Hola, de los EEUU

Hello,
I am back in the US. well actually I have been back for about a month and a half now?! OYE! I miss Chile. A lot. I miss summertime, the culture, the LANGUAGE!! my host family, the beach, empanadas- everything!!! Leaving was soooo hard. I cried off and on for at least a week before I left. I didn't want to go out and hang out with anyone, I just wanted to spend the last little bit of time with my family. The goodbye at the bus was sooo sad and I couldn't believe how attached I had become to my family. even typing about it now about a month and a half later makes me sorta teary...
They warn you before you go that reverse culture shock could be worse than the initial culture shock, and that was for sure the case for me. Yeah it was wonderful seeing my family and friends (and Mike!!), but its time to go back. Its really funny to look back and see the things that I thought were so weird and awkward (such as greeting people with a kiss) I now miss a lot. Handshakes just feel cold and unfriendly. I got so used to the latin american pace- yeah it could be frustrating at times, but its so much less stressful.
School has been a huge culture shock also- schoolwork didn't really exist a whole lot in Chile. and back here (esp on the quarter system) there is no time to slow down. Within 3 weeks of starting school I had 2 tests and a presentation. thats more tests than all of my classes combined in Chile... so thats been a huge adjustment.
I am still keeping in touch with my host family, but im sure they think I am the worst student ever because I can never respond fast enough. Between school, getting settled into my apartment and the real world and work and everything else I run out of time to send them a long email to touch base with them. Blah. Im pretty sure the solution to all my woes is to just go back. hahahaha
On a positive note though- my spanish is SOOOOOOO much better (declining rapidly from only using it twice a week in class...). I have used it a few times at work, and whats really exciting (and sort of invasive?) is eavesdropping on conversations. hahahaha. The spanish here is sooooo much easier to follow/understand!!! I am lucky because my spanish class this quarter is with the 3 other kids from my program in Chile. so that has made the transition somewhat easier.
Anyway, I'll leave some advice-
If you have the opportunity to go abroad- DO IT!!!! It has been the most incredible experience of my life. No doubts and no regrets. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I have learned more about myself and the world and the US in those 4.5 months than I have learned in my 21 years of life. There really is nothing like it. (sorry this sounds so cheesy and cliche, but its how i really feel.) If you want a traveling buddy- Im there. I cant wait to go back and explore more of the world.

thats all for now-

CHAU!!!!!!