Bolivia Round 2: La Paz

Without a doubt, La Paz is one of the coolest cities that I have ever been to. In fact, I simply love, love, love La Paz!

Located in west-central Bolivia, La Paz sits between 10,650 – 13,250 feet above sea level, making it THE world’s highest national capital. Luckily, unlike my last trip to Bolivia, I had absolutely no problems adjusting to the drastic change in altitude this time. The city is rich with a unique culture, diverse scenery, awesome night-life, inexpensive shopping, great food, and offers an infinite list of activities for travelers. Okay, the sales pitch is over, but really La Paz is la raja (Chilean slang meaning awesome, the bomb, etc.).

With less than two days in between my return from the majestic Iguazu falls and my departure to Bolivia, I was exhausted from the get go. John and I flew to Arica on Tuesday afternoon with hopes that there was going to be a night bus to La Paz; however, this was not the case. With the next bus to Bolivia leaving around 10:00am the next morning, we set up camp on the floor of a small room, which housed a single ATM machine, at the bus terminal. Let me just tell you…sleeping on a hard tile floor in unfamiliar territory does not make for a good nights sleep!

We woke up bright and early the next morning (if you even want to call it waking up, I hardly slept at all), bought our bus tickets, and departed by 10:30am. Having experience with lengthy bus rides prior to this trip, I thought that the so-called 8 hour expedition would be a breeze. However, once again, this was not the case. For the duration of the entire bus ride (which took longer than estimated) the oh-so- kind lady sitting in front of me had her seat completely reclined,  ungraciously taking up all of my leg room and preventing me from getting as comfortable as comfortable gets on a bus. After 10 hours of tossing and turning, listening to music, reading, and going through border crossings, we FINALLY arrived in La Paz around 8:30pm. I will admit, the scenery visible from the bus windows was absolutely beautiful. Throughout our travels we were able to see once again how spectacularly diverse the Bolivian terrain is. Additionally, pulling into La Paz after dark and seeing the entire city lit up was breathtaking!!!!

After taking a cab to the Wild Rover hostel, we showered, ate, and hit the hay. The hostel was… interesting to say the least. The amenities were nice, despite the fact that the showers only had two temperatures-scalding and freezing- and the free breakfast only consisted of bread and butter (like really, where are the scrambled eggs, biscuits, gravy, and bacon y’all?). There was a bar inside the hostel and every night swarms of young travelers residing within the walls would take a nap and then go party the night away. Young, free-spirited travelers whom originate from various places around the world make for a very eclectic and intriguing group of people, to say the least. Admittedly, the hostel was not my cup of tea; however, it provided me with a warm bed to sleep, was clean, and was dirt cheap…this is all I can really ask for.

Our first full day in La Paz was spent exploring the city. The instant I set foot on the streets, I was captivated by its unique culture. The plazas full of Bolivian flags, brightly colored government buildings, monuments, and churches were amazing.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

While I enjoyed taking in my new cultural surroundings and noting differences in regard to architecture, transportation (the micros are 10 times cooler as they look like brightly colored school buses), food, etc., one of the most intriguing parts of the city were the Bolivian women that engulfed the streets.  In the midst of what would be considered a developed city, many of the women still dressed in traditional Bolivian clothing, including brightly colored skirts, hats, and sweaters. Additionally, the majority drape brightly colored cloths around their backs in order to carry items throughout the streets. It is actually quite comical and impressive how the Bolivian people pack goods. I noticed it from the time I was on the bus to La Paz. Many of the travelers had plastic,multi-purpose bags filled to the brim with who knows what. The same held true when I arrived to the city itself. The people lined the streets with massive, and I mean massive, durable bags full of goods. Many of them were vendors, who meticulously unpacked their items every morning, only to strategically re-pack unsold goods at the end of the night. It is unreal! I suppose consolidation is key when you have to walk the hills of La Paz everyday!

Many of the side streets were composed of cobblestone and were lined with vendors selling fruits, traditional Bolivian food, and products made from alpaca fur.  From blankets, to sweaters, to hats, to scarves, you name it, they have it. The best part? Everything is so cheap!!! I went on a bit of a shopping spree (I fully blame my talent on spending large sums of money on my mother), buying things for friends and family. I even had to buy an extra duffel bag in order to get everything back… whoops! Even though I could have shopped for days, I was not going to put John through the torture as he bought everything he wanted at the first market we encountered. Boys…Ughhh!!! Don’t worry, I managed to sneak out later in the week and spend more money!

As we explored the city, it became notable that the higher we went, the more magnificent the view of the city was. Wanting to take the absolute best picture possible, we climbed, and we climbed, and we climbed up the hills of La Paz. It was not easy, but, the pictures were definitely worth the trip.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

While exploring the city was a blast, by mid-afternoon we were ready to get our adrenaline pumping. Having done a bit of research through tripadvisor, we found that there was a place nearby to repel off the side of the building. We headed back to the center of the city to partake in the Urban Rush experience! Dressed up like Spider-Man (I was literally wearing a Spider-Man costume, no joke),  I repelled off the side of a hotel. It was great, although I wish the building would have been a little taller! Hehehe…

The next day (Friday) brought on an adventure all of its own! We woke up bright and early and headed out to bike “The World’s Most Dangerous Road” (officially named this by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995). The road is formally referred to as “El Camino a Los Yungas,” or “The Death Road (Camino de la muerte),” by the locals. This was by far one of the coolest things that I have ever done. A van from Vertigo Biking picked us up around 8:00 am and we drove about an hour outside of the city before reaching our departure point. After suiting up and preparing our bikes, we were off! The vast majority of the ride was downhill, and in total included 64kms (40 miles) of riding and a descent from 4,700m/15,400 feet.

The trip began flying down winding stretches of asphalt at La Cumbre, allowing us to “practice” handling our bikes. The views included beautiful mountain scenery and compared to the rough gravel that we road on for the majority of the trip, riding on the asphalt felt like gliding streamline through water before a swim. After riding for approximately an hour, we made our way to the more challenging part of the ride: a gravel road that legitimately runs along the side of a mountain. Those of you who know me, know what a reckless driver I am in the car. Well, the same holds true when I am on a bike! For some reason I just cannot grasp the concept of using brakes. Nonetheless, I had an absolute blast flying down the narrow mountain road, occasionally slowing down to pass a car or take a photo…and then there was that one time that I got a flat tire… only me! From rock overhangs, to waterfalls, to mountains, to lush jungle vegetation, the ride was incredible! I will say, it was a little spooky riding by the crosses of those who had passed away from accidents along the way…

We eventually made our way down a dirt road and ended our ride in Yolsoa, which sits 1,100m/3,600 feet above sea level. Expired of all energy, we took the van to a hotel in La Senda Verde where a quite delicious buffet lunch was served. They had plantains, so I was in heaven!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

As if biking down “The Death Road” was not enough, our group drove back up the road as well. You see, a new (and much safer) road has been constructed; however, at the time that we wanted to leave, it was going to be closed for the hour because of something to do with a landside.  Being the impatient bunch that we were, we made the decision to take the van back up the path from which we descended (this is not common). Driving the road was much scarier than biking it and the majority of the car was slightly freaking out…John even had an escape plan if the van was to suddenly tumble over the edge of a cliff. Every time we rounded a turn our driver would blow his horn in an attempt to warn unforeseen, and unknown, oncoming traffic that we were coming around the bend! While I was undoubtedly the most calm and collected person in the car, I will admit that there is truly no better way to get your blood pumping than to look out the window of a moving vehicle and see nothing but vast, empty space… as if the tires had no road to cling to…

All in all, “The Death Road” experience was awesome, enough said.

The fun did not end after our biking adventure. The next morning we once again woke up bright and early, but this time to go paragliding over the Bolivian countryside. I found the experience to be rather relaxing, despite the fact that I ran straight into a cactus during takeoff (go figure).  Twenty full minutes of gliding over breathtaking views, taking in everything this world has to offer… it does not get much better than that! Take a look for yourself…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After paragliding, we made it back to the city with plenty of time to do some more shopping and eat Mexican for dinner, a perfect ending to our last night in La Paz. WOOOO!!!

We took the 6:00am bus back to Arica on Sunday, where we checked into a hostel, relaxed a bit, and went to dinner and the local casino.

Our flight was not scheduled to leave until 5:30pm the next day, and we desperately wanted to change to an earlier flight in order to get back to Viña at a more reasonable hour. At the casino, John attempted to win enough money to cover the cost of the ticket change, but after being up 65,000 pesos (about $135), he lost it all.  No need to worry, he was still even when we left, we just had to pay to change our plane tickets… I am going to have to teach that boy when to walk away… Ha!

La Paz is by far one of my favorite places that I have been to thus far. In our initial travel plans, we were going to make a trip to Lake Titicaca; however, we loved La Paz so much that we decided to stay put (this only gives me a reason to come back!). I will no doubt be returning to visit the city again in the future, in addition to making trips to Lake Titicaca, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, and Sucre.  So blessed to have the opportunity to immerse myself in the unique culture of so many different areas!

Water, Water Everywhere!

Unbelievable. Breathtaking. Magnificent. Natural, God given beauty.

Those are just a few of the words that I would use to describe my most recent trip to the mesmerizing (forgot that one) Iguazu Falls in Argentina. As the falls are truly indescribable and it is not possible to merely transcribe their beauty through words, this post will be filled with my favorite pictures from the trip and not as much of my rambling… lucky for you!

After a taking a bus to Santiago, a plane to Buenos Aires, and yet another plane we (John and I) finally arrived in Puerto Iguazu around 9:00 AM Friday morning. You see, John and I were on a mission to get our Brazilian visa as we already have plane tickets booked to Rio de Janeiro for the end of this month. After reading a fellow travelers article, which I recommend to anyone trying to obtain their Brazilian visa while in Puerto Iguazu, we were banking on arriving at the consulate as soon as we landed, handing in the necessary paperwork, and receiving our visas. After a few complications (which included running around the town in search of a printer and converting our American $ to Argentinean pesos) we had all of the necessary documents and we had our 10 year Brazilian visas within 2 hours! 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics here I come!!!!!!!!!!

Exhausted from our travels, we went back to the hostel to wait for our friend Rebecca to arrive. We lounged a bit and then made the short walk to the “triple frontera,” where you are able to see Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all at the same time.  In the photos below, I am standing in Argentina taking the picture, the land mass to the left is Paraguay, and the land mass to the right is Brazil. Pretty cool stuff….

The next day we woke up early, ate breakfast and headed to the cataratas (cataracts)! We were there for around 7 hours and saw all but one of the falls. Green vegetation, tropical flowers,blue skies, rushing water, rainbows, and sunshine filled our day. I can’t say it enough… everything was seriously indescribably beautiful. Take a look for yourself…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

During our day we had the opportunity to take a 20 minute boat ride, which literally took you so close to the waterfalls that there was water spraying at you from every angle. Being the water bug that I am, I was in heaven flying around in a boat, getting drenched by THE one and only Iguazu Falls. I was brilliant enough to wear a white t-shirt that day (hahaha), so once we returned to mainland (soaked from head to toe), I pretty much had a wet t-shirt contest with myself! Ha! Nonetheless, the boat ride was without a doubt my favorite part of the day!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After our boat ride we explored the park a bit more…

and took a train to the “Garganta del Diablo,” which is legitimately the most massive waterfall I have ever seen.

As if waterfalls and rainbows were not enough, the park was full of the most beautiful butterflies. It truly is incredible, and mind-boggling when you think about it, how unique and exquisite each pair of a butterflies wings are. It was as if each intricate design had been hand painted on each delicate wing. Unreal. Truly, natural, God given beauty.

It is beyond clear that everything witnessed and experienced throughout our day was AMAZING! However, there was just one thing that I did not like about Iguazu Falls… THE TOURISTS. I know that this is somewhat ironic as most would consider me to be a tourist myself (I prefer to refer to myself as a traveler!), but there were people everywhere. Most of these people, who came from all around the world, had absolutely no qualms about pushing you out of the way in order to capture pictures of loved ones in front of the falls. It was ridiculous. To boot, the park had a Disney World theme park kind of feel. With restaraunts and gift shops strategically placed along the man-made concrete path ways, I have no doubt that Iguazu could one day be acquired by Disney and developed into one to the most epic theme parks in the world. Roller coasters towering over waterfalls, a grandiose version of Splash Mountain, a night-time firework show over the falls, Mickey Mouse’s voice blaring throughout the park, and of course the creation of the new Iguazu Falls princess, Izzy. Ha! This became a running joke throughout our day and we had some  fun pretending to be “imagineers,” dreaming up the most magical of ideas!

Other than dealing with the mass amounts of people, the only other seemingly annoying creature in the park was this little guy…

Known as the coati, the animal is native to the region and the ones in the park are clearly accustomed to all the tourists.  They had absolutely no reservations about following people around and begging for food like dogs in the street. John even witnessed one leech on to a lady’s backpack! Hahaha! All earthlings and creatures aside, it was a great day. We were wiped and decided ordered pizza (thank god for pizza delivery) and enjoy each other’s company for the remainder of the evening.

Saturday morning, we took our time getting ready and then headed to Güiráoga, a small wild animal refuge. The refuge takes in hurt animals found throughout the area as well as wild animals that people have had as pets and need to surrender. If possible, they release the animals back into the wild when they are ready, or simply breed them and release their offspring. Being the animal lover that I am, I had a blast learning about all of the animals native to the region. We saw a multitude animals including various types birds (eagles, toucans, wild turkey, macaw, owls etc.), turtles, coati, capybara, and best of all, monkeys! The coolest monkey we encountered did not belong to the refuge, and was actually living in the wild. He swung right down from the trees and climbed along the railing beside us. It was awesome!

The other monkey we encountered, whom was being held in captivity, was not as pleasant as our friend pictured above. At one point in time, he actually reached his hand through the cage and grabbed my camera. Holding on for dear life, I yanked it away from him as quickly as I could. The camera still takes pictures, but it seems to be making some strange noises. I am just praying that it gets me through my next trip! Here is a picture of the little you know what….  :)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After the animal refuge, it was back to the hostel to chill until our flight that night. A 9 hour delay at the Buenos Aires airport made for a fun night of attempting to catch some shut eye on cold tile floors… not. We arrived back in Viña safe and sound Monday morning, just in time for me to go to class! WOO!

I REALLY hope you are able to appreciate the beauty of the falls through all of the photos, and if you get the chance, visit them for yourself! The pictures do not do them justice!

I’m headed to La Paz, Bolivia tonight! Much more to come next week!

Chao for now.

Just a few bonus pictures…

Buenos Aires from the plane

This picture could not depict us more perfectly… able to charge our iPhones on the plane! Ohhhh yeahhh

Hammock naps are the best. I don’t even think I need a bed anymore…

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Yet another week (almost 2) has flown by in Viña. This one seemed to blow by even faster as I was fortunate enough to spend it with my Mom and Dad! Words cannot express how great it was to share a small portion of my experience with them. Not to mention, nothing feels better than some good ole’ loving from your mommy and daddy.

On Saturday, April 13^th I anxiously and impatiently waited as my parents took a cab from the SCL airport to Viña del Mar. I must admit their arrival was rather speedy (I think they made it to Viña before Grammy and Lauren even made it through customs-Hahaha! Just messing with you two). As expected, they were exhausted from the dreadfully uncomfortable 10 hour plane ride from Dallas to SCL. After many hugs, we napped. Yes, we napped on their first day in Viña and it was glorious! Laying in between my parents in the king size hotel bed, in CHILE…it does not get much better than that! After laying around and resting we walked around the streets of Viña, and went to eat fish at Tierro del Fuego. The food was great and we watched the sunset over the ocean from our table! Icecream after dinner topped off our first night

The next morning, I ensured that we were out the door at a relatively decent hour. We headed to the Valparaíso bus station to try and buy tickets to Pomaire, a local artisan town an hour oustide of Santiago. However, upon our arrival we discovered that in order to travel to Pomaire by bus, it is necessary to depart from Santiago. Having a back up plan, we simply spent the entire day exploring the historic city of Valparaíso (no need to frett, we made it to Pomaire later on that the week). In all honesty, the change of plans was for the better. Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day in Valparaíso. The sun was shining and we walked through the streets, making our way to the infamous shipping port. Sunday is a GREAT day to explore Valparaiso as all of the vendors are out and about selling a multitude of things (literally, you could find anything your heart desires). As we made our way to the port, we stopped in Plaza Victoria and shopped at the Feria de Libereros and Antigüedades. The feria was in full swing and mom and I were in hog heaven shopping for antiques! I am not sure Dad can say they same, but he was along for the ride (lets be honest, he did not have any other choice). After making a few purchases, we continued our trek around the city, making sure to visit both Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción. Riding the famous Acensores, shopping for local goods, looking at graffiti, and eating my favorite pizza at Allegretto made for a great day! My mom had an obsession with all of the old doors throughout the city and insisted that I photograph ALL of them. I must admit, the photos turned out to be really cool. Take a look at the highlights from our day in the photos below!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The rest of the week was very chill and each day was filled with different activities. Unfortunately, after our sunny Sunday in Valparaíso, the weather was terrible throughout the remainder of the week. Legit- clouds and colder temperatures accompanied us wherever we went. But this of course did not hold us back from having fun! I want to be able to remember everything we did, so I am going to give a brief rundown of what we did each day. I promise I will make it short and sweet

On Monday, I was fortunate enough to have my one and only class cancelled! I took the rents to eat at my favorite local restaurant, Don Monolo and then we headed back to Viña to do some shopping on the boardwalk. That night, my parents took John, Rebecca, and I out for a Mexican. We had a great time and I am so glad that my parents got to meet my best study abroad friends! Ha!

Tuesday mom and dad were on their own! I, unfortunately, had other obligations (class and work) ALL DAY. They survived the day and we met up with John for dinner after I got off work. To all those looking for a quaint and delicious restaurant in Viña, you should definitely head to La Cuisine. The chef and owner, Patricio, is the nicest guy ever and the food was to die for! I had Merluza (a native Chilean fish) in a seafood sauce with grilled veggies.  I will no doubt be going back.

Wednesday, one of my classes was cancelled again! WOO HOO!! Mom and I drug Dad around the mall for a few hours and then we headed to have linner (you know, the meal that occurs during the post-lunch, but pre-dinner interval… yeah probably the most important meal of the day) with my host family. Despite the fact that my parents speak virtually no Spanish, and my host mom speaks absolutely no English, I must say that lunch went rather smoothly. My host sister, Coni, and I were able to do all of the translating and I felt so blessed both of families in the same place at the same time!

Thursday we headed to Concón to eat at my favorite empanada restaurant, Las Deliciosas. However, much to my dismay they were closed. After asking a local couple where the SECOND best empanadas in the area were, we headed to Todos Empanadas. I will admit, the empanadas tasted basically as delicious as the ones from Las Deliciosas…BUT it is the principle of the matter. We ate the SECOND best empanadas in Concón… I guess that means you all will have to come back! HA! After feasting we grabbed a bus back to Viña. The bus ride from Concón  to Viña is one of my favorite things to show visitors. The bus meanders along a narrow costal road starting in Concón (obviously) and takes riders through Reñaca. The ocean views are truly mesmerizing and often you can see sea lions swimming about the in ocean. Once we returned to the hotel, mom and I headed up to my apartment in order to unpack the suitcase of clothes, food, and other goodies that she brought from the states. After unpacking, we then had to repack all of the clothes that I no longer need during my remaining 3 months. It is a good thing they brought an extra suitcase because even after sending her back with a mound of clothes, I still do not know if I will be able to make it back to America with all my crap. Exhausted from our day, we simply met John for dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Friday we left to for Santiago! I was super excited to show my parents another part of this awesome country. We checked in the the Marriott Hotel, which I would recommend to anyone staying in the area. Even though I could have curled up in the beyond comfortable bed and napped for hours, there was not time to waste as we had plans to reattempt our trip to Pomaire. We headed to Estación Central and purchased bus tickets to Melipilla because there were no more direct buses to Pomaire that day. I thought I had our travel plans all figured out… once we arrived in Melipilla, we could take a short and inexpensive cab ride to Pomaire. Easy, right? Well, the bus attendant knew that we really wanted to visit Pomaire and had the driver stop literally on the side of the road near the small artisan town. While this was an extremely thoughtful gesture, we were dumped in what felt like the  middle of nowhere with no taxis in site. Luckily, having great travel karma (knock on wood) a Chilean couple we encountered offered to give us a ride into town.

Pomaire is infamous for its pottery made from greda, or natural clay, and giant empanadas! The town is tiny and mainly consists of small shops, each of which contain pottery. I am telling you, there was pottery for days. Mom and I went nuts buying small dishes and figurines. It was such a unique experience and I am thankful we had the opportunity to go!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Before we knew it, it was Saturday and my parents had to return to the US. Fortunately, their flight did not depart until late that night so we got to spend another day exploring Santiago! Mom and I did more shopping in Bellavista and then we ventured out to Barrio Yungay in order to find a restaurant that I had read about online. I loved having the opportunity to explore a new area of Santiago. Barrio Yungay is one of the older neighborhoods located in Santiago. The neighbor is composed of old homes and buildings that are full of character and encompasses a unique and rich culture. Due to the fact that I did not know the exact location of our destination, Boulevard Lavaud, it took some searching before we finally arrived. I must say both the experience and the food were well worth the wait! The restaurant is full of antiques, 90% of which are for sale! Each of our meals were delicious, and the dessert was even better.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After lunch, it was time to head back to the hotel to collect the luggage and make our way to the airport. Saying goodbye was beyond difficult, but I would not trade my time with my parents in Viña for anything. I am so blessed that they had the opportunity to come visit me all the way in Chile and I miss them so much already. I love you two more than anything and thank you for everything! Can’t wait to see you again in just 3 months!!

School, Work, Sleep and Birthday Fun!

Hola to all! Time is continuing to fly by here in Viña dell Mar and although nothing particularly noteworthy or exciting has happened since my most recent trip, I thought it would be nice to catch everyone up on my daily routine (as mundane as it may be), the details of my internship, and most importantly, how I celebrated my 22nd birthday in Chile!

WARNING: The contents of this post would be considered to some, extremely boring. If you have absolutely no inerest in the strucutre of the limited liability corporation that I am working for, I advise you to scroll to the latter portion of the post where you can induldge in reading about the much more exciting and interesting parts of my life.

In addition to taking classes, I have officially started working at my internship 5 days a week! Despite the fact that I am a marketing major,  I am working in the working capital department at a logistics company called Empresas Taylor.  I have to admit, at this point in time I am a bit overwhelmed. I am still trying to grasp the overall organizational structure of the company. Essentially, Empresas Taylor is a holding company that is located in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The overall mission of The Taylor Group of Companies “is to develop specific solutions for client’s logistic requirements and at the same time optimizing the trade, transport and the other services between the West Coast of South America and the rest of the world.”(Empresas Taylor, 2013).   The company specializes in three different business sectors, including, maritime (ship agency and towage), logistics (freight forwarding and cargo transport), and brokerage (bunker brokerage and trading) divisions.  Without going into too much detail, each business division is composed of different companies, or brands. For example, the maritime division consists of the Ian and Taylor brand, while the logistics division is associated with the TransMartay and TSMP Logistics brands. The majority of the “brands” function as partnerships and all belong to Inversiones y Servicios Taylor (InverTay), which is a limited liability coporation.  I work for Invertay in the finance department (more specifically the working capital department, as I mentioned above) and complete tasks associated with the identification and control of payment to suppliers.

I sincerely apologize for going off on a tangent about the corporate structure of The Taylor Group of Companies. However, it is the best way I know how to describe my internship. I hope that the information I summarized is accurate… it has been difficult to understand the logistics of the company, but I am learning!

To be completely honest, the internship is off to a slow start. While I am actively researching about the company in order to acquire more information in regard to its functions, organization and strucutre, financial condition, etc.; I would like to be more actively engaged on the job. I am hoping that as time passes I will be given a lengthier list of responsbilites. I will say, as much as I enjoy working with and learning about a business area that is different than my primary major, I am now confident that marketing is in fact the right field for me.  I thrive on the hands on work, constant communcation with others, and implementation of my creative skills. If you are now crying from boredom, you can´t say I didn´t warn you to skip ahead!

Between class and school I virtually have no life during the weekdays. Working for 8 hours on Friday is the ABSOLUTE worst, but I am pushing through it! In the coming weeks I am taking off a considerable amount of time (don´t worry COB, I will still successfuly complete my 300 required hours) becaue my parents will be visiting (yes, I am beyond excited) and I have a couple of trips planned! Additioanlly, due to the fact that I am constantly occupied,  the time seesm to be flying by even faster than before.  It is hard to believe that I only have approximately three and a half months left….

Other than going to school, going to work, and sleeping when I get the chance, not much else has been going on besides the fact that I got to celebrate my 22nd birthday in Chile! Yeah, how many people can say that!?!?!?! My special day was off to a great start from the get go. At midnight (Chilean time) on the dot I received birthday wishes from my closest friends and family members. Much to my surprise, I also had a 15 minute video waiting for me to watch on my Facebook wall. One of my best friends, Elaina (with some assitance from my one of my other best friends, Lauren), had filmed a series of birthday wishes from my family, friends, co-workers, professors, kids I babysit, etc. All of the birthday wishes were compiled into an EPIC video, which truly made my birthday beyond amazing. If you have not seen the video, you should check it out!

I can honestly say that I have watched the video at least 15 times, and cried every time I watched it. It was just that good. I am so blessed to have such wonderfully people in my life. Elaina you out did yourself!!!

The night of my birthday my friends John and Rebecca came over and had dinner with my Chilean family. We had homemade pizza, cake, and a variety of alcoholic beverages. The food was great and the company was even better. We sat and conversed (in Spanish of course) for over 3 hours. Everyone enjoyed themselves and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity spend my birthday with them! It is definitely one that I will never forget.

While the aforementioned epic video and simply spending the day with family and friends was enough to suffice as a birthday gift, my Chilean family, John, and Rebecca all had a little something for me. My family bought me a Chile souvenir book so that I will always be able to remember the beautuful places that I traveled to. Rebecca got me a ton of Reese´s and packages of “5″ gum (each of which I have an addiction to), a minature Chilean flag, and a post card from her trip to Torres del Paine.  John bought me a bottle of Tanqueray (my liquour of choice) and burnt me a disc of the 641 songs on his “Favorites” playlist. For those of you who don’t know, when John and I travel together we use a headphone splitter so that we can both listen to his iPod. I would constantly  talk about how obsessed I am with his music and attempt to write down every song that I liked (which was virtually impossible becasue I literally liked all of them and there were over 600). That being said, it was truly the perfect gift! As if this was not enough, John and Rebecca handmade  coupons for a free drink of my choice at Starbuck´s  (I am addicted to Tazo green tea), a free lunch at our favorite restaurant Don Monolo, a trip to the beach, and a promised to trip to go hike La Campana in Olmue, Chile.

I was fortunate enough to have yet another birthday celebration on Friday. My co-workers and I went out to lunch in order to celebrate mine, along with my boss´s birthdays. We went to a quaint restaurant in Valparaiso and drank mini pisco sours and ate mini empanadas, soup, salad, and birthday dessert.  Then, after a long and painful 8-hour work day,Tomas, Rebecca, John and I all went out for sushi.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Although I could not ask for a better two days of celebration, my BEST gift arrived today. YES, my parents are currently in Viña del Mar. Words cannot express my excitement.

Can’t wait until I can tell you all about their experiences here in my next post!!!!

Until next time!

Chilling in Chiloé

Ahoy to all! Just a few short days ago I returned from a relaxing weekend in Chiloé, Chile. Literally, without the slightest concept of time or care in the world, we chilled in Castro, Chiloé, Chile  for three days. Let me tell you now, chilling in Chiloé is an activity that I would recommend to anyone interested in traveling to Chile! (Yes, I was trying my hardest to use as many words as I could that began with the letter “C.”)

My adventure commenced last Thursday, with what was supposed to be a 15 hour bus ride to Puerto Montt. Due to traffic delays, our bus arrived nearly 4 hours behind schedule (wahhh, wahhh, wahhh). The best part is… WE STILL WERE NOT THERE YET! After waiting 2 hours in Puerto Montt, we finally boarded our 3 and 1/2 hour bus ride to Castro. Nearly famished upon our arrival (poor us) we stopped at local restaurant and inhaled what I would consider to be the best salmon that I have ever eaten. One could argue that it was the best salmon that my taste buds have ever had the pleasure to enjoy due to my starving state of mind; however, I like to think that because the small island is known for its delicious fish, it really and truly was the BEST salmon EVER.  Not to mention, we went to the exact same restaurant for dinner the following night, where I happened to order the exact same thing, and it was just as good! Anywho… enough about the food! Immediately after dinner we went to check in to our hostel, Palafito Sur.

Palafito Sur, Hostel

The hostel was GREAT! It was clean, had hot showers, and had so much character! I would highly recommend it to anyone staying on the island. Being our first night there, we mingled with the other hostel dwellers and formulated a game plan for the next day.

The next morning we woke up planning on taking a bus to the National Park; however, those plans quickly changed (for the better) when a Hispanic couple whom we met the night before offered to chauffeur us around in their rental car for the day! It was great to have the ability to drive around in a car because we had the opportunity to stop and take pictures whenever we wanted! On the way to our first destination, we stopped to take pictures of some of Chiloé’s unique sites, including houses on stilts, a multitude of churches (which are official national monuments and heritage of humanity sites), and lakes.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our first official stop was the National Park, which I loved as the scenery was much different than what I have seen throughout my time in Chile. We then took a ferry to the small island of Isla Lemu and walked a remote nature trail! Everything was so picturesque and it was great to once again have a day to take in the much too often overlooked beauty of our planet.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The next morning was Easter Sunday and I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend one of Chiloé’s most famous churches, Iglesia San Francisco de Castro. Both the church and the service were absolutely beautiful, and it is truly an experience that I will never forget!

After church, John and I decided to island hope and ventured to Dalcahue, Curaco de Vélez, and Achao. Literally, everything was closed and deserted due to the fact that it was Easter Sunday. Nevertheless, we had a blast exploring the small towns!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our unforgettable Easter Sunday ended in the kitchen where we (believe it or not) prepared a home cooked Easter dinner!

Before we knew it, it was Monday morning and sadly, we had to say good bye to Chiloé. Luckily the trip home was much less painful and I arrived in Viña just in time for class on Tuesday morning! All in all, our lazy weekend is one that I will never forget. I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to chill in Chiloé again

On a side note….

For those of you who do not already know, myself along with 7 other Butler University students recently completed an interdisciplinary independent study in which we wrote, illustrated, published, and marketed a children’s book (He Huffed and He Puffed But…) about asthma. The book is a fractured fairy tale that takes a new spin on an age-old story. It is a tale about asthma through the eyes of the Big Bad Wolf, also known as Tim Burwulf. Tim is a young pup with a taste for three little pigs. However, when he tries to blow their houses down, he can’t! Each house he encounters acts as a trigger for his asthma. After visiting the doctor and pharmacist, Tim learns all about the symptoms and treatments of asthma that aid him in regaining his “huff and puff.”

I am proud to finally announce that the books are in and are up for sale via the following link: https://www.formstack.com/forms/butler-asthma_book

¡VIVA CHILE! Fútbol at its Finest!

CHI-CHI-CHI

LE-LE-LE

¡VIVA CHILE!………..

Was one of the many chants that flooded Chile’s soccer stadium just a few days ago. Chile took on Uruguay’s national soccer team in Santiago on Tuesday night, and I had the honor of being there to witness the important win! The experience was much different than attending an American sports event as the food at the stadium was literally non-existent. When I arrived, I was ready to indulge on nachos and soft pretzels. However, much to my dismay, the only food offered was ham sandwiches and Coke. Ha! All food aside, the soccer fans in Chile are crazy! Despite the fact that I do not know much about soccer and was confused for most of the game, the atmosphere made the experience incredible. Each time Chile scored the stadium erupted into a roar of cheering and everyone hugged and kissed their neighbors. I must admit, some of the chants were very inappropriate, but no one seemed to care! The majority of the chants, which I will not share with you as I know I have a few young readers, were directed at the Uruguayan soccer player, Suarez. Chilean soccer fans strongly dislike the fútbol star and were not afraid to express it!

For all of you soccer fans who would like a play by play of the game, check out my friend John’s travel blog: Gone With The Guys. He gives a full recap of all of the exciting moments and explains why exactly this game was so important. Like I said, I did not know what was going on for 95% of the time, but I sure had a great time cheering for Chile!

I truly had a blast at the game and will definitely try to go back when Chile takes on Bolivia in June! That’s all I have for now. Enjoy the pictures, and I will have a post next week about my trip to Castro!

A Much Needed Lazy Weekend

It is evident from my last post that I have been going non-stop! I am thrilled to inform you that this weekend I was able to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation. As lazy as you may think I am for saying this, I literally did nothing all weekend. IT WAS GREAT! Friday was declared a beach day and I was able to go to my favorite local fish joint for lunch, Saturday, my friend John and I spent all day laying around watching NCAA games (the Butler game was beyond depressing, but I am still proud to call myself a Bulldog forever!), and today I spent time catching up with friends and family and attempted to study (note the emphasis on attempted). I can now confidently say that I am well rested and ready to tackle the challenges that this week brings.

During my hours spent staring into space this weekend, I was able to do a bit of reflecting. The personal time was nice as I have hardly had time to catch up with thoughts. Due to the fact that most of my recent posts have informed you about the places I have been and the things I have done, throughout this post you will get a a snippet of the things that have been running through my mind.

To start off I am going to talk a bit about my class schedule, as I haven’t talked much about it! I am currently enrolled in a Spanish grammar class, a conversation and culture class, a dance class, and an economics class. All of my classes, except for the economics class, only have other exchange students in them. I absolutely love these classes as I am learning a wealth of information in them. In my advanced grammar class we focus on discussing why we are using certain tenses instead of merely applying grammar rules. The class is very interesting and I am glad to finally have the opportunity to grasp more in-depth grammar concepts.

My favorite courses are conversation and culture and dance. My conversation and culture class is very hands on and we often leave the classroom and walk about the city. All of the historical information about Valparaíso included in my last post was knowledge that I learned in this course. It is awesome to have a professor who knows so much about the city and can teach us about the extensive history of Chile in addition to allowing us to practice our oral and writing skills. My dance class may be one of the most fun courses that I have ever taken. In the course we are learning how to dance traditional Chilean dances. Thus far we have learned the Huayno (a dance from northern Chile) and the Cueca (the national dance of Chile). Dances that we are going to learn in the future include the Cacharpalla, the Morenada, the Diablada, the Caporales, the Sau-Sau, the Tamuré, the Aparima, the Ranchera, the Cielito, Salsa, merengue, and Afro-Perú.I have two male teachers who are absolutely hysterical and can move their hips better than anyone I have ever seen!

While I am enjoying all of my Spanish courses and am learning A LOT, my economics course is proving to be very difficult. Unlike the courses I described above, my economics course has other Chilean students in it. My professor is originally form Germany and speaks a slur of Spanish with a thick German accent. Needless to say, I cannot understand a word that he says! At this point, I am praying that I will eventually pick up on his rambling and learn about Chile and its insertion into the global economy. Riveting stuff… let me tell you…

In addition to taking classes,  I am in the process of setting up a business internship with a Navy company in Valpo. Thus far the process has been highly frustrating and difficult. Everyone seems to be on vacation all the time! I am hoping to get things ironed out by the end of this week. Even though working out the details has not been fun, I am very excited to have the opportunity to implement my business and Spanish skills in the same environment, I would love nothing more than to one day acquire a job that incorporates both my marketing and Spanish degrees, therefore this internship will be a great opportunity.

Aside from class, I spend most of my time dreaming about traveling. Studying abroad has officially given me the travel bug. All I want to do is travel the world and see everything it has to offer. I have started a list of all of the places I would like to travel (which is virtually everywhere) and hope to one day have the opportunity to take a world tour. It is funny to me how much my abroad experience has changed my outlook on life. Before my trip I was highly invested in and preoccupied with the brands of the clothing I wore and what my friends were doing. Now, I would be happy with a backpack, a pair of shoes, a pair of hiking pants, a white Hane’s v-neck, my passport, and enough money to get by. A traveling companion would be nice to have too! There is just so much to see and do, and I want to enjoy it all while I have the ability to do so.

While I cannot pick up and travel the world right at this moment, as I understand the importance of a college education, I have big travel plans while I am in Chile! In addition to traveling back Bolivia (La Paz), this past weekend my friend John and I booked trips to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Iguazu Falls, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Literally counting down the days to each one! This weekend, John and I will be traveling to the charming Castro, Chile. Castro is the third oldest city in the country and is known for is beautiful scenery, great fish, and kayaking. It should be a fairly laid back weekend and I am glad to have the opportunity to get to know Chile a little better. Next week I will have plenty of pictures to show you from the trip!

That’s about all I have for you!  Tomorrow I am going to the Chile vs. Uruguay soccer game in Santiago. Once again, I can’t wait! I desperately need to begin studying for my grammar quiz on Wednesday due to the fact that I will not get back to Viña until very late tomorrow night. I have recently come to the conclusion that studying abroad is nearly impossible, but I always seem to find the discipline and the time to do so.

Chau for now!

Friends and Family Visit Viña!

Once again, I apologize for the delay since my last post! This past week I was fortunate enough to have both my grandmother and friend visit. Between going to class and showing them around Santiago, Viña, and Valparaíso, I was literally busy every minute of every day!

I would like to start out by expressing how grateful I am that they had the opportunity to come visit me all the way in Chile. I am truly privileged to have such wonderful and loving people in my life. I had an absolute blast sharing a small portion of my experience with them both. As I mentioned above, we were literally busy every minute of every day! The day they arrived we checked into a hotel in Santiago and explored the city. We stopped to eat in Mercado Central, and although it is a bit touristy, the fish was to die for. I will definitely be going back. We also visited Bellavista, a small artsy area in Santiago which features unique restaurants, boutiques, and a great night life scene. It was my first opportunity to really explore these areas of Santiago, and I enjoyed getting to know the unfamiliar territory.

The next day we traveled to the Concha y Toro winery in Pirque (about an hour outside of Santiago). Concha y Toro is the second largest winery in the world and even though wine is not my drink of choice, I loved it. The winery is absolutely beautiful! We tried grapes right off the vines in addition to tasting a variety of wines, including the famous Carménère. Chile is the only country that can cultivate the type of grape that it takes to produce this particular wine. Essentially, during the 19th century plant crops were decimated in Spain and parts of Europe due to an infectious plague. For years people believed that the Chilean wine made from the unique grape was Merlot; however, experts eventually discovered that it was actually the grape that had been wiped out in other parts of the world! Honestly, I hated the way it tasted (due to the fact that I strongly dislike dry red wine), but at least I can say that I have tried it.  All in all the winery was a phenomenal experience. It was truly day filled with great food, great wine, and great company!

After two days in Santiago we headed off to Viña! I was beyond happy to return home. Santiago is a cool city, but nothing compares to living by the ocean. During their visit I made sure that we made trips to all three beaches, including the Viña beach, Reñaca, and Concón. Grammy was able to find sea glass in Viña, we all enjoyed the beautiful view in Reñaca, and we ate the BEST empanadas in Concón. Needless to say, each beach brought a different, yet enjoyable experience.

In addition to visiting all three aforementioned beaches, we  made a half day trip to Isla Negra. Isla Nega is infamous for housing Pablo Neruda’s most important home. For those of you who don’t know, Pablo Neruda was a noteworthy chilean poet, political figure, and nobel prize winner. During the duration of our trip we toured his house and spent time on the rocky beach. I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the ocean. By the time we left my pants were entirely soaked in salt water

As if we hadn’t done enough, we also toured the historical and artsy city of Valparaíso. In my language and culture class I have been learning all about the history of  the city.  In the 1800′s Valparaíso served as the economic foundation of Chile. Home to a commercial shipping port, which provided direct access to the country, Valparaíso played a crucial role in guarding and shipping gold and silver from Peru to Cadiz, Spain. By the mid-19th century (after Chile won its independence from Spain in 1818), during the time of the California Gold Rush, the economy of Valparaíso began to prosper. Ultimately, driven by economic reasons (including the California gold rush and the abundance of saltpeter mines in Chile), Europeans began to flood the city. Due to the strong European influence, Valparaíso became home to Chile’s first bank, stock market, public library, soccer team, and Spanish newspaper (El Mercurio). Today, El Mercurio is the oldest circulating newspaper written in the Spanish language. Despite the fact that Chile won the War of the Pacific (against Peru and Bolivia) in 1883, giving them control over lucrative territory which housed an abundance of saltpeter mines, the golden age of  Valparaíso’s economy would soon be over. Unfortunately, as we all know, all good things must come to an end where the economy is concerned. The construction of the Panama Canal in 1914 killed the economy of Valparaíso and sent European immigrants either back to their native countries or to Santiago, which would become the new economic capital of the country.

Now that I have officially bored you with a brief history of Valparaíso, you all know how important the city is to the economy of Chile. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and taking Grammy and Lauren around. Having the opportunity to see the first bank, the first stock market, the home of the oldest circulating Spanish newspaper, and one of the first Catholic churches in the country was truly amazing. Additionally, as I have talked about in previous blog posts, the city has tons of awesome graffiti, great restaurants, and awesome places to shop. We had a very fun-filled and educational day!

Inside the first Stock Market established in Chile

Our week ended with a spectacular sunset in Viña. Although I am exhausted, I could not have asked for a better week! I am so thankful for the time that I got to spend with both of these important people. Hope everyone has enjoyed reading about our experiences.

 

On a side note- I will be cheering hard for the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday! Butler is dancing! GO DAWGS!!!!

Off-Roading and Unplugged

It has been nearly a week since my last blog post and I promise I have good reason for the delay! I have just returned from a 5-day trip to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile and Bolivia. The desolate landscapes that I saw over the course of my trip were truly mesmerizing. Sometimes, I feel that we are so caught up in our daily routines that we overlook all of the beauty that the world has to offer, and I am beyond grateful that this trip gave me the opportunity to catch a mere glimpse of the unbelievable landscapes that are often neglected. I hope that as I recount my experience throughout this blog post, you are able to picture and appreciate the magnificent scenery I had the privilege to see!

Valle de la Luna; San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

I started my adventure on Tuesday after registering for my classes at PUCV. My friends (John and Katie) and I immediately took a bus to Santiago where we spent the night in order to catch our 7:00 a.m. flight the next morning. After switching planes (due to technical difficulties) and an hour delay we finally took off for San Pedro de Atacama. Although we were exhausted upon our arrival, there was not time for rest. We checked into our hostel, ate lunch, booked a Bolivian tour, and rented bikes to ride to Valle de la Luna that afternoon. As I mentioned in my previous post, San Pedro de Atacama is the driest desert in the world and it is absolutely beautiful! However, while watching the sunset over the salt covered ridges was breathtaking, it was not an easy feat to get there! In total we biked/hiked 20 miles that day, we underestimated the amount of water that we needed, and we had no time to adjust to the high altitude of the city. Despite the fact that I was absolutely dead after our 10 mile moonlight bike ride back to the hostel, it was unlike anything that I have every done and it was totally worth the sore butt and legs I had the next day. Ha!

Watching the sunset in Valle de la Luna

The following day we headed to Bolivia at 7:30 a.m.  After the trials and tribulations I went through to obtain my Chilean student visa, I was astonished as to how easy it was to acquire a Bolivian visa. In a matter of 10 minutes I paid the $135 fee, had my passport stamped, and was granted access into the country for the next 5 years. Myself, along with 4 other travelers and a tour guide made our way in a Lexus 4X4 through the dirt and rock laden landscape. As there were no roads to travel on, the ride was rough and we were often in the car for 5+ hours a day. I sat crammed in the back seat with John throughout the entirety of the trip… good times.

Off-roading!

Day one in Bolivia was amazing! We made stops at Laguna Blanca, Laguna Verde, Desierto de Salvador Dalí, Geyser Sol de Mañana, and swam in a natural thermal pool. The day was highlighted with a trip to the stunning Laguna Colorada. The water in this particular lagoon appears red as a result of a unique mineral and algae combination. Additionally, the lagoon is dotted with an abundance of pink flamingos. It was by far on of my favorite places we visited.  We concluded our first day at a camp about 10 kilometers away from Laguna Colorada. Due to the drastic increase in altitude (we went from being at sea level in Viña to up to 15,000 feet above sea level in Bolivia) I did not feel well at all. A pounding headache and cold temperatures did not make for a good night of sleep; however I managed to drag myself out of bed at 7:00 a.m. the next morning to embark on day two of the tour.

Laguna Colorada

Desert in Bolivia

Llamas

Day two in Bolivia included viewing a variety of lagoons, natural rock formations, deserts, a volcano, a train cemetery, and the small town of San Cristobal.  It was unbelievable to witness how different the standard of living is in Bolivia. People reside in small homes made of stone and often the tin roofs are held on with rocks. Moreover, they live in the middle of nowhere. It is shocking to see how these small towns develop and function when they merely consist of homes, a grocery store, a church, a school, and a few small businesses. To say the least, it is very different from what we are used to in the United States. We ended the day in the town of Uyuni, where we ate a delicious dinner at our tour guides’ house. Sleeping arrangements were much more comfortable that night and I actually slept well despite the 4:30 a.m. wake up call the next morning!

Waking up at 4:30 in the morning was undoubtedly worth having the opportunity to see the sunrise over Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt desert in the world.  Admittedly, I had no idea that salt deserts even existed. However, it was one of the coolest places that I have ever seen. The desert is truly indescribable; there was bright, white salt as far as the eye could see. The blank backdrop allowed for my friends and I to take some creative and one-of- a- kind pictures. Take a look under the “Kodak Moments” tab!

Salar de Uyuni

Sunrise over Salar de Uyuni

After spending the day in Uyuni, we made our trek back to San Pedro over the next two days. This trip was truly unlike anything that I have ever done, and I will never forget this experience. With no cellphone service for four days, I was able to relax and enjoy my surroundings. I encourage everyone to get out, open your eyes and take the opportunity to see our remarkable planet. Whether you are in Kentucky, Indiana, or Bolivia, I can guarantee that you are more often than not surrounded by something beautiful! Hope you enjoyed reading about my experience. Until next time!

Chao!

Random Thoughts and Future Plans

Hello Spanish, Good-Bye English…

I just officially ended my summer school session at PUCV! The past three weeks have been a great review and I have learned so much about the Spanish language and Chilean culture. While I am beyond ecstatic that my Spanish is improving, it seems that my English skills are getting worse (as you all can tell from the abundance of grammatical and spelling errors in my recent blog posts).  I never dreamt that my English would suffer while abroad; however, I am constantly finding myself struggling to remember certain words and having trouble organizing/writing my thoughts. The language is so different here, and I am constantly focused on retaining and practicing new/different grammatical techniques and vocabulary words. I suppose if I really want to be a Chilean, adios inglés! Hahaha! In all seriousness, it is a little scary and overwhelming. There is no doubt in my mind that my last semester at Butler will be more difficult than I expected.

Vacation!

Now that summer school is over, I have a week of vacation before the semester starts on March 4th! WOO HOO!!!! I am beyond excited because after orientation on Tuesday, I am taking a trip to San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro de Atacama is one of the driest deserts in the world and is located in Chile. From what Google images has shown me, it is absolutely beautiful. If all works according to plan I will also have the chance to visit Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Salar de Uynui is the largest salt desert in the world, and like San Pedro de Atacama, it is absolutely breathtaking! I can’t wait to be able to post pictures and tell you all about it!

Marketing Gone Wrong

In order to prepare for my vacation, I went to the mall to purchase hiking/trekking shoes. Between the high prices, poor customer service, and low inventory levels, it was honestly the worst shopping experience I have ever had!   After visiting 4 stores and trying on at least a dozen different pair of boots, I made the irrational decision to purchase a pair that I did not absolutely love. Almost immediately after I returned home I began suffering from what we marketers call post-purchase dissatisfaction or regret. Upon wearing the boots around the city in an attempt to break them in, I came to the conclusion that they needed to be returned. When I went back to the mall to inquire about other boots, no one had any sizes available and I was unable to return my original purchase for a refund. Luckily, I eventually found a pair that I liked and was able to make an even exchange. From here on out I am going to try and avoid the Chilean mall

Top 10 Things I Miss About Home

To conclude this post I am going to list the top 10 things I miss most about home, in no particular order!

10. Watching Nashville, Downton Abbey, Duck Dynasty and much more!

9. Marketing classes in the COB (I am a nerd, I know)

8. Teaching swim lessons

7. The Butler Health and Recreation Complex for working out

6. Chipotle, P.F. Changs, Panera Bread, Bagel Deli, Jimmy John’s, La Hacienda…

5. Huddle’s Frozen Yogurt

3. Peanut Butter

4. Driving my Jeep

2. My animals, especially Lola and Tate!

1. Family and Friends