Settling in to Santiago

Hi friends and family!

Things are better than ever in Chile! This past week was the first time I started to feel like I was finding my footing here in Santiago. Moving to another country is not all glamour and excitement –it can be very difficult at times. But now, I’m starting to develop a routine and become familiar with my surroundings!

On Wednesday, I went to a Language Exchange group that I found on Meetup.com. I’m so glad that I went because I met so many interesting people from around the world! Every Wednesday, the group meets at the same bar, and just enjoys the company of others –we alternate talking 20 minutes in Spanish and 20 minutes in English. I was surprised at how many Chileans were there to practice their English –I thought the turnout would mostly be foreigners. I’m very glad that I went and plan to go every Wednesday!

In school, we continued to prepare for the Open House. The kids are very excited to show all of their hard work to their parents. As teachers, we are excited to finally move on from the stress of Open House this week.

Yesterday, I went to my friend Fran’s house for lunch. “Lunching” on Saturday afternoon is very typical in Chile. The lunch usually consists of your entire immediate family and their significant others. Fran has a very large family –she is one of 5 siblings! We were celebrating the birthday of her older brother so the lunch was extra special. I ended up staying over all day long and into the night where we had a barbeque for him! Instead of bonfires –Chileans usually have barbeques at night with their friends. People start arriving around 10pm and stay until early in the morning sometimes! It was such a great day :)

^^ Friends and Family will be so proud to hear I tried ceviche (with FISH) and it wasn't terrible!

This week we will have Open House on Tuesday night and then a celebratory lunch with the teachers on Wednesday. The lunch will be in celebration of the upcoming Independence Day (September 18). Thursday, we will have a Professional Development Day and Friday will begin our weeklong break for the holidays!

Also, I'm excited to present my new friend and roommate León!! I named him after my metro stop Los Leones, which translates to the lions. León is the best!