So I guess 'Chile' is Spanish for paradise

Well, I am getting ready to finish up my first week in Santiago, Chile. It has been incredible. Many things to include.

First, so our last days in Ecuador were busy but good. We needed to complete presentations for our Spanish classes and turn in a paper for one of our ENL courses. Apparently in all of the joy and carelessness of life I forgot the occasional need to actually fulfill some responsibilities. Oops.

In the mayhem, we did still have time to climb the basilica. A little scary. There were definitely not the same safety standards you would find in the US. Like ropes, not broken stairs, or protective barriers to break your 50+ foot fall. Hmm.

Saying goodbye to the family was tough. They were awesome. They had pizza for me, which was a big deal. It was a really thoughtful move on her part. We took some photos (see below) and then I gave them my parting gift: a Notre Dame ornament and

....

(drum roll)

.....

Jelly belly's.

They LOVED it. They couldn't believe how accurate the flavors were. Watching Sofy and Maria eat them was hilarious. They didn't get that they were supposed to swallow, so they were chewing them like gum. I had to explain each time.

Here is my former Ecuadorian family: Andres, Sofy, and Maria. They will be missed.

Our last day of school was one of the more ridiculous experiences of my life. We watched a movie, played cards, and then had a party. This party included:

1) snacks and beverages starting immediately after class at 12:30

2) playing a sweet card game called cuarenta (ecuadorian, it is a blast and MAYBE I will teach you someday)

3) eating awesome food

4) playing an intense, dancing, and physical game of musical chairs. Greg and I were the last two, and we mutually took a knee and saluted one another when the music stopped. Pure class.

5) A scavenger hunt that involved a team name [los duros del destino--> roughly, the hard ones of destiny], with a cheer and a dance that involved doing air karate attack moves with sound effects and ended in an intense pose and us shouting 'hasta la muerte!' [until death]. Ps these were both definitely my idea.

6) Eamon and Francisco dressing as women to decide which team won. They had to dance, and they both eventually took their shirts off. Mind you, this is in the patio of our school, with all of our teachers, and some neighbors watching over a wall. Unreal.

7) Them putting on music and telling us to dance as they filmed. Wow was that awkward. But hilarious. We definitely did human limbo with Aislinn and imaginary jump rope double dutch dance moves.

Yeah, so we are umm, grad students. With Master's degrees. Ever heard of it?

The flight over got off to a really rough start. We had an early morning flight, so I had to get up before 8 for the first time in almost three months. (I know, I live a difficult life.) We had been told that the baggage overweight fee would be pretty low-key, but we all ended up having to pay $120 in baggage fees and $40 to leave the country. This was unexpected and not well received. It was pretty much the opposite of ________ (fill in blank with anything joyful, fun, or not expensive). Luckily, everything after this first bump, life was backrubs and bubble baths.

The LAN plane has extra leg room, personal tv's loaded with movies for free (like a real tough guy, I chose Coraline), meals with real silverware, fleece blankets, and free Chilean wine. Life was glorious.

We got picked up from the airport by two ChACErs (Johhny and Laura). It was wonderful to see a couple of gringas (and domers to boot) waiting for us. The day was stunningly beautiful, and Santiago is gorgeous. Picture Portland set right in front of the Rocky Mountains. That is my life.

Another picture of the unsung protagonist of the past two months. A truly unique human being who I will definitely miss. Things like being called out for not working out when I am sick, for not absolutely demolishing my body in every exercise, talking about different cultures as he ate ludicrous amounts of food at inhuman hours, and listening to the recaps of epic Age of Empires II battles. One of a kind.

Now, the adventure really begins...