Google Translate is a Life Saver by Morgan Manuel

As I write this blog post, I have now been in Chile for a week and a half. It is still so hard for me to believe that I'm here but I'm glad I am. The first week in Chile was specifically for vacation and exploration. Myself and three other girls, two of which I only know because of this program, decided to take a couple of days to become familiar with Chile by going to Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama. 

Two very different places. Santiago is a big city with lots of interesting people; it could be overwhelming at times, but still a nice way to dip our toe in Spanish culture and using the language. The Atacama desert is uniquely gorgeous. There is a lot of sand/dirt and colors mostly consisting of browns and reds. However, the frequent blue skies and deep orange, purple, and pink sunsets added a pop of color. The landscape of mountains and sand dunes were like nothing I'd seen before (especially when considering that I've never been to a desert before). We were able to stargaze at night and see the full moon up close and personal due to the minimal light pollution, and we also got to sand board which is by far the coolest thing I've ever done. The walk up the sand dune was definitely worth the slide down. Going a week early, was a very good decision on our part because I felt that I was able to ease my way into the idea of living in a different country and even practice my Spanish some in preparation. 

Our couple of days exploring ended up being very short; and on Saturday, whether we were ready or not, (halfway dried clothes thrown in our suitcases at the last possible minute) we left Santiago to fly to Concepción to meet our families. My nerves were definitely trying to get the best of me but I kept reminding myself that no matter how first impressions went, I was living with this generous family who obviously wanted me to come even before they meet me for three weeks and it could only get better from day one. Much to my relief, the family was so sweet and tried their hardest to talk to me in English like I tried my hardest to pick up on their Spanish. Google translate might've been used a couple of times but whatever it takes, right?

 I've already gotten to meet all the extended family due to Mother's Day festivities on Sunday, which was so nice to join in on. It was a good way to feel comfortable with them and not have all the attention on me. As the days go by, my family and I get closer and communicate better, but language barriers take time. In the mean time, there are lots of hugs, laughter, secret handshakes, and even some one word inside jokes. My 11 year old sister, Javi, is just like any 11 year old girl in the sense that she is sassy and silly and loves to joke. We have a couple of handshakes now and have this joke where we go back and forth saying each other's names because that's all we could understand on our first day together! The whole family is just so sweet. 

 On Monday, I started school and it felt like every other first day of school with nerves and expectations of: who will be in my class, will I see my host siblings at school, will I like my teacher? Even though, I've only had one day with my teacher, I know I will like working with him. He was so helpful and nice to me. After he explained things to the class and left them to their class work, he would explain it to me in English. He knows that I can read and pronounce some Spanish and has given me the task of practicing my Spanish while he practices his English so we can talk to each other in opposite languages! He teaches a multitude of different classes including physics, geometry, and moral and ethics. Today, Tuesday, we did not meet with our teachers but instead got to help the older students practice their English. We (the LSU students) partnered up with a couple of Chilean students and they had to talk to us and ask us questions in English which was so fun to hear what they had to say and the different levels of English each student knew. I'm excited to work and interact with the students more in my classroom and on a daily basis. I think I've got a good fit in both family and teacher! Ciao for now!