Monday February 18th, 2013. That was the 3 year anniversary of my arrival in Chile.
Who knew that I would be staying here as long as I have so far? Surely my family and friend didn´t. They probably saw it as another one of my travel adventures, much like my exchange year in Germany, semester in Spain, and vacations to Mexico.
I don´t know exactly what it was about Chile, but I´ve always wanted to come here. As crazy as this sounds, I remember being about 9 years old and saying to myself "Santiago, Chile. That sounds like a cool place. I´m going to go there." I don´t remember if I ever told my parents that at that age, so I´ll have to ask my dad if he remembers that at all.
Did I do anything special to celebrate the occasion? Not really. On Sunday evening I met up with some expats that are new to the area, and we went out for Peruvian food for dinner. Talking about what brought them to Chile and their experiences made me realize how much time has gone by and how much I love it here.
As for Monday, I had a morning class but was home by 1:00. I´ve gotten into the habit of taking an extended nap after lunch, and then I stayed in doing some reading and watching Family Guy. Too much free time has caused me to become fairly lazy, so I´m looking forward to things picking up again come March when everyone returns from vacation.
So what have I been doing that is actually productive with my free time?
1. I got a Magic Bullet as a Christmas gift. I´ve used it to make smoothies and scrambled eggs. It has been fun experimenting with different fruits and combinations of ice, apple juice, and Greek yogurt. For eggs the container is microwave safe, but you have to catch the eggs before they explode unless you are a fan of cleaning up the mess afterwards. The step down converter is working well with it, and I´m looking forward to experimenting with it bit by bit.
2. I´ve given my apartment a deep clean. I don´t think you realize how dirty things can get unless you take a really good look at them. I clean the kitchen and bathroom floors weekly, but I had never cleaned the grooves between the tiles before. Let´s just say that toothbrush and cup of bleach went to good use.
3. Along with the deep clean, I´ve gone through my closet and kitchen organizing things better. I can now open the shelf above the stove without fear of things falling out, and I´m passing on old things that I no long have any use for.
4. I´ve made plans to meet up with friends. The city is pretty empty now, so it´s nice to go out for a meal or coffee. I´ve also had friends over to enjoy some Wii and pool time, but my tan still leaves a lot to be desired.
March will mark a return of people to Santiago. That means a return to classes with students, crowded buses and subways, and having an income again! Luckily my planning has allowed me to eat out a bit here and there and not worry too much about money, but I am looking forward to returning to work.
Have a Happy rest of February everyone!
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