An Earthquake, A Diploma and A Trip to Isla Negra!

This week was filled with all the normal daily life activities, which are still magical and I can’t believe that I’m lucky enough to my daily life be this great. But there were a few highlights of my week for sure: My diploma came in the mail, I booked a trip to the desert next weekend, I lived through my first earthquake ever, and I visited the last of Pablo Neruda’s 3 houses open to the public.  

This week started out with a bit of stress with visa (or lack thereof) issues. I found out that I have to jump through some hoops in order to stay in the country until December like I planned. Hopefully everything can get resolved so that I don't have to return early. Not that I don't miss everyone in the States, but I've got lots more exploring to do here, and getting deported would really cramp my style haha. 

Other than that little nugget of info, this week has been really great. Work is going really well. I've been working on lots of marketing tools for the company and made my first newsletter (with pictures and links and all sorts of fancy stuff!) to send out to past and potential clients. I love that I am learning all these new things and that I am able to put my own creative spin on the projects. The staff is really listening to my input, and I feel like I'm actually part of the team there. I grow a little more each week with them, and am eager to see what else I can do for them as well as what I'll learn from them.

I also to cross "live through an earthquake” off my bucket list this week after I felt my first earthquake ever on August 8^th. Knowing that Chile is a very seismically active part of the world, I’ve been dreading this moment since I arrived here, wondering where I would be and what it would be like and if I would totally panic. Good news, I was home in my bed (this is much better than the alternatives, like in my office which is on the 12^th floor or on top of a mountain like I was in a dream I had) and it was over before I could even really register what was happening enough to panic. I was about to fall asleep when it happened though, so I of course had trouble falling asleep afterwards because I was so excited! Something about earthquakes really gets my adrenaline pumping apparently! It felt so weird though and it wasn’t violent or scary; Things just kind of moved. It was such a strange feeling. It was a 5.1, which from what I understand, isn’t very big but isn’t particularly dangerous or threatening, especially here where the city is very prepared. Now that I know I can survive an earthquake, I’m not scared for the next one :) 

This week was filled all of the wonderful things that have become part of my daily life here: running alongside the gorgeous ocean, practicing yoga at the great studio near my apartment, going out to eat chorrillanas, and spending evenings with the other Americans in my program. This weekend was pretty tranquil and nice though. After a late Friday night, I started Saturday at Starbucks, which was actually nice because it smelled, tasted and generally felt like home (or any Starbucks anywhere for that matter, since the moment you enter a Starbucks is like entering a time/space vortex where you can only tell what country or city you’re in by the language the menu is written in). And then I spent the rest of the day baking, reading, writing, watching old episodes of Friends on Netflix (the one where Monica and Chandler get engaged gets me every time), and catching up with my parents via skype, which is always wonderful.

Couldn't have been a much prettier day for a run than this

My predictable, loyal, infallible Starbucks

Cookies and Cream Oreo cake thing. Thanks Pinterest!

I needed this.

This chorillana is so much more delicious than the picture makes it look

Then Sunday I took a little trip to Isla Negra, one of Pablo Neruda’s 3 houses that are open to the public, and the last one of his that I had yet to visit. It’s only about an hour and a half bus ride from Viña, so it was an easy day trip. The house was beautiful and I think it was my favorite of the 3. They are all so different, and have completely distinct vibes, but this one is very calming, because it’s right on the coast and overlooks the torment sea crashing against the rocks. It’s 1-story, long and narrow and meant to resemble the feeling of a boat, which it very much does. It is filled with sea themed collections, like ship figureheads, seashells, model boats in bottles, etc. He was such an eccentric person, and one that I would have liked to have known. He had so many interests and was full of stories of travels, loves, friendships, politics, superstitions, and passion. I had a really peaceful day touring his home and the beach it was on. I also made sure to try the “Caldillo de Congrio” (which is an eel stew and way more delicious than it sounds) at the restaurant in the museum, which is a dish that Neruda loved so much he wrote an poem about it: “Oda al Caldillo de Congrio” (http://www.soupsong.com/sconger.html) It was perfectly delicious and just what I needed on that chilly windy day. The sunset on the beach was the ideal end to my day.  

On the bus on the way. This is way too picture perfect to be real, right?

"I returned from my travels, navigated, building joy" Written above the main entrance to the home

The belfry that he would use to announce to his neighbors that he has returned

 

My view for lunch, not bad!

My beautiful, delicious and Neruda-approved meal, Caldillo al Congrio and a Pisco Sour Nerudiana.

The weirdest seaweed that has ever existed. But it fits in rather well among Neruda's weird home

I even found seaglass on his beach!

Beautiful end to a beautiful day and week

Also, when I was skyping with my parents, they showed me a letter that had come in for me from Appalachian and I knew exactly what it was! It was a wonderful surprise to see that my diploma had finally come in.  So happy that it finally came; I was a little worried for a while! It definitely made me reflect on the journey that led up to that piece of paper though. All the hardships, all the triumphs, all the commiserating and celebrating with friends and classmates, all of the amazing friendships that I know will be everlasting, all of the late nights and early mornings, all the memories that I only hope I’ve sufficiently recorded so that I never, ever forget them, and all of the moments that ultimately contributed to making me the person that I am today. I would never be here in Chile today if I hadn’t earned the confidence from studying abroad in Sevilla and all of the support from my friends and family in Florida, at App and beyond. Seeing that piece of paper with my name printed so prettily on it made me realize that my time at App really is over, but I will forever be changed by the people, experiences and lessons that it so graciously gave to me. 

Check that baby out!

And on that note, the boost of confidence that came from reflecting on my time at Appalachian gave me the push that I needed to do something that I’ve wanted to for a long time but have never believed in myself enough to think that I was capable or adventurous enough to do. But that night, I went out on a limb this week and booked myself a plane ticket and a hostel to San Pedro de Atacama in the northern desert region of Chile. I’ve never taken a solo trip before, but it’s something that I’ve always thought people were so brave and cool for doing, and wanted to try, but had just never gotten up the courage. So I did a lot of research on which hostels were sociable and best for meeting other travelers, and found what seems like it’s going to be perfect. It’s kind of a long journey, but I didn’t want to waste the long weekend that we have next weekend (since it’s a day off honoring yet another Catholic saint) and I thought now would be as good a time as any to go it alone. I can’t wait to travel with myself like this! I think Kelsey and I are going to do some much needed bonding :) Stay tuned for how it goes!

Besos, xox