I'll Have a Grande: A Grande Beth Anne That Is

Grande. This might be the word that describes your favorite morning drink. (Though for most people I know, that word is Venti.) This might also be a word that describes a place you visited, like the Rio Grande. Now, this can also be a word that describes your favorite blogger in Chile. Over the last three months, I progressed from using the word grande to describe drinks and geographical locations to describing, yours truly, me.

When I first arrived in Chile, people would routinely make comments to me like, "Beth, you are SO grande," or, "Wow, have you always been so grande?," or "Beth is like so and so just a whole lot more grande." I should clarify at this point, "grande" generally translates into English as "large." Just what every person is dying to hear.

I thought about this for awhile. At first, I was offended that people, some of whom I just met, felt like making comments about my body shape. Granted, I would have never self-described as petite or tine but grande...really, come on!

Upon further reflection, I realized three things. First, I am grande...at least in comparison to Chileans. I have not yet met a Chilean women who is taller than me. I imagine this is what Gandalf must feel like when he is always bumping his head on the doorway of the houses in Hobbiton. I have done that too many times to count. (The bumping my head on doorways part not the going to Hobbiton part.)

Second, Chileans talk way more about weight, body shape, height, etc. I was initially taken aback about the "grande" comments because I thought these comments about body size were all directed at me. Then I realized they talk about shape and size all the time. Like the time my friends joked with one of our other friends that after eating dessert he was going to go from being six months pregnant to eight months pregnant. The great thing about that story- they were all doubling over laughing when saying this.

Third, Chile is designed for women who are a little bit more petite. So, basically living here will always make me feel grande. Thus, I have two choice: 1) Spend time being annoyed and not so happy about all the grande comments or 2) embrace being grande, laugh about it, and appreciate that I like my body and am okay with being "grande."

In case you are ever visiting a country and are wondering if you fit the "grande" bill, here is a check list you can use (free of charge)-

• Jeans- Is every pair of jeans you try on are instantly transformed into mid-calf jeans instead of full length pants? You might be a grande.

• Shoes- Do you visit the local shoe stores and think you are in the children section only to realize that your size does not exist in the adult section? Check.

• Bus- Sure the person across the aisle on the bus thinks you are staring at them longingly, don't worry we both know your knees just don't fit in the space between your seat and the next bench and you have to face the aisle.

• Doorways- Seriously though, was this doorway taken from a Hobbiton movie set? Your head is going to have some goose-eggs. 

• Chairs- Do you wonder why backrests are only mid-backrests in this country? It really is you, not the chair.

• Heels- Did you wear heels one time and realize that you were taller than all the women... and 95% of the men? Reconsider your shoe choice for next time or keep wearing them if it makes you happy. 

• Crowds- Can you see above everyone else when you are in a crowd? Congratulations! Being tall is almost like having a super power at crowded community events because you can navigate the crowd and see the performers all while other people are staring at the back of each other's heads. 

So next time you go to Starbucks and you order a grande (or any size for that matter), just know I am toasting you from Chile.