The beginning of the end

It's crunch time. Today officially marks the end of my third week of classes, which means that I only have one more to go! This is both very relieving and oddly sad all at the same time. I will miss the time spent with these people every day, the tear-inducing belly laughs that happen an average of 3 times daily (seriously!). I will NOT miss 8 hours of classes a day or 3 hours of homework a night; although, even so, I feel that I'm just now starting to TOTALLY get it all and I know that if there was a way to have another week or two of classes, it would be really beneficial for me. Nevertheless, I'm sure I won't be saying that come next Tuesday as between now and then it is going to be bru-tal. I had a major paper due this past Monday and then she had the nerve to give us another one that's due Friday! As well as a number of other major and very time-consuming assignments along with our final portfolio. Let's just say I'm not making any plans for the weekend.

But today I got my one "day off" and it was truly divine. Sadly, by 'day off', I'm talking about just a 3-hour period, the time of day that I usually have to sit in on my fellow trainees classes and observe/critique. Brutal. Amazing how suddenly 3 hours out of the classroom can feel like SUCH an amazing gift! Even more sadly, I used it to study. But being able to have those extra hours to get that much ahead on everything else I have to do for this week took SOO much pressure off! It also helped that I was able to go sit outside at a coffee shop that had wireless internet and do my work there in the fresh, warm air while downing macchiatos. Aaaaah.

So tonight I was able to come home relaxed and enjoy sitting and talking for a couple hours with Edgar y Maria. We talked about all sorts of things but at some random point, right after a good laugh about something or other, Maria just came out with "Ay, Katy, we're really going to miss you". (In Spanish, my name is pronounced Kah-tee and I loooove how it sounds!). It made me sad as I know that the feelings will truly be mutual.

A random sidenote: I have been SOOO good about eating all sorts of unknown Chilean food and avoiding anything even remotely American. But this week I have had a major craving for pizza and, despite the fact that I pass a place every day that advertises on its canopy specialties of "Pizza y Chorizo" (among other things), I have resisted. Until yesterday. I couldn't take it anymore and decided I was going in, darnit. So I get to the counter and the conversation goes something just like this in Spanish:

Me: I'll have the pizza and Coke special, please.

Guy: We don't have pizza today.

Me: Um, okay. Then I'll have the chorizo special.

Guy: We don't have chorizo.

Me: What do you have?

Guy: Churrasco.

Me: Great, I'll have churrasco!

And so life goes in South America. And, no joke, this is not the first time I have had a very similar conversation. I've learned at some places to not even look at the menu and just ask what they have that day. Avoids disappointment. Although it begs the question, why do they even bother having menus?? So one more reason to be glad I'm a super laid-back person. South America is not for the uptight!