All I see are mountains

Yahooooo! I'm here! It still doesn't seem real that I will be spending the next five months here. That being said, I think I'll be able to get used to it...quickly.

The flight was rough but didn't seem too long leading me to believe I was passed out for most of it. There were several other gringos on the plane, all looking like they were doing about the same thing as I am. When we landed in Santiago the land reminded me a lot of what Boise looks like when we fly into the airport. There are nice big hills, everything's dry and looks burnt. Despite the fact everything looked scorched, man was it chilly! It's that dry cold that gets you down to the bone..no me gusta. Once I got through customs and retrieved my luggage, I was greeted by one of my best friends who is also studying in Chile, Danielle. It was crazy that we haven't seen each other in over a year and here we were screeching in the Santiago International Airport. Loco.

Then I met the fam. They welcomed me with shouts and hollers as well. "AHHHHHHH KA-TE, BIENVENIDOS!" Followed by warm hugs and kisses. Of course they insisted on carrying my luggage, all of which had "careful heavy" warning tags on them. I wasn't going to let mama Chiqui carry my big backpack but Miro insisted. Then we walked outside, it wasn't the blast of cold air that made me gasp but rather the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen in my life. I wasn't prepared for their proximity, I could almost touch them! The Andes, or as the Chileans call it "La Cordillera," are dramatic with their inclines and size but they're all currently covered in a dusting of snow that makes them seem less intimidating. As we drove they got closer and closer and I kept marveling and murmuring, "que bonita." The whole time Miro and Chiqui asking me questions and talking about Santiago, such lovely people.

When we arrived at the apartment we unloaded Miro's badass truck that he uses to navigate the mines and took the tiny elevator (all three of us with all my stuff...very cozy) up to the 7th floor. They demanded I put down my things and check out the view. And there they were again, those spectacular mountains. I feel lucky to be from Seattle and have great mountains close by but this takes the cake.

After letting me get settled in coffee and toast was served. Miro had to leave for work but me and mama Chiqui did some serious girl bonding. So far the majority of what I say is "si, ok, yeah," but I am trying! I find myself already getting frusterated but Miro and Chiqui's Spanish is not as difficult to understand as I thought it would be. Our talking continued when we went to the supermercado for some grocery shopping. I know I've only been here a few hours but I've yet to hear music that's not from the US. Taylor Swift. Coldplay. REM. Regina Spektor. Norah Jones. Talking Heads. Chris Issak. Not to mention ads for Subway, Burger King, and Harley Davidson. Globalization at it's finest.

Once we were back I got a chance to move into my room. It's great. Small with the bare essentials. Lots of shelves and drawers for the ridiculous amounts of clothing I brought, with a little desk for studying. But damn is it cold! Mama Chiqui I think could hear my teeth chattering and just brought in a space heater...great now I'm high maintenance. I think Chiqui and I are going to be just fine though. We talked about her and her husband's Croatian roots, development and inequality in Latin America, and my trip to Kenya. She's a really great lady.

I got my itinerary and it looks like this weekend is free so I assume I'll be doing a lot of this blogging stuff. I'm hoping to go for a couple runs too because apparently these are great "footing" streets.

**This photo is from my porch, "que linda, no?"