Hitchhiking for Rookies: No Car, No Problem (Part I)

If the rivers around me are any testament a lot can change in just a short amount of time. Since the beginning of May I have seen more seasons arguably than I've seen in my life. #SouthernCaliforniaProblem. I've seen snow, lots of rain, fog, temps drop to below 0 C, ocassional sun, and I hear it only gets crazier from here. There have been rainbows, moon bows, and flurries of snow just to mention a few.

Besides that, I'm continuously astonished by the natural beauty of Patagonia. Twinkling stars pierce the night sky like diamonds, mountains with jagged peaks soar upwards proclaiming their grandeur, and a lake of the most picturesque blue invites the weary traveler to rest awhile.

Cerro Castillo

If you were to ask me how I thought last weekend was going to go, I would've said it's going to be great. I would've said the plan is to go to Chile Chico, meet up with my friends and relax. Plan that's a funny thought.

Instead of giving you a play-by-play of how things turned out, we're going to skip straight to the end. When your plan involves hitchhiking you win some, you lose some. There are no rules, plans are contingent, and time irrelevant. Sam made it to Ibanez, and I did not. Same destination, same time, but different results.

Luckily, if you can call it that --not being able to get a ride and being far from any semblance of home is hardly lucky-- Pawel was also unable to get a ride this time. As the sun gradually dropped, we pushed onward to Pt. Ibanez on foot hoping for some last minute grace. As the moon rose, we started to accept the fact that we probably weren't going to make it. The ferry was set to depart at 7:00pm. As Sam texted me saying it had left, we would now have to wait until morning to get to Chile Chico.

Before we continue I have prepared for your enjoyment a few snapshots of my experience as a hitchhiker with commentary. While there could arguably be many more stages and steps, these are the ones that surfaced over and over.

Step 1: Hitchhiking- Isn't this fun?!?! I feel so adventurous.

I'm not desparate, but I'd love it if you'd give me a ride!

Step 2: Sometimes hitchhiking feels like this:

On top of the world!!!

Generally, you feel like this at the beginning of the day, or when you secure a ride relatively quickly. Everything's great and the world is an awesome place. People are so nice!!!

Step 3: Sometimes it feels like this:

Yeah, so what if I'm riding in a dirty truck bed?!?!

After walking for countless miles, doubt seeps into your mind. Frustration lingers under the surface as cars tease you by slowing down and then cruising past you. You start judging fellow humans for their lack of sympathy. At this point having any ride at all is awesome and you think things like, "I totally love riding in the back of trucks, when it's 8 C. Sweet!" 

Step 4: Then, sometimes it's like this: Imagine person sitting or laying on the side of the road quibbling over the fact that they might or might not get a ride. All will to do anything is gone, even thumbs up is out of the question. Fatigue makes you too tired to even care that no one stops. When you finally get a ride, the incredulous look on your face is distorted as maniacal laughter about nothing overwhelms you.

Connect the Dots
Despite the ups and downs of hitchhiking, there is something to learn from the experience. Sometimes everything goes according to the plan. Other times, it's hard to say that there was a plan. However, sometimes it takes a failed plan to produce a change in perspective.

While hitchhiking over the weekend, I had ample time to soak in the surroundings and participate in the journey. Somewhere along the way to modernization, we stopped valuing the trip as part of the experience. It's so often how fast can I get from point A to point B. Or when are we getting there? I appreciate a timely Amtrak train as much as the next person, but that's not the point. When you're hitchhiking you can't help but see what's in between. There is nothing, except what is, when you have no plan or expectations. While at first I was bummed to not get to hang out with the other volunteers, I soon realized that yet another amazing opportunity was right in front of me. I traded a road map for a handful of memories, and I can live with that.

To Be Continued...

Making a Living

Today, is one of those days that made me realize I'm not going to be in Chile forever. Thinking about having to say goodbye to my students is hard. They may be typical teenagers, meaning that they act uninterested and too cool for school; but at the end of the day they are kids. They like high 5's and stickers, they are curious and they crave attention.

It's one of those days where I realized I'm not going to be around forever, period. I know it's a very sombre thought. All the same, today if I died, I would be happy. Some of you might be shocked by the abrupt confrontation with such a dismal topic. Why? Death is a reality, and putting it in a box in the back of your mind is just as unhealthy as a young person talking about death. Sugarcoating it only makes it more unbearable.

To be clear, people dying shakes me up too, and brings up emotions I dread and am sometimes ashamed of. For instance, I not unlike many people often think of crying as weakness. Even though everything and everyone tells around me says otherwise. However, I would say it's healthy to think about death occasionally. Death reminds me of how fleeting life is and gives me such a zeal to live better.

So why do I think I could die happy? It's not because I picked up and moved to Chile, although I didn't know I had the courage to do it, until I did.

Today, as I sat at a Mother's Day Celebration for the junior students and their parents, my mind wandered once the conversation went well beyond my capacity for understanding Spanish. After singing a couple songs earlier that evening, I was relieved to sit and enjoy the celebration. Laughter, talking, and love were everywhere. I was able to connect with a few parents and tell them about the progress of their children, but this was peripheral. Being there alone was meaningful. I've been here long enough for students to call me tia (aunt), to receive besas (kisses), and lastly to feel a sense of belonging. I'm started to feel connected here. My story is now our story and I have new responsibilities now.

One of the questions that constantly comes to my mind is: what am I doing with my life? Having now faced a few failures in the classroom myself and a fair share of my fellow teachers frustration, I really started thinking what am I doing here? This past two weeks I've worn many different hats: singer, soccer coach, teacher, student, and big sister. Many of these things are not what I signed up for. 

Besides, the obvious reason that I'm here: teaching students English. I'm realizing that I'm here to support those who are working so hard to help these children. I'm also here to dispel rumors people from the US. In short, I'm here to be here. Right now that means taking on different responsibilities graciously and actually doing them well. There are days when I just want to coast by and just let time run out. But that's not what I'm here for and that's not what I'm about. It's easy to get through life, it's really hard to live it.

Life itself is why I could die happy, because think I can say I am living a good life.

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Festivities, Hikes, and Other Fun Things

Liceo Josefina Aguirre Montenegro

Laguna Verde, Reserva Forestal Coyhaique

My Head Teacher Cecilia and I

Dia De Los Alumnos Games

Top of Las Piedras, Reserva Forestal Coyhaique

Heading to Laguna Verde, Reserva Forestal Coyhaique

Traditional Chilean Music: Staff honoring Students with song and dance

We cannot all do great things, but we can do little things with great love. -Mother Teresa

Senora Lupe (Our Principal) and I

Chilean National Dance: The Cueca

Road to the Reserva and my house

Pawel, my hiking partner in crime

Jellyfish!

May 6th, 2013
After a very rough bout with Primero 1A (my 9th graders), I was feeling a little down. I worked pretty hard on my lesson plan, spent the night making posters, and had activities that would allow them to talk to one another. Nothing went as planned, and when class ended I thought one down two to go. As I drifted down the hall to my class, I ran into some students from one of my other classes. "Hi Jameisha!" said the first student. "Hello!" I responded. One of the students promptly stuck out his hand and demanded a high 5, and I thought about leaving him hanging. Then before he could put his hand down I set my feet, said "Ok, ready?" "Yes!" he replied. As our hand came together I yelled, "Jellyfish!", insert a jellyfish hand motion. His astonishment only helped the situation. As he and the other two students laughed, I couldn't help but laugh with them. As I repeated the motion and said jellyfish clearly, so that they could understand, problems and concerns melted away.

Walking away together we parted at the stairs and as I began heading up they said, "Wait!" I paused briefly "What are our names?" asked one of the students. "Lorena, Christopher, and...[fake hesitation] Paulo," I said. Their smiles burned brightly as they realized I knew who they were. This transaction wasn't one-sided though. Laughter and smiles are contagious. They are the necessary fuel in order to make it through. If you look defeated, you've already lost.

A Thirst
This week during our English workshop, I want to continue to get my students thinking about what inspires them. Workshop is a time when students of any class and grade level can come to work on their English skills. I was so excited when the first week I found out that I have some students on the verge of conversation. So I brought something to challenge them the next week, however I realized it might have been a bit much. This week, I plan on bringing the same topic of "Inspiration" but this time give them better tools. I chose this topic, because these are the students who are already wanting to improve. These are the ones who want something more. Many of them are freshmen and they need to know that there is someone who believes in them.

May 9th, 2013
Seeing the students faces light up as they watched the video (down below) was a pretty big deal to me. I really needed a win this week. Although they probably didn't understand every word, or get every reference, you could see a spark. I was reminded yesterday that this video isn't just for the students though. This is for the teachers and it's for myself. It's for you and everyone you know who's working to improve the lives of others and their own life. Keep on keeping on!

A Forbidden Road, a Forgotten Valley and Other Things

There are a lot of things that I like about Chile, but as I approach the one month mark the newness is starting to wear off. A small list of things are building up in the dislikes column. For instance, I don't like "dead time" in class. I don't like not knowing what I should be doing. Nor do I like having to condense a 45 minute lesson into 20 minutes. But one of the things that must upsets me is seeing teens smoking cigarettes and wearing clothing decorated with drug symbols.

At the moment, I'm approaching a pivotal point. How will this week go? Several things were already making me dread this week. Confusion and tension with my host family are making things at home weird. Then my lessons on Monday were train wrecked by an unannounced assembly and an overall uncooperative student body. It was pretty disheartening, especially since I spent so much time on that lesson. Although I knew that would happen, I guess I didn't expect to have a lesson plan fail this early on.

_________

Last weekend I went on an amazing hike in a small town called Manihuales. Sometimes when the word amazing is used, it might not necessarily be true. But hands down, this hike was AMAZING! It was like walking into another world.

Saturday, 6:30 AM
"Ugh...is it really worth it?!?!" I thought as I begrudgingly got out of my warm bed. Ok, wash face, brush teeth, change clothes. If only it worked like it did in the Jetson's that'd be swell. I crept downstairs for a quick breakfast and then it was time to hit the road.

Obstacle number one, there's no bus to Manihaules until 12:30pm. Great it's barely 9 am and I've been walking around for at least an hour and now this. As I walked, defeat stared me in the face, but as I rounded the corner there was a bus. Hope. There isn't a central bus station and different stations take you different places. Hmm, I wonder where it's going. I went to the terminal, and saw that they had buses heading to Aysen. When is the next bus to Aysen? Ahora. Now? Si! Ok, I'll go.

From Aysen, I met up with my friend Pawel, who's also a volunteer. We were lucky enough to hitch a ride with a gentleman heading to Manihuales. The town had one road heading in and it was like walking into some forlorn ghost town. Not a single person was on the street until the bus stop, approximately a quarter of a mile away from where we were dropped off.

Obstacle number two, as we made our way towards the national park things looked bleak. The road was closed in front of the park and it was unclear where the entrance was. We ended up at the entrance of a road that led up one of the mountains. So far it was our best lead, so we took it. As we set out the path was steep and seemingly unending. Several times we contemplated whether we should turn around and try somewhere else. Eventually, curiosity got the best of us and we decided we'd go to the top. Since it wasn't a real hiking path we didn't see anyone else, and the afternoon was quiet besides our conversation. At the top we could see that the other side of the mountain led into an interesting looking valley.

After we zigzagged down the mountain improvising a path, we broke for a quick lunch.

This is probably one of the more interesting places I've ever been in Patagonia so far. Devoid of the stunning snowcapped mountains that Patagonia is known for. Dead trees littered the ground. What happened here? Some trees stood stark naked and weathered. Other tree trunks had resigned from standing and laid to rest on earth from which they came. Throughout it all was a lingering silence. As we walked, I hoped that the cattle meant that someone lived here. However, after walking around, taking pictures, hopping through rivers and climbing trees it became clear that this place was forgotten. This was a place where trees died. A graveyard.

What a quaint little place and how lucky are we to have found it.  The quiet gave me time to think.

The weather too played its' part in making it seem like a cemetery. It was overcast with rare amounts of sunshine. To lighten the mood we talked about our schools, music and movies. "Hey Pawel, have you seen Jurassic Park?" Thought provoking, I know. "Yes," he replied. "I feel like any minute now those weird bird-like dinosaurs are going to come from around the corner with T-Rex in hot pursuit. So we laughed and quipped about how dinosaurs or some other farfetched wildlife might make their presence known. Eventually we left the Forgotten valley and Manihuales, but my fascination with the history has not.

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As I vented to friends that Monday night about how it's a little ridiculous to have to walk about 6 miles each day in the cold and that my host teachers aren't giving me much guidance. I couldn't help laughing. Is that really the worst thing? It could definitely be worse. At least I'll be in great walking shape! And as far as teaching, who cares if I had a bad day? Tomorrow is a brand new day. I can't control how the students will respond to the lesson or when we're going to have an assembly. But I CAN control my own reaction and I can learn from my mistakes. So as I waited for Tuesday, another chance to get after it, I reworked my lesson plan. Tuesday came and so did a little success.

On teaching:
So far there are without question things I don't like about the structure here. But overwhelmingly I'm reminded that many of the problems here are the same that teachers are facing everywhere. Low motivation, drug or substance use, overlapping commitments, and other things too I'm sure. Teaching is hard. Add a language barrier and subtract structure. Despite the obstacles, it is certainly rewarding. Successful days are great, but there's nothing like walking out of a hard class and being greeted earnestly and warmly by students. So as the waves start crashing down, I get back up and say,"Bring it Coyhaique! Is that all you got?"