WHAT!?

I have exactly one month left in Chile.
AHHHHHHHHH! Its so bittersweet already- Im getting ready to go home. I miss so many people and comforts of home, but yet I really dont want to leave. My spanish is coming- sorta. its real slow, but im finally gaining some confidence in speaking and its going to be time to leave. I loooove my host family. I didn't realize how close to them I was until this week my mom was like ahh you only have a month left! where has the time gone- we're going to miss you soo much! then i realized how much im going to miss then. Its going to be weird.
I know for sure I'm coming back. I dont know when, but Im going to for sure. Mom even told me I can come stay with them whenever I want and that I always have a home here. so thats sweet! I realized there isn't enough time to go south to Patagonia, which I realllly wanted to do, but I cant go for only 3 days, there is just too much to see. Instead I am going to take a bus south (about 9 hours?) to the lake district, and spend a weekend there. Mom said its beautiful and that I will reallly love it, so I cant wait (Im going to do that the first weekend in Dec)!
This week started off pretty well, it was nice and warm and sunny and great! But then tuesday it got overcast and cloudy and stayed that way all day (normally it burns off around lunch time (aka 2ish) but not this week) so it was a little depressing. Oh well. Tuesday and Wednesday there was a strike! The city workers want a 14.5% raise (which sounds like a lot but apparently they have wanted even more in the past. and when it gets broken down and stuff through taxes and what not its not really THAT large of an increase? i think...) so they closed a bunch of offices and buildings and marched. They marched Tuesday in Valpo and Wed in Vina! Wed I only had one class (my other class got cancelled...) so for class we went and walked around the march to check it out and everything. It was soooo coool! It was peaceful, no one was throwing things or anything like that, but it was loud. everyone had whistles and drums and shouts and everything. It was really interesting. It makes any strike that the US has had look weak. walking in circles with pickett signs... FOME! hahahaha
This week was back to the Chileno style of classes- a few cancelled, the others were a movie or on the street interviews or walking around watching the strike. I cant come back to the states because I wont know how to do school! hahahaha We are finally getting down to the end and having real work. I have a presentation on Tuesday and then my parents come into town on Sunday and then the following week I have another presentation and at least two 10 page papers due... allll in spanish. so I've actually been productive and started the research and stuff for those and have them in mind!
Im sure I've portrayed Chile in sort of a negative way, I dont mean to at all. There are things that are different and unique and more than anything I wanted to tell you those things, because how boring to tell you all the similarities between here and the US... And some of these differences are good, others have some room for improvement. Its what makes it unique! So take what I say with an open mind. I love Chile and want people to want to come visit, not scare them away or anything. (I was reading the blog of another DU student who is here and it felt really negative and I was afraid mine gave off the same vibe; so that was my disclaimer? hahahaha)
That was my sappy emotional blog, Im sure there will be more to come. especially when I get home and have to go back to the real world... hahahaha
misss you!!!
Chau!!!