Back in Black

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I'm back in Chile baby! It's been EXACTLY two years to the day since I left but now I'm back and I cannot express the full amount of my contentment nor joy at being here again. It's like I'm back home. It's weird. I got here today with my best friend Brittney who doesn't speak Spanish and we're staying with my old host family for a whole month. When our airplane landed I was so excited! And then instantly it's like I got back into a rhythm I thought I had forgotten. My host family asked if I needed help getting to the house but I was like, "No. I got this." And I did have it! Santiago, the capital, is an hour and a half away from Valparaiso where we're staying. But this time I knew how to get around and I felt very competent. It was the complete opposite of when I first arrived here as a student! Now I get the money, I get the transportation, I get the language, and even the slang. I just get it. And the differences in our cultures, I already knew, so my experience is even more rich for that. I'm not experiencing any kind of culture shock. I get Chileans now because I was here for so long the first time. All the initial freak out is over, and what's left is a pure enjoyment of where I am, the culture I'm in, and the people I'm with.

Now I'm the one explaining things to my friend Brittney and she's handling it all like a champ. She's so open and willing to learn. Even though there's a language barrier, she doesn't see it as such and she's flexible and rolling with the punches. The biggest punch we had to "roll with" is when American airlines/LAN lost all of our suitcases. Yes, all four of our suitcases...both mine AND Brittney's. I think the airlines took that as a personal challenge. Apparently we were on a flight to Santiago Chile but our luggage was not! So we basically arrived at my host family's house en estilo vagabundo (homeless style). We only had the clothes on our backs and that's it! No pajamas, no toothbrushes, no soap, no nothing. Hopefully we will get our bags tomorrow as the airlines promised. They located our bags in Dallas, where they never left! Who does that?

On a more positive note, it's so good to see my host family again! Mama Sussy answered the door and I couldn't believe it. We hugged and it was like no time had passed. Isaac was home too and I hugged him as well. When I told him about our luggage he was irate on our behalf. He was like, "debiste hacer un show" basically saying that we should have "acted a fool" at the airport and made the airlines compensate us in some way. He then, handed me a phone, and practically coached me as I got ugly with the airlines people. It was awesome. What I got out of it was the agreement that my friend and I can buy some basic clothing and toiletries until our suitcases arrive and they will reimburse us. Sweet!

Elisabet, my old host sister, came over to see me and we nearly cried. It was like seeing an old best friend. We picked up right where we left off. I was so close to her two years ago. She was the sibling in the house that I clicked the best with. I had promised her that I would come back and visit but apparently all the gringas say that and they never do. We're both stoked that I'm actually here again! She took me and Brittney to her baby's father's house where we drank tea, caught up, and gossiped for hours. Doing what we do best of course! When we got there Marco was napping. He's so big now! He'll be three-years-old in September and he speaks so well! Last time I was here, he wasn't talking, walking, or anything so it was kind of freaky seeing such a huge jump in his development all at once. Eli took Brittney and me to the store to buy some emergency clothes. When she explained to Marco that we were going to the store to buy pants because me and Brittney's pants got lost, he was so concerned! It was precious! He said that he would give Brittney a pair of his pants and he held it up to her. She didn't know what Marco was saying because he only speaks Spanish, but after I explained it, she was equally charmed. Then he held his little pants up to me. After realizing that they were WAY too small, he offered us a pair of his father's pants! That was a definite "no gracias", but he gets an A for effort!

¡Hubiera sido la unica cosa que me faltaba! That's the last thing I needed. To go from dirty clothes to man clothes! That's one punch I'm NOT willing to roll with.

Anyway, I feel so blessed to be here connecting with my host family like no time has passed. I'm not here to work or study. Just to enjoy life, and I couldn't feel more fortunate.

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Photos

Back in Black
Muelle Baron

Brittney and Mama Sussy
We've been best friends since 3rd grade