Bonjour..I mean Hola. Wrong language.
So, I'm here in Chile and super emocionada! I'm trying this written blog instead of the YouTube account video. I feel like I'm at a loss of words. My brain is going in Spanish pero I'm going for an English conversation. Okay, so to make this easier I'll write this como a diary entry.
Let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start (Bram, one of the students here from WashU, says hi!). El Aeropuerto: Delta tried to stop me from going to Chile. Uh. Please. I didn't have a visa on my way there 'cause of the way SIT worked it out, we get our visa there. Whatever. No me importa. Estoy aqui.
Forget the diary entry process.
I'm tired. Valparaíso (aka Valpo) is beautiful and un poquito cold. I brought two partially large suitcases and felt super overpacked when one of the girls pulls up in one enormous backpack. FOR HIKING. I felt like that girl. The one who packs too much and has to lug it everywhere! When I had to declare pepper (yes, picante del polvo in my baggage. My mom said that it would help in keeping my spicy taste bud.), I talked to the guy in Spanish and he spoke back. Ballin'! Comprendí.
One guy called me out 'cause he thought I didn't pay the reciprocity fee. He says "You American?" Hesitantly, "yesss.." Don't get me wrong, I am proud of being American and I know I don't blend in, pero I had to be cautious. "You have to join that line" pointing to the fee line. "Si" is all I could muster. "Si" again. "Ya. We went there already." En inglés. I think it's the English that gave me away as an American. Gotta be.
The peeps here are fantastico and I've been saying "Hola" to all the people in Chile. They probs think I'm loca! When I say I'm excited, estoy emocionada. Super emocionada!
To all who are reading, I hope to post fotos that put you into mi zapatos-shoes. 'Dios. Chao!
Te quiro muchísimo,
Ife (They say that Ifeoluwa is too dificil para los chilenos.) Ah.