Week 3

 During orientation, one of our academic directors gave a lecture on culture shock. She told us to expect week 3 to be rough, as the honeymoon phase of study abroad wears off. Last week, it finally came, marked by rampant sickness among the American students. While, so far, I've thankfully been healthy, there have recently been a lot of ups and downs.

My whole life I've been taught to value my individuality and that blending in is an unworthy pursuit (mostly just because it's not as much fun). Now, though, fitting in is a luxury I would appreciate. My blonde hair is a dead giveaway that I'm a gringa and men on the street aren't shy about mentioning it. One of the guys on the program put it well when he said that white women get more attention than white men: both positive and negative.

Additionally, every time I speak Spanish, I practice vulnerability. I silently ask everyone I encounter to please meet me where I'm at for the duration of our conversation. To be honest, vulnerability has never exactly been one of my strong suits. Then again, I don't exactly know anyone who would list it among their skills on a resume.

In the midst of all this, this past week I've been to:
1. a huge supermarket to buy peanut butter (Chileans do not understand why we're so into it)
2. a Mexican restaurant that was a tourist trap
3. the botanical gardens
4. the Pacific Ocean in a kayak
5. an antique fair where my Chilean grandparents happen to work

Not bad for week 3.