Sept 17:
Natalia, who works for CIEE (see FAQ) in Santiago picked me up form the airport and we drove into the city to the CIEE Office. We met up with Claudia (CIEE) and Susi (also from UC) for an orientation. We went over basics like travel, safety, culture, etc... all in Spanish. After about an hour my brain started melting, but I understood most of what was being said.
Natalia, Susi and I went on a (much needed) walk around the center of the city.
Santiago es una mezcla increÃble.
There is such an incredible mixture of architecture and food and culture as a whole.
We visited Cerro Santa LucÃa, the center for the city's foundation. It is a green space in the middle of city that seems to come out of nowhere. There is a beautiful panoramic view at the top of the palace (?) on the top of the hill. (Disclaimer, I didn't take many pictures the first day, so you'll just have to imagine it - a city cradled by mountains)
Shortly after we got a light lunch and dispersed to our various host families.
I met Jenny, my host mom (madre anfitriona). She is an english teacher here in Santiago. Weirdly enough, her family spent two years in Dayton, Ohio (not too far from where I live) and her brother is an industrial designer. We went to lunch (my second time for the day) at an Argentinian restaurant with her mom and brother.
Afterward, Jenny and I came back to her house in Providencia, my home for the next twelve weeks. I got settled in and got some much needed rest.
