Lots has happened since I returned to Santiago, and I promise I will write a good update and finish the vacation blogging soon, I just haven't had time or much motivation to write an update in the recent days because much of what I've been experiencing has been homesickness, thinking I had a place to live and then that falling through, trying to get back into a groove and routine and stay positive, and filling every possible moment with being outside exploring with my friends, many of whom have been feeling the exact same way I have. We've agreed that stay at home time with your computer needs to be limited, so all of us have been trying to keep ourselves occupied, which has resulted in some pretty interesting adventures over the past few days.

After the awful house ordeal that Gina and I experienced 4 days ago, I got really homesick and kind of had a difficult time remembering why I'm down here. We're at a really hard part of this experience, where we've been here close to 2 months, but have pretty much 5 months left which is a LONG time. That, in addition to all the uncertainty the Earthquake brought us with the delay of school, getting stuck in Punta Arenas, lots of grocery stores are out of random things because they can't be shipped in from the south, and occasional aftershocks have made this week just a little difficult for everyone I think.

All of Santiago is still shaken up (sorry for the pun) after this, but it's also been really incredible to see how all of Chile is banding together to help the victims and start the repairs almost immediately. All of the busses have written on their windows "Chile ayuda Chile", which is a big aid organization that has really stepped up. There are constantly people outside of banks soliciting official donations made through the bank. Last night at midnight on the bus one of the passengers lowered the window and shouted "Plata! Plata!" and handed some volunteers in the street money out of a window at midnight. There are all sorts of organizations to go build houses or help pick up debris, and outside of every grocery store there are people asking you to buy 1 extra non perishable item to donate. Last night, some friends and I went to a benefit concert where the entrance fee was nonperishable items to be donated to the victims. While the concert was pretty awkward since it was solely Chileans in attendance and we just got stared down and didn't stay too long, it was still great to give.

Santiago is functioning 100% normal right now, minus a few things missing in grocery stores and a whole new level of Chilean pride in flags and volunteers. It reminds me a lot of how American citizens reacted after 9/11 with the "United We Stand" stickers and everything similar, I guess a tragedy as big as 9/11 or a 8.8 earthquake really bring out unity and pride and working together, which is actually a really incredible thing to be here to witness.

So it's been a hard past couple days, and one day will be better and then the next will be hard again, but me and my friends down here are working through it together. The other day we went to a super US style mall and saw a movie and ate at TGI Fridays, purposely, to feel a little bit like home. Yesterday we went for a run and had orientation. Today there is an all EAP Pizza Party since we haven't had a group activity since the earthquake and then my friends and I are going to a park to hang out and read. Later tonight I have some skype dates, and tomorrow I'm going (hopefully) for an 8 mile run. I know I'll be glad I did this, and I know I'm having a great experience that couldn't be replaced, but I also knew at some point I would get homesick. Staying positive and working through it is the name of the game. And I honestly thing studying abroad is way harder than anyone would ever lead you to believe.

For some reason, I start classes on monday but don't have class thursday or friday, so some friends and I are thinking of either going to Mendoza, Argentina (Napa meets South American wine country) or finding a way to go help out with houses or something (there are lots of programs right now). Either way, it'll be good to get out of Santiago for a bit and relax!