Today was a little busier than normal but I got a lot accomplished so I feel good about it. I started off the day with a "test" in my Chilean culture class. I mean, I don't really know how I can be tested on something as diverse and subjective as Chilean culture...This ended up being an hour and a half of writing, which for me amounted to about 2 pages of pretty compressed writing, in Spanish of course : ) I really do think that it has gotten a lot easier to write in addition to talking and listening. I then was going to go home and prepare for my presentation that I had in my next class, but I ran into the program director who also teaches English classes at the university. The native English speaker who was going to talk about Halloween in her class couldn't make it so I said I would step in and say a few things about it. I happen to love Halloween because the whole day I'm thinking about how the next day is my birthday. It's funny because even though Halloween is so culturally intertwined into American culture, I had a hard time explaining the history or significance of the holiday. I mainly focused on all the ways that my dad used to decorate our house over the years and that kept me talking for a while. It was cool because in that class there are a few Chileans that I've gotten to know outside of school and it was fun to be in a position where I was helping them for a change. I've already told them that anytime they need help on any projects in that class to let me know and I'm there. They essentially do the same for me all the time so I'd like to return the favor in any way that I can. I think I am going to talk about Thanksgiving soon in an upcoming class, and this time I'll even have time to prepare so I'll know my info a little better. 

I sped walked home, shoveled down lunch, and sped walked to school again where my group presented our powerpoint on the indigenous Mapuche population. I felt really good about my piece, and I think the fact that I kind of winged it a little worked in my favor. It comes across as more genuine, or so I like to think. So, I left that class feeling pretty good about myself, headed over to Spanish class and that was that. Even though Wednesdays are my busiest days it ironically went by quicker today since I had more to do. 

I prepared myself dinner since my parents were downtown with their granddaughter. Just as I was leaving I happen to catch them and we joked around a little about how I always am over at Devin/Marcelo's house and off I went. Just even from that little conversation I could tell that we were all in a great mood and it was a nice way to leave the house. I don't really see them as much as I used to in the evenings, but I don't think that our relationship has suffered as a result. Their daughter is about to give birth so they've got enough on their plate already I figure. 

When I got to Marcelo's house I told him that I wanted to go on a walk so that's what we did. It was kind of interesting because I ended up speaking a lot more English to him than I normally do and it was a nice little treat to be able to talk without thinking over every word for a little while and still have a Chilean understand me. Hopefully, I will get closer to that point in Spanish by the end of the year, but I've gotta give myself a break every once in a while in order to maintain my sanity. I finished off the evening by eating even more food with Marcelo's family, watching a crazy movie called "The Thing" while beating Marcelo in a game of chess. I was about to rub it in his face a bunch when he pointed out that I could have done it in a way that would have taken about 5 less turns...

Now I'm back at home, it's 1am, and I think I should just go to bed and save up some energy now. I leave for Argentina tomorrow night at 4am, and my friends and I decided that it makes wayyyyy more sense to just hit the town and stay up until then rather than have an all too brief slumber. Should be fun : )