The post-game wrap-up

It's a little delayed, but it had to be coming at some point. After a week and a half back in the states, it's time for the semester retrospective.

Places visited in South America:
La Serena
El Colorado (skiing)
La Ligua
Pomeire
Isla Negra
La Campana
San Pedro
Antofogasta
Punta Arenas
Puerto Natales
Pucón
Valdivia
Cajón de Maipo
Mendoza
Buenos Aires
Santiago
and of course, Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, my "homes"

hours spent on busses:over 107

hikes: (contrary to popular belief, only) 3

hostels stayed in: 11

occasions of luxury (aka, rediculously nice places stayed in due to parental visits, paid program trips, and crazy-low prices in countries in economic crisis): 6

Everyone should get to go to a country where they're considered gorgeous
It's a real confidence-booster. I'm thinking we need to set up an international database so taht each person can find and visit that location where everyone thinks they're drop-dead gorgeous. I, for example, am returning a few pounds heavier, yet with several outstanding marriage proposals from random men on the streets of Chile.

In Chile, you're blonde
we all are.

Prescriptions are SO overrated
Why bother with doctors if you can just bully pharmacists, like Ashley's host mom? Or, you could send your host kids accross the border to Argentina with a wad of cash which they will then exchange for drugs at a leather store. 'cause that's not shady (nor has it ever happened to me, of course).

Valparaíso was the perfect place for me to study abroad
I realize I never wrote much about it, so here's the short description of my home abroad. Valpo is an industrial port city built on hills rising right up out of hte Pacific. There is not a single Starbucks in the city, and no one knows what bagels are. Its neighboring city, which it literally touches, Viña del Mar, is the most touristic city in Chile because of its beaches. Neither city is particularly wealthy or clean. The area houses some of the best universities in teh country. The culture and architecture are fascinating (if occasionaly frightening - houses buit on hills appear to be more hanging, waiting to fall). The lifestyle of these cities was unlike any experiences I had had before.

I hate dogs.
Perhaps canines and I will have our day of reconciliation, but not today. After carefully picking my way around the many stray dogs of Chile and their resulting bodily functions in the streets, and after the creature that lived in my house shat on my bed and vomitted in corners in the house, I've decided that I hate dogs, and will now for some time.

Use sunscreen
Turns out that song was right. SPF = good, hole in the o-zone right over Chile = bad.

My favorite Chilean game: spot that college t-shirt
Rest assured, your clothing drive donations are reaching those in need. All kinds of college, city, and sports team paraphernalia can be found all over South America. More points are given for more specific institutions (Dormitory t-shirts instead of University - Ashley did spot her freshman year dorm in Chile), and bonus points given if you yourself own the shirt.
The award for all-time best t-shirt find: Ashley's spotting of a t-shirt from our town's local young girls' basketball league.

Chile's favorite American import:
On the music scene, that is. Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved". They also love a song that I believe is called "The Shadows", but I'm pretty sure the band is European.

Favorite Spanish adition to my iTunes Library: (song)
"Salir Corriendo" by Amaral, which is a pretty awesome band all around. I highly recommend checking out their CD, Estrella del Mar.

Favorite Spanish addition to my iTunes Library: (band)
Bacilos. Even better if you can get your hands on their music videos. "Pasos de Gigante" is especially cute, and a really fun song.

Music video most re-inforcing of all previous Latin Music stereotypes:
David Bisbal's "Oye el Boom". Imagine a muscular man with long curly hair on a desert island surrounded by a hundred women in small brown bikinis. Add dancing, wet bodies, and a few strange pelvic thrusts, and you've got an accurate image of the music video driving millions of Spanish-speaking women wild.

An amazing semester has come to an end. It was difficult, interesting, crazy, and loads of fun, and I couldn't be happier I did it. Just look at all the culture I've gained from my 5 months (half naked men on desert islands aside). ;) Thanks for putting up with all my ramblings. It was a good way for me to remember everything I did, since it all seemed to happen pretty fast.