As we go on

Hello again!

The past few days have been really busy and very exhausting but extremely fun. I think I'm still recovering from the lack of sleep while traveling. I am exhausted a lot of the time, and it is hard to make time to sleep because there is always so much going on I'd rather do! The weather here is super sporadic and changes really quickly. It might be super cold when I leave for school but be really hot on the way home. The walk up the hill to class doesn't help - I layer up trying to avoid getting cold and have to slowly remove layers as I go along! Other days (like yesterday), it will start out relatively warm in the morning and get colder as the day goes on. I never know how to dress! I'm excited for spring to come along, because I'm guessing (hoping?) the weather will be a little more predictable then.

I've gone to a few really interesting events the past couple days. Wednesday was an incredibly fun day! I went shopping after class (finally got to Bravissimo) and then to salsa dancing lessons at the university. Wednesday night we went to Cafe Journal again and unsuccessfully searched for a discoteca for a couple of hours. On Thursday night, a bunch of us went to a marionette show in Valpo. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but it was really cool. It was in very authentically chilean pub- we were the only gringos there. The show was really different than anything I have seen and very much a dark sort of humor. The puppets talked to me a few times, which was sort of entertaining and confusing at the same time, because I didn't completely understand what they were saying.

Yesterday afternoon I went on a tour by car (paseo) with Kelsey and our chilean buddy Bruno. We went all throughout Valpo and Viña. The tour lasted about three and a half hours. It was cool to see all of the sights from a native's perspective - we saw a LOT of different things. It was SO cold though. Afterward, I went to a play at Simoné's university with her and Lauren. It was really cool. I didn't entirely understand it, but I think it was about some birds that were trying to find God...only to learn that God is in all of them? Something along those lines. The costumes were really creative and the acting was great. Afterward we went to a little cafe in Valpo with Simoné and her friends and later to Luna's apartment for a bit. It was really cool to see how college kids hang out here, but it was a struggle for me to keep up with them. Lately I've been realizing how little Spanish I actually know. I'm going to have to force myself to keep trying because it's so easy to have a mental block and give up.

Today we went to a barbeque at a local lake with a bunch of UAI students. It was really fun - there wasn't a whole lot of food but there was music and dancing! We went to Bravissimo after (again yummm) and now I'm going to attempt some homework. I have very little motivation for school work - it seems pointless to try to learn out of a book when I can just go out and experience it! But then again, I don't want to trash my GPA, so homework it is.

Hasta luego!

xoxo