"So Amy, you're coming back next year... right?" -every single chilean friend I know

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I can't believe I've been here nearly a month already. This last month is going to fly by sooo quickly. I've finally returned to my habit of taking obscene amounts of photos, so I thought I'd do a photo update.

Friday morning at 7am I fly to Santiago (yes, it was supposed to be Sunday, I changed my flight to have a little extra travel time and make it for Francisco's family birthday party Saturday). For the next two weeks I'll be traveling with my Chilean friend who studied with my in Iowa this past semester (we road tripped to Colorado in May and he spent time in Winterset, so some of you have met him). We have very tentative plans of heading to Argentina Sunday, seeing Mendoza and continuing to Buenos Aires where i'll be visitin my best friend from last year, Victor. Then we'll head up to Punta de Este, Uruguay for a day, and maybe pop over to Brasil because we'll be really close. Then we'll head back to Santiago and do a tour of Chile traveling by bus all the way back from Santiago to Arica (via Vina de Mar, Valparaiso, Coquimbo, La Serena, Antofogasta and finally ARica). Wow. I say tentative because we're going to take it one day at a time, see where buses take us, where money and energy permit...and weather, because it's FREEZING in Santiago right now and the border to Argentina was blocked by snow last week... So. This is the last you'll hear from me for a while, I'll write when I get back.

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to this past week, enjoy! 😊

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Photos

SAA represent.
Had to take a few SAA pics with the beautiful weather one day (too bad my batteries died)

mi familia chilena
Seriously, so blessed to live in this house. This family (especially my grandpa) really watch out for me and care for me as if I really was their hija.

a las canchas (the courts)
I've played more tennis this month than I have all year in Iowa :) Ricardo, Ignacio and Pedro are my most frequent partners; good players, great friends!

toma once
Here they don't really eat supper, it's called once and consistes of tea, bread, sometimes sweets... I got to meet the families of some of my friends this past week. This picture is in Alexa's house :)

Finished group 1!
The end results of about half of my first class at the university!

Group 2
I seriously thought no one was going to show; we started almost an hour late, and only 4 out of 24 showed. lol... es la vida..... quality, not quantity, right?

Juan Carlos and Jim/Jorge!
These guys studied in the states last semester; in Iowa (JC) and Oklahoma (Jorge). It's fun to be here with them now after spending time together in the states!

mis amigos
Hanging out at the university with my friend at "the bridge"... comon meeting spot for me on campus and I am always sure to find friends I know there in between classes...

Comments

[Jan]

Great fun you're having!
Amy, I don't think you can have too much more fun....stay safe on all those bus rides and it's great to see and read about your life! Aunt Jan

[Jacquelyn]

nice
The testimony to your talents and your ability to reach out to the community (and a testimony to their talents as well) is all in the pictures. Thanks amy...next year????

[Jacquelyn]

ANDDDDDD
Amy...have a great time traveling. Sounds like a fun-filled adventure. Yes you are wise...one day at a time....I guess it is the local buses you speak of. It will be wonderful. I do not know Chile and I dont know the other countries you will travel in...but I do know Peru and Bolivia a little and I vividly remember the buses and all the great times. travel safe. j

[Mallory]

I need you....i love you