Although this race reminded me how difficult it can be to live so far from home, it was also another show of the incredible connections I’ve made here and how much I’ve changed throughout this journey.
Knowing that this would be my last Fiestas Patrias in Chile for the foreseeable future, I vowed to go all-out. Success would only come if I did as the Chileans do and sacrificed a week of sleep, spent all my money on terremotos and ate all the delectable treats I could stomach with a guilt-free conscience. And so that’s exactly what I did. During my nine-day holiday, it was all things Chile and it rocked.
The students worked on presentations for weeks, which culminated in two days of festivities before school let out for the holiday. The kids dressed up, performed the national dance, cooked traditional cuisine, sang and played instruments to historical music and presented information about how each region of their country celebrates Chilenidad and Fiestas Patrias.
The best thing about Santiago in the winter is the love everyone shows the street dogs. As soon as it gets colder, puppies around town start sportin’ new sweaters and the trend is, quite frankly, aw-inducingly adorable.
Four months ago, I couldn’t run a whole kilometer without stopping to walk. Today, I ran a full seven and crossed the finish line in my first-ever race.
This summer, I traded in my oversized suitcase for a backpack and went on the road for two months (without a single regret about what I packed!). A lot of people have asked me how I comfortably lived out of a backpack for two months (and still looked cute in all my travel photos…obviously).
I tried to hold back my laughter as Ingrid leaped into my arms for a hug, amazed that she could actually hug someone who could have hugged Justin Bieber. En serio.
