big difference.

(I was right behind these guys.)

Just got back from my second half marathon. The first one was in April in Santiago. This one was in Los Angeles (South of Conce) and, well, today. October 18th. I can't believe how much has happened in the 6 months between. Not only did I improve my time, but I felt great throughout the entire half marathon. As I type this hours later, I must admit I feel a bit sore, but overall, it was pretty painless. As for the marathon in Santiago...definitely a different story. I was sore for days and the marathon itself felt longer. I think this change in sentiment and perspective reflects much of the past 6 months in Chi-Chi-Chi Chile..

In terms of my life in Chile, I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I was in April. Back then I was still anxious about traveling sola, my Spanish was (at times) rough and I didn't have any Chilean friends or connections outside of my family. The winter was long, cold, grey and rainy. I spent a lot (a lot) of time in my room trying to save money and lacking "ganas" (inspiration) to go out and explore. A rainy hibernation I guess.

On the other hand, in July, I spent 3 weeks traveling in the north of Chile and Peru. Looking back, it was an incredible experience, albeit very different from living in Chile. I was traveling with a fellow American, we were surrounded by tourists but somehow we felt more connected to the people and culture given the language and experience here. I saw scenery people write poetry about and learned how to "backpack" for the first time.

Back in Conce, a new semester started. Different classes, different students. I have yet to feel as anxious and nervous as I did first semester. I'm definitely more a relaxed and confident teacher. I think this helps both me and my students. I also realize that I'm just their English teacher. A required class they have 3 hours a week. Not too life-changing. (despite what WorldTeach tried to tell us)

I continued working out at the gym, running 5-6x per week, taking my "BodyBalance" class 2x per week. Running has helped me through, um, everything here. Stress, anxiety, boredom, homesickness, cabin fever. I can proudly say I'm addicted at this point. I figure there are worse addictions out there...

I found a new job, however small the income. I work as a substitute in the Northamerican Institute. There I've been able to teach all ages, adults, 5th graders, college students etc. The biggest different is the level of English. They are gooood. Honestly, it's a relief. I'd like to be all nobel and say that I prefer the challenge of my students (lazy, dishonest, indifferent) to that of more advanced students (motivated, engaged) but that would be a lie. It's a breath of fresh air and often more fun. Makes all the difference if the students actually want to be there.

All in all, living here has been up, down, and everywhere in between (I realize this is life but when you are abroad the ups and downs are more pronounced, more intense). I only have 2 months left and I'm finally feeling settled. Time is going fast and as the weather improves, so does my mood and my "ganas" to take advantage of every opportunity.

A few random thoughts:

-Oh, I also drove in a car allllll weekend. Awesome! :) Chile is really, really pretty.

-For the record my time today was: 1:54 (1 hour, 54 minutes); 21k; 13.5 miles. New goal: marathon in less than 4 hours.

-Chileans are REALLY good at living in the moment. more on this later...

-I really struggle to find Chilean humor funny. I just don't get it!!

-I bought Quaker squares cereal. And milk. There are no words. yum.

-I'm developing a slight addiction to Desperate Housewives.