¿Cómo stai?

¡Hola y bienvenidos a mi blog! First off, thank you for taking the time to check up on me and to read about my international travels. For me, this blog serves two purposes: primarily, to inform and educate friends and family about the trip, and secondarily, to serve as a personal reflection space and journal to preserve the memories and experiences of this summer. Throughout the summer I hope to post here weekly chronicling the people, places, and events I have experienced during that time. My goal for the summer is to immerse myself in the Chilean culture, as much as is possible for a tall, caucasian gringo anyway. The general outline for the summer includes four weeks of Spanish classes at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, the local university, followed by a four-week internship at the Consultorio Reina Isabel, a leading hospital in the area. My last week in South America will be spent in Cuzco, Peru roaming the Incan ruins and dizzying heights of the Andes before returning to my original home sweet home, Rocky Top.

Hillside in Valpo

In an effort to catalyze the immersion and hopefully impart some spanish language and culture to you all, I will be titling each post after a chilenismo, or Chilean slang word that I have heard, seen, or been impacted by during that week. This week, I will fittingly be starting out simple:

¿Cómo stai? (koh-moe sty)- An informal way of saying "how are you?;" spelling due to Chilean pronunciation

To be honest, I'm not really sure where to start with this. Tomorrow begins the adventure of a lifetime, ten weeks in South America. Tomorrow, only a week removed from the completion of my sophomore year at Tennessee, after wading through a crowd of bittersweet goodbyes, countless last-minute runs to Walgreen's, and attempting to pack essential items for Chilean winter, I leave the comfort and safety of the United States for the unknown and exciting Valparaíso. As you can probably infer, there are many emotions accompanying this experience. What am I feeling? Excitement, elation, joy, nervousness, thankfulness, fear, you name it. Undoubtedly, this trip is exactly what I have hoped and prayed for for years. This summer I have the opportunity to pair my passions for hispanic culture with my interests in healthcare and (hopefully) my future profession. I am looking forward to meeting and forming relationships with my host family, the Clobares's, witnessing the beauty of creation of the Chilean landscape and making Valpo my second home. Traveling is a beautiful thing that opens our eyes to indescribable and humbling beauty, allows us to tell incredible tales, and takes us down avenues of discovery unimaginable, and I am thrilled to begin to experience all of the above. Tomorrow.

I leave you with a quote from Ernest Hemingway:

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."

Thank you all for continued prayer and support and please stay in touch!

Un abrazo,
Blake