness in Chileans, or perhaps it is that we are nearing the holidays. Either way, it’s refreshing and I am happy to be back in Santiago!

That’s right. BACK in Santiago. I recently managed to pull off a two week trip to Greece and Spain. After 14 plane flights (which included wandering through the Barcelona airport on 6 separate occasions), I have been to Crete (with over 150 Backroads staff) and to Mallorca (with my brother who is studying abroad in Barcelona), among many other airport pit stops along the way. I’ll work backwards, where just five days ago I was sipping a coffee in the main square of Binissalem, Mallorca, and watching everyone set up for the Friday market. Mallorca—one of the Balearic Islands—is just off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, AND it may be one of the cooler places that I have been in my entire life. While the days were getting shorter there, the weather was certainly a bit nicer than what it’s been like in Chile.

Backroads started running bike trips in Mallorca this year and I was able to get some pointers from the trip leader and specialist in the region—Carlos—beforehand. John and I struggled to get up after a night of Halloween festivities in Barcelona, but we managed to make it to the airport in time for a coffee and chocolate-filled croissant before boarding the plane. Just about thirty minutes later we had touched down in Palma, the capital city on the west coast of the island. At first we planned on just getting around via bus and train; however, Carlos had mentioned that it would be super cheap to rent a car this time of year…in fact, 6.80 euro per day cheap plus 19 euros for insurance for the three days that we were there. And the best part about the car rental is that we putt-ed around the island in a two person Smart Car!! After picking up the car, John (embarrassed to be seen or photographed near the Smart Car) and I made our way to Binissalem, where we would be staying. I found this great little guesthouse via AirBnB: www.airbnb.com/rooms/480839. Maria, the owner, welcomed us with hugs and kisses, as well as a couple of pointers or places of interest that we should check out.

Spotted: JB and his new BFF–the Smart Car

Love Mallorca!

John and I spent the next couple of days driving and biking around the northern part of Mallorca. The sun was out, the windows were down, and we enjoyed plenty of pit stops for breath-taking views, coffee and/or ice cream, and pimientos de padron–John’s new favorite tapas or starter dish. We went back into Palma on the second night and enjoyed a delicious meal at La Bodeguilla after perusing the busy streets. John, being the connoisseur of all Spanish cuisine (one of his courses this semester is about Spanish food and culinary culture), chose a wonderful bottle of Rioja, which was followed by more pimientos de padron, entrees, and desserts (cheesecake with berries and chocolate mousse). Though the weather wasn’t as great on our last day, I managed to wrangle John into getting on the Backroads bikes and taking them for a 40km spin. This was probably the first time John has exercised since he has been abroad. (That is, if you don’t count jumping up and down at all of the discotecas.) I could tell he was cursing me all the way up the hill just past a little town called Orient, but he was grinning from ear to ear on the downhill into Bunyola, where we had lunch and watched the locals play cards and drink cervezas at a table nearby. I love it when friends and family get a glimpse into what my life is like as a Backroads Trip Leader, and I believe that downhill into lunch might have been a hook, or at least sparked some interest for John.

the famous “pimientos de padron”

Biking through Bunyola

ROTARY!

I could not have asked for a better couple of days spent with my little brother. Kicking off our time together at one of the hottest clubs in Barcelona and finishing up with that bike ride in Mallorca (with some wine tasting, sight-seeing, and goofing off in between) left me a bit teary as I bed farewell on Sunday morning. I had three more plane rides back to Santiago, wich included two different five-hour layovers in Madrid and Sao Paolo. Trust me, I am ready to stay put, at least until the holidays. I can’t believe that I was studying abroad in Granada four years ago. Time really does fly! I’ve mentioned the impact that my trip to Argentina as a 17 year-old, high school student had on my choice to move to Chile as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. But there is something about Spain and especially, Barcelona (which is NOT Spain, if you have been paying attention to the Catalonian movement for independence!). The food, the cafe culture, the nightlife, the accent, the tapas, and the list goes on and on. And so I wasn’t surprised when John confessed within an hour of meeting up that he did NOT want to leave Barcelona and that he was NOT ready to go back home to North Carolina. I kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, “Why do you think I am living in Chile?”

Moving on…Before I delve into the five day Crete Staff Ride that took place before my detour to Barcelona to visit John, there is someone who deserves a proper shout out! In fact, I should be dedicating this blog post (and my crazy decision-making that got me to Greece) to a friend of mine—Chad Harple. I met Chad, aka Charple, back in the summer of 2008 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was getting ready for his very first trip as a Backroads Trip Leader and I was headed out as a Camp Chef with him on one of the many Deluxe Camping Trips that I worked that summer in Yellowstone and the Tetons.  Not to call him out, but one of my favorite memories from that summer was when we were warned of a big, fuzzy creature being sighted in the campground area. As a Trip Leader on a Yellowstone and Tetons trip, you walk on either side of that fine line where you don’t want to freak your guests out while going over bear safety, but also want them to respect the mantra that “a fed bear is a dead bear.”  We also carry bear spray—though no one to my knowledge has ever had to use it—and whenever we hike, we are in large, noisy groups. That night, in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins, Charple not only locked the doors, but he curled up to the bear spray like a little baby holding onto his blankie…just in case! Chad has managed to juggle Law School and Backroads trips over the last couple of years. And lucky for me, we ran into each other again this summer at the Jackson Hole airport, where he greeted me up with Pearl Street Bagels and a big grin. (The only thing missing was his denim jacket!)

We caught up over the next couple of days and I mentioned how cool it would be to make it to Crete for the annual Backroads Staff Ride. Though it sounded crazy expensive and would be a logistical nightmare to try and get from Santiago, Chile, to Chania, Greece, Chad convinced me otherwise and I started looking at flight patterns and costs. Having been on the Staff Ride in Spain back in 2010, I knew the drill. Pay to get yourself there, and once you show up, EVERYTHING else is taken care of, thanks to a wonderful guy named Tom Hale—owner and founder of Backroads. So I bit the bullet! The trip became exponentially better when you get to visit your younger brother in Barcelona (on Halloween) and throw a side trip to Mallorca into the mix before heading back to Santiago.

Sunrise

Where do I even start with my Cretan adventures? The delicious FETA cheese and amazing Greek food, the incredible biking up HUGE mountains and descents to the Cretan beaches for lunch, beers, and swimming, or the Toga Party shenanigans on the last night of the trip in Rethymo. I must admit that Crete was never on the top of my travel list, but thanks to Tom Hale and Backroads (and Chad Harple), I have conquered the Greek island with over 150 others—beginning in Chania, passing through Loutro, and ending in Rethymo—via bike, hike, and boat. Kudos to the Crete Staff Ride Trip Leaders–Devin, Hanna, Katarina, Tony, Eoin, Frances, and Jakub–who pulled off some tricky logistics! While the scenery, the weather, and the kindness of the Cretan people were also over the top, I revelved (really GUSHED!) in being surrounded by so many wonderful people, many of which I hadn’t seen in over two years!! I’ve uploaded a couple of photos to this post, but for more check out all of the ones that I posted on Facebook: click here.

Hiking down the Samaria Gorge

Loutro, Crete

TOGA TIME!

Hanna and Me

So…I am back in Santiago, soaking up the sunshine and counting down until my 25th birthday (two weeks from tomorrow, which happens to be the same day as Thanksgiving). As I think back to some of my favorite moments from the last two weeks, perhaps my favorite quote (and there were plenty of them during the Staff Ride—ahem, Scotty!) was when I overheard someone say, “This is better than real life!” after we landed in Loutro—post 10 mile gorge hike, Mediterranean swim, beach lounge session, and booze cruise (where Tom initiated a pull-up contest)…the thing is that this is MY LIFE! And I am one lucky gal! YIAMAS!

english day

Before I went home for vacation in July, Haley had told me to “save the date”…for what exactly, you might ask. ENGLISH DAY! And so, I had the pleasure of visiting her K-12 school in San Bernardo last week. Thanks (Miss) Haley!

Haley takes the metro to Estacion Central every morning, hops on the metrotren headed south to Rancagua, and after about twenty minutes, gets off at the third stop—Maestranza. Just across the street, there is a fairly large school surrounded by a fence and some barbed wire. This is where Haley teaches English to all grade levels every day of the week. We once hopped on a number of buses one Saturday afternoon to try and check out the Fiesta de Chilenidad that the school was putting on. We didn’t quite make it in time to dance La Cueca, but it was quite the adventure!

San Bernardo, while it is a bit of a commute, allows you to breathe a bit deeper, to inhale purer, unsmoggy air. I arrived around 9:20am and watched Haley and her co-MC run through the script one more time. Several of the senior boys walked by and waved to Miss Haley, signaling, “I love you.” I was later told that they are members of the “I love Haley Fan Club.” Who isn’t? The high schoolers had put together presentations on a wide range of topics from the 20th Century, as that was the overarching theme for English Day this year. We walked around the gym and listened to their pre-planned scripts, detailing the history of the Wright Brothers, the Titanic, World War II, the Looney Tunes, and other 20th century pop culture.

Around 11am, we headed out to the courtyard area, where the students were gathering for the show. Each grade had been practicing some sort of song, dance, or performance, that again was related to the 20th century and was in ENGLISH! The Kindergarteners sang a song about counting planes which was connected to the Wright Brothers’ story. The third graders sang “You’ve got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. I believe it was the second graders who performed “Surfing U.S.A”—which entailed dancing, standing on boogie boards, throwing around inflatable beach balls…oh yeah, and shouting “surfing U.S.A.” whenever it came over the loud speakers. The Mickey Mouse Club and The Simpsons were in attendance as well! I have to admit, I was very impressed—from the 50’s diner, to the high schooler’s presentations, to the Seniors’ finale dance.

So most of you know how much I love things like Dancing with the Stars, Chi Omega Derby Days, Chi O Rush Songs, movies like Bring it On and Step Up, etc…so the Senior’s selection of songs from the 20th century for their Finale Dance was amazing—Fame, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Singin’ in the Rain, Saturday Night Fever, Grease!!!

Stayin’ Alive, Stayin’ Alive…

Grease Lightning

You’re the one that I want, You are the one I want… ooo ooo ooo

Sandy and Danny

Had the time of my life…

Footloose

Overall it was a great day, filled with lots of energy and excitement from all of the students and particularly the English teachers. Perhaps my favorite moment was when Haley introduced the program and began to thank the English Department. The family next to me said something like “wow, her English is so pretty…she sounds just like the people on TV.” I chuckled to myself because a) they had no idea that she was from New York, b) they had no idea what she was saying (because it was all in English), and well, c) they were so concerned about getting as many photos of their son in his airplane outfit. Some things will always be the same…no matter which country you are in!

here, there, and everywhere

I have a LOT to share…so top off your cup of coffee, grab your reading glasses, and imagine that we are back in Kindergarten and I am the ONLY person who gets to share for the next 30 minutes of “show and tell”…

Given all that has happened since my last post, I have been debating on how I should begin this one. Should I share the events of the past two weeks chronologically or jump straight to an article that I stumbled across on Facebook (thanks to the Wake Forest Study Abroad Facebook Page) a couple of days ago?! What about discussing some of the interesting papers on conservation, ecotourism, and development that I have been reading for my thesis? Or maybe just posting all of my photos will tell a good enough story. A combination of all of the above will have to suffice…so, I apologize in advance for all of the run-on sentences and lack of cohesion below.

The overarching theme should be the lack of sleep that I have gotten due to all of the festivities. While I was on Chilean “vacation” the week of the 17th, I did not rest one bit. I think Lindsey and I calculated that I averaged about 4.5 hours of sleep during the first couple of days in Buenos Aires. Add several late nights of fondas in Santiago before then, and a couple late nights of catching up with friends this past weekend–drinks with Haley and a late dinner with the McQueens and their Brazilian friends. I tried getting to bed a bit earlier last night because I had to get up before 7am this morning for a 10k run in Las Condes with Haley and German in preparation for the Viña del Mar Half Marathon in two weeks. After a visit to see Alexis, Jessica, and Ozzy, I made it home just after 10pm…which became 10:45pm after catching up with Lindsey, which became 11:30pm after skyping with my college gal pals–Shaney, Teddie, and Ali LaFleur.

Dieciocho couldn’t have been any better this year in Chile. It wasn’t my first, and it certainly will not be my last in Chile!  Highlights included having a bunch of friends over to our apartment to kick off the weekend, spending two days at El Canelo (a beach just south of Algarrobo) with Lindsey and friends from school–Fabian, Fernanda, Matias, and Folla, and trucking out to Peñalolen with the “original crew” (minus Elke, plus Lindsey) to see Chico Trujillo and Banda Conmoción on September 18th. My new favorite word is endieciochada, which means…well there is no literal translation, but something like soaking up all things Chilean and dieciocho. I was gushing Chilean red, white, and blue. I attempted to dance La Cueca, drank terremotos, ate chori-pan, and frequented the fondas at the beach, Parque O’Higgins, and Peñalolen.

Endieciochada

Anticucho Anyone?

It was nice to get out of the city for a bit. Fabian graciously opened up his family’s beach house over dieciocho and there was no way that Lindsey and I were going to turn the invitation down. On Sunday morning, we hopped on a bus bound for El Quisco and about three hours later we were strolling along the beach (grinning from ear to ear) with Fabian and Fernanda. Later that afternoon, Matias and Folla joined us and we headed to Algarrobo to enjoy more beach time, which included teaching the Chileans how to toss an American football. Check out the videos: at the beginning…and after a little bit of practice!! Later that evening we made our own mini-asado with choripan and chicken before checking out the fonda up the road. Neither one of us wanted to leave the beach the following afternoon…the sun was out, the waves were beckoning (only Folla got in), and the empanadas were delicious!!

Hiking down along the coast

Enjoying the Algarrobo beach

Tossing the AMERICAN football

Will and I had decided that even though it was going to be a trek, that the Chico Trujillo fonda was a MUST this year! If these photos and videos don’t explain it, then you’ll have to come see them for yourself! Click here: Chico Trujillo video!

Lista…tie-dye fanny pack and all!

The Original Crew!!

All SMILES!

On Thursday, Lindsey and I woke up at the crack of dawn to head to the airport. I had never seen lines like the ones that we had to wait in FOREVER to get checked-in and go through passport control/security. We were bound for Buenos Aires…the city that changed my life! But seriously…

This was Lindsey’s first time to Argentina and my fifth time to BA (I am one lucky gal!). We had just under a week to be tourists, hang out with my friends, and eat as much meat and drink as much Malbec as possible. I unfortunately did not get to see everyone who I intended on catching up with, BUT Lindsey and I sure got around to all of the sights downtown—Plaza de Mayo, Catedral, Recoleta Cemetery, La Boca, Teatro Colon—via the touristic bus. We also made our way up to Tigre for a nice Saturday afternoon before heading to Quilmes to see Franco’s band—Monos Al Aire—play later that evening. Probably my favorite touristy moment was stumbling upon locals dancing the tango in the plaza in San Telmo on Sunday evening before grabbing a drink with Carla and Martin at a local bar. The dance is so beautiful, so sensual, and the best part about watching it that particular evening was the passion that these older (and younger) couples oozed as they continued to dance throughout the plaza, song after song, dressed in normal street clothes. I have ever only seen the tango performed in a plaza by dancers who are all dressed up looking for a couple of pesos or on the show Dancing with the Stars. Mesmerized by the foot work, we could have stood there for hours!

Lindsey left early Tuesday morning. And with just over 24 more hours left in Buenos Aires, I began to consider changing my flight and staying for a little while longer (too expensive). During previous visits, I knew I was coming back to BA given that I was going to be in Santiago until the end of this year. And last week, well…as Carla said one day to Lindsey, “Lizzie always returns.” I sure hope to return. I know I will given that Franco has promised to go traveling up the river and Carla has promised to let me stay at her new apartment (AND to visit me in Santiago over my birthday/Thanksgiving!!). And Ana, (jokingly) has decided to include me in any sort of contract if they ever decide to rent out their house in the future.

Being a tourist in front of the Catedral

Headed up the river at Tigre

Last night in BA

A year ago I wrote a list of all the things that I had hoped to accomplish during my stay (Chau Buenos Aires). Number 9 on the checklist–“be a Laguzzi for 6 days”–couldn’t express how I felt any better during this visit. Ordering empanadas (and taking photos to send to Hannah to make her jealous), making another asado, heading out the door at 3am to go dancing, playing mafia or singing around the dinner table while Franco plays the guitar…essentially just hanging out is what I look forward to every time I visit. It never gets old. During this visit I met Cedric—a friend of the family’s from Barcelona—who was staying in Buenos Aires with the Laguzzi family for about two months before heading back to Australia. Within the first day we were both bonding over how much we love Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the Laguzzis. It’s amazing how just after a couple of hours of knowing Carla back in 2005 could turn into five visits to Buenos Aires plus another visit from Carla in the states over the past couple of years.

The last couple of hours of my trip were spent out back, eating lunch with Angie and soaking up some rays…as cheezy as it sounds, if I could, I would hold onto those precious moments for eternity.

Soaking EVERY moment up!

Mi familia Argentina

(Check out the slideshow for more photos of the Buenos Aires trip!)

This leads me to my final point…”Why you should travel young.” I mentioned this article at the beginning of my post, as I stumbled across it on my Facebook mini-feed the other day and I couldn’t agree more with the author. Every now and then you read a great article like this one online. And, this time Jeff Goins seems to put into words what I try to express in each one of my blog posts–discovering the beauty of life through travel and living abroad. In a funny way, his words are reassurance that my trip in a couple of weeks to Barcelona to visit my brother and Crete to ride bikes with over 100 Backroads leaders/employees, while a bit crazy and spontaneous, is a good thing! That my decision to come back to Santiago to finish up my thesis and perhaps linger a bit longer, are also good things. That while sometimes my friends and family don’t understand why I am living here in Santiago and traveling all over South America, I truly am “making an investment in my life.” And so after enough rambling about the last couple of weeks, I leave you with this quote from his article…

“You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel, young person. Experience the world for all it’s worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion. While you still can.”

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