Update in Santiago

Well, it´s been 7 months, whoops!!

Started an English school:  www.chicagochile.com  It´s going alright for now.  I need to get more students, that´s all.  I get resumes from teachers practically every week wanting to teach but not enough students yet... But, summer is coming to an end and everyone has told me that people are now coming back to life after being on vacation for 3 months!!

I helped to celebrate Chile´s 200 years of independence in September, that was a huge festival!  It was 4 days of asados, wine and cueca, the national dance!  It was also there that I began to ponder the Chilean idea of how well someone does or not does organize their belongings as being a representation of how good of a person they are.  More to come on that.

In October I returned to Chicago to run the Chicago Marathon with the Hall Steps Foundation and celebrate my nephew´s 4th birthday!  Both wonderful experiences!

November was a good month considering the school and the amount of students.  As well, I organized and cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for friends and students!  It was my first time doing a turkey and it turned out alright... haha!!  And the stuffing was even better!!!  Thank you to Tía Lily for allowing me to use your home...

December is when I got homesick.  We started going to the lake with the kids for the weekend and it took me some time to relax and try to be on vacation without doing anything but eating and washing dishes.  Luckily, I was able to swim, run and bike and just play with the kids.  As a matter of fact, I probably had a better time with the kids than with the adults.... lol

And Christmas was beautiful, I got a beautiful new camera from Jorgito that I have used to the MAX.  Coni, still 8 at the time, got her first cell phone!!  And she was the last in her class to get one as well.  A sign of the times I guess.  Or a sign I´m just getting old.  In between Christmas and New Year´s I came down with pelionefritis (sp?) or, a kidney infection and I was put on antibiotics for 2 weeks!!!  Insane.  Nevertheless, we went out until 8am New Year´s Eve and had a wonderful time!

In January, Jorge and I were going to be gone from the 5th to the 18th on a trip to Brazil. It got cut short by a number of different things and we went on motorcycle to the 4th region, La Serena, Coquimbo and Valle de Elqui.  On the way back we hit a bit of a road block to say the least...  then we went by car to the south.  To Patagonia, it was awesome but rainy and my back hurt terribly the whole time... the whole time... when we got back I got a good deep tissue massage it it helped TREMENDOUSLY.

February came around my friends came to visit!  It was awesome.  We went all over the place.  To el Lago Colbún, to Curicó and Licantén to visit friends, Iloca, Pichilemu and, of course, to Algarrobo.  Unfortunately, one of them got left behind and had to buy a new passport =(  But, everybody had fun, ate good and did a lot of partying!!!!!

Now, in March, I am putting forth 3 major efforts on three projects:  Santiago Abandoned Animals, Chicago English School, and my personal training (both me and others).  Please, if you´re reading this, please read the Santiago Abandoned Animals blogs too:  http://santiagoabandonedanimals.blogspot.com/

We are in the process of raising funds, with the idea of starting to operate in May.

Thank you for reading, more to come...

E. Kocek

Movin' on

Friends and Family,

The idea of maturity has been buzzing around in my head for ages.  What defines it? Who defines it?  When are we considered mature?  Mature for what?  What if we don't consider ourselves mature, enough?  Enough for what?

In the end, it doesn't matter.  Because, like everything else, it's all relative.  We've heard, 'you're mature for your age', 'you're not mature enough', 'when you mature a little more', etc.  Really? 

In going through my 30 years of belongings, recalling memories, trying to hold on to emotions, etc, I feel I have hit a level of some kind of maturity that I was seeking.  Some kind of a 'don't care' attitude.  I have had to make a conscious effort to give up the idea that I'm giving something up and losing my identity.  Not only with all the belongings I have to get rid of, not before taking pictures of everything, but also the idea that I'm giving up my precious radio stations, my bedroom, my family, driving in my car, etc.  But, it's okay because I'm gaining other comfort-zones, other little pleasures that I can't get anywhere else.  Like, fresh exotic fruits, another family I can trust, more friends I can rely on, running in the foothills of the Andes, Lo Saldes!!

As a good friend once told me, your old coat that you wear everyday might be nice and cozy, but it's time to change it up for a new one and create more memories.  That is exactly what I am doing.

Thank you very much for reading my first post, I hope it wasn't too boring.  I suppose I'll never be mature in the social context but I do enjoy challenging social boundaries anyway. 

E

My old jewelery box: