VISA APPOINTMENT!!!

How long ago did I just post something about me thinking that I will never leave?? An hour ago? Well,  yeah. That's just how this stuff works. I just wanted to let yall know that I have my VISA appointment!!
Willow, what is that and why are you so exited?- Well, the way it works for Chile is that you email all of your paperwork to the consulate. Then, they look it over and "approve it", which is when they give you your appointment date. Mine is next Tuesday. Finally, you go to the consulate for your appointment, show them all of your original paperwork, and you get your VISA right then and there. So theoretically, I could get on the plane say, 2 days after I get my VISA. And that is exactly what I plan on doing.
So now I just have to throw a party, do all of my packing, get my flights scheduled, go to the Consulate, take a final for government and I'll be on my way to CHILE!!!!!

School?

I got my schedule today. For school in Chile? Of course not! That would be to normal. From my school here. Even though I officially un-enrolled last week (whatever that means) Adams still seems to think that I'm never leaving. However, at the rate my VISA is heading, maybe I won't. Yeah, yeah. I know Mike. It'll happen. It just takes awhile. Whatever. But seriously. I'm getting a bit worried lately.

My friends/neighbors/second family are leaving for their vacation! That means that I most likely will not see them again... for a whole year! It's not just like, "oh ok. I'll see you in a week when you get back" anymore. Most of the people I will see this weekend I am seeing for the last time!!! That's so sad.

When people ask me what I will miss, I tell them my cat, Frosting, or cross country. I tell them this not because I will actually miss those two things the most, but because it hurts to much to say "you".
I just want to cry sometimes. But, I need to keep myself under control, and my smile composed, so my act doesn't fall through. So no one knows just how scared I am, and just how many times I wonder what I got myself into. {sigh}. So I take a deep breath and say "Frosting. Because my host family doesn't have a cat". and live on.

but he is cute. and I will miss him

Beltrán el Caballo Quien Vive para Todo Tiempo- Escribe de Beltrán

Here is a story I wrote for a non-credit Spanish class about Chilean Independence day. It's rather awful Spanish, but a decent story. You can translate it with the Google Translate option. Enjoy!

¡Hola! Me llamo Beltrán y vivo en Santiago, Chile. Tengo doscientos cincuenta años. Me gusta mucho el día de independencia en Chile. Es uno de los días de fiestas más importantes. Recuerdo el día muy especial, el dieciocho de septiembre, 1810 (dieciocho ciento diez), cuando la junta declara independencia de España. El rey de España fue derrotado por Napoleón Bonaparte de Francia. El hermano de Napoleón era el rey nuevo, y las personas de Chile no le gustan. El día de independencia es muy emocional, aquí y entonces, y es muy importante. Mi jinete Cornelio Saavedra era el presidente del junto. Pero, después del día de independencia, hubo una guerra muy grande. Mi otro jinete era un soldado bueno. Él murió en la guerra. Era muy triste. Él era una persona buena.

Pero, los años son los años. Ahora, mi jinete nuevo es un hueso. ¡Mi vida es muy interesante! En el día de independencia este año, ¡estamos en una fiesta muy fantástica! Las fiestas del día de independencia se llaman “Fiestas Patrias”. Vemos mucha gente, soldados, chicos, personas, y muchas caballas bonitas. La fiesta es en una ramada. Es un edificio abierto con un techo de ramas. En las Fiestas Patrias hay más actividades tradicionales y divertidas. Hay bailes, música, asados, comida deliciosa, y bebemos mucho. Mi parte favorita de las fiestas son las fondas, o la mesas de comida.

¡La comida es muy buena! Primero, tienen empanadas. Se fríen masa llena de carne molida, pinos, cebollas y aceitunas. ¡Son mi comida de personas favoritas! También, hay alfajores, son las galletas hecho con almidón de maíz, y dulce de leche. Algunos otras comidas son los huevos duros, los choripanes, y los anticuchos. La bebida tradicional es Chicha. Una sidra alcohólica hecha de las uvas. Las Personas también beben el vino barato.

Durante el día, los chicos, las chicas y sus familias levantar volantines. Que les compran a vendedores de carretera, y que están hechos de papel de seda.

Los chilenos bailan la cuenca para las competiciones. Mi hueso le gusta baila mucho.

Es una semana con mucha historia, y muy divertido. Quiero saber cómo el día de independencia será en el futuro. 

Preparations... on the other side

My host sister sent me a picture of my room!!!! It might sound weird or ridiculous, but I am sooo happy right now! She asked me if I like it, and I love, love, LOVE it!! I have 2 stuffed animals waiting for me! And they're so cute!! {sequels with excitement} I know that my post yesterday was rather depressing, but you will be happy to know that everything is OK now. Who knew that one picture could make me so happy?!

BAM!

It just hit me that I'm actually leaving. Except it really wasn't a BAM sort-a moment. I just started thinking realistically what life would be like in 10 days when I'm in Chile. I also started talking to my host sister again, and it makes everything feel even more real. Everyone tells me "you must be so exited!" and I nod. They say "you are going to have so much fun!" and I nod. But in actuality, I have so many mixed emotions that I can't even tell them apart anymore. I feel almost numb. I'm sure once I get there I will have "so much fun", but I cannot predict how anything will be in Chile, or how I will feel. At all.
   
It will probably be cool for todos de ustedes to see my magical transformation, but to tell you the truth it'll be hell. My whole life I have known what to expect and how to plan for it. I'm just that kind of person. But now I haven't a clue what on earth I have gotten myself into. Don't get me wrong, it's that good kind of hell that will make me stronger, and make me have the best time of my life. I have to deal with the rough seas and you, reading this from your metaphorical-couch-in-life do not. But I also get to experience all the great stuff they have at the end of hell. All the things that you (sorry) will never get because you are not me. Even if you go on exchange, your experience will be sooo much different than mine.

Enjoy every moment.

A Clothing Consultation

This is a follow up to the shopping post. After seeing it, my aunt sent me the following list of clothing essentials that you need when traveling. She has been all over the world, primarily Indonesia and Africa. So, although it is very helpful to me, may be more useful to someone going to Indonesia. Please share! This is for you, outbounds of the future!

1) leggings (wear under dresses when you're feeling the need to do cartwheels... under pants on cold days... sleep in them as pjs with any t-shirt... even swim in them if need be... easily handwashed.)
2) the perfect jeans: I can wear one pair all year round! Sounds like you already have this!!
3) Tank tops of different colors and  one nice-ish shrug or blazer or jacket to go over them... suddenly it's many outfits without a lot of packing space taken up!
4) Sports bras (underwires do not hold up against river washing).
5) One super big super comfy pullover sweatshirt (with hood) that reminds you of home... and that you could part with at the end of your trip if you needed an extra gift for someone (Notre Dame gear or other Univ from the states stuff is big!)
6) a packable, breathable raincoat... I'm not big on umbrellas when traveling... but a raincoat never hurts.
7) one long flowy skirt.... helpful to dress up or down... and good when going on cultural tours of mosques and such.

Finally and most importantly... remember that people live where you are going.... and if you forget something... no worries... you can probably get it there! And if you can't get it there... you probably don't NEED it there!

Thanks Aunt Pipi for providing material to my blog!

Willow Finds...

Alrighty then. This is a follow up to Willow Wonders. I did end up finding an idea for my other pins. Here it is.

I ended up taking the picture of the crossed flags off the internet, cropping it into an oval, and then adding the words using Google Drawing. Then, I printed them out on card-stock, laminated the page, and cut them out. They were supposed to be ovals, but things happen. Finally, I hot glued a pin-back to the other side. They turned out pretty cool. And they were fairly easy to make. 

As far as games as presents went, I did end up buying Pit. I also bought this smaller, cheaper version of Dixit called Dixit Jinx. 

It seems like it will be good. I think I will give them to my host families later in my stay, so I need something to give them when I get there. Maybe candy? But I have to see what I can bring on the plane. Something local/regional would be cool. But I don't know what. Oh well. I'll figure it out later.

Chicken.

So Dudes. I was at The University of Notre Dame this week for a campy-thing. It is through Upward Bound which is this one after school program that I do. The main purpose is to get a credit for some class (in my case US government) while getting a taste (sort-a) of college life. It's pretty fun. The only problem is that I don't really get sleep, and I have to secretly write blog posts on the phone-that-I-am-not-supposed-to-have. (shh). But otherwise it's great! My government teacher is awesome, we get to eat at the dining hall, sleep in the dorms, and... what? How does this have anything to do with RYE? Oh, well sorry. I was getting to that. I'm also taking Spanish as my extra class. Even though it's not for a credit, it's really great that I am taking it because it reminds me of all the things I have forgot, I learn new words, and I can practice my accent! Because I stay there overnight, it's kind-a, sort-a, maybe practice for my exchange? At any rate, its a good time to practice my meditation techniques and imagine what life will be like next year. Oh my gosh! I guess it's not really next year is it. It's more like two weeks!! Anyway... it is also incomprehensibly nice to only have to worry about normal teenager things. Like what to wear, doing homework, gossiping, and hanging out with friends, instead of the constant "how am I going to do all of this STUFF and stay sane!!!". You may by now be wondering why the title is Chicken? And your answer is, for absolutely no reason. So there you go.

This is my dorm at ND.

#LifeLessons For Real

There are two things that I have learned so far.

1. Patience and Work will take you far.
2. Have an open mind and low expectations, and everything that happens after that will be great! :-)

It may not look like much to show for a year of work, but it's more than you think.

Calvin College etc.

I'm really, really glad that I went to the Calvin conference. Not only did I get to meet and bond with a ton of super cool people, but it also helped to remind me of why I chose Rotary. Before I went, I didn't really want to do anymore. I wanted what was safe and comfortable, and couldn't think of any good reasons how doing so much paperwork could ever be worth it. Now I am pumped again. I realized how great a time everyone has, how it changes your life, and why I want to be a member of the awesomeness.
     I have come to realize that many of the best things are like this, because you can't just fall into them. Like running. When I go to practice now, I feel great, but when I first started, it felt like hell. You have to work for the joy, but when you find it, it's the best kind.

Pictures:
-The variety show cast. (They did a really great job!)
-The Brazil vs. The world soccer game (the world won! :-) )
-Rotary!!!

Calvin College Conference- Day 1

So this is the big woo-hoo, The mother is all conferences, the thing we've been waiting for since we turned in our applications, and I just can't believe that it's here already!!
The inbounds that I have come to know and love will be leaving next week! So this is the last time that I will see them! It is also the last time that I will see the other outbounds, at least for a whole year. They have helped me to get through so much! They have showed me that I'm not alone in the struggles I face almost daily. I hope I can keep in touch with them throughout next year, because I think I will need some mental support from people going through the same things as me.
This conference is so good, and has taught me a lot. But, I'm really tired, so I'll post more tomorrow.

"Don't let the hippos eat your tomatoes."

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G

Let's do a cheer! S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G {Yay}

I know it's really girly, but I actually really like shopping. The best part is, that it is an essential part of preparing for RYE, or "your year" as it is called in the bis, since, you have to be in love with the clothes you take.  So far, I have purchased the following:

1. Cute, billowy shorts that are supper comfy! Worst comes to worst, I can just wear them as pajama shorts. 
2. Knee-length gray caprices with a little room to... let's use the word "grow".
3. A pair of super comfy and cute Levis.
4. Underwear. {he he} a necessity
5. A PJ set for when its hot. Also super comfy and not too cute. ;-)
6. and finally... drum-role please... a super-wonderfully amazing camera! It's a far better camera than I ever thought that I would buy, since I am not currently much of the photographer, but I'm glad I got it. It has Wifi, a USB cable/charger, and like ten-million modes. Plus you can take it in up to 50 ft of water, and drop it from up to 7 feet!!!! (Which is the really cool part)

Don't you worry. I'm totally in love with all of it. <3

The Big, The Bad, and The Beautiful

I had this really long research paper to do on Chile. The point was to get me to learn more about Chile, and to eliminate some of my fear through this. Both of these goals were accomplished! Sounds great... right? It would have been fantastic, except that I kind-a put it all off until the last minute. So, it was reeaally awful. I have spent the last 3 days working on it, and did nothing else. I know that this was not a good strategy, but... the days got away from me and before I knew it, the project was due! If you have this same project, do not do what I did. Set aside time every day to work on it. It may seem like a lot at the time, but trust me, it's so much better than doing it all the last minute.

On a lighter note, If you would like to read as much (or more) about Chile as you ever wanted to know , I can email you my amazing project! However, I cannot post it here, because it is 35 pages long {someone just whistled}. However, I can give you a sneak preview. 

If you are doing this project, I know what you are thinking, and that my friend, is called plagiarism. Seriously though, you can ask me as many questions on it as you want. 

Willow Wonders...

Lately I have been trying to think of presents to bring to my host family. I think the main one that I have definitely decided on, is bringing three of my favorite American board/card games. My family is big into games, so it would be something personal, plus I could show each of my host families how to play their game! So far, the one game I know that I am bringing is called Trans America. It is a train track building game that I have been playing ever since I was 5 (when I couldn't read). Because it is simple, fun, and American, it will be perfect.

Now I just have to think of two other games that I should bring. Two of my ideas are Pit and Dixit. If you have any ideas, please shoot them at me! I also would like to bring some kind of regional food/candy to share, but I don't know what I can have on the plane or what's American. Some of my other gift ideas are, CD's, cook books, post cards, and 4th of July decorations. 

     I have these really amazing Rotary Pins to share that I made, but I only have 100 of them, so their going to be the pins I give to people that I really get to know. However, I also need to have like 500-1,000 different pins to give to everyone. The only problem being that I am out of ideas!! All the seemingly easy ones have been used, and I just cannot think.

So... If you have any ideas, please let me know! I always love any comments. :-)

Esterdayyay

Pig Latin. Pardon me.
Iay entway otat aay otaryray eetingmay esterdayyay. Tiay asway unfay, saay sualuay. Iay avegay aay peechsay. Utbay, tiay asway otnay lannedpay. Tiay entway ellway, ndaay heytay avegay emay $375 utoay hetay indnesskay foay heirtay eartshay. Luspay, 5 eoplepay oughtbay aay hirtay! Luspay Iay oldsay aay otlay foay rufflestay! Esterdayyay asway aay oodgay ayday. :-)
That was fun. Hope u could read it!!

     On a more formal note, after I typed that, it occurred to me that my brain was in Spanish Mode. Not just normal Spanish Mode, but like some super crazy Spanish Mode where all the words that I have ever learned started coming back to me, and I was thinking in perfect sentences! It was pretty crazy and I think it occurred for two reasons. One reason is that I think the Pig Latin served as a brain exercise, that got my cranial juices flowing, and opened up my brain. The second reason, is that because it was fun, I was more relaxed and so more words came to me because I was not stressing over the Spanish. So, the lesson I learned from this stupid blog post is that I just need to ree-laaax and try to have more fun. Who new Pig Latin could be that useful!