A year ago today, the 23 hours of travel (back when that was a big deal) from California came to an end and I arrived at my final (or so I thought) destination, Santiago de Chile. I had written this post the day before and was about to write this one, the next day. No post that day though. I was too busy getting my first taste of Chilean cuisine at the empanada shop down the street and organizing way too much luggage into my cute little blue room in Las Condes.
I had never been to Chile before and I had 0 experience teaching English. My Spanish was decent but I had no idea what cachai, weon or CSM meant. I had never surfed, never been paragliding and never hiked Machu Picchu. I had never heard of Pucón or Iquique and had no idea that I'd be spending a significant amount of time in either. I'd never seen warning signs for volcano eruptions or tsunamis nor lived near people who considered the constant threat of one or the other to be a normal part of everyday life. I had never tasted cherimoya, pebre, humitas or a terremoto. Come to think of it, I had never actually met a Chilean person before (to my knowledge, at least).
Needless to say, 366 (leap year) days later, all of that (and so much more) has changed. Here are a few more things that one year in Chile means....
1. One year in Chile means one year since I've driven a car.
Yup, if you thought I was a bad driver before...watch out. I'm coming back in July, crazier than ever. I may be forced to practice in my high school parking lot with my dad until I brush up on my skills.
2. One year in Chile means one year since I've had real Mexican food or decent tequila.
Best believe the Cazadores will be flowin' when I get back.
3. One year in Chile means one year since I've greeted someone without kissing them on the cheek.
If this is how I respond when we see each other again, please do not be startled.
4. One year in Chile means one year since I've thrown toilet paper in the toilet instead of in a trash can.
I'll try to remember this one when I come back ;-)
5. One year in Chile means one year since I've had a bowl of soul from The Naked Lounge, a jasmine green tea from Empire or an iced coffee from anywhere besides Starbucks.
No Chile, "café helado" is not the same thing. An iced coffee does not come with sprinkles, an ice-cream cone and a cherry on top. This concept seems to be lost in translation.
6. One year in Chile means one year since I've gone bike-riding through Bidwell, downed an Irish car-bomb at Duffy's or gone skinny dipping at One Mile (not that I would ever do the latter, of course).
7. One year in Chile means one year since I've sent a piece of snail mail.
Sorry about those post-cards I promised. I'll try to get that accomplished at some point before I leave .
8. One year in Chile means one year since I've used a stove without lighting a match (or occasionally using a lighter).
Electric stoves are very rare here.
9. One year in Chile means one year since I've used a dryer.
Nothing but clotheslines for me.
10. Sadly (almost as sad as #2), One year in Chile also means one year since I've seen a whole lot of people I love :-(
On a happier note, Today I celebrated my anniversary with a day off, a delicious little pie from Suiza Pucón and the silly little lake-side photo shoot pictured above. I wasn't sure whether it was appropriate to make a resolution or a wish as I blew out the candle so I made something that I don't make very often, a plan. I got a little nugget of good news this morning via e-mail which was just enough to finalize an idea I've been mulling over for a while. The details will not be revealed quite yet, but you'll see soon enough.
Cheers to the first year Chile, here's to the rest of our time together :)
