SCL-SLC. Heading Home

The day is here to leave SCL and go home to SLC.  It seems like not that long along ago that I was sitting in business class next to a Chilean business man with Brandan behind me and Murphy in the other cabin. Wasn’t I just taking my first pictures in Santiago, eating hamburgers with no buns, and singing karaoke at Louisiana? Wasn’t I just getting off the bus in Viña meeting my host mom, all of us nervous wondering who our new families would be? Wasn’t I just going through orientation at school taking that introduction Spanish exam sitting next to Logan laughing?  Those things seem like not that long ago, but in fact it was 140 days ago when I first arrived in Santiago full of questions about what my next 4+months would be like, but with a big smile ready for an adventure.

I just re-read the essays I wrote for my study abroad application from back in January when I referred to study abroad as “an opportunity to meet people and share stories, an opportunity for young people such as myself to find their passions and become more aware of who they are as a person.” Wow good job Erin, because I think that’s exactly what happened within the past 4.5 months. And to quote my journal entry from the plane ride to Santiago July 27 “I want to meet as many people as I can, speak Spanish, travel, and have a smile on my face. I really am so excited.”

While I'm so happy to be back home for a few weeks, I'll miss Chile and it's chaos. I'm nervous to go home where people are constantly on their cell phones and consumerism runs rampant. What adventure it has been every single day. Thank you to everyone who made it so much fun. Thanks to those of you who have read my longgggg blog posts and been interested in my life. I share what I do to maybe help future travelers, but also as a sort of journal for myself. 

What I didn’t do while abroad:

-eat a completo (hot dog with mayo, tomato and avocado)

-become fluent in Spanish

-meet a Chilean boyfriend

What I did do while abroad:

-hike a volcano

-backpack through Patagonia

-ski in a 18inches of fresh powder on the Argentina/Chile border

-play 50+rounds of liars dice

-surf

-climb Machu Picchu

-bike the deadliest road in the world

-sail on the highest navigable lake in the world

Abroad by the numbers:

-350+clementines eaten

-over 135 hours spent traveling via tour type buses (not including our time spent the beloved white vans)

-no more than 40 hours spent doing homework

-12 taxi rides

-11 hostels

-10 flights

-6 boat rides

-4 currencies used

-3 nights spent sleeping in airports

-2 visas needed

-about $2700USD spent

·      *Attached is a rough budget for my spending the past 140 days. I think people are often reluctant to share what they spent abroad and scared to acknowledge it. I don’t regret any ice cream or peanut butter I bought. I don’t regret any trip I took or any excursion I went on. I don’t regret the nights buying pizza.  I could’ve spent a whole lot more money (especially if I drank alcohol) or I could’ve spent less and not traveled as much.  But like I said there’s nothing I regret or would change.   

budget

 

Things I am looking forward to in the states:

-throwing toilet paper in the toilet

- drinkable tap water and not having to pay for it

-safe roads and driving my own car

-understanding what everyone is saying

-hot water consistently

-American sports

-food with flavor and meat that isn’t a mystery

-skiing the greatest snow on earth

-a big bed

-a house with heat

-Christmas time during winter

"I've learned one thing, and that's to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here, relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember the time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late. Go out with your friends on a Tuesday when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does..."-Tom Petty

Patagonia-Torres del Paine W trail

Patagonia~  the end of the world, an area rich in eco-diversity and untouched land. a place where people dream of visiting and few ever have the chance to experience first hand. "Patagonia" comes from the word"Patagón" which Magellan and his crew used to describe the native people who lived there in 1520. Torres del Paine national park is located 300+km north of Punta Arenas which is the farthest southern city in the world.  I came to Chile knowing I wouldn't leave until I had visited the park. When I booked my round trip plane ticket to/from the states in June my friend Nathan said "stay after your program and hike in Patagonia. Trust me you'll find someone to go with." So September came along and I was ready to buy my plane ticket to Punta Arenas because they were only $150USD.  I convinced my really cool friend Sam to come telling him that you can't come to Chile and not go to Torres.  Come November Hannah was roped into coming too making the trek from Cusco and she found Dan, her travel buddy.

we hiked the red trail. shape of a W. about 90 km in 5 days

December 2-Monday
The 4 of us met in the Santiago airport celebrating Hannah's 21st birthday on December 2. I bought Cinnabon for a little birthday celebration and we were off at 9am. After landing in Punta Arenas and taking a $5 shuttle from the airport to town we met up with Mat and kissed the toe of an Indian in Plaza Muñoz per custom of good luck on the trek.  We bought food for the trip (30 tortillas, 2 bags of pasta, 4 sauce pouches, bag of rice, 2 boxes of beans, steak, cheese, salami, peanuts, lots of chocolate, peanut butter, apples, box of oatmeal, tomato soup,granola bars, and trailmix...$20USD/person/5days). After a round of hot cocoa's we bused (3hrs) to Puerto Natales ($10USD). After a hostel recommendation at the bus terminal we wandered around town following typical Chilean directions (go right at the next street over, then go down for a few streets, then turn left at the blue building, then it should be on the street, or just ask when you get closer). We stayed at hostel backpackers and it was great ($12USD/night).  We rented all the gear (stove, tent, sleeping pads) we would need and were asleep after midnight.

December 3-Tuesday
6am wake up and breakfast, back our bags and out the door to catch the bus ($7.50) to the national park. We registered at the park headquarters ($10USD for Chileans, $26 for non Chileans) and watched a little introduction video showing us the possibility of pumas (never saw any).  Another great decision-we spent $5 for a shuttle to the start of our hike instead of walking on a road for an hour and a half. We began the hike and then braced ourselves for 100kph winds.  3 hours into the hike we stopped to warm up with super chocolately hot cocoa and allegedly famous cookies we continued the last hour.  You can fill your water bottles straight from the rivers which led me to be the taste tester making sure the water didn't taste like "lake water".  After setting up camp at Compamento Torres we essentially rock climbed to get a view of the Torres.  We were the only ones there and took goofy pictures. Never have I seen clouds move that quickly, but felt so still at the same time.  Dinner was rice, beans and a steak; pretty bland, but lots of protein.

our stove

December 4-Wednesday
Casual wake up at 10am and head out by 11am.  We saw some DU friends on the trail so it was great to catch up with them and then I saw at least 20 other people I knew that day. There were a lot of exchange students backpacking and then retired people doing day trips.  We heard people from Israel, Canada, the states, and all over Europe.  A long stop to watch the clouds and eat some snacks. The day was complete after I tripped on the trail and had blood running down my leg. That problem was insignificant compared to the man we saw being carried out on a stretcher after breaking his leg due to the winds.  A couple more hours and we made it to refugio Los Cuernos ($12/person). You can camp at these refugios with indoor areas to cook and bathrooms. It happens to be more convenient when hiking the trail to stay at these versus always staying at the free sites, imagine that. We made some great friends from Oregon who were studying abroad in Argentina and Chile and played Truco (Argentinian card game) with them.  After watching sunset and journaling it was time for bed.


December 5-Thursday
Another casual wake up at 8:30 and oatmeal with chocolate for breakfast. We left around 11 and head 2 hours to Camp Italiano (free!).   After setting up camp and a tomato soup lunch we hiked up Francis Valley.  The hike is supposed to be about 3 hours each way, but not if you stop often to snack on chocolate and admire the views.  Hannah and I hiked casually then saw Teja, Neah, Sam and Dylan (Oregon friends) were on the trail so we talked with them for a bit.  We decided we'll meet them again skiing in Colorado or Oregon.  This was my favorite day because the valley was so beautiful. Sam insightfully said "words are dumb, you can't describe this" which is so true.  Night time came and after our ravioli dinner it was bed time.

yes we did wear our Patagonia clothing

December 6-Friday
Wake up at 10 and head to 2.5 hours to refugio Paine Grande for a snack. We were warned this was the windiest section of the trail and that proved true. We continued the next 3.5 hours to Refugio Grey powering through the 100kph winds. It was like watching a bunch of drunks with big backpacks on stumbling around.  Hannah and I were trailblazers and ended up heading down a rock waterfall.  Dan was ahead of the game and Sam was behind pondering life and loving the red flower trees. I decided to share my taste in music with everyone that day and turned my ipod on shuffle for all to hear-first song Carribou Lou, followed by the Goo Goo Dolls, Train, and Fleetwood Mac. We made it to Refugio Grey ($10/person) and set up camp and ate rice and bean burritos with scrambled eggs we bought there.  We met some Notre Dame students who were just starting their trek and then we headed out to the glacier. The other 3 had never seen a glacier like that before so it was pretty incredible. Grey was probably the largest glacier I've seen. Several pictures ensued while pretending we were mountain goats and could climb everywhere.  Liars dice and hot cocoa to warm up before bed.  This night the winds were over 100kph and the tent kept folding. It never broke and the stakes stayed in but none of us slept well. I would just laugh because the situation was comical. Just imagine trying to sleep with a tent collapsing on your face and the sound of hurricane force winds blowing through the trees.  Sam and I had a great 3 hour chat that night before the winds so neither of us got much sleep.

December 7-Saturday
7:30 wake up with granola bars for breakfast. Break down of camp and then head out. We all walked alone or Hannah and I would walk together silently just admiring where we were.  At 12:30 we took the $24USD catamaran across Lake Pehoe to save 4 hours of walking.  The ride was beautiful and we got to see where we hiked from a different angle.  We left there taking a bus ($7.50, 3 hrs.)back to Puerto Natales where we went to some interesting cafe with Phatom of the Opera playing. After returning the gear ($22USD/person/5days) Sam and I headed to the bus terminal to get back to Punta Arenas. We literally had to run to the bus with our backpacks on and boarded the bus while it was moving. Running was the last thing either of wanted at that point! We made it to Punta Arenas and thought it'd be easy to find a cheap hostel at midnight...NOPE. We went into 4 hostels and it was going to be $80 for the night. We asked for cheaper ones and a lady called around town, but most places were really expensive or full. We got to one little bed and breakfast and I swear this lady had more Christmas decorations then 3 families combined would have. The house was tiny and had Santa's hanging from the ceiling, tinsel everywhere, trees, and a 5 ft Santa standing in the kitchen which she referred to as "old Easter man". This lady was about 4 feet tall and 80 years old. She couldn't understand our spanish. After looking at the room she had Sam and I looked at each other and decided sleeping at the airport was better. We asked her to call a taxi, which she did 3 times as she stared out the window looking for them.  We took the $14 taxi to the airport and laughed the whole way. It's one of those "you have to be there" stories. We got muffins at the airport, free wifi and found some little room that was begging for us to sleep in it. Sam called it the "sale de dormir" and we unrolled our sleeping bags and passed out for a few hours. One of the better sleeps I had.  What a day-started off camping at a glacier and ended sleeping in an airport.

Sam and the flowers

December 8-Sunday
At 6am were were ready to catch the plane.  I got my flight moved up from 11:45 to 6:45 so Sam and I were together. After still laughing at the previous 24 hours we landed in Santiago and headed to Starbucks. I still hadn't showered after a full 7 days and looked like I just came out from working in a mine.  We made the trip back to Vina... but only after one bus terminal didn't have buses for the day, missed our bus at a different terminal, and had to drive a different way to Vina because the freeway was closed for a religious walk.  I got to meet up with a couple of DU friends and thanks to the hospitality of Angie and Katie I had a shower and a couch to sleep on!

Trail Names: Sam-GOTM (Gangster of the Mountain because he wore wool gloves and a ninja hat)
Dan the Man or Dirty Dan
Hannah-Home Girl (affectionately given by Sam)

and this is why he was called GOTM

Hiking consisted of about 7-8 hours each day, but with sunset after 10pm you have plenty of time.  Sam says that camping is the best way to get to know people. I definitely agree with that. I think I asked a least 100 questions about everyone's lives (favorite things, wishes, goals, etc) and they willingly answered. I'm thankful I had a great crew to walk for 5 days with. My eyes have been opened to new experiences. Another dream coming true and at age 20.  As Hannah said, "I've never said 'Wow' so many times in my life." If you ever get the chance to go to Patagonia please don't pass it up!

at the finish

"I could see the river, glinting and sliding through the bone-white cliffs with strips of emerald cultivation either side. Away from the cliffs was the desert. There was no sound but the wind, whirring through thorns and whistling through dead grass, and no other sign of life but a hawk, and a black beetle easing over the stones."-Bruce Chatwin

goodbye host family....hello real family

After four months of living with someone or multiple people you really get acquainted with them. You know what you shouldn’t do in order to not push any buttons. You know how long lunch is going to take. You know what the best meal is. You know the laundry and cleaning schedule. What you don’t realize is how much you’ve become a part of the family instead of just a house mate.  I really did like living with a family even though the lack of independence was hard to adjust to and the language barrier sometimes doesn’t let your personality show through. My family overall was kind and wanted me to have a good experience while in Chile. We had conversations about Obama, legalization of drugs, traveling to Alaska, religion amongst many other topics. I got to learn about not just another person’s perspective, but another culture’s perspective.

wine tasting

Valpo

Barbara and her boyfriend

two families coming together

            It’s also amazing how quickly you can pack up your life. In a matter of a couple hours I had packed up my whole room that I’d known for 4 months.  On Wednesday night my real family come to my host families house for ceviche and drinks to say good-bye. It was a fun conversation watching my mom use her hand signals and 10 Spanish words she knows and my dad saying “muy bueno” for everything.  It’s amazing how you can communicate with people even if you don’t speak the language perfectly or even at all.  Barbara and her boyfriend were there so it made translating the conversations easier.  We talked about Chilean politics, holidays in our own countries and having me as a daughter. My host dad laughed about how I was always smiling and would always say “hmm” whenever something was interesting.  I gave them some presents from Utah and then it was time for the goodbyes. It was hard leaving a family I’d lived with while watching my real family see me attached to another family. It was a good experience with them, but I was also ready to leave.

dad bungee jumping

       

largest swimming pool

    The rest of the week with my family was spent on a walking tour of Valpo and touring 3 wineries which my parents loved! Kelly and I showed our parents around Vina, Con Con, and Renaca.  We ate at 2 of our favorite empanada places, showed our them the school where we obviously spent lots of time working hard, and the flower clock.  Kelly and I took our dads surfing in the morning which was quite a riot.  It was not the best place to surf and definitely not the warmest, but who cares when you’re having fun. We went to the largest swimming pool in the world after I told the security guards we were looking at renting a place there but wanted to check them out first (it’s all private so you can’t go there unless you are staying in an apartment).  We went into a National Park in the Andes for sunset and saw a sign for bungee jumping so obviously we checked it out.  After seeing about 10 people watch their loved ones jump off a steel platform dangling from a crane I asked someone how much it cost. It was $40USD and there was only one more person in line.  I told dad the news and he asked who wanted to go. Since TJ thought he was too big to go, mom is afraid of heights and I have already bungeed in Costa Rica it was dads turn! He went to the platform and met the 19 year old solo worker who spoke no English and got harnessed in.  He made the 50m fall and loved it.  What a cool dad I have! He said he always wanted to bungee jump, but never thought he’d be 54 years old and in the Andes Mountains doing it.  We went to Big Mary, Bellavista, and the Mercado in Santiago and squeezed in a trip to the Emporia Roja (voted top 25 best ice creams in the world). The trip ended with dinner at the Hard Rock Café.  It was fun to go back to some places I had been at the start of my time abroad 4 months go and think back to those first few days.  In some ways it seems like yesterday I was taking pictures with Paul, Brandan and Murphy and sitting next to Logan on the bus, but at other times it seems like years ago seeing all that I’ve seen and how I’ve grown.

            The highlight of the week and one of the best of my time abroad was Thanksgiving day. Kelly, Meghan, Jen and I had been planning the feast. Andy, Kelly and I made pumpkin pies on Tuesday using no measuring cups, no can opener to get the pumpkin open and no electric mixer. We spent lots of time preparing to have some of our closest friends come over for a traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with 2 turkeys, stuffing, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, cranberry salad, green been casserole and pies! Classic dad moment having each of us go around a circle saying what we were thankful for before we ate.  I can say the common consensus among all of us was the love we have for our families and the appreciation we have for the incredible friends we’ve made here. Oh and being thankful we are all healthy! Rob’s parents and Kelly’s parents were there to join us 13 kids.  None of us had seen that much food for the past 4 months and could hardly wait to eat out on the deck overlooking the ocean while watching American football on my laptop.  Following dinner all the kids headed to the dunes to watch the sunset one more time. A perfect culmination to a great day.

Thanksgiving

            It was great having my parents here for a week. I’d realized how well I really did know my way around and how much Spanish I do know. It was funny seeing them in the chaotic groceries stores and crossing the busy streets that I’d learn to navigate so easily.  Leaving Viña and the friends I had gotten so close to was a bizarre feeling knowing the chances of me being back to Viña is probably pretty slim.  I’m off now to hike the W trail in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.  I came to South America knowing I wouldn’t leave until I had been to Patagonia and here I am.  Dreams coming true every day.

Thankful for.....

It's Thanksgiving this week. Ya know the funny holiday where Americans watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, eat, sit on the couch and watch football, eat desserts, nap and then go shopping the next day. It's a bizarre tradition for anyone who hasn't grown up with it to understand but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The food, football, family and a million reasons to be forced to count your blessings. This year my family will be here to celebrate Thanksgiving in Chile. So here's what I say Thank You to Chile and this whole experience for:

• the countless times I laugh and smile because I don't know what's going on
• ice cream (manjar, peanut&chocolate, Gran Duke, Mora)
• empanadas (chicken, corn and cheese)
• my health-not dying in Bolivia and not having massive scars from the bug bites
• public transportation and somehow not getting ran over by buses 
• the bagel shop
• strawberries and all fresh fruit every day
• having the ocean just a walk away
• skiing in the Andes (the PERFECT blue bird day at Portillo)
• improving my Spanish and finally having a clue as to what is going on
• my iPhone 
• being able to see desert, high plains, glaciers, mountains, beach 
• peanut butter (even if it is $7 a jar)
• parents sending me a care package
• casual reading books
• skype and Viber
• runs along the coast
• sunsets over the ocean
• for kind people giving us gringos directions when we're lost
• nights at Merano, Oasis, Journal, Juglar spent sharing stories

Shout out time because what I'm most thankful for are the people in my life here who have contributed to this being an incredible experience-

• "the boys" (Mat, Mark, Murphy, Logan, Brandan, Austin, Paul, Rob)- for the countless teasing and calling me "mom", quoting movie lines that of course I have never seen, the women jokes and having the goal of me becoming an alcoholic (not even close to happening).  But the never ending big hugs and times of laughter and sharing in the greatest adventures I've ever had
• Meghan, Kelly, Jen- for somehow still dancing with me and just laughing at my "dad" jokes. For baking every week and sharing in my love of chocolate and peanut butter. morning runs on the beach or sunset ice creams. oh and thanks Jen for providing Netflix to all of us. thanks kids. 
• Caroline- Tuesday/Thursday school bus rides
• Andy-for your grizzly bear look but your kind heart :) for also being my dance partner and keeping me safe at Mero
• Cali&Erin-for pizza night and sharing in all our adventures here and life pre-Chile. and Cali for sharing books, laughter and Morachas.
• Jaime- for help planning trips and making endless copies for personal matters. and for getting me cookies :)
• Megan&Tyler- for your Christ like presence
• Nate, Jason, John- for sharing your funny stories about your travels and for providing endless laughter listening to your raps
• Emily, Megan, Eden, Nikoll, Lexi, Myrna, Lindsey- for the nights at Lime, or the nights out or sharing in our baked goods
• Jody-for being my first friend and roommate in Santiago
• Casey&David- for waiting with me at the bus stop to go home at night for what seems likes hours. and David for giving me your jacket those first few weeks when I was always freezing
• Sam&Ben- for sunset walks, undying love for each other and your senses of humor.and Sam thanks for being my partner in Patagonia next week.
• Taylor-for being the only one in ISA with a Southern accent 
• Hannah&Alex- for keeping me alive in Bolivia and showing us around Cusco. for showing us the nightlife and Cusco on a lighter note. and for Hannah coming to Patagonia next week
• Manuel Casanueva- for being all of our favorite professor here. for teaching not from the books but rather from documentaries and personal experiences. and for dancing in class.
• Kristoff, Pierre, Anna, Ina, Lorenzo, Michael and all the other international students from outside the USA- for sharing your cultures and speaking english even though it isn't your first language
• Macarena, Giovanni, Esteban, Carlos- for giving me an insight to Chilean life
• my host family and all their friends- for taking me and loving me as your own. for laughing at my mistakes and enjoying my successes. for teaching me about Chilean culture, sharing your food, and for contributing to me growing as a person. 
• Brittney, Rachel, Annie, Laura, Garret Kiki, Allison, Ali, Irene, Sam, Rylie, Katrin, Susie, Hannah, Megan, Ana (DU friends)- for your support and encouragement and listening to my adventures via skype and viber. and for sharing your adventures with me.
• Allison, Tiffany, Angie, Mike, Devin, Zoe, Brad, Steph, Kylee (friends from home)-for being interested in my life and keeping me updated on what's going on at home. for sending snap chats of the fall colors or the falling snow
• Mom, Dad, TJ- for allowing me to come on this journey and supporting me. for listening to me ramble on skype. for enjoying my success and adventures with me. I can't wait to spend Thanksgiving with all of you here. 

So thank you all for contributing to my baggage as I carry it along with me on this journey called life!

ISA 

the boys

Andy

Rob, Murphy and me

"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."-JFK

a few of my favorite things

It's time for Oprah's annual favorite things list so I figured I'd shard my favorite things about my time abroad. My list doesn't include high priced fancy purses and make up. Some would say it's on the simpler side of things, but hey life is simple when you don't choose to complicate it.

1) Baglemania- Chile's only bagel shop. The only bagel shop for 17 million people! It's located upstairs of the Santa Isabel on 1 poniente and 9 norte in Vina.  The owner even gives a 10% discount to students. They have different types of bagels, but only plain cream cheese. Nonetheless it's a little taste of home. http://www.bagelmania.cl/index.html

2) The beach- promising beautiful sunsets every night. The best sunsets were in August and September. I'll miss watching the waves kiss the shore.

3) Empanadas- Chicken and cheese, hawaiian, cheese. The best empanada I had was with Andy in Reñaca at a little shop next to 6 other empanada shops. El Mono in Con Con had great empanadas too.

chicken, corn and cheese empanada

4) Ice Cream/Gelato- Bravissimo & Mo's.  Manjar mixed with chocolate, or maybe mora (blackberry) or frutilla (strawberry). the Grand Duke flavor in San Pedro de Atacama was amazing too. It's usually $3USD for 2 scoops of ice cream in a cone.

5) Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand- my favorite book I've read here. I recommend it to everyone. A story of courage, determination, survival and family.  The movie comes out Christmas day 2014 so you have a bit of time to read it before you see the movie.

6) 500 peso coins- 500 pesos=$1USD so when you get a 500 coin it can be used for so many things. Murphy has a stack of them to buy coffee at school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I love them for the bus, Cali buys treats with them.

7) iPhone 4S- thankful for this gadget and all it's fun-snapchat, instagram, viber, ScoreCenter.  And thankful to the camera and it's fancy panorama pictures

8) Buff Headwear- I have 2 buffs with me that mom got me for my birthday and I love them! I have a headband and an original buff that I've worn as a headband, neck gator, and beanie.  Everyone should own a few buffs http://www.buffusa.com/sports

9) Pizzeria Ecuador- we discovered this place last week on Calle Ecuador in Valpo (#277 calle Ecuador) The pizza was super good. For $7USD you get 3 toppings on an 8 slice pizza so last week we tried a strange combo of chicken, onion and honey. Turned out to be tasty dispite what you are thinking. Can't wait for pizza Tuesday tomorrow to try something else.

10) Guatero- a rubber bag filled with hot water with a fabric covering. It's used to put at the foot of your bed when it's cold and it keeps you nice and warm. For those of you who know me well know that I am ALWAYS cold so this was a lifesaver the first few months here. Mama had it ready for me every night.  I'd say it's pretty close to being as good as my electric blan ket back at DU.

guatero

11) Cupkiss-  discovered by Kelly and Meghan. A secret gem located on 14 norte and about 2 poinente in Viña.  The little shop has about 10 kinds of cupcakes-lemon, blueberry, strawberry, peanut butter, nutella, white chocolate, vanilla, and our favorite....carrot!  At $2 a cupcake it's a good thing we didn't discover this place sooner or we'd be even more broke

12) Sal Merono (better known as the beach clube)- okay this place isn't actually one of my favorites, but every time I've been a new adventure occurs.  Like the one time I went and forgot to bring any sort of ID so I used Kelly and passed back. You only have to be 18 to get into clubs and bars here so it wasn't like I was doing anything illegal I just forgot my id. Funny thing is Kelly had her MA ID and she's about 5'2" and 110 lbs and has light brown hair so anyone in the states would clearly laugh at our attempt, but it worked.

13) my journal- for all those stories that I'll look back at laugh at in a few years, or months.

14) avocados, strawberries, clementines- each eaten on a daily basis. No produce is pumped fill of pesticides and preservatives so it's all fresh. Produce is generally very cheap too

15) ted.com/talks, documentaryheaven.com- for those times when nothing is appealing on NetFlix and you want to learn a thing or two

I think I've had lots of favorite moments here that aren't necessarily "things". Like the mornings spent baking, or walks along the beach at sunset, or Sunday lunch with my family. Moments of sitting on bus rides somehow still enjoying ourselves 12 hours later. The times playing cards and listening to oldies music. The times spent meeting up to do homework with friends but really just sharing stories of our lives. Those would be my favorite moments.

“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.” - Sarah Kay