First Few Weeks in Chile!

I live in Talca, which is about 3 hours from Santiago. This is the view from the car window on the way back from the airport with my host family. It's a small but pretty city and the center has a really nice square!

I've been eating a lot of delicious food, like this arepa, which is actually Venezuelan, and can be eaten with cheese, eggs, butter, cream cheese, or really anything you want! I love arepas and am learning how to make them myself!

September is the month that Chile gained independence, so there have been a lot of uniquely Chilean foods, music, traditions, and dances happening recently! This photo is from when I got to see people dancing Cueca, the national dance of Chile.

My host dad made asado, or "barbecue" and it was very, very delicious.

Rotary students got the chance to go to El Quisco, a town on the beach. It was gorgeous and it was really fun to see other exchange students from different countries and share our experiences!

This isn't an amazing picture, but it was a fun get together (junto) with friends from school. We ate Chilean sushi, which was different than the sushi I've had in the United States, but very delicious. People at school are very open and welcoming, and I'm excited to be able to get to know people better once I can understand more of what they are saying. Talking with friends is a great way to improve my Spanish.

I also got the chance to drive through the Andes a little with my friend (Liv) from Germany and her host parents. The Andes were beautiful, and there were so many waterfalls! It was a really amazing experience and I felt so grateful because I've wanted to see the Andes up close like this for so long. I can't wait to explore more of Chile!