I got back safe and sound from my little group excursion south. I added a few more pictures to the photo link if you want a better idea of where I went. It's always fun to see new places and equally rewarding to come back to my life here in Valdivia. I spent a lot of time during the trip with people that I don't typically hang out with just because I try to meet Chileans and work on my Spanish outside of classes. It ended up being really enjoyable and I realized that I really only had about a month left of seeing these people before the majority of them leave for the US. I am so glad to know that I have more time, but for instance this morning I had a mini-realization that it would be a really long time before I saw a lot of people that I care about. Interesting to have the two conflicting desires, but that's life so I'm going to have to get used to it. I got back last evening and went to my friend Milthon's house for his birthday party. Honestly, it is the most challenging experience to try and understand a group of Chilean peers speaking at light speed and referencing either cultural or social nuances that I will never comprehend. Sounds harsh but with certain people it really makes me feel that way. I know that it is not intentional on their part and I don't expect them to change the way that they talk to each other just so that I can follow what they are saying. I feel so lucky to have met a handful of solid, good-hearted, patient people who don't mind repeating things or speaking slower for me. I was talking to my friend Adrian last night and he was telling me that he really enjoys our conversations because we always make each other laugh. Even though Adrian knows that I don't understand every word he says, he told me that the important thing is that we are both communicating and having fun, which we certainly do every time I see him. I ended up being way more tired than I realized when I got to the party, and around 1:30 I asked Milthon if I could rest on his bed. Two hours later I was awoken by Heather and Sophia who didn't know where I'd gone off to and I joined back in on the group conversation for another hour before we left for good. I remember when I was lying there drifting off to sleep how Milthon had made me feel so welcome in Chile and here he is letting sleep on his bed without a second thought. I really do consider him a close friend and he even commented today during an online chat about how my Spanish has gotten better and that our conversations are more fluid. It's nice to get that kind of reassurance because I am always conscious of the mistakes I make when I try to talk. Everyone tells me that they understand what I am trying to say so now it's just a matter of wording it correctly...

Today I did my homework outside in the backyard, and I have already decided that I want to make that a more frequent activity. It is starting to get really warm here, I'd say we've had days in the mid 70s pretty consistently for the past week or so. I even ate my dinner outside while I was studying and it was lovely. I figure that since I eat it alone typically, what's to stop me from eating it out in the sunshine? I had a very relaxing day overall. It started off oddly with me feeling a little dumb from not understanding the majority of what was said at the party and me missing my friends who I would never feel that way with. However, after I went to the gym, got a bit of my homework taken care of, chatted with Milthon online, and spent an evening at Marcelo's house, I realized that I am truly happy here and in a fairly short amount of time I have adjusted really well and created a unique little existence for myself here in Chile.