Exchange Student Orientation

Today was the exchange student orientation for my district in Chile- 4340 which is HUGE (it spans from Santiago to Talca which is 3 hours south of Santiago). Had lots of presentations about cultural differences and safety and all of the boring stuff, but for most of the time just we just talked. There were over 50 exchange students from New Zealand, Finland, Holland, Germany, Mexico, France, Brazil, and of course the USA.

It was absolutely amazing to finally be able to meet and talk to other exchange students; to finally be able to talk to people who completely understand %100 of what you're going through because they are going through the exact same things: culture shock, homesickness, language frustrations, host families, making friends, awkward situations, school, ext... It was an amazing feeling knowing there are over 50 people who I can completely relate to. Even though we all come from different countries, cultures, and completely different personalities and interests, there's just this automatic bond between all exchange students that I can't really explain, it's one of the most amazing things in the world. I love youth exchange <3

Un Mes en Chile! & Fiestas Patrias

Ive officially been in Chile for one month and a day, its amazing how fast time goes by.

Last week I didn't have school to celebrate Chile's Independence, so basically spring break (: I was finally able to catch up my sleep. I've been completely exhausted here, every time that I simply want to talk with someone I have to think and trying to understand my classes completely fries my brain. But every day is easier and now I don't have to think for basic conversations, the spanish words and phrases will come before the English ones which is pretty awesome.

The 18th (Chile's Independence Day) means asados asados asados! (barbeques) And they eat so much food here. Before lunch there will be empanadas and choripan (kind of like sausages). Then for lunch there is salad, carne, carne, and more carne. For this special occasion we had cordero asado, which is an entire pig pinned to a cross like the crucifixion then slow cooked for 6 hours. Then after lunch there were the most amazing desserts in the world.

cordero asado

And the fondas! Fondas are kind of like a fair/carnival. Every city/town has their own fonda and they are only open for 3 days (the weekend of the 18th, Chile's Independence Day). There are booths to buy clothes and tchotchkes, restraunts/bars with bands and dance floors, discoteques, and lots and lots of empanadas, anticuchos, and terremotos (drinks with wine and ice cream). And everything here is much later. Parties don't being until around 11 and will end anytime between 3 and 5. We didn't leave one of the fondas until 5 in the morning and that is completely normal. I love it.

¡Colegio!

I’ve officially been in school for one week and one day, woop woop! I’m in Tercero Medio A, which is like Junior Year (so when the new school starts in March I’ll be a Senior) Every grade is split between girls and boys so I’m in III Medio A, however electives and English class are mixed. They take so many classes here! I have Literature, Math, Religion, History of Chile, World History, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Philosophy, English, PE, Elective Chemistry, Elective Biology, and Art. I still cannot understand the majority of what the teachers are saying but every day I can understand more.

mi colegio!

Everything in my new school is different. I’ve gone from having over 1200 people in my graduating class to under 40. I’m used to not knowing half of the people in my grade and here EVERYBODY knows EVERYBODY. You stay in the same class all day and the teachers rotate. The only classes you can choose the electives history or biology, philosophy or chemistry, and art or music. There is absolutely no heating in the classrooms so in the morning when its 32º outside, its 32º inside the school. All of my classmates are incredibly welcoming and are helping me so much. 

September 18th is Chile’s Independence Day, like the 4th of July. This Saturday my colegio had a Dia de la Chilenidad to celebrate Chile and the other countries in Latin America. Every curso (grade) performs a dance together, even the kindergardeners. My class performed a dance from Venezuela complete with huge red skirts. There is a huge dance culture here and everybody knows La Cueca, the national dance of Chile. I think la Cueca is absolutely precious, I can’t wait to learn it. 

with my host brother Tomas

As part of the Dia de la Chilenidad there was traditional Chilean food, which I absolutely LOVE. Empanadas are the best food on earth. Its a baked pastry/bread stuffed with meat and onions or with cheese. Anticuchos are like kebobs. Chilenitos are a cookie sandwich with manjar (similar to carmel) covered in powdered sugar. 

with my host sister, brother, and cousins

I’m loving absolutely everything: my host family, my classmates, my school, the language, the culture, the food. Sometimes it still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m in Chile. Like in the morning when I’m driving to school parallel to the Andes mountains at sunrise, all I can think is “Wow, I’m in Chile!!”  I love my life. 

¡Estoy en Chile!

I'm finally here! And I absolutely LOVE it.

My flight here was great. I flew from Atlanta to Santiago with 8 other exchange students, so we were lost and confused together with our awesome rotary jackets. After we all cleared customs and immigration we followed the crowd out of the airport to find our families. I found two of my host brothers and my host sister with a Chilean flag saying Bienvenida Casey (:

Ricardo, Alvaro, Yo, y Sofi

Mi casa

Yesterday my host brothers Ricardo and Alvaro took me on a grand tour of Santiago. It was amazing! We went to all of the typical tourist spots. I love Santiago! The old buildings are so beautiful, its unlike anything in the USA.

 La Moneda (White House of Chile)

 La Catedral 

 Cerro de Santa Lucia

Right now in Chile there are riots about education. University is super expensive so the riots are trying to change the system. In front of La Moneda (the White House of Chile) there is a group of students who are running a sort of relay around the building until there is change. And in different parts of the city there are people outside of buildings with horns and signs making lots of noise. Tomorrow there is una huelga nacional (national riot/strike) so a lot of stores and companies are closing. Its really interesting to be able to see all of it.

Today I figured out all of my boring paperwork so I don’t get deported. My host brother Alvaro took me on a tour of my colegio (which my host sister also goes to). Its SO small, it only has about 600 people, grades k-12 so everybody knows everybody. But I like it a lot! And everyone is super friendly. My host mom got my school uniform and Im so excited to wear it. I will probably start school on Thursday.

Everyday I’m learning more and more spanish. When people speak really slow with some english I can understand it, but as soon as they speak normally with all of the slang I am completely lost. But everyday my spanish is improving (: 

Ya me encanta Chile. 

Chao!

Leaving Tomorrow!

(Well, technically leaving today since it's past midnight..) I cannot believe that after an entire year of applying and preparing I'm finally leaving for my exchange! After all of the paperwork, the interview, the country assignment, the first orientation, the host guarantee form, Grand Rapids, contacting my host family, getting my visa, getting my plane ticket, and attempting to pack everything I need into one huge rolling suitcase, one carry on, and a backpack, the time has finally come.  

This past week has been weird to say the least. Saying goodbye to all my friends and family has been difficult to say the least, but knowing I'll be back in just 10 months makes it not so horrible. After a surprise going away party thrown by my friends, going away BBQ with old family friends (complete with a bouncy castle), and traveling all around Carmel to say goodbye to everyone the time has finally come. Special thanks for all of the amazing going away presents!

My mom and me with the Chilean flag now hanging in our backyard (:

I'm completely ready to move on to my next stage and have the time of my life. I am so insanely excited right now and have barely slept all week. I can't stop thinking about Chile. On Sunday at 8:35 I'll finally be there. Let the adventure begin!

9 días

Hello! So I finally decided to give in and make a blog to let everyone know what I'm up to.

In 9 days I’m leaving for my 10 month exchange to Chile! I’ll be living with a Chilean family, going to a Chilean school, learning Chilean spanish, and trying to be a Chilean as possible for a year. 

I FINALLY received my plane ticket. I fly out of Indianapolis next Saturday the 20th at 5:30, then have a 3 hour layover in Atlanta, fly out of Atlanta at 10:00 p.m. and arrive in Santiago bright and early 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Officially having a plane ticket has made my exchange finally sink in. I’m so ready to go, but I have so much left to do before I leave.

The first city I’ll be staying in is San Bernardo, which is a part of the Santiago Metropolitan area. Here is a lovely map showing exactly where it it is (it's in the dark green one)

My first host family has been incredibly welcoming already! I’ve been in contact with them through email and facebook and it makes me feel so much better knowing who I will be living with for the first 5 months of my exchange. I’ll have 5 host siblings, a 13 year old sister and 4 brothers, ages 17, 19, 20, and 21, however the 17 year old will be on exchange in Germany while I am there. I’ll be attending Colegio Campanario, a private catholic school with only 600 students for grades k-12, which will be a massive change from Carmel’s 4,600. Here's a link to the website http://www.colegiocampanario.cl/ (you can attempt to read it in spanish) Best of all I finally get to wear a school uniform, which I am ridiculously excited about. 

Special thanks to Ashley and Heather for throwing an amazing surprise going away party;  to Tines and Beth for their awesome surprise present; and to my favorite past exchangers Morgan Duca, Fernanda Rivas, Ria Struharikova, and Säde Kanervisto for teaching me youth exchange in high school isn’t that crazy. And most of all to Rotary and my family for making this all possible!

Only 9 days left, AHH!! So much too do, so little time.