FINALMENTE!!!!

OK!! FINALLY!!! A post. Sorry to all who have been (patiently) waiting for posts. I will not have internet very often but I will do my best from now on to update this more frequently.

Anyways, I’ve decided to not write in paragraphs. It might get boring. As many of you know I often remember little/random things about places, people, etc so I will do kinda the same thing in this blog. I guess I will write random statements, facts, observations, sentiments, etc. This will keep it A LOT more interesting for me… and hopefully for you too!!

Grammar and syntax is not my goal in this blog. I want to recount everything as I see fit. Sorry to my professors/bosses who are following this blog…

FYI photos will likely not be posted just because it will take FOREVER to load a single picture.

I love Bolivia.

Ok I’m done!

Just kidding.

Ok, here it goes…

I waited 6 hours in the Miami airport for my connection from Miami to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. During that time, a gazillion people in my study abroad group showed up at the terminal.

I love awkward first impressions, mainly because I love making first impressions a little awkward. Ha

I waited for my flight in DIA with my friend Leigh Bercaw, who is now in Madagascar!!! INSANE! (Pat you should a note in her file that says, “Leigh is JUST AWESOME and an all around amazing person.”)

This girl Annie from Conifer, CO was on all 3 of my flights. She is the only person in the group who appreciates my weird face making skills AND random sound effects, probably because she does the exact same thing.

In total, I got 3 hours of sleep from when I left my house at 8am in Denver to the following night in Cochabamba. Everyone else was in the same boat.

There are 23 students in my group (including myself), 21 girls and 2 boys. (HA!) Everyone in this group is AMAZING!!! I don’t say that lightly.

I have never gotten along SO WELL with each and every person in a group this large since my high school club soccer team.

Pepto Bismol is a life saver. TMI maybe?? (TMI = too much information hahaha)

I love my host family. I have a mom Danitza, a brother Sergio (25years), and a sister Denise (22). My abuelos (grandparents), an aunt, and a great aunt live next door.

My Bolivian mom reminds me of my real mom; she’s always very excited about everything and excited to see me. I can’t imagine a home without that type of enthusiasm.

We live in a nice neighborhood called Sarco. It’s a 30ish minute trufi ride outside the centro of Cochabamba or a 10 minute car/taxi ride.

I don’t know what fluency is exactly, but I know I’m pretty close. I can feel it. 21 years of work to get to that point and I’m ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!

My brother is extremely protective of me. I think I kinda know how you feel Laura… It’s weird being the youngest sibling in the house…

Yacua is the name of the first Bolivian food I learned. It’s a really spicy salsa-like sauce. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

We have a few chickens, 2 dogs, and an iguana living in the backyard. They are my brother’s. He loves animals.

Every day I take a trufi to and from home after each 3.5 hour class (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). I guess it’s about 2 hours of commuting each day.

My family laughed hysterically when I told them we have a dog named Santiago. Apparently, that’s a name only for humans…

I have learned so much about Bolivia from books and articles, but it is nothing like the books. It's one thing to read something and it's another to hear someone tell you about it from there perspective.

My sister wants to be a doctor too!! She is sooo much fun to be with!

We all come home for lunch because it is the biggest meal of the day.

I don't understand how people do not support human rights organizations like Amnesty International or the Human Rights Watch. It's easy for people who sit at their desks as privileged people and claim human rights as a Western perspective. I totally understand because I used to think it too. But HONESTLY, can you really say human rights don't exist for some people?!? Only people of Spanish decent, but not indigenous? Only Israelis, but not Palestinians? Only 'Americans', but not American Indians??? WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS!

Sorry, for the rant. I just found out more than I needed to know about the School of Americas and its effects on Bolivia, but more importantly on one of my academic directors.

I am craving beans, rice, and tortillas right now. Ok FINE!!! I’ll be more specific… Peruvian beans, long grain brown rice, and corn tortillas from the Mexican grocery store near my abuelo’s house in Chicago.

A trufi is a big van with a set (well kind of set) route that only costs 1.5 Bolivianos per ride, no matter how far you go. (~7 Bs per $1)

I tried to explain the American expression “duh!” to my Bolivian family. It didn’t work.

Every night I go to sleep listening to crickets sing, fireworks going off, security whistles blowing, horns honking, and dogs barking. I love it.

Majority of the vocabulary I am learning here (SO FAR) is either the name of a food or somehow related to food.

Traffic lights don’t mean anything here. Ismael (one of the two academic directors of the program) says they are decorations.

I have 13 connections with the people in my group, aka 13 “oh I know _(a person’s name)_ too!!!” HAHA

Every morning I wake up to something delicious smelling coming from the kitchen and dogs barking (even more), roosters crowing, and even more car traffic.

My first Sunday in Bolivia, also the first full day with my Bolivian family, we made bread. Sounds simple?? Yeah right!! We were baking from 2pm to 11pm!!!!

I’m eating meat everyday here. Weird...

So far I have 3 nicknames from different groups of people here. My brother's girlfriends family calls me Eriquita, my teachers and academic directors (ADs) call me chistosa (the girl who is always making jokes and laughing), and this girl in my group calls me charming. Apparently I am charming!!! haha

I saw the Disney movie “Tangled” in Spanish the other day with my sister and a friend from the group named Katie, who lives a block away. I understood everything except some of the song lyrics… Gosh she has such LONG HAIR!!! Ew…

I saw many cheap violins in La Cancha last Sunday. I wanted to buy one so I could play a violin while I am here, but I didn’t buy one…

I really miss my family in the US. I love you all very much. I get kinda homesick when there isn't much to do, which has happened like a half of a day since I've been here.

I washed my jeans by hand last Saturday.

Sometimes the markets or streets in Bolivia smell like cheese or body odor or fried food or a combination of it all. Perfection, I’d say.

I am personally organizing the next Macalester group to go and protest the School of Americas next year. Caitlin and Marshall, you in??

My goal is to not faint while I am in Bolivia. I think that’s a legitimate goal.

La Cancha is the biggest market in Cochabamba.

I still think I will be a vegetarian when I get back from Bolivia.

I am in heaven.

Hope this first post satisfies your cravings!