"Note to Self"

In the last couple months of Chile, whenever something new or unexpected happens I usually think, "note to self," and then inscribe it on a mental sticky note. Some of them are practical and pragmatic while others are more abstract and cultural. Here are a couple from the last few days.

Note to Self:

• Relax. You think you are showing up 30 minutes late somewhere? That means you are still 20 minutes early.
• Drinking maté is not enough to sustain a 12 km run. 
• Chilean students and ASU students have something in common- half of them don't go to class when it's raining. 
• One small spelling error in Spanish is the difference between someone "empowering" women to someone "impaling" women. This could be an interesting essay.
• Streets turn into rivers when it rains, this makes walking to school a wee bit challenging. 
• Small victories are important. Being able to tell a funny story in Spanish in front of a group of people is worth celebrating. 
• Remember everyone you meet is on a journey. They are all in the midst of their own stories. The girl who you are sitting next to on the bus has travelled and worked in over 20 countries. A female friend who seems to be doing fine, breaks down in tears in the kitchen. The man who works in your apartment is also a chef whose first wife died or, as he explained it, "se fue al cielo."