Valparaiso

Today we woke up early and got picked up by two Chilean students who took us to their university for a tour and for lecture. They came to the hotel and we took the public bus over to the university, which was quite an experience- they drive way past the speed limit and fit as many people as they can onto the bus. We got to the university and it was so gorgeous! It overlooked the ocean and had beautiful buildings and scenery. The girls took us around the university and showed us where all their classes are, and then they dropped us off at a classroom for a lecture on the Chilean economy. It was really interesting and the professor was very informative and knowledgable. He talked about the Chilean economy as a whole, the economy compared to other Latin American countries, and how the economy is growing. After the lecture, we went to lunch in the school's cafeteria. Then we went back to the bus and two new students took us on a tour of Valparaiso. It was so beautiful- the scenery and the mountains all looked over the ocean. We took a short hike up a mountain and then went and passed Pablo Neruda's house but it was closed. Then we went down to the water where there were vendors that you could shop at. After we walked around this area for a little, we went to dinner and got empanadas which were amazing! Mine had crab and cheese in it. It was so delicious. After dinner, we went back to the university and had dancing lessons. The instructor was great and we had a really good time even though most of us weren't very good dancers! After that, some students took us to karaoke and we had a blast! Tomorrow we are going to Santiago. I'm really excited to see the city; I've heard so many great things about it! Hasta luego!

First day in Chile

After today, I can officially say that I am in love with Viña del Mar. Not including the ten hour plane ride from Dallas to Chile, this day has been a great start to our trip. We were greeted in the airport by two Chilean students and Jorge and traveled by bus to Hotel America in Viña del Mar. After getting settled in, the whole group walked down by the water and went to lunch at the Taco Bar where I got an amazing meal of shrimp tacos. The weather has been amazing (a lot warmer than I expected it to be). After lunch, we walked down by the water and took in the breathtaking scenery of water, palm trees, and beautiful restaurants and hotels. The sites were amazing. It was such a great place to walk through, and I can't wait to see more of it! It's such an exciting place with a lot going on. There were street performers, people laying out on the beach, vendors that lined the water, and a lot of stray dogs. I was told we would see a lot of them, but I didn't expect there to be so many. They liked to follow us around wherever we went.Tomorrow we are going to the University for lectures and then at night we're having karaoke! Tonight, a few of us are going to walk around Viña and find something to do, and tomorrow we will go to Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria for a lecture. I'm really excited to see the school and what classes are like for the students there.

Plane ride

I'm currently sitting in the Dallas airport waiting for our plane to take us to Chile! I can't believe that we'll be there in the morning. Just yesterday I was in the car with my dad driving from New Jersey to Pittsburgh. Then I attended our very last orientation with my group along with the other Plus 3 groups traveling to China and Germany. After the meeting, the Chile group had a very nice and filling dinner at the Porch and then we headed back to Towers where we lodged for the night. 
In the morning we took a public bus to the Pittsburgh airport, where we flew into Dallas. The plane ride wasn't bad at all. The ride from Dallas to Chile, however, is ten hours and I will try to sleep the whole way.
When we arrive in Chile in the morning, a bus will take us from Santiago to Valparaíso (it's about an hour bus ride). Then we will meet up with Jorge, one of the trip advisors, and some of the Chilean students that we will be with for the rest of the week. 
Hanging out in the airport with this group of students is getting me so excited to share this experience with them. I am so thankful to have this opportunity. I can't wait to arrive in Chile, learn about the culture, improve my Spanish, and have an amazing time!
Ciao!