And I Think to Myself what a Wonderful World.

Hola desde Santiago!!! I am officially an ex-patriate and I am so excited to finally be in country. It's only been two days and I am already in love with it. My community mates are AMAZING and I am currently doing a home stay. We do not have a house yet, but we are on a mission to find one. The family I am staying with is AMAZING. They are a young couple and have only one child. She is in the fourth grade and reminds me so much of my younger sister. I feel like I am home.

The flight here was great and I had no troubles entering the country. It was weird having out of Atlanta. It felt like I was supposed to be flying to Mobile (the flight to Mobile actually left an hour before the flight to Santiago did) and I remembered showing my community mate on the screen in the plane where I had gone to school (I told him it was near New Orleans). He upgraded our seats to an aisle (He's super tall, but I was not complaining because that also meant extra leg room for me). I was worried and nervous that things were not going to be great, but all that went to away as soon as we took off. The flight here was only nine hours (the distance from Nashville to Chicago or Chicago to Memphis...driving) and the the in-flight movie  was Eat, Pray, Love (perfect, right?). I loved the part where Julia Roberts' character explains the definition "Ruined." Ruined does not always mean that something has been destroyed, but it also mean a change or transition. I am definitely "Ruined for Life."

Ruined for Life is a JV motto. What is means is that once we have entered this program, we can no longer look at the world with the perspective/perception we once had of it. It has changed for the better because we have become more aware of the world around us and of the world and communities we a part of it.

Yesterday, I had gone with my host family to the supermarket. The supermarket I went to is the Chilean equivalent of Wal-Mart. I was so overwhelmed and was uncomfortable. I had thought once leaving America, I would leave behind a world of consumerism and corporations, but then again, I should have remembered that the new Chilean president was a business man and is actually a big supporter of the latter. I still processing that experience.

Onto happier thoughts. I had gone to the center of the city today and went to the Plaza de Armas, the National Cathedral and Restaurant J. Cruz. I am still trying to adjust to having lunch at 2, once, and dinner at 9. I am excited for everything and anything. My community is AMAZING and I could have not asked for anything else. My host family is incredible and so hospitable and Santiago is now where my heart is. I am only looking up and not down and staying optimistic. I know it will be difficult and there will be bumps along the road, but I would not trade this for anything else.

I can only hope to stay in love forever.
CHI! CHI! CHI! LE! LE! LE!