Not goodbye, just hasta luego

I don't think I can say goodbye to this continent, to this country, to this city, to my home, to my family and my friends. 
At least without knowing that I'll definitely be back again. So I am going to make that happen. 


I finished packing and I finished my 19 page paper. I haven't started my goodbyes but I don't even want to think about that. I'm currently just sitting in my room, dying from heat and not wanting to move. And I mean not wanting to move in more ways than just one...


But just like coming here for 6 months was an adventure, I'm excited for my new adventure: life after this one.


Not sure how it's going to go. All I know is that something is going to be different, not quite sure what.


If you read my very first blog, there was a very nice statement from a friend of mine which encompasses a lot of statements from a lot of people I left back home. 
I'm interested in seeing how true all of those statements end up being. 


I think I'm not as excited to go home right now because I think I'm just going back to the same life I left 6 months ago. But that's not true at all. 
People change and I wasn't there to witness those changes.
But I changed too, I'm just not sure how. All I know is that I did.


I guess I'll find out in approximately 15 hours. 


Hasta luego America del Sur, te voy a extrañar muchisimo. 

A month of tears and memories

Sorry for not updating in so long. This last month has been pretty hectic.

I HAVE 3 DAYS LEFT IN SANTIAGO!

I don’t understand what that means. I just spend half a year in South America, and now I just have to leave? If there ever was a perfect definition for a “bittersweet moment,” this is it.

I know I said I was ready to go home, and I definitely am. But I am not ready to leave. Two very contradicting statements, I know. But it’s true.

I can’t wait for bagels and Tropicana orange juice and real cheese (caprese salad!). I can’t wait for grey skies and cold weather. Curling up on my couch and watching TV mindlessly for hours. Greasy NYC pizza and hole-in-the-wall Chinese food. Getting into my car and running silly little errands like buying toothpaste or Advil instead of Ibuprofen. I can’t wait to see my friends and family and actually being able to make a phone call that is longer than a minute. But everyone watch out, I haven’t used my touch screen in 6 months, hello drunk-looking sober texts!

But what about delicious empanadas? What about that awful awful yellow bus that I have to take home every day? Taking my lunch to school in my awkward tupperware that my nana prepares every day. What about laughing at the ridiculousness of Chileans with their 1990s outfits and disgusting dreadlocks. What about the mountains that I see every day and the sunshine? My group of 22 friends and my coordinators. Mi familia Chilena y mi perro Happy. What about all of that? How do I say goodbye to all of that?

Not sure how I am going to deal with all of this. It was easy to leave because I was going to an adventure for 6 months. And it will be amazing to come back to my real life. But it’s real life. Who really wants to deal with that? I have been on the most incredible vacation for the past 6 months, how do I come down to reality?

I think I am going to need some help. Good thing for me is that I have the most wonderful friends and family waiting for me back home! One of my best friends made me extremely happy a few weeks ago. I have never received any mail here in Chile until just a few days before my birthday. She sent me an envelope full of postcards that she has been writing to me ever since the beginning of the summer. I received this when I was close to the peak of my home-sickness and it just made me feel so much better.

But I don’t want to make this a sad post. And trust me, there are a lot of great stories coming up!

So on a happier note – I have great news about my Chilean final exam. Since I was such a great student throughout the semester (showing up at least half an hour late every day and either reading, drawing, playing games, or sleeping during class) I didn’t have to take the final! My previous test and essay average were so high that I was exempt from the final! I honestly thought I was going to be close to failing that class. I guess not :) Only thing that would have made it better is if the lovely professor would have emailed me telling me that instead of making me come in at 10 in the morning just to leave. Oh well.

And that day, my grandma was in Santiago! It was so incredible getting to see her here. She was doing a tour of Latin America with some of her friends and their last stop was Santiago for 3 days. We didn’t spend the entire days together because she already had tours set up, but just knowing that after going to class I got to go have dinner and spend some time with my grandma was a great feeling. Again, perfect timing because I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be in Santiago anymore.

Having her here was also much different than when my parents were here. I realized how much more I knew about the city. I took my parents to all the touristy spots and I got to take my grandma to places that I personally knew and loved. It felt really good to know that this city really was my home for the past few months.

My grandma took home a lot of my stuff. And looking around my room right now, it really doesn’t feel that way. So many things to pack…

You know I’m comfortable in a place when I keep my room nice and messy :)

The day after grandma left, we had our gringo Thanksgiving dinner. A week early, yes we know. I honestly thought it was going to be a disaster. How were we going to cook a turkey in Santiago? And bring enough food for 30 people? But I was wrong. It ended up being better than it should have been! There was so much leftover food, everyone came and was happy, hungry, and thankful. It was the best thanksgiving dinner any one of us could have asked for.

And then on the real Thanksgiving, we had our cena de despedida (goodbye dinner). That made us leaving seem very real.

A girl in our group came up with genius idea for a gift for our coordinators, Mauricio and Paula. To donate money to a human rights organization in Chile. Nothing could have been better. It encompassed everything we learned this year and there was no better way to say thank you for teaching us and helping us.

The dinner was emotional to say the least. Lots of crying and memories. It was wonderful.

And the next day it was time to begin my birthday weekend celebration! (Yes, I knew my birthday was on Monday, but why should that stop me?)

So Friday a group of my friends went out to Bellavista. This is the barrio (neighborhood) where we most typically went out in Santiago. We sat drinking at a bar for a long time and just talking and laughing. It was great. Then we went to the club where we went on our first night out in Santiago. How sentimental. Such a fun night with my friends.

But the next night was the real celebration. And how could I celebrate my birthday without a birthday outfit? So the next morning my friend (who has more clothes than any one I have ever met) went to the mall to find me a birthday dress. I ended getting a birthday dress and birthday shoes… woops.

And that same day my family left for the night to a wedding in Valparaiso. And that was obviously the first time I forgot my keys. Obviously.

So my nana, who was planning on spending the night anyway, had to come earlier so that I could get into the house. Silly me.

After getting ready quickly, I met my friends at a Mexican restaurant. Not everyone came to the restaurant and the ones who did I can truly say are my best friends on this trip. I am so glad to have met them. The dinner was incredible (and I’m not just talking about the food).

the best people 

All semester the 2 Mike’s have been wanting to watch me do a shot of vodka. So what did I get for my birthday? A birthday shot. Took it like a champ. And a free pisco sour from the restaurant. And an absolutely delicious (and very large) raspberry daiquiri. Dinner was perfect.

yum

Afterwards, it was still too early to head over to the club. So we discussed if we should go to a bar or drink outside on the grass. In front of all the bars in a very popular location in Santiago. Obviously being the smart gringos that we are, that is what we chose.

My amazing friends bought me a vodka bottle. Nothing more appropriate :)

But about 10 minutes after we sat down, the cops came up to us. They asked to see our Chilean ID’s and wrote down our names. I really don’t know how or why, but they let us go. And we got to keep our alcohol! So we just went to a bar. And my friends bought me another drink. If it isn’t obvious, we take birthdays very seriously here. Before going out that night I said that I was scared to celebrate my birthday with them because of amount of drinks they buy the birthday person. And I think I was right to be scared…

I had contacted a really famous club in Santiago a few days before and they said to send them a list of names and we could all get in for free for my birthday. The only problem was that the club was far away. So half of us took a cab straight there and me and 6 other people decided to take a bus half way and then take a cab. Very very bad idea.

We ended up finishing the bottle of vodka during that trip. Woops. And after the bus, we got into a cab that only later on decided to tell us that he would only take us halfway. Meanwhile there were 6 people sitting in the backseat, 2 of which were 6 foot tall guys.

It took forever to get a second cab. 3 of my friends actually had to go back home because they never found a cab. But I got there, not without more drama of course.

As we get up to the club, they tell us that there is no list. Apparently all my friends who had already gotten in had argued their way in. I was very upset that this was happening and started yelling at the bouncer. I don’t remember what I said but I was taken away by my friend because my yelling was definitely not helping the situation.

Somehow we finally got in. But not before I had a little crying session outside of this famous club where celebrities go. Mature, really mature.

just a little red eye... 

The rest of the night is somewhat of a blur. I thought we were only there for about 20 minutes. Turns out we were there for more like 2 hours. I am told that I had fun…

Even though I cried on my birthday, I would still say that it was an amazing day. An amazing weekend actually. I spend it with my best friends on this trip and they made it an incredible 2 nights. North American birthdays just do not compare.

Oh and I forgot to mention that on our way home that night, my friend and I made the cab stop at McDonalds. Yes, I ended my birthday night at McDonalds.

I think I have eaten McDonalds here more than I have in my entire life.

By the way, my birthday still wasn’t for another day. And it was extremely depressing that when it turned midnight here on Sunday night, no one back home realized it was my birthday because NYC is 2 hours behind Santiago.

But my actual birthday was great as well. My host mom bought me bagels and cream cheese and a cake. How perfect. I invited 3 of my friends for this dinner. It was a nice calm way to spend my birthday, especially in comparison with the past weekend.   

Two days later, we went to a bar called La Piojera. It is famous for its atmosphere and its Terremotos. I hope you all remember what a terremoto is. It’s my favorite drink here: white wine with pineapple ice cream. Yum. I had never been to La Piojera before, I wasn’t allowed to leave Santiago without having gone there. Definitely worth it.

We are now engraved in La Piojera

And believe it or not, a few days after that I was on a plane to Patagonia!

I have mixed feelings about this trip. But before I say anything about it, I have to say that it was absolutely gorgeous there! Nothing compares, so much natural beauty.

And now to complain a little bit.

At this point, my knee was just not okay at all. I was hoping to do little hikes every few days but I just couldn’t handle that. So as soon as I got there, I realized I shouldn’t really be there. Patagonia is not a place you go if you are injured. Luckily, we ended up still getting to see a lot, but I was definitely upset for a part of the trip.

But still, it was absolutely beautiful. I thought I regretted going, but I can’t say that I do. Who knows when the next time will be that I can see something that stunning.

The first day we got to our hostel at 7 in the morning and fell asleep until 4 pm. Woops. And normally that would be considered late but in Patagonia the sun only starts to set around 10 pm so we had lots of time to walk around the town, Punta Arenas. There wasn’t much to see. But we did decide to treat ourselves to a nice dinner.

The next day we went to a little town called Porvenir. Whatever you do, never go to Porvenir on a Sunday. There was absolutely nobody around and nothing to do. But the trip there was fun – it was 2 hours on a boat. We slept the whole way…

In Porvenir we visited a cemetery and walked around what seemed to be the entire town. We ended up sitting in a playground and swinging for over an hour. Played with some cute puppies as well. It was a nice, relaxing day.

colorful cars

The next day, we took a tour to Isla Magallanes to see a penguin colony. Again, it was a 2 hour boat ride to get there. We decided to sit outside so that we wouldn’t sleep. I fell asleep outside anyway (I hope you are starting to see a pattern here).

The island was great. There were hundreds and hundreds of penguins just walking around. They are absolutely adorable when they wobble. So cute!

inappropriate penguins

On the way back, we talked to a few Israeli men who were traveling through South America after having served in the Israeli army for the past 3 years. I have officially decided that I need to marry an Israeli man. Not just a Jewish man like my grandma always wanted, but an Israeli one. There were so many in Patagonia! We met one that was Argentinean and Israeli. Nothing could be better than that!

That night we got a beer and fell asleep as soon as we finished it. The next day we decided to go to a café to try to work on our final papers. I would just like you to try to imagine how well that actually worked…

So that same evening we got on a bus to the next town, 2 hours away. Puerto Natales. This is where Torres del Paine National Park is. The park with the famous W-circuit hike that I wanted to do.

When we got to our hostel, the owner said that we didn’t have a reservation. Then he said that I did make one but only for myself. We were so frustrated at this point. But he said he had another room at his other hostel down the street. How convenient. Except that it was one little queen sized bed, for the 3 of us. With the springs sticking out. Comfy. But we slept there because he let us have it for half the price. For the next 2 nights we were able to switch to the better hostel and sleep in normal beds. We really did not like this hostel owner.

But anyway, in Puerto Natales the first day we went on a day-long tour of glaciers. Another boat. And it was so windy on this boat. I wore so many layers. It became a joke about how many layers we each had on. I also had a lot of colors on… My fashionista friend did not enjoy that. But I was warm and that’s all that matters. So comfy in my fur hat.

I like all my colors

And obviously we slept any time we didn’t have to be outside looking at something.

The actual glacier that we saw was incredible. I definitely had different notions of what a glacier was (obviously just from the Titanic). This was even better.

The next day we went on a day tour of Torres Del Paine National Park. I contemplated going on a day hike to the base of the Torres (about a 6 hour long hike). The reason I thought I could do it was because everyone always talks about how there are 70 year olds who do it. And little children. But I’m Masha. Obviously I was injured to the point that there was no way that I could do this.

So we went on a day tour and I am so glad we did. We stopped the car every few minutes to get out and look at something. Each time it got more and more beautiful.

But our tour guide, to be fun since it was just a bunch of 20 year olds on the tour, decided to take us on a mini hike. It was supposed to be a 10 minute walk but he turned it into an hour and a half. 4 months ago that would have been nothing for me. Last week, I was in excruciating pain. I didn’t feel it until about an hour later when I could barely walk. Let’s just say, I took a lot of Ibuprofens for the next few days.  

But it was worth it. So beautiful.

the wind actually pushed me over

And after that, it was time to go back. We missed our Santiago homes, not to mention our homes in the States. We talked way too much about the things we missed from home during that trip.  

Our flight was for 2am Saturday morning, but we got to the airport around 3pm on Friday. We tried to get on a 5pm but there was no room. So we got on an 11pm flight instead. Meanwhile, we almost went crazy in that airport. I have never liked JFK but at that moment I missed it so much. There were 2 tiny cafes in that airport. And that’s it. Even security could barely be called security. No one really checked anything. Definitely not used to that.

And when we got on the plane, we realized we had the exit row. So much happiness for my knee! Although exit rows are great for the legs, they are not very comfortable for the back. But obviously we all slept anyway. I think we slept through half of our trip to Patagonia. Not sure how or why.

And the very next day in Santiago, after getting home at 4am, I went to Starbucks. About 5 other people from our group ended up going there. We go there to study because not only does it make us feel like we’re home, but it’s also air-conditioned. I don’t understand how these people survive their summers. My family doesn’t even have a fan!

So after procrastinating in Starbucks all day, I went home to help my mom set up and decorate the house because it was my sister’s birthday party. It was fun, I’ve already met most of her friends and 2 of my friends came since one of them lives with my sister’s boyfriend. Fun night.

And the next morning (today), I went to Starbucks again. I spent all day there. Got barely anything done, again. And now tomorrow I will be going back as well. I still need to write another 9 pages before I leave this country. Great way to spend our last few days.

Yesterday I was much sadder to be leaving Santiago than today (always equally as excited to go back home) because I got a lovely surprise from my mom (my real mom) today. She said I can try to look for internships here this summer! Summer ’12 Santiago, here I come! (Even though that means I will have missed summer for 2 years in a row since our summer is winter here…)

So maybe this isn’t “goodbye Santiago” after all, just a “see you later” :)