Osito and the Traveling Circus

    I figured I should probably write this post now. We are heading to Serena (up North 5 hours) tonight and won't be back until Sunday afternoon. Although the bus tickets are bought, the place we reserved dropped us from the roster, presumable because we were 12 loud gringos, so as I write this there is a frantic search for a new place. I ain't sweating it much though, because I don't do that outwardly. I usually freak out after a situation occurs, so I will probably be freaking out when we actually get to Serena. And usually I will freak out about something miniscule, like forgetting my sunglasses. It will suck that I haven't done any reading or summaries for the university but, no me importa. Va a mierda

    The last week here has been a little disorienting. When I first got here, there was an initial impact that lasted for about 8 days. Now it has worn off a bit, and I am starting to furnish myself some little habits. They help a lot with getting yourself more comfortable in a different place, but they really can cage you in too. Especially when the habits center around the other gringos. I think next week I am really going to try to switch some of them. Every missed opportunity sits on my shoulder and spits in my eye. I mean, I don't think I will have a chance like this trip again.

    More advice for study abroad: when you get an opening into the culture, take it. Most times you will be unprepared or uncomfortable, or unsomething. But this is the exact time to nut up. Call me cliche for saying this. And call me cliche for saying that. But if you don't nut up at that exact moment, it will be lost. I can count at least 5 times that happened this week, and I was just too uncomfortable to do anything. 

    So going with that, the phrase this week is more like a verb and it is aprovechar. It means to take advantage of. But not necessarily in a bad way. Aprovecha la situacion. Take advantage of the fact that you are in South America, in Chile, with Chilean people, speaking Spanish, getting in Scooby Doo level adventures, and all of that. The times in which I actually have, those times have been the most memorable of the trip thus far. Don't let new things intimidate you, face them straight. Like how this little girl confronted this puppet. Right in its face. No fear.

God I hope we get a place to stay by the time we get to Serena.