To all who have passed by and clicked the link to my blog for the past month and a bit, I extend my sincerest apologies for the lack of content. nevertheless, the blog server is up and running now and I will attempt to recap the past month and a half of my life in chile.

I feel it might be best to begin with my reasons for visiting this skinny, oddly-shaped country. That tends to be the one of the most common questions I am asked by chilenos, second only to "de donde eres?" (in which I have to explain I am not, in fact, from Washington, D.C. but rather from the other superior coast, an explanation which is quickly followed by, "ayyyypo. Kurt Cobain!"

I am currently interning as a reporter at El Mercurio de Valparaíso, and will continue to do so through the end of July. My responsiblities are the same as those at The Daily Evergreen at Washington State University, where I work at home. I receive an assignment, hit the streets, write it up, and it gets published. The key difference is that I came to this country speaking virtually no castellano, and after three weeks of language school I´m not sure I was quite prepared. But it is fantastic experience, and through it I´ve met president Michelle Bachelet, other government and municipal officials in the region, and had a great excuse to talk to citizens.

As for the blog, I am hoping to offer some insight to anyone who has even the slightest interest in the region. There´s a lot to love about this region, but also a lot that required serious adjustment and cultural acceptance on my part. I came to this country with the mission to make every day an adventure, and I certainly received more than I bargained for.

Chao--