A couple lists...

I think it's about time for some lists. :)

Things I miss about home:

-Xtreme Bean. There is nothing better in the world than sitting at Xtreme Bean with my laptop and WiFi, sharing stories with fellow math majors who stop in for a cafe, smoking cigarettes while watching people play card games on the porch, and drinking coffee from my thermos while attempting to write, do homework, or prepare for math tests.

-Clothes. I definitely miss being able to wear ripped jeans and flip flops and t-shirts and hoodies in class or in town, without getting glared at.

-Real coffee. Don't get me wrong, Nescafe is amazing. But it is just not freshly-ground, meticulously-brewed Café Justo. 

-Get togethers with friends. Enough said.

-Relaxing spots on campus. Everyone has their tree, their bench, their lawn, their shady area, their coffee shop, their classroom, their library. It seems silly, but these spots are taken for granted.

-Cooking. My mamá chilena is an amazing cook. However, I love the feeling of having the kitchen to myself, listening to music, sautéing some veggies, and baking creme brulee all for myself. I need that "out" sometimes.

-I'm ready to out myself as a true gringa, but I really miss American Football. Especially as a recreational sport. Here, it is really hard to find a football to throw around on the beach. ;)

Things I know I am going to miss about Chile:

-Public transportation. I can get anywhere within one hour of my house in either direction at any time during the day or night by hopping on a bus or metro for about 20 cents. And I can take tour buses to any destination in Chile or South America for super cheap too. Less money spent on gas. Less time spent on traffic jams. Less damage done to the environment. It's pretty sweet.

-The weather. Day weather = tank top and flip flops. Night weather = light jacket and Chuck Taylors. It is bright and sunny and I have a beach next to me wherever I go, and the ocean breeze keeps the temperature from ever getting too hot. :)

-The views. Living in a city with hills next to the ocean means almost everywhere you go you have a good view. Also, traveling around a country with such a varied terrain provides a lot of good views. The sunset picture above is a view from my bedroom window, and the second picture is from a park in La Serena. I'm pretty lucky. 

-Traveling. I have few obligations on weekends so I can leave basically whenever and explore Chile and other South American lands. On top of the fact that it is possible to travel a lot, it is cheap to travel, too. 

-The language. I am going to miss hearing Spanish 24/7. And especially Chilean Spanish, full of wonderful modismos like "cachai" and "pololo" and "huevon." 

-"Textbooks." Here it is not illegal to check out textbooks from the library and copy them in their entirety. In fact, it is the preferred method of getting texts for your classes. I spent less than $10 on textbooks this semester. It was exciting.

Anyway, that's about it. Neither of these lists is exhaustive, but you get the general idea. 

Hugs!