Today Is Hump Day!

I love my life. At this exact moment in time, I am completely happy and at peace with everything. I talked to one of my friends today on skype, and only in Spanish. It was weird, because I could understand everything she said, and I didn't have to think about what I wanted to say in English first. It made me feel a whole lot better. And I also talked to two of my favorite people in the entire world today. I also got home from school today, and found a beautiful  package waiting on my bed. I tore it open with glee, and found the American things I have been missing. (:

September-November Photos

I arrived just in time for the Bicentennial on September 18, so I got some pretty wicked photos. I'll have more up soon, I promise!

Ironed Undies

Today I have been in Chile for exactly two months. It's so hard to believe how fast time flies! I am still getting used to life here, and I learn new things about people, culture, and myself everyday. To list all of the differences between the two cultures would be close to impossible. After two months, I feel changed. In ways that are more obvious, and in others that I wouldn't be able to put a finger on. I often feel younger, but at the same time I feel as if I've aged much more. I've learned to just let go of things instead of letting them control me. I can't say that I'm more mature now than I was before, but that my maturity level has entirely altered. When I go out in public, I have to always watch my back. This is brand new for me, because Minocqua is so safe, and it's all I've ever really known. I'm getting used to city life, and all the things that go with it. I've learned when it's not safe to make eye contact with anyone on the street, and that's it's not always okay to smile at strangers, even if I think they're just being nice.I now know when it's best  to put on a tougher exterior to protect myself. But it's not all like that. I have so much fun in school, with my host family, and with all of my other exchange friends. I do things with my friends now that I would have thought myself to be too mature for when I started out. Here, it isn't looked at as being immature. It's just that when you're a kid, there isn't any sort of push to grow up too fast. In the US, people are always told to act their age. But to who's standards? I find myself questioning many of the beliefs, ways of life, and limits that define what is, and isn't acceptable in a society. Just becasue it's how you were raised, or how culture defined you, doesn't always make it right. I believe that it's wrong for people to make their closed-minded assumptions and opinions without knowing both sides of the fence.
       One thing I have learned here is how to relax. I feel like I was never really able to do that back home. There was always something that had to get done or somewhere to be. When I thought I was relaxing, I was still thinking about the next thing on my to-do list, and almost felt guilty for sitting down and watching a movie. Everything always had to be on the go, and I had to fit everything into a schedule. It's like I can breathe here! I rarely have anything that I actually have to do. During the week I do need to get up for school, and once a month I have to write a monthly report for Rotary.Really.. that's about it. I love how the weekends are here. The whole family sleeps in on the weekend and just hangs out. We eat lunch together and talk for close to an hour, and sort of make plans spontainiously; no weekend is ever the same! Another thing that got me was how time doesn't really exist here. I love it so much here, even though I have my good days, and my bad days, it all evens out. And if you were wondering about the title I chose for this, yes, my undies do get ironed.