End of 2010 and 2011 in Chile

Current Location: Chillan, Chile

Hola!! I am writing this quick blog update from my bedroom at my host families house! It has been a crazy few weeks with the end of the semester, Christmas, New Years, and Chile!

Christmas with the family in NYC was really great. We did all sorts of fun things! Christmas Eve dinner was at a restaurant called DB Bistro, one of the families favorite. It was weird though - our family usually opened presents on Christmas Eve, but this year we did it differently (along with a few other things... like Christmas in NYC). We went to Brooklyn for Christmas presents and dinner on the 25th. It was so nice to have everyone (Dana, Nate, Mom, Dad, and Mama Doris, to be specific) there. It was a bit cramped in that little apartment though! I got some really nice things for Christmas - more than I was expecting. My favorite gift is probably my Kindle! I need to slow down on getting books or I'm going to be broke soon!

New Years I spent at Craig's apartment with Meghna, Dana, and Nate. It was really nice - as fun as Times Square could have been, its so ridiculously crowded there - I wouldn't have been able to stand being that cramped! It was a fun night, but I stayed a little bit too late - especially with my flight to Chile the next day! It all ended up fine. I woke up the next morning quite tired from the few hours, finished last minute packing, and headed to the airport. My first flight was at 1:30, and then I had a 5 hour layover in Miami before my second flight. I managed to met up with another guy from the program, William so I had someone to chat with, and then Leah and Mackenzie, two other girls in the program, met up with us shortly before we boarded. It was nice to know a few other people before landing and being overwhelmed. I managed 2 seats to myself for the overnight flight, and was able to curl up and sleep a decent amount.

Chile so far has been absolutely AMAZING. I am already completely in love with the country. After landing, We all hung out in the airport for a while until everyone else arrived. It was a bit annoying to be stuck there, but there were lots of people around that we could chat with so we wouldn't be too bored. It was also nice to be able to meet everyone before heading out on the trip. I've been able to learn about half the names already, if not more, and those few hours definitely helped. Once everyone got there, we got on a bus for 5 hours to get to our field site. I was expecting bumpy roads and a bus packed and falling apart - see my Ghana posts for more details - but I was blown away! The roads are all smooth and well paved, and the bus we were on was a double decker charter bus! It was fabulous! We had air conditioning and bathrooms and they even provided pillows and blankets. I couldn't really sleep much on the bus, but it was alright. As soon as we arrived in Chillan, our host family was there waiting for us. They are so sweet! They don't speak much English, but they are very patient with my limited Spanish skills, and help act things out if I don't understand the words. I am also lucky that I am staying with Julie - she speaks far more Spanish that I do and can help me find a word that I am missing. I definitely think my Spanish skills will improve while I am here - especially my vocab. It will definitely help when I start Spanish back up this fall.

You might have heard there was an earthquake in Chile the day I landed. I didn't feel a thing! Apparently they are fairly mild. The family I am staying with said it was just like a rocking boat or baby crib! Very mild in their opinion. It will be interesting to see if I feel any while I am here - I probably would be a bit less calm than they would be!

Today was a more relaxing day than we will be usually having. We got up this morning to head to lectures. They wanted to make sure they introduced us to the concepts and experiments before we went out into the field. It was fairly short - we were there from 9 to 1:30. Afterwards, I was going to go explore Chillan with some of the other students. Next thing I realized it was 3:00, when we were going to meet, and we had just started eating lunch. I realized I also had a lot of things I needed to do, plus we won't have much time for relaxation after today, so I should take advantage of it. Tonight we have a group dinner at a restaurant, which we will be leaving in just a few minutes for. Then starting tomorrow we are out in the field! That means 12 hour days, lots of mud and dirt, and lots of fun! I can't wait to get out there! Should have some great stories!

Since I have internet at my host families house, I hope to upload some pictures soon - too busy to do that now! I'll try to update every few days, which should be fairly easy with the reliable internet. I miss everyone back home, but I am having such an amazing time! My latest adventure is a good one!

Reflections on 2010

Current Location: New York, NY

Well, it's the end of 2010... and what a year it has been. I was watching the Google Zeitgeist 2010 video that goes through the year of events, and it was shocking to see how much has happened in such a short period of time. At the beginning of the year we had the earthquake in Haiti, and this year has contained of events like the World Cup in Africa, the Chilean miners, the Pakistan floods, the Gulf Oil spill, and most recently, the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

However, looking back it's been quite a year of changes for me. I visited Chicago, Tennessee, and North Carolina. I took my passion of travel to a new level, visiting 4 new countries (Dominican Republic, Haiti, Belgium, and Ghana) and living for a month in France and Ghana. I learned to live without technology and how to survive in cultures unlike my own, where I barely knew the language. I completely changed my focus - before this year, I was certain I would go straight to graduate school, and I have decided to not apply and take at least a year off, if not longer. I've decided to attempt potentially one of the hardest things of my life, pursuing the Peace Corps where I would have to live in a poverty stricken nation for several year, without reliable internet or phone service, my friends or family, or knowing the local language fluently (to begin with, at least). I don't know if I have ever felt so excited about something - I think I am already annoying my friends and family with "Peace Corps this" and "Peace Corps that," and I haven't even received an invitation!

I've gotten closer to some friends, drifted apart from others - I guess that's just part of growing up. I've gone over 6 months without purchasing a pair of shoes (yes, that is a major change!). I've also really separated myself from my home. Gainesville still hold a special place in my heart, but in 2010, I think I spent maybe 15 days there, if not less. It's weird not going home, but I also feel like I am growing up and moving on. The Jenni that lived in Gainesville is nothing like the person I am now - people that knew me back then often can't understand my desires to travel and help others. The reactions I got from people when I explained I used a latrine and took bucket showers for a month in Ghana were hysterical. I can only imagine the looks I'll get when I tell people about my plan to live like that for 2 years!

I've improved my grades. I really buckled down this year in my academics, making the Deans List for the first time in the Spring (though the Fall semester is still somewhat in the air...). I've decided to not necessarily do what I "should" do but instead what I want to do. I decided to drop my minor with one class to go and instead start Spanish again. It's time I do what I want to rather than do what I should.

I can't think of a more appropriate way to start 2011 than to hop on a plane on January 1st and head to Chile for two weeks. It will represent how much I expect my life to change over the coming months. I'll be heading to New Orleans in January and Nicaragua in March. I'll be a college graduate in May. Possibly take a trip with family or friends in June or July (anyone interested in planning something?). And if all goes to plan, I'll be packing my bags in August or September for the unknown! My life has never been more unsure than it has been at this moment, yet I have never been more certain that this is what I need to do.

I thank all my family and friends that have been so supportive of me. I am so lucky to have you in my life! May 2011 bring great things for us all!!!

The End of the Semester

Current Location: New York, NY

I know, once again I fail at updating. This past month has been a whirlwind of work - lab reports, group project, problem sets galore. I always thought my senior year would be a time for relaxing and partying, but no such luck.

Exciting thing in the past month? Well first of all, I had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I actually have two different thanksgivings with two separate and extremely important groups of people with me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. My first thanksgiving was with the girls - Lucy and Laura, along with myself prepared a FABULOUS vegetarian Thanksgiving feast! Anyone who says you can't have thanksgiving without turkey most certainly has not had our thanksgiving food! I made my mom's bourbon sweet potatoes, because it most definitely is not thanksgiving without them. Laura made some delicious mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, and the two of us helped out with the rest of the feast Lucy had planned out - mushroom red wine gravy, the most amazing stuffing EVER, a rice and cheese loaf, and brie and cranberry sauce mini quiche things. I think there was even more - I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! After stuffing ourselves, it was time for the obligatory thanksgiving nap before I headed downtown to Dana and Nate's for Thanksgiving part two. Down there I got to eat mac and cheese (the best recipe ever, both Dana and I make it, though I made it first hehehehe) green beans, and potatoes! They also had meat turkey and gravy, which I obviously didn't eat. They made quite the feast! After stuffing myself so full, I crashed in Brooklyn for the night before heading back up to Columbia.

Another exciting thing was I had my Peace Corps interview! It went really well. I was rather nervous, because they told me the interview could go between 60-90 minutes. Well my interview went over 2 hours, but it was GREAT! My interviewer was so nice, and it felt almost more like a conversation than an interview. I felt very much as ease and thought it went very well, and I was rewarded just a few days ago with the news that I have been nominated for service! The next step is an extremely thorough medical clearance - Physical, ObGyn, Dental, and Eye exams all required, I think. I can't wait to continue moving forward with the process - maybe in a few months I will know for sure what I could be doing and where! It's nerve racking, because I could not find out until as little as 6 weeks before I leave for my service, which would be July. But it is also so exciting, and I can't wait to continue to learn more!

I am not going home for Christmas this year, as many of you already know, I decided to do a little bit of decorating in my room! Gotta get into the Christmas spirit after all! I haven't done much yet - I got myself a little Christmas tree that I decorated and made a few little paper snowflakes to hang around the room (yes, I know I am a total nerd). It makes me happy, since I can't be home with my usual Christmas traditions to at least have a little bit of festive cheer in my room. Hopefully it will help me get through exams!

In other news, the semester is coming to a close. Monday is the last day of classes. It's really flown by - I can't believe it's actually my senior year. I guess with all my traveling I didn't really see the weeks passing by me. Only one more semester and then I'm off to the real world - I don't know if I am quite ready to be there yet! I actually don't have a ton yet - for our group project, we have our final report, we have a 5-6 page progress report for senior design, one final lab, a GIS assignment and the take home final, and 2 sit down finals left. Wow, when I list it all out, it sounds like I still have a lot to do. Less than two weeks left, and I will be done with everything! My parents and grandma come up on the 23rd for Christmas in the city. And then on January 1st, I leave for my two weeks in Chile! I cannot wait for that - we got some more information, and I think it's going to be a really amazing trip. They only accepted 16 students out of a large group, so I feel so honored to be able to go!

Tennessee!

Current Location: New York, NY

Hello world! I am back in NYC and doing work, but I wanted to catch everyone up on my weekend in Tennessee and other news. I had a great weekend chilling out in Tennessee with Nick! It's really nice to have a trip that I have absolutely NOTHING that I am required to do. When I was in Chicago, I had a visit to U of I, when I was home I had a wedding to attend, and other weekend have including having to see family in town, get scuba certified, and volunteer at an event. Even though I wasn't in town, this weekend included lots of loafing around, watching movies, and playing with the kitty. Yes, Nick has the cutest little black kitten ever!!! I don't have a pet, either at home or at school, so it's so much fun to get to play with one. She's a bit of a spazz, but when she calmed down and curled up, I died a little bit. I tried to smuggle her back to NYC, but for some unknown reason, Nick objected. Go figure.

So while in Tennessee, we did a few fun things, other than watching movies, playing with Kitty (which has a name by the way, I just can't remember how to spell it. I just call her Kitty), and loafing/sleeping. First, we went and saw the movie RED, which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it. Helen Mirren with a machine gun - totally worth price of admission! It has a great cast - John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, and Bruce Willis. It was really funny, so I enjoyed it immensely. The second thing we did was see my aunt and uncle. Funny story - so 2 weeks before I went to Chicago, and saw my Uncle Phil and Aunt Paula. So we were talking and I mentioned I was heading to Tennessee. Well we realized the weekend I was going to see Nick was the same weekend they were coming to see my cousin Chris, who also goes to Tennessee! We all met up for dinner one night which was great - I probably haven't seen Chris in over 5 years! Dinner had a few issues - the place we went to we discovered the Chef had walked out 2 days before, so they were out of tons of stuff. We managed to find enough they had for a good meal, and it was great to see them. I then flew back at the ungodly time of 6 AM, and spent Sunday catching up on some work.

So other news? Well, I am not traveling again until JANUARY for Chile - thats 1.5 months of no travel. As much as I love traveling, I am a bit behind and it's going to be nice to be relaxed and not worrying about flights and everything. Though it's going to be getting cold! In a week and a half, Thanksgiving comes around. I'm excited - Laura, Lucy and I are going to have a vegetarian thanksgiving feast! Since none of us eat meat, we won't have to worry about a turkey and instead will make all sorts of delicious things! Plus 4 days off of classes? It's gonna be great!

Then after Thanksgiving, I have my Peace Corps interview! I'm so excited for it! I'm nervous, but I can't wait to hear more about what possibilities there are for me. It's a scary thought, leaving for 2 years, but it's something I feel so passionate about and would be so excited for! I will certainly keep everyone updated on what happens. I am also looking at some other options in case this doesn't work out, but it is definitely my first choice. Fingers crossed! Then we have Christmas, New Years, and then Chile! I will definitely keep everyone updated as things progress. XOXOXO

A crazy month

Current Location: New York, NY

Things have again been so crazy, that it's been a few weeks since I updated! Lot's of exciting things have happened.

First, my parents came to town, and Homecoming 2010 happened! It was a great trip! Lots of delicious food and time to see my parents. I really rarely get to see them, considering I barely ever go home, and they can only come up here a few times a year for a week at a time. We had a few great dinners, went to a jazz club one night, and went to a comedy club another. It's nice to get out in the city without paying. It was also homecoming 2010! My senior year homecoming! We sadly lost, but I had a great time. Senior tailgate (with free beer!), free scarf for being an engineer, an awesome giant foam pawprint, and pictures with Roaree! All in all, a great weekend. It was also a great celebration weekend for my GRE being done! I did really well on it, I nailed the math, and did better on the verbal than I thought!

Next was my big trip to Chicago! I went there for three reasons - first to see Illinois Urbana Champaign for one weekend. Second, to have a fun weekend out of the city. Third, to spend some quality time with my mom and my aunt, uncle and cousin who live in Chicago. It was a really great weekend. I love NYC, but sometimes it's nice to get out for a bit. I flew in Thursday night, and proceeded to head straight to a bar to meet my mom, my Uncle Phil, and my Aunt Paula. It was a place known for good food as well, so we got delicious dinner! It's great when your uncle knows all the best food places in the city! They dropped me and my mom off at their apartment in the city. The next morning, my mom and I did a walking tour of Chicago. It is such a pretty city, and the weather was really nice! We saw Navy Pier and Millennium Park as the highlights. After that, we went to the Art Institute to get some yummy lunch. That night, we headed out for dinner again, and went to an italian place that was great! That night we went back to my Aunt and Uncles house instead of the apartment, because Halloween festivities were getting ready to begin. They have the most epic Halloween party I have ever been to! It is the 31st annual party, and I think there were close to 100 guest there. I pulled together a last minute costume of Amy Winehouse, complete with my hair in a beehive and a bottle of Jack Daniels! It was pretty funny, though washing my hair in the morning was a nightmare. It was a great night. On Monday, I headed to Urbana Champaign to see the U of I campus. I met with some professors and the campus is beautiful. It's pretty far away from everything - don't know if I would like living in that small of a city. Who knows though, it could happen.

This past weekend I stayed in NYC, but I had the fun event of Kids for Kids to work! K4K is a fundraiser of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the foundation that we raise money for at Columbia's Dance Marathon. Kids for Kids is their big NYC wide fundraiser where there are fun, games, activities, and celebrities for kids to meet. I volunteered there last year and worked again this year. Got to see some cool celebs, like Tiki Barber, Sheri Shepherd, Mariska Hargitay, among others. It's an amazing event where so much money is donated to an amazing cause, and it was great to be a part of it.

So you might think, Jenni, your life is slowing down soon, right? No, not quite... This upcoming weekend, I am heading to Knoxville, Tennessee to visit Nick for the weekend. Then we have Thanksgiving coming up, where I will be in the city, spending time with Dana and Nate. Then finals come around, and Christmas in NYC will happen! My mom, dad, and Mama Doris are all coming up to the city for Christmas, rather than me, Dana, and Nate coming home. Then on January 1st, I fly to Chile for 2 weeks! I got into the program, and I am so excited for this trip. I will be living in a home stay for two weeks and will spend my time learning hydrologic field methods. It should be an amazing time. In other news, my Peace Corps application is continuing to move forward. I have to get fingerprinted for my background check, and then I am off to the first interview process. Wish me luck!

Until, next time.