February Blues

February is the month of vacations here in Chile. By law, employees who have worked with a company for a year or more get 3 weeks of vacation (minimum). It's a pretty sweet system, I think. Most people take vacation either in January or February, but I'd say most take in February.

Last year during February, my friend Marcy visited me with her mom and we went to Valparaíso for the day. Then I went to Valdivia to visit N. and went to Pucon for a day to visit my host sisters. Then, I went to Torres del Paine for a six day hike. And to top off an already busy month, there was the earthquake.

In 2009, I worked for the first two weeks of the month and then went to La Serena with F for 10 days.

In 2008, I started my last year of college in February (which included hardcore work on my Honors thesis). However, in January, I spent the entire month here in Santiago conducting research for my thesis (well, among other things like swimming in F.'s pool and going to my host sister's wedding and going horseback riding in Olmué).

My horse looked nice, but was slightly deranged and thought he was a racehorse...

In 2007, I traveled to Peru and Bolivia with eight other girls from my study abroad program for the first two weeks. Then I went to Pucon for my host sister's civil wedding, and then continued south and met my friends Chiloé.

Why is it that I always have fashion emergencies while traveling? But hey, look! I'm at Machu Picchu!

Really happy to be on a boat tour near Castro, Chiloe

So you can probably understand why I'm a bit bummed not to be heading out on some sort of adventure this year. Granted, I consider myself very lucky that I was able to go home for Christmas for two weeks, and that I'll be heading home in August for my sister's wedding. However, as my friends and boss prepare to go to places like Puerto Vallarta and Pucon and Isla de Pascua and Patagonia, I can't help but not look foward to the next two weeks when I'll be working and studying for the GREs.

At least this guy is coming back to keep Charlie and I company.

Bunny-wunny!

And another bonus: my office is air conditioned!