Resolutions

I’ve never really been one to make New Year’s resolutions. Having spent the vast majority of my life as a student, fall and the start of a new academic year always marked the beginning of a new season in my life. January 1^st as an opportunity for “starting new” just never made any sense when I knew that in just a few days I would go back to school and very little, if anything would change.

However, this year I’ve found myself very much looking forward to the New Year. Maybe it’s just a sign that I’m getting old or something, but this year I cannot wait for January 1, the mark of a promising new year full of new adventures and new beginnings. My heart aches for the newness of a new year and in response to that longing, I’ve decided to make some New Year’s resolutions and to share them with y’all so that I will actually stick to it.

SO-- here my resolutions for 2015

1) Read more

I was having dinner with my friend Lauren the other day and she was telling me all about the books (PLURAL) she was reading and I realized that I really missed reading. I used to read all the time. Classics, biographies, romances, sci-fi, mysteries—pretty much anything I could get my hands on.  But then college happened, and the term “recreational reading” was all but lost to me. So in 2015 I’ve decided I’m going to read more and I’m looking for suggestions! Better yet, bring me a copy of your favorite book to borrow. 

2) Have people over more often

Hospitality has really been on my heart lately. It makes me sad that we don’t spend more time in each other’s homes, so in 2015 I’m going to try and have people over at least once a month. So if I invite you over for dinner, please say yes!

3) Stop charging my phone next to the bed

I’ve gotten into this habit of checking my phone last thing before I go to sleep and first thing when I wake up and often any time I wake up during the night. While constantly checking my email --there's really no need for that. Contrary to popular belief, I'm really not that important ;)-- and scrolling through Pinterest for hours may not be such a big deal now in my 20’s, I’m aware that it’s a habit that will stick and I don’t want to be that person who’s always checking email and never really seems present when she’s in her 40’s. This resolution really isn’t so much about spending less time on my phone as it is an intentional reminder that NOW matters. Each morning, when I reach for my glasses or to turn on the light, instead of my phone, I’ll be reminded that that while I can look forward to the future, I can’t neglect the present that will inevitably shape that future.

the time I lost to the printer

The day started out innocently enough. In fact, as I left my apartment, breezing up 75 in zero traffic, I was filled with the wide-eyed hope and eager expectation all good souls feel around Christmas time.  Little did I know that was all about to change, and that in one fatal moment all that holiday cheer would be completely overtaken in an ill-fated battle with modern technology.

Walking into my office cubicle at exactly 8:15 I found myself with a solid 45 minutes to prepare for my 9:00 meeting. All I needed to do was run an easy report and print a simple spreadsheet and I would be on my way, and with 45min I was in no rush. I had plenty of time... 

So when 8:35 when my coworker peaked over the cubical wall and cheerfully inquired if I would like to go grab coffee from the cafeteria, I happily agreed with the simple caveat that I just needed to "print something real quick." 

Pulling on my coat and grabbing my coffee cup I clicked print and snapped my laptop shut. But as I was walking out the door I thought to myself, "Better take one more copy--just in case." So I turned around reloaded the computer, then the file, then printed another copy. No problem right? 

WRONG! 

8:45, I swing through the copy room to grab those three silly little sheets of paper only to discover that the copier is currently spitting out what looks like a 1000 sheet job. 

"Awh man," I thought to myself, "I'm caught it in the middle of someone else's job. What on earth are these crazy people printing anyway!?" 

As I picked up the top sheet to investigate, a wave of horror washed over me. That stupid printer was spitting out page after page of empty excel columns. Even as I struggled to comprehend what I had just done, I sprang into action, frantically pressing any button that looked like it might possibly make it stop, while simultaneously yelling at it to do just that. 

Hearing my distressed cries, another coworker ran to my aid and also began pressing buttons too, all to no avail. IT JUST KEPT PRINTING.

Looking back, I'm grateful that by this point, everyone else in the office had left to go get coffee because if you would have peaked into the copy room in that moment you would have found a girl in near hysterics flinging open all the printer doors, picturing herself drowning in a never ending stream of printer paper. 

When it finally became clear that none of this button pressing was working I ran back to desk to try and cancel it from there, but it was too late. I had been beat--soundly. 

At 8:54, with no time left for coffee, I carted my stack of shame back to my desk and attempted to find the three sheets that I actually needed, before heading to my 9:00 meeting, utterly defeated. 

Making Room

When I was getting ready to head home for Thanksgiving this year, I was keenly aware that unlike the times when I’d go home over college breaks, this year I would be returning not to my house, but my parent’s house.  I’d been back to visit my parents before, but at the time, they were in the middle of remodeling the kitchen so we didn’t actually stay IN the house. And, since I took the bed and all the other “Alena” things from my room with me when I moved, my mom decided it was time to repaint my bright green and yellow room a very relaxing, but very un-Alena grey and convert what once was my room into the guest room.  So as I drove, I tried to prepare my heart for what it would be like to not have a place of my own in the house I grew up in. 

However, when I got home, after the multiple rounds of hugs and kisses, my mother pointed me, not to my brother’s room as I had expected, but to the old guestroom where she had (in her words) “made me a little nest” complete with floral pillow.

We’re currently right in the middle of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas and the first season of the Christian church year. Advent means coming. Coming--as in due to happen or just beginning, an arrival or an approach. While I doubt I was ever explicitly taught it, somehow through all my years growing up in church “Advent means waiting” had been burned into my mind. Not coming. Waiting--as in the action of staying where you are or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.

If you know me at all you know that patience is not my strongest suit, so to me Advent, this season of “waiting” always seemed a little silly.  But this year, when I heard this familiar phrase “Advent means coming” I finally started to understand what this season is really all about.

You see, Advent isn’t really about waiting at all, it’s about preparation. In the same way my dear, sweet momma prepared a place for me to come home to, we are to use this season to prepare for the coming of Christ.  My mom could have sat by the front door waiting for my brother and me to show up, but instead she went to work making sure that I would still feel welcome and loved, something that required action on her part. (That awesome floral pillow did not magically show up at my house y’all.)

During Advent there tends to be a lot of discussion about slowing down and “making room for Jesus”. Maybe that’s you. Maybe you’re finding yourself feeling drained and overwhelmed, the chaos of your life amplified by the added activity of the holiday season. Maybe for you, your preparation is slowing down. Taking time to rest so that you can enjoy time with the one who has come to dwell among men.

But then maybe you’re like me and have wrongly associated patience with passivity. I don’t know about you, but I find myself waiting for a lot of things right now. As I mentioned before patience is not my strong suit and so this season of my life has been particularly frustrating. It’s so tempting in seasons of waiting to sit back and pout and do nothing. …except maybe complain or throw a fit, until we get what we want (or think we want). 

But what God’s been teaching me is that waiting, that patience, is NOT a passive act! Being told to wait isn’t always a timeout, but often an invitation to engage and be present where we are. Our waiting should be charged with intention and eager expectation. The eagerness of a mother waiting to welcome home her children, the anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve.  

The Cosmic Vending Machine

Nobody likes to be called out for the sin in their lives. Fact is, if sinning wasn’t fun or didn’t have some sort of short term benefit none of us would sin in the first place, because that how humans are wired—to amplify the good, decrease the bad. That’s just science.

But here’s the flip side to that. Most of the time, like 99% of the time, when I’ve find myself successfully avoiding sin, I’m also mentally counting up my “Jesus points”.

“Didn’t cuss out the guy to took my parking spot. POINT.”

 “Held my tongue, even though the gossip about Gertrude was SOOOO juicy. POINT.” 

But it’s when I’m being “good” (Oh man I earned so many stars for my crown this week!) that the feeling of discontentment hits me the hardest. In these moments I often find myself angry that I haven’t been rewarded for my angelic behavior. As much as I might like it to be, being a Christian isn’t like going to Chuck E. Cheese's. Play all you want, just be sure you earn enough tickets along the way to cash in for the prize at the end! God doesn’t work that way.

Neither is God some sort of cosmic vending machine. Insert 30 hours of volunteer service, 2 spiritual retreats, and a check into the offering plate and you’ll get what you want! God never promises that if we do all the right things we’ll get everything we ask Him for.  

When life gets crazy, when I’m not getting what I want and I’m just spiritually famished, I never can understand why so often my first reaction is to head to the vending machine. So often I find myself standing in front of the glass scrambling to find some spare change to buy a tiny bag of Cheetos when Christ has invited me to the biggest dinner party ever. Metaphorically He’s got a mile long salad bar, a literal boat load of brisket, an all you can eat pasta bar, and Ritter’s Frozen Custard in the Cheeto factory, and I’m angry that I can’t buy a stupid bag a Cheetos!

There may not be some divine vending machine at our disposal, but there is a God who’s willing to enter into a relationship with us, a relationship where He listens and knows the deepest desires of our feeble fragile human hearts, even those that we’re afraid to admit even to ourselves. What’s more, God not only knows our hearts, but He has our best interests in mind. He knows that what we want, isn’t always what we need or even really want.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”-- Psalm 37:4

See here’s the thing. When we stop trying to buy things from God with our "goodness" and start to truly live in a relationship with Him, delight in Him, our desires are transformed to His and He desires the very best for us.

The "Grown Up" Life

I have officially been living on my own for a month now—SAY WHAT!?

I know. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true!

My parents and time in college did a great job preparing me for adulthood, but even so I’ve learned a lot over the past four weeks.  My biggest fear about living on my own was that my diet would consist entirely of pasta and ice cream. (As of now there is only ONE tub of ice cream in my freezer and I’ve only cooked pasta twice. BE SO PROUD OF ME!)

All jokes aside, living on my own for the first time has taken some getting used to. I knew it would be weird. I knew it would be fun. I knew it would be NOT fun, but KNOWING and experiencing are two very different things.

I knew it would be really nice to have my own space.

As much as I loved living in a dorm—excuse me, residence hall—I was looking forward to not having to share a bathroom with 26 other people. 

When I was first moving into my apartment I was freaking out a little wondering how I was going to fit everything (clothes, towels, craft supplies…) into my bedroom closet. That’s when it hit me, I have THREE closets, and a pantry to boot! Guys, I have a CRAFT closet!

I’ve also been able to fulfill my lifelong dream of hosting dinner parties! I was so excited that my friends were finally coming over to MY place for dinner that I spent a whole afternoon making napkins to match my green dishes and red chairs (no Christmas today, thanks).  

{True to form, anything that can be floral patterned WILL be floral patterned}

It may be old fashioned, but in the same way I still think it’s important to send hand written letters, I firmly believe people should eat together in one another’s homes. Getting together at a restaurant it just fine, but there’s something special that happens when you gather around the table in someone’s home to share a meal together. Allowing people into the place you live requires a vulnerability that translates into allowing them into your life as well. 

"I really believe that every person should be able to feed themselves and the people they love. I think preparing good and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility." ~ Shanna Niequest, Bittersweet 

However, I also knew it would be really hard to have my own space.

There’s a price for having space totally to yourself and no, it’s not included in the rent.

I've made the ‘starting over new’ transition over the past few years several times now, and yet it stills surprises me how long it takes to settle in. I think the process might be even harder now that I have an idea of what to expect. Relationships take time to build, and no matter how much you try, you just can’t rush that. It takes time to figure out your role. What part do I have to play in this new job? In my new church? With new friends? With old friends? You can’t rush the process. All you can do is be patient and figure it out as you go.

When I first went to college I remember there being this weird time when I just felt hug deprived. It happens right when the excitement of meeting everyone wears off. When you've begun to establish relationships with people, but aren't quite on that level yet. I’m starting to feel the same way now.

There are days when I come home from work and don’t want to cook. There are days when I stare at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink and thing “How could I have possibly thought this would be a good idea!?”  There are moments when I feel very much alone and disconnected from everyone. When the loneliness feels physically heavy and doubts attack with a vengeance.

Novelty has a way of slipping into the routine, and yet over all, I’m ridiculous happy because you see,

I also knew that I would grow in this season.

I read a quote once that change, although it may be painful, is a sign that you’re alive; that in the same way a plant must change its shape in order to grow, we need to change.  Without change, without growth, we too die.

That’s how I feel right now. I can feel myself being stretched and challenged and while it can be painful at times, it’s all wildly and incredibly good. 

"Wish I Could Break Your Heart"

One of my absolute favorite things in the world is driving with the windows rolled down and the music cranked way up. Singing along at the top of your lungs to your self-proclaimed anthem while the wind whips through your hair and the sun kisses your face is just short of pure magic.

I was driving home from work like this the other day when Cassadee Pope’s song “Wish I could break your heart” came on.  I’d heard the song a few times before and recognized it as just the type of song you can jam down the road to. I was singing along enjoying life when all of a sudden the full implication of the lyrics hit me.

“Well the truth is that I never ever wanna hurt you baby

But it'd be nice to know that I could

Be strong enough to pull you under, throw you back a little under thunder

Even though I never would

I wish I could break, I wish I could break your heart”

Um… I’m sorry. What?

Even as I turned the music down and flipped to another station, I could feel the knot in my stomach twisting tighter and tighter. Is this really what people expect from relationships these days? Competing to see who can do the most damage before dragging our wounded and broken hearts with us into the next battle? ...and the next …and the next …and the next?

As a young woman with my own share of heartbreak I can see where Cassadee’s coming from.  As people, both men and women, the last thing we want to be seen as is weak. In our “me” centered culture, our heroes are those who appear to need no one or no thing, those who fly through life on their own talent or merit and frankly don’t give a d***. Think Iron Man, Rhett Butler, Sherlock Holmes. We LOVE those characters because they seem so solidly in control of their lives.  Everything is about what will bring me happiness, who makes me fill loved, what brings me fulfillment.

We are so afraid of appearing weak, to having to admit that we can’t control everything in our own lives and that we do in fact need each other, that we’ve agreed to trade genuine love for a set of manipulative mind games. Instead of cherishing one another, taking care of one another, and seeing the intrinsic value in another person, we view our friends and families as tools to be used to ensure our own happiness. 

“Well the truth is that I never ever wanna hurt you baby, but it'd be nice to know that I could.”

Back to riding in the car... 

I was in the car with my brother the other day and we started talking about all the great friendships we’d been blessed with. “It makes a whole lot of difference being friends with people who understand grace,” he said. It’s so true! Grace makes all the difference in the world. When we understand and live in and under grace, there’s no need to assert your power over others. Grace is both freedom from and freedom to. Through grace we’re freed from the unrealistic expectations the world puts on love. Truth is, despite what all the Hollywood endings have to say, even the most loving of people will eventually fall short in providing us the love we desperately need.  Grace allows us to admit that the only one who is perfect is Christ and takes the pressure off our friends, family, and significant others to fill our empty hearts, a task impossible for anyone but Christ to accomplish.

Because of that, grace also offers the freedom to truly love one another. Grace covers us and makes us whole. Grace is what allows us to forgive one another when we mess up and hurt each other. Grace is what allows us to become vulnerable and engage in genuine relationship. Grace gives us the courage to admit that we need other people and to respond to others’ need for us in their lives.

I don't know about you, but I'd much rather live in that world that plays by those rules than the ones in Cassadee's song.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." ~ Galatians 5:13-15 

The One Thing You Should Always Say

Although some view it as a bit behind the times, I’m still a huge facebooker. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of hours I’ve spent scrolling through my “friend’s” posts. Recently, as a scroll through statuses and pictures, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of links to articles about what not to say to so and so about such and such. “10 Things Not to Say to Short People” “18 Things You Should Never Tell Anxious People” “13 Things Never to Say to a True Blood Fan” “15 Things You Should Never Say to a Girl Gamer” “8 Things to Never Say to a Woman Without Makeup” “ 12.4 Things You Should Never Say to a Man Wearing Blue Running Shoes When It’s Raining at 2:35pm on June 18th in Nebraska.”

…Ok maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.

Maybe you find lists like these helpful, but if you’re anything like me, the very thought of memorizing a list like that for every single person you may ever possibly encounter is exhausting. (I’ve never even been able to play a game of Catan because there are too many rules to learn!)  Lists like these may help identify some of the common things we say that might hurt others, but they’re still too generic to really be effective. In fact, rather than making it easier to talk to one another, lists like this make it harder to really connect with anyone. We're so afraid of saying something wrong that we simply say nothing at all.

If this is the game that we’re all being forced to play, I want to propose a new set of rules --just one actually. Instead of worrying about all the things we shouldn't say to so and so about such and such, I propose that we focus our time and energy on the thing we should always say.

The one thing you should always say to another person is anything that conveys that they are worth loving.

In a world shared through carefully cropped Instagram photos and perfectly polished tweets, it is easier now more than ever to compare ourselves to others and think “I’m not ____ enough.” I don’t know what your ____ is, but I bet it’s the thing that’s most sensitive to other people’s words. When we already doubt ourselves, even the most innocent words of well-meaning of people can tear us apart.

John 4 is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

When the story begins, Jesus has been walking around all day and he’s hot and tired and thirsty. His friends have all gone into town to buy food, so he sits down at this well on outskirts to rest and wait for them when this woman shows up to get water from the well and he asks her for a drink.

Just like us, this woman was burdened by the belief that she wasn't worthy of being loved.  The Bible tells us that this woman had had five husbands and that the man she was living with was not her husband. Now while it’s possible that she was just a “loose woman”, it’s more likely that she was the victim of a rather bizarre custom. Back in Bible times it was customary when a woman’s husband died, she would go live with her husband’s brother or closest male relative and have children by him to continue on her husband’s line. If that brother died, the woman would go to the next brother, and if that brother died… This woman had had FIVE husbands. Can you imagine being passed off like that!? It’s no wonder she went to the well in the middle of the day when no one else is there, her sense of shame and unworthiness have left her feeling raw and defensive. When Jesus asks her for a drink of water, he takes a step closer to the ____in her heart. You can hear the pain and shame that cause her so much pain in her sharp words to Jesus. (v.9, 11-12 Read them, she’s pretty sassy).

To be honest, if I were Jesus at this point in the story I would be thinking “Well, you are entirely unpleasant I can kinda see why no one likes you. Goodbye.” But that’s not what Jesus does at all. He doesn't leave her to reaffirm yet again that she is unlovable. No! Instead, Jesus turns to her and addresses that big ugly ____ eating away at her heart with love. “You are worth it. You ARE lovable. I love you.”

When Jesus’ friends come back they’re shocked to see him talking to this lady, but no one said, “What do you seek” or “Why are you talking with her?” (v.27) Jesus had affirmed that this woman was worth something and her life was changed and through her testimony, her whole town was transformed.

So what if instead of tip-toeing around the many ____ in each other’s hearts, we addressed them, called them out and affirmed in one another that despite our faults and shortcomings, we are worth loving. What if we, like Jesus, used our words to affirm the worth in one another? I believe that if we chose to use our words this way, our lives and the lives of those around us would be transformed, just like the woman at the well.

“You know, I think everybody longs to be loved, and longs to know that he or she lovable. And consequently the greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they’re loved and capable of loving.” 

         – Fred Rogers (aka Mr. Rogers)   

One Month Later

It's been a month since I graduated college (WHAT!? I'm still not sure that's real).

Over the past month I have spent a total of 11.5 days at home.  The past month has been a whirlwind of activity-- graduation parties, a wedding, a quick camping trip, and friends visiting.  The rest of the time I spent driving back and forth to Dallas, visiting friends and interviewing. 

My biggest fear about graduating from college was that I would be bored. The past three years have been utterly full.  (At times it felt like I was literally involved in everything and at times that probably wasn't too far from the truth.)

College is a time to explore and try new things.  College was my test kitchen.  I experimented, taking risks, saying yes to every opportunity that presented itself, all the while learning what I was good at, what I was not, and become more of who I was. That’s the wonderful thing about being in college. You’re given almost unlimited freedom with almost zero responsibility.

Like so many other things in life, this incredible freedom is a gift that we can choose how to use. So while college is often seen as freedom from parents, responsibly, commitment, whatever—I always saw it as freedom to learn interesting things, try new things, and accept new challenges or offers of extra responsibly. 

A lot of people question my decision to graduate a year early for that very reason. “I wish I could be in college forever!” they say.  While I understand where they’re coming from, I LOVED everything about my undergrad, I also know that while one piece of cheese cake can be SO good, the second piece will start to make you feel sick and if you try and eat the whole thing you will be sick. My undergrad experience was rich and delicious, but I’m not interested in eating a whole cheesecake at once.    

So while I’m grateful that the past month has been busy, I’m cherishing the days when I’m just a little bored. The days when I don’t even leave the house, or when I do it’s just to buy milk for mom.  I’d grown so used to running from one thing to another that it took me awhile to learn to savor the quiet space. Free from classes, meetings, homework, and office hours, I’m free to write, to draw, to cook! I’m free to think and dream. 

My last semester of college I started practicing yoga and I love it! But the part I love most is the part at the end when you just lie there and let everything you’ve done soak in: Savasana.  College was practice, but now I’m catching my breath. I’m grateful that God has blessed me with this time to let it all soak in, to visit and laugh with friends, to spend time with my family, and just rest.

Home Town Tourist

When we first moved to Houston, I wasn't a big fan. It was dirty, crowded, industrial and to top it all off hot and incredibly humid. Granted, as the fourth largest city in the US, Houston was the largest city I'd ever lived in and my first experience in actual downtown Houston was a weekend mission trip serving in the poorest parts of the city. While this was a wonderful experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, it meant that my first impression of Houston was not the prettiest.

Having done some more traveling I've come to see that the whole dirty crowded and industrial thing is just part of city life and hot is pretty much synonymous with Texas in the summer. Humidity on the other hand is horrible and definitely a  characteristic of Houston

First impression aside, it didn't take long for this city to win my heart. So when two of my best friends came to visit, I couldn't wait to show it to them! 

The thing I love most about Houston, is that the best parts aren't easy to find. You kind of need to already know where they are because there aren't any giant signs or guidebooks to tell you where to look or where to go.

Actually that's not entirely true. Houston Downtown made this really cool audio tour (I know I know that's sounds lame, but trust me it really is pretty awesome) that takes you to all the hidden gems of downtown H-Town.   

{ Hometown Tourists }

{Discovery Green}

 {Christ Church Cathedral}

 { Chase Tower }

Houston's awesome. True story.

Chile: Honorary Family Member

It seems like a funny thing to be taken surprise by, but it continues to amaze me how similar my Chilean family is to my family. I don't know why, but it just never occurred to me that that families in other countries would take family bike rides or walks after dinner. Marilou, my host mom, has to spend evenings paying bills and balancing the checkbook. They eat leftovers and play games. Of course the language we speak may be different, but I think we have more in common with other people than we could ever possibly imagine. We just have to take the time to notice.

I've really enjoyed living with my host family. Daniel and Marilou are so patient with me as I struggle to communicate basic ideas. They're genuinely concered for my health and well being and have gone out of their way to show me what it's like to be Chilean.

For example, last night as I was eating dinner Marilou got a phone call. She talked to the person on the other end for about 30 seconds before pressing the phone up against my ear. With a mouth full of rice, I try to comprehend what the voice coming through was trying to tell me but couldn't understand a word over the music blaring in the background. A few seconds later she had hung up the phone and was reaching for the car keys, "¡Vamos!" She called as she headed for the door.

As usually I was pretty much clueless as to where we were going. Usually it's too complicated to explain beforehand so I just get in the car and figure it out as we go. This time we drove down to a little amphitheater down by the beach. Turns out the phone call was from Daniel, my host dad, and the source of the mystery music was an exhibition of traditional Chilean dances that happens once a month during the summer. (Information I gleaned using my Spanish skills thank you very much.)

It was crazy because literally everyone knew these dances and when a favorite was played people had no qualms about getting up and joining in.

Chile: Part II (La Serena)

You know those once in a lifetime moments? Ya well there were a couple of those this weekend on our weekend trip to La Serena (another beach town about 6hrs North of Viña del Mar). 

First off, the beach in La Serena is fantastic. During the day the beach is filled with families sunbathing and swimming. At night the beach front transforms into on giant carnival with street performers, live music, and shops selling everything from freshly made juice to clothes and jewelry. 

Saturday, however is when the real fun began. Our adventure started off with a quick stop at one of four dams in Chile. Water comes down from the Andes and then they collect and distribute it. It may have been just a dam, but the view was spectacular. (Expect all the pictures I took are on my camera, so the follow photos are compliments of my friend Alex.)

Next stop was a trip the Gabriela Mistral museum, which was great except for the fact that EVERYTHING was in Spanish. It really made me appreciate all the work that goes into the translations available in museums in the States. At the same time it was interesting to me to see how much information about her life I was able to glean from the pictures and limited amount of Spanish I do know. I also thought it was interesting because unlike Neruda's sprawling beach front home, Mistral's house consisted of a grand total of two rooms. 

For lunch we ate at a restaurant that exclusively used solar power, so all the cooking was done in solar ovens. There's nothing quite like sun baked empanadas and goat... The food may not have been the best (not sure I'm ready to jump on that band wagon just quite yet), but the experience was pretty darn cool. 

After lunch it was off to a Pisquera for a tour and Pisco tasting. Because Pisco is such an important part of Chilean cultura, it was really cool to see how it was made and hear a little more about the history and culture surrounding it.

That was all cool, but the highlights of the day paled in comparison to what we did that night. We went stargazing...in a vineyard...in Chile. It was awesome!  Now I've gone stargazing before, but the setting that night made it extra special.  Watching the moon rise over the mountains and seeing Jupitor and it's moons was just freaking cool. Our "guide" was a Physics student at one the local universities who had taught himself how to speak English (which is pretty darn impressive if you ask me). 

The next day, despite our late night, we were on the road at 6:30am in order to make the 2hr drive, followed by an hour boat ride, to Isla Damas in order to see pingüinos. And let me tell you, it was all TOTALLY worth it. 

The place is nothing like I'd ever seen. After driving through miles and miles of desert you finally arrive at the ocean where the water is crystal clear blue. It seriously looked like something out of a fairytale. While we we're there we saw penguins, sea lions, dolphins and all kinds of birds. It was incredible. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever had or ever will get the chance to do. 

Comida de Chile

My biggest fear about spending a month in Chile had nothing to do with the fact that I don't really speak Spanish or would be thousands of miles from home. No, my biggest fear was that we were told Chileans don't really eat breakfast.

Luckily for me (and everyone else on the trip) breakfast is actually a thing here. A typical breakfast includes tea, fruit or jello, and toast with a variety of toppings. My host parents have served everything from butter, to ham and cheese, to dulce de leche spread which I'm not particularly fond of, to mashed alvacado which I enjoy a lot.

That's something we discovered very eary on, if you're going to visit Chile you need to be prepared to eat a TON of carbs. I have never eaten more white bread (whole wheat doesn't exist down here) and potatoes in my life. Corn and pasta dishes are also very popular. 

Lunch is generally considered the biggest meal of the day, so while I'm having dinner, my host 

parents usually just have tea.

Lunches are on our own, so we usually use the time to explore the city. The first day we grabbed lunch at the food court in the mall, where we discovered you can order your Big Mac with alvacado or buy an ice cream cone for the equivalent of $0.50 from a McDonald's counter that ONLY serves ice cream. However we opted to try a place called frtiz. I'm still not entirely sure what was in the sandwhich, but it was good! Plus it was kinda cool to be in a place where they ask "would you like empanadas with that?"

Empanadas are extremely popular because they're fast, cheep, and portable. Available fried or baked and with a million different fillings. 

Other lunchtime adventures include congril (turns out sometimes randomly choosing something from the menu doesn't always work in your favor. Not a fan.) And pastel de chaclo, corn cake, a tradicional 

Chilena dish with beef, chicken, olives, onion, and a hardboiled egg all baked into a corn cassoral.

The menu of the day is also a good option for alumenzar. Most restaurants offer set menus that are affordable and delicious. This is a picture from a French cafe we found that had good food and wait for it...REAL coffee! 

Afternoon tea is also very popular and after cake and tea at this adorable café, it's not hard to see

why. 

Chile: Part I

Alena, you've been in Chile for a week! What's it like?

Well, pretty much like America, except completely different.

Truth is Chile is very much like the good ol' Estados Unidos, but the countless little differences I encounter each day I'm here serve as a reminder that I am very far from home indeed.

Viña reminds me a lot of San Francisco. It seems like no matter where you're going, you're walking uphill. And you walk everywhere. Which is a good thing however because there is also an ice cream shop (or 3) on every corner.  The other transportation option is to take the bus or colectivo (a car that works like a bus. It seems odd, but it works.) 

My host family is delightful. They are so patient with me and do a great job speaking clearly and slow enough that I can understand. Unfortunately, I have the vocabulary of a 5 year old so conversations are still pretty rough.  (One day I was lamenting to my host dad that I spoke like a four year old. He replied "No, five years.") 

School is fun. I have 8 people in my class, 7 from AC and one girl from Germany. Learning about he similarities and differences between our three cultures has been one of my favorite parts of the trip.

The rest of the week has been filled with tours of Viña and neighboring Valparaiso, afternoons volunteering at a  girl's home/community center, a day trip to Isla Negra ( one of Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda's three homes), trips to the beach with a performance of Beethoven's 5th at a huge outdoor amphitheater thrown in for good measure. Week one's been awesome. The time is flying by and I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for the up