Notes from Underneath

A California girl in Chilsters (that's Chile to you)

Sunday, July 5, 2009

People like me!!! (an overwhelmingly joyous discovery)

I literally just spent about an hour freaking out on skype with Gonzalo about not being able to find "American" friends in Chile...what if I NEVER find someone who GETS "I totally paused" or "I can't believe this, they f*^king forgot my birthday?" Call me crazy, but this kind of understanding among my social networks is CRUCIAL to me.

And then I decided to google bikram yoga in Chile... and I am directed to a blogspot of a woman who - get this - married a Chilean and relocated to Santiago from New York City. What, what, what??!! Did I stumble into a miraculous pot of Expats who will feel my pain??!!

Yes. Yes I did.

All of a sudden this move is no longer filled with paranoid thoughts the likes of "OMG I'll be the only person who misses the salad bar at Whole Foods." I realize now that there JUST MIGHT be a possibility of finding a social network (dare I say, friends) who GET what I'm going through. And right then and there - full speed ahead doesn't feel so scary.

My Tio Pato and Tia Lucia came over to help me get rid of the "For donation" pile of stuff that doesn't make sense to take with me to Chile (i.e. kitchen appliances, etc). My apartment is slowly becoming a skeleton of a home, with just a few remnants of the former single life I am now willingly leaving behind. My once

amazing apartment, which I personally think should have been an example to all single women everywhere, has been dismantled as of about two months ago. So though I've been living a hobo-ish existence for some time, now it's in the most pathetic state ever. Boxes have become my nightstand, dresser, tv stand and kitchen table. It's pretty hot.

In short, my life has been either donated, sold on Craigslist or packed into 18x18x24 boxes. Today I spent the good part of the afternoon boxing the plethora of random Target buys I realized yesterday. I think I'm taking about 7 boxes of toothpaste because, it would seem, I think I'm going to a country where people brush their teeth with a little spit and a side of mint for taste. I also bought three of the SUPER SIZED Tylenol fast action! Those were indeed key buys - call me crazy, but I think I'll appreciate it come two months from now when I need something and can't make heads or tails of the Cruz Verde's in Chile (have you BEEN to a pharmacy there??!! I'm just saying: there's a learning curve with the meds.)

Anyway, my point here is that after complaining to the point where I am pretty sure that Gonzalo was about to ask for the engagement ring back (I kid), I stumbled across a blogger's site and it was like the answer fell from heaven - THERE WILL BE PEOPLE LIKE ME IN SANTIAGO!!! It's the little things that make me go 'round and believe you me, this was a HUGE little thing. The sequence of events that followed are 1) I found this blog spot and 2) I may have found a wedding photographer that suits our "urban/sharp/modern/simple" wedding plans!!

ALL THIS from simply typing "bikram yoga santiago chile" in the Google search bar.

I almost feel that all of you should type this miracle phrase in the search bar... I mean, who's to say that the lottery numbers won't fall in your lap? What what?! ;o)

Labels: apartment, expats, move

posted by Andrea # 11:39 PM

Comments:

Well, the good thing about the pharmacies is that you can get pretty much anything without a prescription. :)

You're a smart Gringa. So many people come here and think, "I need to be friends with only Chileans so I can get the REAL experience." and then they suffer. Because like you said, you need people who understand you.

# posted by

Mamacita Chilena : July 6, 2009 at 10:08 PM

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Notes from Underneath

Sunday, July 5, 2009

People like me!!! (an overwhelmingly joyous discovery)

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