TGIF

That title says TGIF for anyone who's wondering...

Oh my my. It's Friday. Whereas I would normally take this time to pretend like I'm Katy Perry, Pepa has been sick with the flu for the past few days, so we're not doing anything too crazy tonight...

We have, however, been taking full advantage of this time at home to watch as many movies as we can and do fun things like order-in sushi. This morning after Pepa took a shower he actually got back into his pjs. We keep it classy around here.

I also finally got myself a bike and Pepa finally fixed his, so we're currently dreaming (because Pepa is sick...) of all the bike trips we're going to go on in the future.

One thing that does make me a little nervous about biking around these parts is that it isn't exactly bike-friendly. It's hilly (like San Francisco hilly) and it always seems like drivers actually veer towards you instead of away... Am I wrong? Perhaps, since I have actually only been on one bike ride here. I went with my med-school friend and we just happen to be very competitive (why? I don't know) so that bike ride was traumatizing. I'll let you know how it goes the second time around.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and a really happenin' friday because I will be in bed watching movies and eating spaghetti with my love.

I'm going to trick him into drinking a spinach smoothie that I saw on itsahuntlife awhile ago. Recipe here.

Anyone have any good movie recommendations?

Goodbye, July

Lately it seems as though there are not enough hours in the day.

Between finishing up schoolwork, work, and trying to maintain a social life, I am exhausted. Phew, July, you have been quite a month. Thanks for everything, but I'm ready for you to be over. I feel completely brain-dead.

Today and tomorrow are also my two best friends' birthdays, topping off the craziness that has been this month.

Anyway, here are a few photos of our July, starting with Pepa and my trip to our friend, Gino's, farm.

Gino's farm is way out in the country outside of La Serena. 

We ate delicious food, walked for miles, ate handfuls of passion fruit and talked until late into the night. 

sand

So here's to you, July. You've done us well.
I can't wait to see what August has in store for us...

Like my two and a half year anniversary with this guy.

exhaustion

Fattin' It Up

Ay Caramba. Pepa and I have been fattin' it up this month, and folks, we have become chubs in the process. We're too young for this. Living with a man, however, can you make you do crazy things like eat 5 slices of pizza or lasagna with extra cheese. What were we thinking?

So today starts our new take on life. I actually got Mr. Pepa Whitebread to eat seed bread and he loved it.

Somewhere along the way, health got away from me. Pepa used to be a downhill bicycle champ. Then we started working and we got lazy.

Pepa, during his Abercrombie&Fitch days... not really

Anyway, we're starting anew. I really do think it's important to make time for exercise and to change those everyday unhealthy habits in healthy ones.

Some things we've starting to change are easy:
- I didn't like whole wheat bread all that much, so I tried seed bread and now I don't want anything else. Momma love her some seed bread
- We stopped drinking sodas and any other sugary drinks. Unfortunately, the water here is really not all that tasty, so we bought a filter that hooks right onto the spout.
- Pepa and I try to get at least 30 min of exercise a day. Now that we're working, it's a more manageable amount of time and we actually feel as if we're doing something. If we do more, great. If we do less, meh...
- We're also trying to use less sugar in our cooking. Now, when I'm baking, I usually use yogurt or applesauce so it's not overly packed with sugar.
- If we have someplace to go, we try to walk... if it's reasonable. Or we go on nighttime walks.

random picture from La Serena 

Anyway, I'm headed to lunch prepared by our French intern (yessssss). Day 1 of healthy new life: fail.

Greetings from La Serena!

Sorry I've been so absent recently. For the past three weeks (THREE weeks) we've been staying at Pedro's grandparents' house in La Serena. That makes 3 out of the 4 weeks that I've been here. Don't get me wrong, I really feel lucky that Pedro has such a wonderful family, but three weeks becomes a bit much. At times, this transition into Chilean life can seem less than peachy. Being a gringa, it's hard not to feel like an outsider. I've been told by other gringas (who are far past this first step) that it gets better -- and I'm positive that it will.

All complaints aside, I really do love Chile. While we've been here we went to see Tongoy, a little fishing village where people go to vacation during the summer months. It was a beautiful day, so we stripped off our winter coats and watched people surfing in the little bay. As we drove through the town we oohed and awwed at the houses that we dreamed about owning one day. 

We finally stopped when we got to the beach side, so that we could try their famous jaiba (crab) empananadas... but we got embarrassingly and inexplicably drunk after one pisco sour each, so the excitement for the empanadas melted into uncontrollable laughter at our sad state. After we parked on the beach a few meters down from the restaurant, we had to take naps in the car before we drove home. We are not normally so lush...

still sober

Fishing boats of Tongoy

Once we had sobered up, we decided to head out to Playa Blanca. We didn't go all the way down to the beach, but the views were amazing. 

Today we're heading home (and eating Huentelauquen empanadas on the way there! YEEEE!). We're leaving and I've realized that I'm going to miss this bustling orange home. The worries about the possibility that I have anemia because I only choose to drink tea puro (or tea without milk). Through the discussions about politics and the tears of homesickness, I'm starting to feel a little spot growing that's just for me, in my own little Chilean world with my little Chilean family. Well, it's actually a huge Chilean family, but it sounded better the other way.

Chile is crazy. It surprises me everyday. But the people are warm and the landscape is breathtaking and I couldn't be happier. In an out-of-my-mind kind of way. 

My Love/Hate Relationship with Chile

Sometimes Chile can be the most frustrating place in the world. Today I'm feeling more on the hate side of things.

Point #1 - After university begins its first semester all agendas go off the shelves, leaving me agenda-less.
Point #2 - Whenever you go to someone's house and leave something there it will be gone forever.
Point #3 - Littering. Every. WHERE
Point #4 - The lack of dryers makes for some really smelly clothes.

But then it surprises you and you have to laugh at how crazy Chile is.

Van and Me

Today, after a wonderful weekend of rest and friends, I'm having a hard time getting going. So I sat down with some Van Morrison and a cup of tea. just to think. I opened the sliding door and listened to the ocean and felt the warm breeze from the weird weather we're having (did I mention it's winter??)

I thought about our weekend. Our trip to the feria (farmers market).

See our two newest additions to the family on the left? They have now found their respective homes in our room and the living room.
And see our bounty?!

Did we just steal?

Can you believe it was all less than $16?
See that face? That's a combination of overstimulation and hiding a pair of braces. What's that you say? I don't have braces? I don't know.

For lunch we made yummy tuna burgers (recipe to follow) with rice and tomatoes.

Pedro was introduced to Nanci Griffith, a favorite of mine when I was little.
And I found out that tin foil can cut you.

We took a walk down by the water to say hello to the sea lions.

hi!

good morning, seagulls!

The Marine Science building

Then I worked away on some homework while Pepa snoozed.

That night I had my welcoming party with some friends and we went out dancing. Whoops... I forgot to take a picture of Martin and Paula! Sorry!

On Sunday we laid in bed for as long as possible. After opening all the windows for fear of overheating. 

We ate corn in bed... 

And I played with our funny little clementine...

Then we decided it was time to venture out of doors...

And out of our stifling little apartment. 

We watched the sunset with everyone else who had stopped their cars on their way home to take pictures. 

And we walked and walked. 

good evening world

It was a good weekend. Then, we woke up this morning and realized we had left the keys in the door. A sure sign of relaxation. Even though it gave me a little bit of a heart attack. 

So today it'll start again. Going through some normal routines and letting myself just be a little bit more. 

I'm trying my hand at "To-Don't" (even though as I write this i've already written my To-Do list for the day...). Sometimes things don't come easily. Sometimes you just don't feel like yourself. Maybe every once in a while you just need some time to remember who you are.

OMG Instagram

Sorry, but we finally got instagram. It's absorbing my life.

the view from Pepa's office

Martin, Pepa and Yoyi - my office companions

Shelves cause excitement around here

Happy Friday!! Tonight Pepa and I are putting up shelving in the living room! Yes!!! Shelves! We're having an especially exciting Friday around these parts, as you can tell.

To be honest I am entirely overly enthusiastic about the shelves. Lunch break just started and I've already spent the past 30 minutes looking at what kind of shelving I want to put in.

Unfortunately, we have a huge heater right below where the shelves will be, so I'm currently scheming ways that we can simultaneously hide the heater and work towards maximizing the space we have.

Since that wall is large and covered with boring wallpaper, I'm thinking of some long shelves that will span the entire room length.

Like this:

image

Or maybe something like this:

image

the second image obviously involves shelves that are broken up - which might add more interest to that boring wall. 

I think I'm kind of digging the second picture. We'll see which Pepa prefers.

But! Just when I'm started to feel like I'm obsessed with my home, we aren't having a completely lame weekend. Tomorrow is my arrival party in our friend's house. Lots of choripan, piscolas, and great company. I. Can't. Wait.

Tomorrow morning is also the farmer's market. 

We're actually having a great weekend, if I do say so myself.