One thing that I realized I have learned from being a college student is responsibility and accountability. Those might be pretty obvious things, and maybe I'm a bit late in finally adopting them as personality traits, or maybe I'm early. All I know is that, in life, opportunities are handed to you, and you need to be able to say yes, and mean it, or you need to say no.
When your fellow students have to survey or interview or experiment on their peers (it's not that scary) for their Capstone, step up and take a slot. Help a peer out and participate in their study. And then when you sign up for a time, show up for it. As my professor said, "It's good karma." Those peers will likely help you out when you're in an academic bind.
When your adviser asks you to pick up his children after school every single day, and you say yes, you have to be there, waiting outside the building at 3:10 with all the parents, every single day.
When your sorority asks you to step up and become a philanthropy chair,
and you don't think that you can make that commitment, don't take the
job. You'll just end up stressed about how much of your time it takes,
or worse - you'll start slacking on your responsibilities. It's better to be realistic and respectfully decline than to disappoint the entire group.
When your friend needs you, your homework can wait. If she really needs you, you can lose an hour or two of sleep to help her out. Be a friend someone can count on. Show them support. Show up to their senior chapel, cheer them on if they're in a parade, or simply congratulate them on their recent accomplishments. Stay in tune with what's going on with them.
GO TO CLASS!!! Anyone that is attending college should thank their lucky stars for aligning and getting them into higher education. It's such a magnificent, and expensive, blessing. Go to class and learn things. It's that simple. That's what you're there for. That's what you're paying for. And hey, it's always cool to be smarter than you were yesterday.
Taking on a bit of extra responsibility helps you learn how to prioritize, how to prune your schedule, and all about time management. It makes you a well-rounded individual. It helps you to develop who you are, to cultivate your interests and passions, and to make solid relationships all the way. Really, it just teaches you to grow up and become a pretty cool adult.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
On Mexican Time
The first month of my summer has thus far been fair. I would describe it as busy boredom for the most part. I'm pretty good at entertaining myself when I have nothing to do: my job doesn't start until this Friday, so I've had an entire month to myself, trying to keep myself busy. My online summer classes are a lot of work, but aren't much fun. They're time-consuming, hindering my pleasure reading considerably.
So far, I've read J.K. Rowlings' A Casual Vacancy, a depressing but very well-written book, interesting for the sociologist's mind. Now I'm past half-way through a book titled, On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in rich cultural descriptions. For a lover of all things Hispanic, I eat it up, mentally planning my own trip to San Miguel de Allende, a quaint town a ways out of D.F. The writer's style is dramatically poetic, and some of his literary habits irk me (he intentionally skips conjunctions, ignoring the 'and' necessary for a series of nouns), but I can't help but love the familiar conscious appreciation for a country's beautiful culture. It's a good time to read this book, having returned to the States almost exactly 6 months ago.
To share, this passage speaks to me as it rings true to the pleasant nature of my experiences south-of-the-border:
"Crossing the jardín beneath a canopy of bells, I set off upon a round of errands. Some I could have done in California but find so much more pleasurable here. Crazy, I suppose, to buy a watchband from the pitiable selection at Emilio's tiny relojería on Insurgentes: but the walk to get there, Emilio's warm "Feliz Año" as he pushes back his eyepiece and smiles, and the cartoon jokes in Spanish pinned on the walls, beat a featureless trip to some gold-soaked California watch emporium. I could have re-heeled my shoes at a high-tech L.A. shoe boutique, but Jaime's dim, aromatic shoe shop behind the covered market lies at the end of a sensual adventures. Subjecting my boots to the unlabeled pastes and waxes, glops and creams the shoeshine boys in the jardín use may not do the leather any good, but I get the best seat in town and great gossip. At Eréndira's Unisex Salon, I squeeze in among Mexican matrons reading scandal magazines beneath bubble-headed hair dryers and let Eréndira shear me before a cracked mirror for the peso equivalent of three dollars. And no matter how I look when she's done, Eréndira always stands back and coos, "Ay muy guapo," as if she really means I look that good."
So far, I've read J.K. Rowlings' A Casual Vacancy, a depressing but very well-written book, interesting for the sociologist's mind. Now I'm past half-way through a book titled, On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in rich cultural descriptions. For a lover of all things Hispanic, I eat it up, mentally planning my own trip to San Miguel de Allende, a quaint town a ways out of D.F. The writer's style is dramatically poetic, and some of his literary habits irk me (he intentionally skips conjunctions, ignoring the 'and' necessary for a series of nouns), but I can't help but love the familiar conscious appreciation for a country's beautiful culture. It's a good time to read this book, having returned to the States almost exactly 6 months ago.
To share, this passage speaks to me as it rings true to the pleasant nature of my experiences south-of-the-border:
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Natural Beauty: DIY Wine Tie-Dye
One of my softest tees also happened to be off-white, and at some point, it gained a most unfortunate stain. If the shirt had been any other color, the stain would have gone unnoticed.
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I decided to take action and dye the shirt... but I wanted to do it with materials that I already had, and in a more natural way. It seems only appropriate that I decided to tie-dye my tee-shirt with a bottle of Merlot.
***Enjoy the alpaca sweater images***
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1. Like any tie-dye project, I began by choosing a style of fold: I did an accordion fold and tied off small bunches with rubber bands, but of course, any style would work.
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If you've ever tie-dyed before, that part is easy. If you haven't, it's simple: fold the shirt back and forth on top of itself, and then tightly rubber band sections, like shown in the pictures. Especially for this project, since I only used one color, one might argue that what I did above wasn't even quite necessary, but the finished product does show some subtle lines and gradient, so I would recommend including that step.
2. Next, I used a big bowl to contain my mess, because red wine stains (that's the whole idea, anyway!). I used a baster to suck up the wine and insert it further into the creases of the shirt. Careful with the baster - hold it sideways when transferring from glass to bowl to avoid spills!
Personally, I wanted the wine to soak into every part of the shirt; I didn't want white to remain. After basting, I poured a bit of excess across the whole thing, just to give it a bit more to soak up. I probably used about a cup and a half of wine total.
***NOTE: It is almost essential to sip as you dye your shirt. Red wine is good for you!***
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I decided to take action and dye the shirt... but I wanted to do it with materials that I already had, and in a more natural way. It seems only appropriate that I decided to tie-dye my tee-shirt with a bottle of Merlot.***Enjoy the alpaca sweater images***
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- a white shirt (or off-white, or cream, or not a shirt... the options are limitless)
- about a cup and a half of wine, or more if you're thirsty! (red wines will work best for dying; I used a Merlot)
- a glass to hold the wine
- rubber bands
- a zip-lock bag big enough to hold the clothing
- a bowl to contain your mess!
- a baster (not necessary, but helpful)
1. Like any tie-dye project, I began by choosing a style of fold: I did an accordion fold and tied off small bunches with rubber bands, but of course, any style would work.
.png)
.png)
.png)
If you've ever tie-dyed before, that part is easy. If you haven't, it's simple: fold the shirt back and forth on top of itself, and then tightly rubber band sections, like shown in the pictures. Especially for this project, since I only used one color, one might argue that what I did above wasn't even quite necessary, but the finished product does show some subtle lines and gradient, so I would recommend including that step.
2. Next, I used a big bowl to contain my mess, because red wine stains (that's the whole idea, anyway!). I used a baster to suck up the wine and insert it further into the creases of the shirt. Careful with the baster - hold it sideways when transferring from glass to bowl to avoid spills!
Personally, I wanted the wine to soak into every part of the shirt; I didn't want white to remain. After basting, I poured a bit of excess across the whole thing, just to give it a bit more to soak up. I probably used about a cup and a half of wine total.
***NOTE: It is almost essential to sip as you dye your shirt. Red wine is good for you!***
.png)
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3. Once I was satisfied with the amount of dye in the tee-shirt (that is, I couldn't see any speck of white, even between folds), I sopped up the remaining wine in the bowl and put the shirt into a zip-lock bag.
4. Typically, I think that you are supposed to wait 12-24 hours; the longer you wait, the darker the product will be. I left my shirt soak for about 20 hours, removed it from the bag (with a big whiff of Merlot), and rinsed it with cold water until the runoff water was clear - that way, you remove the excess dye from the shirt before wash or wear.
 |
| The finished product! I'll upload a picture of me wearing it... when it's not wet anymore! |
Be careful your first time washing it!! Consider hand-washing for the first time, or else the wine might spread to the rest of the load in the washer.
My next idea for house-hold, natural dye: a black or green tea!
Be natural.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Late Update!
Bad blogger here. I haven't posted in two months, so I'll just have you know that I took a trip to Virginia/Washington DC in January, and went down to Tennessee in early March.
January: VA/DC
Tony, Jake, Kacie, and I headed down to Virginia to visit a friend of the Hamorskys. Phil is teaching math there, and lives in an apartment by himself, so we paid him a visit to keep him company. While Phil was working during the day, we checked out the Smithsonian Museums (Space and Air, and Natural History). We stopped to see the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument as well. The food was insanely expensive, but it balanced out because the museums were free. When we got back to Phil's apartment, we all cooked up some burgers and fries, played cards and watched the Avengers. The next day, he didn't have to work, so together we went to the Holocaust Museum and visited some more monuments, including the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. We had a good time, but there was so much more that we wanted to see, so hopefully we'll go back to visit Phil this summer!(Two months later...)
March: TN
Tony, his parents, and I started off our spring break by road-tripping to eastern Tennessee. We visited wedding venues in Gatlinburg, Maryville, and Sevierville, and we stayed with Uncle Ed and Aunt Patty in Knoxville. We got a pretty good tour of the entire area during our many hours in the car. It was fun to think about and actually start really planning our dream day, and we got to visit family in the meantime. Aunt Lynda and Uncle Bob had us for dinner one night in Maryville, and they cooked up some awesome steaks and asparagus, and the most enormous baked potatoes probably in existence. The next day, Uncle Ed and Aunt Patty took us out to dinner at a barbeque joint, and I got messy with my BBQ ribs. Again, it was a long way to go for a short time - we spent a long weekend there, but the nine hour drive is killer. Next time, I look forward to bringing my parents to see what we're scheming up for our mountainous wedding :-)
Thursday, January 10, 2013
A smattering of ayurveda
Winter break's almost over. I've got to tell ya, six weeks at home without a job is a long time. The holidays were wonderful, and it felt so comfortable to see family after such a long time away. I think that Christmas break is the best time to come back from study abroad. It makes you feel like you're supposed to come back; and it gives you a nice, easy transition period.
That said, I'm so ready to go back to school. The sorority girl in me admits her excitement for formal recruitment, and I'm pumped to be living with my two best friends this semester. More than that, though, I think I'm ready to get back into a routine with classes and whatnot.
So far, I've been battling my rare spouts of boredom with a few scattered methods. First, I've been doing my family's laundry while they're at work. But that's not much to talk about.
As many know, I do love my tea. I got a book for Christmas (muchas gracias, mama Hamorsky) called Culinary Tea, and not only does it provide a myriad of recipes using tea leaves (how cool!), but it details a brief history of tea, flavor profiles, how tea is made, etc. Did you know that every type of tea -- black, white, green, oolong -- comes from the same exact leaves on one species of plant? The only difference between these types are the way that they're harvested and prepped!Other than reading and learning, I'm getting my bridal excitement on. Of course, the wedding seems forever away now, but the facts have finally sunk into my brain: engagemed means soon-to-be-wed! (Is it silly that it took me a few days for that idea to strike me as a reality?) I must say, I'm glad I've got a while because I don't know the first thing about planning a wedding. I love every color, so how am I supposed to just pick one?
I'll post soon about my weekend trip to the capital city, as soon as I find my pesky camera. I know it's lurking around here somewhere...
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
After a week of visiting friends at Westminster, and then spending a night to visit another in Erie, Tony and I went out to dinner with his parents and then wrote thank-you notes and wrapped Christmas gifts. It was great spending time with family again. That's definitely something I'd missed while away.
The next day, my Dad and I were heading to the grocery store after church when another car pulled out across two lanes right in front of me - or more accurately, right into me. I got an estimate for the damage done: $2200. I feel for the lady who hit me though: she damaged both doors on one side, plus a fender on her new 2012 Mercedes Benz. Plus she'll have to pay my way since I did nothing wrong. "'Tis the season," she said to me. I guess that's a more optimistic thing to say than "bah humbug" after you cause $12000 worth of damage in an automobile accident. At least no one was hurt.
Tony and I opened a brand new savings account yesterday to start saving up for the big day. We've got a LOT of time to save up for a wedding, but I'm thrilled with every step we take. This fantasy become more and more real everyday, and we're both so excited. Later we made gingerbread cookies, went out for wing night with some friends, and saw the latest Twilight (I'm beginning to lose the embarrassment for my fan-hood of the series. The movie last night was actually fantastic).
Today, my mechanic uncle fixed a problem with the Grey Ghost. For a while now, the car hasn't been starting when the weather's very cold. Uncle John took a look at it and within minutes knew what we needed. He sent us to pick up the auto-part and installed it when we got back. He said the work was free of charge - we only payed for the part, and now the Ghost is running better than ever! Tone and I are going to make him a beer-tree for Christmas, since he wouldn't accept any pay. I have to figure out what exactly that means, but I'm feeling creative.
The next day, my Dad and I were heading to the grocery store after church when another car pulled out across two lanes right in front of me - or more accurately, right into me. I got an estimate for the damage done: $2200. I feel for the lady who hit me though: she damaged both doors on one side, plus a fender on her new 2012 Mercedes Benz. Plus she'll have to pay my way since I did nothing wrong. "'Tis the season," she said to me. I guess that's a more optimistic thing to say than "bah humbug" after you cause $12000 worth of damage in an automobile accident. At least no one was hurt.
Tony and I opened a brand new savings account yesterday to start saving up for the big day. We've got a LOT of time to save up for a wedding, but I'm thrilled with every step we take. This fantasy become more and more real everyday, and we're both so excited. Later we made gingerbread cookies, went out for wing night with some friends, and saw the latest Twilight (I'm beginning to lose the embarrassment for my fan-hood of the series. The movie last night was actually fantastic).
Today, my mechanic uncle fixed a problem with the Grey Ghost. For a while now, the car hasn't been starting when the weather's very cold. Uncle John took a look at it and within minutes knew what we needed. He sent us to pick up the auto-part and installed it when we got back. He said the work was free of charge - we only payed for the part, and now the Ghost is running better than ever! Tone and I are going to make him a beer-tree for Christmas, since he wouldn't accept any pay. I have to figure out what exactly that means, but I'm feeling creative.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Una semana en el cielo
Well, this post is so far overdue. It's probably about time that I post about the best week of my life.
Tony came to visit me in Chile, which speaks volumes, in my opinion, about his commitment and love for me. Some people thought it was silly that he was coming to visit with a mere dozen days left to my return, but his visit meant so much more than that. Not only did I get to see my best friend after four months apart, but he got to see and feel and taste exactly what I've been living for those four months. I could have always simply described my experiences to him, but there's no way to accurately describe a ride in a micro up the cerro, or the cute but dirty pups lying about in the street, or the smell of sea lions twenty feet from your spot on the beach. He came, and he experienced it himself. What a great man.
I got up nice and early Monday morning to bus-hop my way to the airport in Santiago. Two and a half hours and three buses after stepping out the door with my palta-on-toast, I was trying to find my way to the recent arrivals area. I was a little lost, but I followed the mobs (I can only imagine how confused Tony felt in a sea of latinos at the start of his first international adventure). I made my way to the sidewalk: dark hair, dark hair, dark hair... Suddenly, my eyes landed on a familiar face that belonged to a blonde man sitting on a cement bench, looking right back at me. I can't decide whether I'm proud or slightly embarrassed to admit that I ran into his open arms and even cried a little bit. We were reunited.
Everything was the same as before. Only, I was tanner for once. Nothing felt different, but everything felt perfect. We boarded a bus and navigated our way back to Valparaiso, chatting non-stop and kissing a little bit too. We got to Valpo after two hours and I couldn't wait to show him around. "Look at the hills over there," "Check out those houses up here." We were both so excited to be reunited and to finally share some memories here together, at last.
Well, the week certainly flew by. Our first day, he rode the micro (public in-city transit bus) for the first time - with a suitcase on board. He got to see how crazy they drive and how tight you have to hold on if you aren't lucky enough to have a seat. He met my host family and we ate lunch - porotos, a bean soup - together. It was my first opportunity for translation. His Spanish is minimal and my host parents know practically no English. My sisters can communicate with Tony alright, and Felipe speaks fair English. It was exciting to have someone new at lunch, and my family loved him right away! Later, we walked to the university, along the coast. He wandered the town for a bit while I took a final exam, and then we met up and enjoyed each other's company at the pier in the harbor.
Later, we went to an intercultural festival hosted by my university. There were a dozen or so booths set up that represented countries around the world - Italy, Portugal, Japan, Mexico, and more. They each had samples of typical foods and drinks that belonged to the particular country. It was a delicious and fun way to learn a little bit about different nations! There was also entertainment provided - some of my classmates from dance class put on a little showcase of different traditional Chilean dances. I knew each of them, because I took the class, but I was excited that Tony got to see a bit more about Chilean culture. On the walk home in the evening, Tony and I stopped by the rocks in the harbor and perched upon one to chat and watch the sunset. I couldn't have asked for a better first day with my love.
Tuesday was a memorable day for certain. Rachael and I presented a final project about our educational experience with our high school students. I think that we did a great job with it; it was creative, and our passion for teaching was evident. Afterward, I had my last class with my favorite teacher, Miguel Angel. Then, Kris, Brandon, Rachael, Tony, and I went to Sabor Porteno for some empanadas. Tony really liked his first empanada - we shared one that was shrimp and cheese, and another that was pollo pino - traditional onion, olive, egg, sauce, but with chicken instead of ground meat. We all went home as a group, and while Rachael worked on a group project, Tony and I had once with the family. The two of us went for a walk at dusk, and I showed him the park I often run to. We searched the hills for the best view of the city lights at sundown. The night-time view of Valparaiso is beautiful, and I was happy to share it with Tony. Later that night, at home, we were talking about our future together, and I felt so comfortable to be back with him. He told me that he knew I'd make a wonderful wife and a great mother, too. He asked me if I would take his name. Then he got up, crossed over to his suitcase, and pulled something small out. The next thing I knew, he was on one knee, and he looked at me and said, "Quieres casarte conmigo?" Will you marry me? I was so overwhelmed by such delighted disbelief, that I just exclaimed, "Yes," several times. I couldn't believe it. We hugged, kissed, my smile couldn't be erased. We left the house to buy some champagne, but all of the stores were closed at such a late hour. Instead, we shared a bit of my family's wine to toast to our new engagement. We went to sleep so happily that night.
The next morning, we grabbed some breakfast and walked way downhill to the beach. We laid out for a while, listened to some Matisyahu, and Tony eventually took a dip in the Pacific for the first time! (It was too cold for my liking, but I took pictures instead!) We even traipsed down the sand a bit to the fishing pier, where the fishermen were chucking some chum over the rail onto the beach below. The sea lions had a jackpot to fight over, and we were amazed to be so close to those enormous sea mammals. That night was ISA's Thanksgiving dinner, but the only item that resembled the holiday was the turkey. All the stuffing and mashed potatoes were gone by the time we got to the buffet, and there was no gravy in sight. It was nice to have everyone together to celebrate the holiday before the program ended, but it was a strange sensation introducing Tony for the first time as my fiance.
The rest of the week flew too quickly. In Bellavista, we had seafood soup, corn shepard's pie, and wine for lunch and then found the best view of the city atop a nearly 200-step stairway. We baked a pumpkin pie from scratch for the first time ever. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my host family by showing Tony the South American way of the asado. He tried his first pisco sour and fell in love with South American beef. We shared our thanks with the family and my host parents told me that he was a big man with a big heart and didn't have to pay for his stay because he is always welcome as their guest. We visited the dunes and the oceanic rock in Con Con, only to have our feet scorched by the hot sand, and our eyes and hair whipped with sandy cold air. We fell asleep on a beach and got terribly sunburnt. We bought gifts for our families at the artesanias. We made make-shift s'mores over the stove-top with Rachael. We picnicked in the botanical gardens with Rachael and her man friend Cesar. We bought delicious ice cream cones at Grido three times.
And then it was time to take him back to the airport.
But I wasn't sad that my very favorite week was coming to an end. I was disappointed that Tony had to leave my city, but I knew that my time left in Chile was short. In one week, I'd be heading home to him, to the man who makes me most happy. And I would miss Valparaiso - I already do - but it was time to go home too.
Tony came to visit me in Chile, which speaks volumes, in my opinion, about his commitment and love for me. Some people thought it was silly that he was coming to visit with a mere dozen days left to my return, but his visit meant so much more than that. Not only did I get to see my best friend after four months apart, but he got to see and feel and taste exactly what I've been living for those four months. I could have always simply described my experiences to him, but there's no way to accurately describe a ride in a micro up the cerro, or the cute but dirty pups lying about in the street, or the smell of sea lions twenty feet from your spot on the beach. He came, and he experienced it himself. What a great man.
I got up nice and early Monday morning to bus-hop my way to the airport in Santiago. Two and a half hours and three buses after stepping out the door with my palta-on-toast, I was trying to find my way to the recent arrivals area. I was a little lost, but I followed the mobs (I can only imagine how confused Tony felt in a sea of latinos at the start of his first international adventure). I made my way to the sidewalk: dark hair, dark hair, dark hair... Suddenly, my eyes landed on a familiar face that belonged to a blonde man sitting on a cement bench, looking right back at me. I can't decide whether I'm proud or slightly embarrassed to admit that I ran into his open arms and even cried a little bit. We were reunited.
Everything was the same as before. Only, I was tanner for once. Nothing felt different, but everything felt perfect. We boarded a bus and navigated our way back to Valparaiso, chatting non-stop and kissing a little bit too. We got to Valpo after two hours and I couldn't wait to show him around. "Look at the hills over there," "Check out those houses up here." We were both so excited to be reunited and to finally share some memories here together, at last.
Well, the week certainly flew by. Our first day, he rode the micro (public in-city transit bus) for the first time - with a suitcase on board. He got to see how crazy they drive and how tight you have to hold on if you aren't lucky enough to have a seat. He met my host family and we ate lunch - porotos, a bean soup - together. It was my first opportunity for translation. His Spanish is minimal and my host parents know practically no English. My sisters can communicate with Tony alright, and Felipe speaks fair English. It was exciting to have someone new at lunch, and my family loved him right away! Later, we walked to the university, along the coast. He wandered the town for a bit while I took a final exam, and then we met up and enjoyed each other's company at the pier in the harbor.
Later, we went to an intercultural festival hosted by my university. There were a dozen or so booths set up that represented countries around the world - Italy, Portugal, Japan, Mexico, and more. They each had samples of typical foods and drinks that belonged to the particular country. It was a delicious and fun way to learn a little bit about different nations! There was also entertainment provided - some of my classmates from dance class put on a little showcase of different traditional Chilean dances. I knew each of them, because I took the class, but I was excited that Tony got to see a bit more about Chilean culture. On the walk home in the evening, Tony and I stopped by the rocks in the harbor and perched upon one to chat and watch the sunset. I couldn't have asked for a better first day with my love.
Tuesday was a memorable day for certain. Rachael and I presented a final project about our educational experience with our high school students. I think that we did a great job with it; it was creative, and our passion for teaching was evident. Afterward, I had my last class with my favorite teacher, Miguel Angel. Then, Kris, Brandon, Rachael, Tony, and I went to Sabor Porteno for some empanadas. Tony really liked his first empanada - we shared one that was shrimp and cheese, and another that was pollo pino - traditional onion, olive, egg, sauce, but with chicken instead of ground meat. We all went home as a group, and while Rachael worked on a group project, Tony and I had once with the family. The two of us went for a walk at dusk, and I showed him the park I often run to. We searched the hills for the best view of the city lights at sundown. The night-time view of Valparaiso is beautiful, and I was happy to share it with Tony. Later that night, at home, we were talking about our future together, and I felt so comfortable to be back with him. He told me that he knew I'd make a wonderful wife and a great mother, too. He asked me if I would take his name. Then he got up, crossed over to his suitcase, and pulled something small out. The next thing I knew, he was on one knee, and he looked at me and said, "Quieres casarte conmigo?" Will you marry me? I was so overwhelmed by such delighted disbelief, that I just exclaimed, "Yes," several times. I couldn't believe it. We hugged, kissed, my smile couldn't be erased. We left the house to buy some champagne, but all of the stores were closed at such a late hour. Instead, we shared a bit of my family's wine to toast to our new engagement. We went to sleep so happily that night.
The next morning, we grabbed some breakfast and walked way downhill to the beach. We laid out for a while, listened to some Matisyahu, and Tony eventually took a dip in the Pacific for the first time! (It was too cold for my liking, but I took pictures instead!) We even traipsed down the sand a bit to the fishing pier, where the fishermen were chucking some chum over the rail onto the beach below. The sea lions had a jackpot to fight over, and we were amazed to be so close to those enormous sea mammals. That night was ISA's Thanksgiving dinner, but the only item that resembled the holiday was the turkey. All the stuffing and mashed potatoes were gone by the time we got to the buffet, and there was no gravy in sight. It was nice to have everyone together to celebrate the holiday before the program ended, but it was a strange sensation introducing Tony for the first time as my fiance.
The rest of the week flew too quickly. In Bellavista, we had seafood soup, corn shepard's pie, and wine for lunch and then found the best view of the city atop a nearly 200-step stairway. We baked a pumpkin pie from scratch for the first time ever. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my host family by showing Tony the South American way of the asado. He tried his first pisco sour and fell in love with South American beef. We shared our thanks with the family and my host parents told me that he was a big man with a big heart and didn't have to pay for his stay because he is always welcome as their guest. We visited the dunes and the oceanic rock in Con Con, only to have our feet scorched by the hot sand, and our eyes and hair whipped with sandy cold air. We fell asleep on a beach and got terribly sunburnt. We bought gifts for our families at the artesanias. We made make-shift s'mores over the stove-top with Rachael. We picnicked in the botanical gardens with Rachael and her man friend Cesar. We bought delicious ice cream cones at Grido three times.
And then it was time to take him back to the airport.
But I wasn't sad that my very favorite week was coming to an end. I was disappointed that Tony had to leave my city, but I knew that my time left in Chile was short. In one week, I'd be heading home to him, to the man who makes me most happy. And I would miss Valparaiso - I already do - but it was time to go home too.
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