July ... where have you gone?

Hello again. A month later. I know I’ve promised I wouldn’t keep doing this. But once again, life got in the way. This month was whirlwind.

July = winter vacation.

I thought I’d have a lot of time to write and post updates … however, I quickly learned that downtime meant no time.

But now I’m back to my full time job and finding my life scheduled and routine again. Who knew I’d have more time when I’m taming the wild children at IOM?

It’s 10:30 pm on a Tuesday. I’m lounging on a silver chrome barstool at our granite countertop (the picture above is a view of Santiago from our apartment balcony), munching on toast with strawberry jam and sporting sweatpants and a Seattle Mariners sweatshirt. I got back at 9 pm from teaching my Advanced Conversation group at the institute and am in for the night. Ahhhh the sweet joys of going to bed at a decent hour. I’d forgotten what that feels like the last few weeks.

On school…
This week at IOM, we’re doing something a little different. I’m not teaching any classes - just working solely with a team of six high-schoolers preparing for a debate this coming Monday against another colegio. The topic is euthanasia. Already three people have quit the team because they find the topic uninteresting. Luckily, it hasn’t been difficult finding people that want to miss several hours of class each day to eat cookies and practice debating and then go downtown on Monday for the actual competition. This project feels more tangible than a lot of the things I’ve done at IOM and I’m happy to be put to use.

I can’t remember if I wrote anything about the other gringa at my school last semester. In a nutshell, she ending up hating the school and left a semester and a month early without saying goodbye to anyone. She was very religious and set in her expectations of how things should be. The new girl this semester, Trish, is from New Jersey, lived in the Philippines for nine years and comes off innocent but has a bit of a wild girl lurking within. Love it. One of the first people she met at IOM was Felipe, a PE teacher. The very first question he asked her was if she’s religious. The look on Trish’s face was priceless. She’d been warned about Chile being a Catholic country but wasn’t prepared to get slammed with the religion question right off the bat. Felipe, however, then backed up the question with, “I only ask this because of the other girl.” Meaning it had nothing to do with if he was going to agree or disagree with her religious tendencies but more along the lines of if she was like Sarah at all. Which she’s not.

I still am enamorada with my students. Of course, there are many high schoolers that couldn’t give a darn about learning English but the many who put the effort forth have captured my heart. I’m spreading the word that everyone has to/should come visit me in Seattle when I get back. Minus the logistics of actually doing so, everyone seems pretty stoked about having an opportunity to go to the States, having a free place to stay and a tour guide. But seriously … how full circle would that be if after spending a year wrapped in their welcoming arms, I would be able to demonstrate my appreciation by showing them my country?

On future plans…
Remember that job I wrote about awhile ago that I turned down? They e-mailed me again … this time with a different and much more appealing job opportunity. As a reporter and/or editor. Um yes please! You may or may not know, but I worked as a reporter for Washington State University on their daily newspaper. Minus the stress of juggling deadlines in addition to aiming for academic excellence and extra-curricular success, I absolutely loved the experience. To work as a full-time, salaried reporter would be a dream come true.

This, however, would mean I wasn’t coming home in December. There still is so much to be seen in these next five months. Crazy that I’m at the half-way mark, isn’t it? I’m not going to make a decision right now. But I’m open to possibilities.

On boys boys boys…
Notice I wrote it three times? I’m doing a bit of juggling right now. Not serious with anyone but enjoying my time with three dashing men. Cristian, Sergio and Felipe. Definitely a great mix of ages and walks of life.

Cristian is a 31-year-old transportation engineer for the government. I met him at where else but … the castle. We’ve been going on dates for the past few weeks. Dinner planned for Thursday, tennis this Sunday and tentative plans to La Serena to visit a friend in the near future. Also interesting is the fact that the only place Cristian has been in the States is Seattle, for a transportation conference. Sergio is a 20-year-old musician and ski lodge attendant at El Colorado. I met him when we went snowboarding about a month ago. There was definitely an instant connection between us but I’m realizing that 20 year olds aren’t so secure and confident in themselves and their place in the world. He’s taking me snowboarding on Aug. 8 (he’s got the hookup). I’m hoping he’ll bust out his guitar before long. Felipe is 24-year-old international business student (the picture to the right is of Felipe -making a very serious face- and me). I met him ages ago and we’ve been talking casually for awhile but suddenly, the heat picked up. We also had an instant connection but it took awhile for plans to materialize between us. He really wanted me to go to Algarrobo, a beach town, with him this week but alas I have to work. I went on a date with him last Friday and we have plans to meet up when he gets back into town. Isn’t it ever so fun to be single and ready to mingle?

That’s probably enough of an update for one sitting. The next installation shall be on its way soon.

Here’s a photo montage of our winter vacation:

Salsa Dancing

Masquerade Ball at the Castle

Bowling
Valparaiso
Exploring Chile’s Coast
Wine Tasting in Cajon de Maipo
Horseback Riding

Buenas Noches! Until next time … XX Bree

22 years old.

And man, do I have a lot to be grateful for.

It´s my birthday tomorrow. This will be my second year in a row not being home for it.

Last year, on my 21st, I was a counselor at a camp for high-schoolers and I got to share my birthday with a sixteen-year-old boy. Not exactly the wild 21st you´d have imagined. But we did have some pretty delicious chocolate cake - and anyone that knows me well knows that chocolate is definitely one of my principal food groups. This year shall be interesting though ... in another country surrounded by friends I made just a few months ago. Albeit, my friends feel like family. Vamos a ver como pasara...

We went snowboarding yesterday!! Sooo much fun. We were in a group of 7 Americans, Chileans and Portugese. We went to El Colorado, which is part of Los Farellones in Los Andes. While the ski resort certainly didn´t have the greenage and the expanse that the mountains in Washington have, it had the most amazing view of the surrounding mountain range and Santiago valley. We were so high that two of our friends had to stop skiing at mid-day because of altitude sickness. As we were riding down the mountain at the end of the day, the glowing ball of sun set amongst the mountain peaks, turning the glistening white snow into a rainbow of purple, indigo and burnt orange. Definitely a memorable puesta del sol.

On Friday, we went salsa dancing. Also so much fun. I think my dad was more excited that I went than I was ... which I find very endearing. Who woulda thought that our little Mikey would be such a salsa picante man??

Eso es. My laptop is currently disputing life and showing its five years of age but as soon as I get it up and running again, I´ll put pictures up. Miss you all, love you and hope you have a fantastic week.

Regret

Regret.

The famous six letter word.

I recently had an experience that required me to evaluate the all-encompassing word from 987,928,349,827,349 different angles.

I could have been working as a full-time, salaried International Account Executive by this time next week. But I turned it down.

Let me back up ...

About a month ago, I met one of Esteban´s friends, María José. She works as a Human Resources Generalist at a reputable international news company for 12 different industry sectors in the Americas. She mentioned that they were always looking for English speakers to edit copies and call businesses in the States. I figured it would do no harm to submit a resume and see what happens. After all, I have a BA in Communications, emphasis in Public Relations and will eventually be doing something in that field. This might be an unpassable opportunity.

I received an e-mail from the company two Wednesdays ago, saying they had an open position as an International Account Executive. In the Sales Department.

Ok... worth getting more information, right?

I had a three hour interview mostly in Spanish last Friday. It went great. Fabulous. Fantastic. Magnificent. I learned more about the company, the position, everything. Great; I´d make more money, have an impressive job title to put on my resume, get some professional experience ... but there´s one problem. I´d be selling subscriptions to the news service. Sales ... not something I´ve ever particularly wanted to do.

And - I have a job I love right now. Yeah, so it might not be something that I want to do for the rest of my life but for right now, it´s exactly why I´m here in Chile. As the first semester nears its end, I can reflect on the incredible experience I´ve had and see where I can go from there to make it even better next semester. I´m not ready to leave the colegio yet.

That´s my heart speaking.

When it comes to my rational mind, I think about the professional experience I´d gain that could make me more marketable for a position back home in the Pacific Northwest. Would it be a mistake to pass up an opportunity like this? To cohort with the big wigs and convince them that they absolutely need to buy a news subscription or their company will go under (something to that extent). I don´t know. You often never know the answers to those kinds of questions until it´s too late to go back and change your mind.

But when you follow your heart, you never lose. Because at the end of the day, if you´re not happy, then what´s the point?