Living the Vida Loca! By Melissa Stallings

It's hard to believe that I have just finished my first week in Chile! It's feels like it was just yesterday when we were all sitting in Peabody Hall talking discussing our hopes and plans for the trip. That being said, what an incredible week this has been. Storey, Lauren and I started our trip a little early and spent 2 days in Santiago. Between the three of us our Spanish knowledge was basic at best so we knew we were in for an adventure. Luckily, the Chilean people are incredibly kind and warm and we had no problem making our way around the city. Our first day we spent a good bit of time in our hotel room recovering from a very long and sleepless flight. We managed to pull ourselves together long enough to venture out for an incredible dinner at one of Santiago's finest seafood restaurants Aqui esta Coco. The meal and experience was incredible. The restaurant was newly renovated following a fire and the decor was modern but still true to its traditional Chilean roots. We sampled a wide variety of fresh seafood including scallops, sea bass, crab, and salamon. Our second day in Santiago we explored much more. We ventured to San Cristibal Hill where we were treated to panoramic views of the city and the Andes. We made our way up the hill ( we thought it was more of a mountain than a hill)in a furnicular. We were definitely a little apprehensive at first but it turned out to be a lot of fun. After we ventured over to Bellavista for a little shopping and yet another incredible meal. Before we knewn it, it was time to leave for Concepcion. We opted for the bus option because we wanted to see more of the country. The trip took approximately 7 hours and was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Riding a Chilean bus is definitely a unique experience and one I will not soon forget. As we drove the scenery switched between vineyards and mountains to small villages and towns. Along the way, the bus stopped periodically to pick up passengers or vendors. Vendors would board the bus and offer snacks or homemade treats for the passengers to purchase. I'm very thankful for the experience but I was very excited and anxious to arrive and meet my host family. After slight confusion about which stop to get off at we arrived in Concepcion to the welcoming arms of our host families. My host mother and 2 of the children met me at the station and after a quick hello we were off. When we arrived at home I met the remainder of the family. It is a fairly large family with 8 people in my house. After lots of hellos and kisses on the cheek (the typical greeting in Chile) we shared a meal. Despite the fact that we did not share a common language we had no problem communicating. On Sunday morning we began preparing for family meal. Several other family members came over and we spent the day eating wonderful food and getting to know one another. We started our work at the Thomas Jefferson School on Monday. Again we were shown the kindness and hospitality of the Chilean people. After a tour of the school we were treated to a welcome breakfast. I then returned to my class to begin work. My teachers and students are absolutely wonderful and were so excited to welcome me to the class. The fist week of school was a great learning experience. It'd fascinating to see how a school in another country works and operates. During then week i also had the chance to see what life is like in Chile. My family has done a fantastic job of welcoming and introducing me to their culture. Despite the language barrier I have had many wonderful, discussions about everything from the social divisions in the country to music ANC movies. I have already learned and experienced so much I cannot wait to see what the next two weeks hold! (I'm posting from my iPad and I'm not sure how to post pictures but I will be sure to add many soon!)