All Good in Santiago

All good in Santiago. I have been here for two weeks now. This Wednesday will be the halfway point, and the time is passing quickly.

Aside from my regular job and trying to improve this travel website, I have been working hard to improve my Spanish.

Contrary to what I thought (that most travellers staying here would speak English), most actually speak Spanish and are travelling here from other countries in South America. I have met with two language exchange people which I arranged in advance. One has turned out to be an amazing tour guide and is good at explaining the tricky parts of Spanish that are not always easy to understand in study videos. And she is nice. If I tell her I need a break, she is understanding. Likewise, she is eager to improve her English. Google Translate is helpful. But we speak faster than the Google page can connect.

Yesterday we went to Barrio Italia, an Italian neighborhood in central Santiago. We passed a CoWork spot here (but I don’t work here. The place where I’m staying has nice CoWork space, which is part of the reason I chose that place).

I am trying to transition into thinking in Spanish instead of translating it word for word into English in my head, which has been challenging. And while here, I only watch movies in Spanish with Spanish subtitles. No English at all for now.

This language exchange person teaches English in an elementary school here and has invited me to help in her classroom (ok… who am I kidding, I invited myself). I told her I am happy to help with anything, even cleaning the chalkboard erasers. That is still being set up.

Lots to share still, but I will stop here for now. Con mucho amor a mis familia y amigos/With much love to my family and friends.