Now I´m in Chile and I´m loving it. I´m staying with a family here and only one speaks English well so I´m having to learn quickly -- which is what I¨m here for. They´re so warm and loving. It´s fantastic. Mom and Grandma just finished teaching me how to cook a Chilean specialty, Papas Rellenos. I tried to make one myself and it was tough. But all fun since I was speaking only in Spanish with them.

The city of Santiago is much larger than I thought: 5.6 million people. Yesterday I hiked to the top of San Cristobal and had great views of the city all the way up. It´s ringed by mountains, many of which still have snow on them. Good skiing is only 1 hour away from the heart of the city and ít´s not too pricey by U.S. standards. Everyone I meet here is so friendly! It already feels like a great place for me to be, and I´ve only been here for a day!