My unforgettable experience in a nutshell...

Week 1- exploring the city!
Week 2-no parents, death in our family, riots/fires in the streets, locked out of our room.... SCARED!
First weekend adventure- Hot Springs/Aguas Termales
Week 3- salsa class, first trip to MoJiToS which quickly became our favorite spot :), sushi tei- YUM!
Second weekend adventure- Paragliding/Parapente... too bad I threw up arepa haha
Week 4- parties at VENUSA, first encounter with Alexi Garcia- the most memorable person/best friend that I have met
Third weekend adventure- Chichiriviche Beach: Morena's Place, Cayo Sombrero
Week 5- exposición, mercado principal, alexis to make pizza, valentines day movie
Week 6-yoga!, sangria making, more time spent with alexi and those boys
Fourth weekend adventure- Botanical gardens, sushi tei for Daniel's farewell, and soccer game
Week 7-Venezuela cooking night, tambores party, pool, karaoke
Fifth weekend adventure- HIKE by teleferico, naty's adam's birthday party!, johan and yiyas to cook and play with the boys!
Week 8- average trip to mojitos, hookah bar, britt- ecuador
Sixth weekend adventure- CRAZY camping trip... lago coromoto=fail
Week 9- cooking night, lots of school work
Seventh weekend adventure- el valle and ziplining/canopy
Week 10- shutter island, delicias mexicanas
SEMANA SANTA- Margarita Island
Eighth weekend adventure- alexis parents cabin in the mountains
Week 11- Dear John. enough said.
Ninth weekend adventure- Catatumbo
Week 12/Tenth weekend adventure-Choroni: Chuao, surfing
Week 13- alexis birthday!, ONE YEAR aniversary
Last weekend...

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay for awhile, leave footprints on our heart, and we are never, ever the same."

"When one door closes, another one opens." -BiTTeRsWeeT!

So today is Sunday which means I have exactly 5 full days left in Mérida, Venezuela… it is definitely bitter sweet. Considering I have 3 tests, 3 papers, and 1 project due this week, I am kind of ready to head home. I know that I have so much to look forward to: family, friends, eating healthy, working out, practicum at the Nebraska Medical Center, Ben visiting me, KC to see my favorite little boys, Jewish leadership retreat in Baltimore, my 21st birthday, and then CAMP! It seems as if when one chapter of my life closes, another one quickly opens. It will be nice to be busy, but I know that once I get settled into the summer, I will miss this chapter of my life that is quickly ending. I have not only learned a lot about Spanish and Venezuela, but I have learned a lot about myself. Coming to Venezuela, or studying abroad in general, has been one of the greatest decisions of my life. I have made special friends and memories, taken TOO many pictures, and had experiences that will never leave my heart. I have seen some of the most beautiful places on earth and I hope to someday share this incredible country with my family. I look forward to applying all of the things I have learned to other aspects of my life. Plus, being here has given me the urge to travel. There are so many beautiful places on earth and I need to visit as many of them as money and time will allow. Next big trip→ Europe 2011.

Thank you all for reading my blog throughout my time here. I love you all and look forward to seeing you again… soon!

<3 Kelsey Lynn

Choroni- Heaven on Earth

So we left on an overnight bus Wednesday arriving to our posada (hostel) Thursday around 11 am... To our surprise the hostel was nothing like the website... it was in the middle of nowhere, a full kitchen meant an outdoor barely functioning cooking area and what we thought was going to be a luxurious vacation turned into a borderline camping experience... After pouting and complaining for a good half hour we headed to the beach from which we thought we were very far which turned out to be a much needed, easy 30 minute walk...
The beach (playa grande) was absolutely PARADISE and suddenly our worries went away! It was my perfect paradise... a combination of beach AND mountains... what could be better?
The first day we spent most of our time tanning, playing in the waves, and being beach bums... plus we met our new surfer friend/instructor named Julian or Tarzan as we preferred in reference to his long hair, tan skin, and hippie lifestyle... We made plans to go surfing with him for Friday! and I was sooo excited... because surfing has always been on my list of things to do! :) Thursday night we used teamwork to cook some pasta and veggies and played lots of games! I felt like I was at my own little summer camp and everyone got along great, it was so fun!

Friday: we got off to a late start due to no power and catchin up on some much needed sleep, cooked yummy breakfast- eggs and potatoes!, then off to the BEACH for SURFING LESSONS! and everyone got up! Tarzan was quite the teacher :) It was just as much if not MORE fun than I expected and I definitely plan to go again in my future... That night we cooked dinner again (black bean tacos) and played more camp-like games! plus some drinking games! We luckily had a night without rain so really wanted to make it to downtown for the nightly tambores dancing... but since our posada was kind of far from el centro and we were getting pretty into our ultimate charades we didn't know if that was going to happen... all of a sudden our wishes were granted... a what we originally thought to be creepy truck pulled up with tarzan and our hostel family to take us to el centro to go out! We all hopped in the truck...! They took us to a really cool but expensive surfer bar! unfortunately the tambores wasn't going on but we met some cool people from Germany, hung out by the water, and headed back around 1:30 AM... gooood night!

Saturday: early wake up... the town is starting to get more and more busy for independence day weekend! we hopped in a fisherman boat to Chuao the famous city of cocoa~! The boat ride was a blast with huge waves and the water was bright turquoise, absolutely magical. We spent a few hours at the beach in Chuao, toured the city, tasted some famous cocoa, then hopped back in the boat for stop #2... it started to DOWNPOUR on us in the middle of the ocean on this boat and because no valuables got damaged, it was actually really fun! We got to the second beach and played in the waves in the rain which was super fun! Then we headed home for another night of cooking dinner, playing games, exhausted, and early bedtime!

Sunday: last day... we spent a few hours on the beach with the early rays and then did a little shopping! I got some gifts, a fun little wrap/dress/coverup, a hippie headband, and lots of jewelry! then it started to rain on us like always haha but we managed to cook some lunch, shower, and pack our things for another long night of traveling! when we finally got to the bus terminal there was a TGIFridays near by and we were of course ECSTATIC to eat good american food! We all had the 30 bolivares (7ish dollar) special... a big burger, fries, drink, and icecream! what could be better after a long beach weekend!? (ok lets get serious... im DYING for a good ole salad from karen's kitchen... these carbs are killing me haha)

We finally made it home after another 12 hour overnight bus.... I am absolutely exhausted and have a lot of school work to do... but the trip was overall a complete success despite our complaining at the beginning! everything worked out perfect which just reiterated lesson #2 on my list (everyone doesn't always go as planned... that's what makes it fun!) we all got along great, got lots of sun, i finally did surfing, and visited what i truly believe was a little taste of heaven... CHORONI!

11 days left. wow. i'm not sure how i feel about this... like anything it is bittersweet! there are things i am excited for at home and things i am sad to leave! This has been one of the greatest experiences... EVER.

CATATUMBO

Saturday: laguna de urao, old school coffee plantation, yummy bar-b-que lunch, boat safari 1: monkeys, birds, iguanas, vegetation, palofito (house in the middle of the water), set up hammocks, nap, boat safari 2: sunset, freshwater dolphins, dinner cooked by the lovely ysaac, boat safari 3: gator hunting, dumb dumb birds, owl, etc., then LIGHTNING!, stars, relaxing, music, sleepy time in hammocks! WOKEN UP TO CRAZY STORM! 4 am - 6 am watched the incredible lightning from our hammocks :)

Sunday: breakfast, boat ride back to town, waterfall, pirate caves, pizza lunch, head back!

INCREDIBLE TRIP! Too magical to put into words.
19 days left.... next excursion: Chordoni Beach- WEDNESDAY!

What Doesn't Kill You Only Makes You Stronger

20 Things I Have Learned in Venezuela:

1) Life is too short to be anything but happy
2) Things don't always go as according to plan... that's what makes it fun!
3) Simplicity is always better
4) Learn from the choices you make, regret the risks you don't take
5) Treat others the way you wish to be treated
6) The US is obsessed with physical appearance... It truly is what's on the inside that really matters
7) Happiness is a decision: you get to decide how happy you want to be!
8) Mixed people are the prettiest... that's proof that culture and diversity are God's gift, embrace it. -Mrs. Weatherhead
9) Every once in awhile you just need to get away... where better than amidst the peace of nature
10) Be who you are and say what you feel- those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind
11) Everything sounds better in Spanish :)
12) Child rearing is more or less the same in various cultures
13) Knowledge and experience are the two thing that will never leave you... you can lose your phone or your camera, but everything you learn from experience is everything you have and you can access it at any given time. -Alexi Garcia
14) The only thing that stands between a person and their dreams is fear... and sometimes lack of money...
15) Water is the only thing you can't overdose on
16) We were all put on this earth to talk; interact... so do it! That's how you learn!
17) Look for the good in others, judging is only a waste of time
18) Being away helps you discover who you really need in your life
19) Open your heart and mind, thats how we grow
20) We will never visit every spot on this precious earth, but we can sure as hell try. Venezuela is a just single country with yet SO much to offer.

**SEMANA SANTA-- ISLA MARGARITA!!**

**click the link to the right for pictures :)

Saturday- ARRIVAL! I bought a really awesome Spanish quote book in the airport and am going to translate the whole thing! it is really cute :) then there was a guy standing at the airport with a sign that had my name on it! (I have always wanted that to happen haha) We got in quite a bit later than we anticipated so we just grabbed dinner at the incredible buffet and went to the dance show! Then to the beach and saw some beached jellyfish haha, really cool.

Sunday- TO THE BEACH! these crazy ladies started giving us unwanted massages on our feet... we told them we didn't have money and that we didnt want them and they INSISTED! so we paid them way less than they asked for and that was that... oy vey! but it kinda felt good... haha the waves were really fun to play in! then we went to the pool for water aerobics and volleyball and nap time. that night... Italian restaurant, lots of wine, deep talks, the dance show, and then there was a little dance party at the pool!

Monday- EL CENTRO-- shopping! I needed a new swimsuit and well everyone wears thongs there... so YES i bought a thong! dios mio! but i fit right it :) haha I also bought a cute coverup, dress, belt, and necklace... everything is SO much cheaper there! then we returned for a nice nap and got ready to go out! we spent the entire night at our hotel but it was so fun cause there was a lot of crazy people, a band, and of course all inclusive food and drinks! :)

Tuesday- pool fun, another nap, jumping in the waves at the beach, italian dinner, dance show, music by the pool, and walked on the beach where we saw a million jellyfish and a LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE laying its eggs! SO AMAZING!

Wednesday- SAFARI JEEP TOUR with our venezuelan parents! Stop #1: held parrots :) Stop #2: castle from a battle that i learned about in my history class (it reminded me of masada in israel) Stop #3: beautiful famous church Stop #4: la restinga-- boat ride through the manglas (camera broke :( ) Stop #4: punta de arena, beach, most eastern tip of the island... CRAZY waves! and lunch Stop #5: off roading and absolutely amazing view! Stop #6: cocada- a fancy coconut drink... then we went to the big mall in the city in hope to find a camera but no luck... then dinner at the hotel, dance show, and BEN! we were exhausted!

Thursday- Last day :( lots of beach time! waves, drinks, frisbee, cute little kids, got to talk to my mom on the phone!! then lunch and then napped by the pool! thennn..... we went to KAWI BEACH for a concert! it was sooo much fun! lots of dancing! the beginning was kind of crazy because me and marissa missed the bus but the hotel paid for a taxi for us and it all worked out. the place was soo cool and it was lots of fun! we got back to the hotel at 4 am so just went straight to the beach in hope to watch the sun rise! and had to leave for the airport at 615 am! what a night! we were sooo tired!

SPRING BREAK 2010... id say it was a success! minus a stolen blackberry and broken camera!

only 4 weeks left... lets live it up!

Oh... so you mean I have to study too?

The past week was one with lots of schoolwork, but it feels good to have gotten it over with. I guess it was bound to come eventually... haha

On Tuesday, I was able to Skype with Ben, which was the highlight of the week, it is so nice to see his face and we finalized the date when I will get to see him again…. May 6th.. I can handle that! Tuesday night, we had cooking class at school and learned how to make Arepas—Yum!

Wednesdays are always long but that night two of my Venezuelan friends stopped by to give me a little break from studying, which was nice and much needed.

Thursday was el dia de liberacion ☺… for me at least! I took care of a presentation and test and then went on a little exploration with my friend Megan. We went to el centro to finalize our ziplining plans, had lunch together at an adorable café, and went to Mercado Principal… TWICE! I got some gifts for my cousins, more incense, a t-shirt, and really fun hippie pants that will be great for Margarita Island! That night we continued the liberation…. And WENT OUT! We started at my friend Albertos house with some wine and guitar hero. Then went to Birosca and Poco Loco. Got home at 4 am… EXHAUSTION but very worth it.

Friday… our good friends Luis and Alexi took me and Brittany to this little mountain town called El Valle. We had a really yummy lunch, a peaceful day on a cliff, took fun pictures and just relaxed. That night, we hit the bed at 10…. Much needed.

Saturday was a very productive day. I worked out in the park, got some homework done, and then WENT ZIPLINING! It was a blast! Minus the bugs…. My legs are BITTEN UP and so so itchy ☹! Also, my camera doesn’t have the string to attach to my wrist so I didn’t get very many pictures but my friend Megan got some GREAT ones and videos too! So I will certainly be sharing those as soon as she puts them up. That night I just had a chill night with a few of my Venezuelan friends and was home by midnight.

Today, Sunday, I am going to work on some more homework and then go to my friend Andres’s soccer game at 330! He is really good so I am really excited to take a break from schoolwork, sit in the sun, and watch his mad skills!

MARGARITA ISLAND—SIX DAYS!
HOME- SIX WEEKS! >>bitter sweet.

...a miserable yet still memorable experience...

Destination Lago (lake) Coromoto- 9 KM, aprox. 3 hours

5 hours later (90% uphill)..... still no lago coromoto
sun setting, intermittent heavy rain, hungry, tired, sore, wet, cold, and pessimistic to say the least....

attempt to take the other route from the fork in the road>> still no lago coromoto
30 minutes left of sunlight
one last attempt at a different route...
NO LAGO COROMOTO. but a nice platform and beautiful view. consider it done.
Set up camp just in time for a nice DOWN POUR :)
Difficulty making a fire with wet wood... so I volunteer my sweatpants to start the fire... SUCCESS.
Nasty chicken hot dogs, veggies, cheez wiz, crackers, and tortillas.....

Thank goodness for the rum, coke, good people, and good music! :)

Day turns to night. Clouds turn to a million stars. Frustration turns to laughter. Cold turns to colder. and Misery turns to fun.
and I SAW MY FIRST SHOOTING STAR :)

Surprisingly slept till almost 10 in our tents.... took off for the hike home-->
a simple hour and a half downhill.

Only in Venezuela can getting lost in the Andes Mountains build character and create memories.

This week: 1 test, 1 paper, 2 presentations. Wish me luck! :)

"you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast"

Monday- got a refund for the unfortunately cancelled concert, bought cute/cheap shoes, lame day, went to bed at 9 PM. much needed!

Tuesday- nice run in the morning to start the day off right! hung out with my venezuelan friend at night, homework help, lots of studying!

Wednesday- LONG DAY! History test. and a necessary trip to mojitos! :)

Thursday- BRITTANY LEFT FOR ECUADOR! :(, yoga, laundry, 94% on my politics exam, feeling a little homesick- skyped with mom, watched some sex and the city, took a long nap then received good news of a bonus from camp and that my best friend PEKO will be returning to camp so the day turned around very quickly.... then to my friends apartment and out to POCO LOCO! always a blast! and skyped with KARI GREEN till 4:30 in the morning! whooops.

Friday- a very humorous trip to el centro with megan and marissa...... rented sleeping bags to go camping Saturday night! :o, saw a man carrying a legitimate COW LEG through the street, yummy lunch, almost stepped on a homeless dog, lots of unwanted attention from weird men, and silly moods with good friends! ALSO, me and megan signed up to go zip-lining through the mountains next Saturday... DONT WORRY MOM! ;)

Also, very excited that my Minnesota BESTIES will most likely be coming to omaha for my birfday! What could be better than spending my birthday with the entire family AND my best friends!? PLUS the sex and the city SEQUEL!! Andddd found out that I am going to be seeing Ben AS SOON AS I get home! YAY! anddd possibly going to KC for my favorite cousins birthday May 15th! :)

Very tired and need to work on some homework.....

Stories from camping coming sooooon...... :)

una simple fantasia

This weekend was probably one of the best of the entire semester..... There was seriously not a dull moment!

Friday- dominated my linguistics test, went for a run, got my nails done, went to mercado principal AGAIN- bought an artsy mirror, incense, a gift for ben, and got FREE fruit from the farmers, then Britt and I got some dinner and wine and went out! We went to our friend Andres house and then to a club called Gradas. It was sooo fun! Lots of people, lots of dancing, and lots of partying. We got home at 330 AM. But SO worth it.

Saturday- our late night didn't stop us! We woke up at 9:30 and headed for a hike through the mountains! It was a great work out but still relaxing and enjoyable. Sometimes I think it is really nice to get away from the city and just be in touch with nature and natural silence. Plus, it felt good to exercise. That night we went bowling for our Venezuelan friends birthday. Britt was feeling tired so she went home and I went out by myself with ALL Venezuelans! It was really fun. We just kind of hung out at this boys house and then hung out in the street dancing to salsa music out of my friends car.... I GOT HOME AT 6 AM!! But again, SO worth it.

Today, Sunday- Pizza with our favorite family finally worked out! :) We spent the ENTIRE day at their house and it is so cute. We made DELICIOUS homemade pizza and cookies, played soccer in the street, and just enjoyed each other's company. The parents are the nicest people ever and the kids are absolutely adorable. It was probably one of the best days ever. Except that my baby toenail completely ripped off... that was no bueno.

Now I am pooped from my late nights and lots of fun! But this week should be pretty chill. I have a test on Wednesday and that's about it. Britt leaves for Ecuador on Thursday so I will be kind of lonely but I am sure I will still make the most of the weekend and have a blast with other people, it might be good for me to spend time with other people!

Starting to feel kind of sad that it is already MARCH! I am really making a life for myself here and it will be really weird to leave for good..... but at least I have a fun summer to look forward to! :)

a week to remember

Monday- Venezuelan cooking night! Postre Melocoton- a good night with good people! Especially the family of the cafeteria. They definitely win the cutest, nicest family award :)

Tuesday- Yoga in the morning and Fiesta de Tambores at night!- a fun night learning a new style of dancing with a live band! Then we took the party to our two favorite bars: Mojitos and Poco Loco! Also, I was able to skype with Ben this day! It made my day :)

Wednesday- Since there are professors and advisors from the states visiting the school, our teachers went on a field trip with them and therefore we didn't have classes! I couldn't think of a more perfect day not to have classes because Wednesdays already stinkkk and then I had one less test this week!! Instead we went to Mercado Principal and the pool. I got way burnt but it was very relaxing and very worth it. That night I grabbed a beer over some dominoes with a few friends.

Thursday- Yoga in the morning then Politics test :/ In the evening VENUSA hosted a sangria making contest (MY TEAM WON and got t-shirts for a prize!), karaoke, salsa dancing, and hot dogs. Then we went to Mojitos with our friends Ray and Marey. They are so nice and the cutest couple EVER! It was a nice evening but it ended early because I have another test tomorrow.

Unfortunately the day trip for VENUSA was postponed AND the Wisin and Yandel concert was cancelled.... therefore my Friday will consist of my Linguistics test and then who knows! We are hoping to go out with Marey and Ray again. A hike on Saturday. and to the family's house from the cafeteria on Sunday to make pizza. But as you can tell.... nothing ever goes as planned! So stay tuned :)

once again, Venezuela: The Unpredictable.

Well once again, things didn't exactly work out as planned today. The little boy Juan Diego and his dad both were sick today so we couldn't go to their house to make pizza. Instead..... we went to a soccer game with our friend Victor! It was sooo fun. MERIDA WON within the last MINUTE! The sun was shining so brightly and it was a great time.

Wish me luck on my tests this week, and I hope I start feeling better soon :)

the simple life.

It is amazing how chill everything is here. In fact it is almost humorous. At school we get a break in every class and our teachers sometimes say "15 minutes North American Time" or "15 minutes Venezuelan Time". There truly is a difference. At home there are so many rules, laws, order, and EVERYTHING is on a schedule. Here it is much more laid back. There are laws, yes, but people don't exactly comply with them and NOTHING is on time. Although both countries have their issues, I find that it is actually good for me and nice to not always be on a schedule with to do lists and a constant plan. It is nice to relax and take in all of the gifts around me, especially nature: The constant view of mountains.

So just like nothing is predictable here, my weekend also did not happen as according to "plan" but it was even better. Aside from feeling kind of crummy, Brittany and I took the time to explore the city a little bit. Yesterday which was supposed to be pool day turned into to Mercado Principal and long walks. I bought some salsa picante and FELL IN LOVE! I cant wait to buy lots of jars to bring back to the States with me, it is amazing. And I also got a really pretty piece of artwork.

Today, we went to the botanical gardens instead of a hike. They were beautiful and lots of fun. Then we went to Plaza Mayor and I splurged and got an adorable shirt. But I can justify it cause it goes with leggings, jeans, winter, summer, and could even be a beach coverup. So I am content. Then we went to Sushi Tei to finally say bye to our friend that is going to Germany. So sad but so yummy.

Tomorrow will hopefully go as planned. I am looking forward to homemade pizza and playing with the adorable kiddos :)

Also, Ben got me and him Dave Matthews Band tickets for Minnesota in September. I am so excited. It has been a concert that I have always wanted to go to. He Is so great!

"cada dia es un regalo"

This week I took my first yoga class in SPANISH and it was such a great experience. I was shocked by how similar it was to my classes in the US and it was such a learning experience to have to think about everything in spanish. We went Tuesday and Thursday morning and I bought a membership so we plan to go multiples times throughout the week. The gym is about a 3 minute walk from our apartment and they also have some other fun classes so we are very excited to do something active during the week.... I miss working out!

On Tuesday night we had a little wine night at our friends apartment which was relaxing and fun especially after our presentation that day in geography which we dominated by the way ;)

On Wednesday I felt a little sick.... it seemed like allergies but it was just overall a really long day. That night VENUSA had a little event with dancing and homemade sangria which was really yummy. I went to bed at 930 PM and feel a 100% better.

This weekend I am looking forward to spending more time close to home, in Merida. We have quite the to do list :) a lot of people are going camping or to the beach but I have 3 tests next week so I think it would be wise to stay close. We are planning to go to the pool tomorrow, a hike on Saturday, and over to the VENUSA cafeteria's family on Sunday to bake pizza. I am so excited for that because they are the nicest people ever and have an ADORABLE 3 year old boy.

Lastly, Ben and I celebrated our 10 month anniversary this week! <3 cute huh? It's amazing how strong our relationship can be after 2 months of so much distance... we haven't even been able to video chat! It is really hard at times but as my mom would say.... "oh, young love" ;)

Anyways, I am going to go study now. Hope everyone is doing well.
Love and miss you all.
Stay warm! Kelsey

PS: my e-mail is having some problems in case anyone is trying to send me things!
PPS: our food has been much better lately... I think our mom could tell we didn't like it so much... whooops!

highlights from a week close to home

Sooo normally I would not have power right now..... but how ironic that because Chavez is in my city today.... WE HAVE POWER! Funny how things work....

A few highlights from the past week:

1) ^^the beautiful sunset outside my bedroom window

2) exposition- an event with a lot of vendors- bought a beautiful handcrafted pillow case, a soccer jersey, and some gifts

3) lots of time spent with our favorite venezuelan guy friends :)

4) merengue and salsa dancing at poco loco

5) baking homemade pizza at our venezuelan friend's apartment

6) spring break trip to margarita island... BOOKED. and our host family possibly meeting us there!

7) a trip to the best panaderia in merida

8) purchased Wisin y Yandel (regaton music group) concert tickets for March 5th

9) Valentine's Day movie- cute, funny, and a nice girls night

10) I'm no longer constipated, for those of you who were worried. ha

11) Stephanie Pearson-Watkins is PREGNANT! (my dance teacher from the old days)

12) hit the one month mark... "time flies when you're having fun"

A few not as happy highlights:

1) hit the one month mark... bitter sweet.

2) we are officially out of the drought

3) with more time in school comes more projects and tests

4) some not so tasty meals

5) one of our new venezuelan friends leaving for 5 months in Germany

6) RIP Dan Weisenburger- your family and friends are in my prayers, you will be missed.

THE PESSIMIST COMPLAINS ABOUT THE WIND.

THE OPTIMIST EXPECTS IT TO CHANGE.

THE REALIST ADJUSTS THE SAILS.

-WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

paradise trip #1... success :)

The boys on the left are

my new favorite people :) They took us out Thursday night and it was the best night ever. They are very nice, speak multiple languages (including English), have spent time in the US and Europe, and are not creepy at all like some of the other guys around here. We went to two different bars- Bananas and Poco Loco. It was pretty chill, good drinks, good music, some salsa dancing, hanging out, etc. Then poco loco closed at 3 AM and we still weren't ready to go home... people party REALLY late here! So we went with them to this parking lot which is what people do here after bar. There was music, dancing, and people just hanging outside. It was fun. We stayed out till 430 in the morning! YIKES! But so worth it.

Then Friday we slept a lot, got some homework done, and prepared for our weekend beach trip :) We had to take an overnight bus (12 hours long) and then another 3 hour bus. but it was SO worth it. We stayed at a posada (hostel) called Moreno's Place as you can see in the picture above. A family lived there and they just had some dorm style rooms where 9 of us girls slept. It was very simple... only 12 dollars a night and just a short walk from the shore. And the family was so kind! They made us feel right at home. We basically spent long hours laying out on the beach, swimming in the ocean, walking around town, and getting lots of sun.

On Sunday (our only "full" day) we took a boat ride out to one of the Keys/Islands called Cayo Sombrero. It was SO beautiful. Very secluded, not too touristy, lots of palm trees, and simply beautiful. The sand was perfectly white and the water- bright blue. Four of the girls and I decided to walk almost around the entire island. It was soo cool, I felt like we were discovering it for the first time. In the third picture above you can see me standing next to a shipwreck. So cool. Who knows how long it has been there... I wish I knew the story behind it. We walked for about 2 hours and it was just so open, clear, empty, and beautiful. It's amazing to think how much of the world we haven't visited. Then... since it was Carnaval weekend, as the day turned to afternoon... the island of course turned into a party because like always venezuelans LOVE to party. There were a ton of young kids just drinking and dancing, it was really fun.

All in all it was a really successful first beach trip and I am very glad that we went. However, unfortunately Brittany didn't feel well the entire weekend so that was too bad :( I have thankfully been lucky so far... knock on wooood!

Anyways, I have my very first test tomorrow and only 2 days of classes this week... then ANOTHER WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for more fun and excitement! There is still so much to do :)

Kelsey

Las Ferias De Sol

There is a lot going on here in Merida as it is the week of Las Ferias/Carnaval. I really don't even know the significance of this but I know that there are bull fights, celebrations, music, and overall just lots of partying and celebrations :) On Tuesday Me, Brittany, and Nora took Nora's host sister Maji to Plaza de Toros. It was a really cool event... kind of felt like I was at the circus. But there were equestrian horses, flamenco dancers, fire jugglers, and acrobats.

Then VENUSA hosted a Carnaval party for us last night (Wednesday). It was very fun! You are supposed to wear costumes, and since we didn't really plan for this, we had to be creative. Brittany and I made fun little masks and just wore black v-necks, jeans, and our fun masks. There was a DJ, dancing, decorations, etc. Anddd.... there was a dance contest. 4 girls! and of course... I was in it! AND I WON! I had had a little bit to drink so I thought it would be a good idea to whip our a back handspring. I kind of failed miserable but everyone was cheering for me, chanting my name, and it was really exciting. I won a nice little Merida t-shirt. Then we went to our favorite bar: Mojitos! As always, it was a blast. I love that atmosphere and the boys that work there :)

Tonight we are going out... and then we don't have classes Monday or Tuesday due to Las Ferias so we are hitting up the beach! I am so excited. We have to take an overnight bus and we are going to stay 2 nights in a hostel with 8 girls. It should be really fun.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of tests, papers, and projects coming up so I will be working on those when I am not enjoying the sun and good friends.

I can't believe I have already been here a MONTH!

I guess time flies when you're having fun :)

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds." -Bob Marley

The past week has been filled with busyness and happiness! We finally had a full week of classes which brought with it, lots of reading and writing. Tuesday was the first salsa dancing class and it was so much fun! The basic steps are pretty simple but the turns are much harder. I am looking forward to more classes and practice. On Wednesday we finally went to the bar called Mojitos which is close to our house. We had heard lots of good things about it, and boy was everyone right! The drinks are amazing, the atmosphere is perfect, and the workers are very cute ;) Our chill Wednesday night turned into a little more of a rumba night than we planned on, but it was probably one of my favorite nights thusfar!

On Thursday... OUR PARENTS FINALLY CAME HOME! They are so cute, fun, nice, and perfect. I am really excited! Then we went out for sushi with a group of people and it was by far one of the best sushi experiences I have ever had. I will definitely be going back there in the future! :) Then we hit up the popular discoteca for the first time, called Racing. It was a lot of fun! Lots of music, dancing, lights, fun, etc. Only complaint I had was the lack of Salsa! They played a lot of Regaton which is like Latin hip hop. Fun, but not salsa...

Friday was a homework/chill kind of day.

Today (Saturday) we went PARAGLIDING through the mountains! It was absolutely magical and I am so glad that I went. Only problem was that my breakfast didn't want to settle and I threw up when I landed.... whooops?! But it makes for a good story, and the overall experience was still one of a kind.

Tonight I am hoping to find some SALSA somewhere and tomorrow we are going to watch the beauty pageant that is being held on our street for Pre-La Feria activities. Then we are going to watch the Super Bowl at VENUSA.

Overall, everything is finally falling into place and I could not be more content.

Stay smiles everyone, even though the snow doesn't seem to let up. Thinking of you all!

Kelsey

live simply... so that others can simply live.

The past few days have been incredible. We spent more time at the pool, went out, cheered on Magallanes in the baseball Venezuelan series, and then took a two day excursion to aguas termales or hot springs. We even had time to do our laundry for the first time! It was pretty easy and painless. Although the baseball team we wanted didn't win, we had fun wearing shirts and cheering loudly. I was surprised and excited at how big of a deal baseball is here.

Our trip to aguas termales was AMAZING. We took about an hour jeep ride to the base of the mountain, hiked about 45 minutes to the top of the mountain where we camped and visited the hot springs. The hot springs were so natural and peaceful. We spent most of the night hanging around a fire and appreciating nature. It was quite magical to wake up to a beautiful view of mountains :)

Tomorrow we return to school. Hopefully we will have a full week this time :) Things have calmed down quite a bit here recently so I hope it stays that way. I am actually very excited for this week. I feel like I learn so much in my classes. Tuesday we have dance class, and Wednesday we have Venezuelan cooking class. Our parents are supposed to come home Thursday... CROSS YOUR FINGERS!

LOVE KELSEY.

mucho caos en la calle

The past few days have been a little crazy! There has been a lot of protesting in the streets and unfortunately two students from the public university have died. Luckily, I attend the private university in the city, but obviously it affects everyone. Therefore, we have been suspended from school for a few days until things calm down and we need to be VERY careful. It is so crazy... the national guard is just camped out on the street to stop anything that may start. The biggest form of protest that I have physically seen has been tire fires in the streets, but it is still really scary, especially being a GRINGA which means AMERICAN>> we stick out like sore thumbs. The reason for the protests is because recently Chavez has dropped 6 tv channels, devalued the dollar, issued power and water outages, and neglected to clean up the garbage on the streets. In general, people are just frustrated with all of the unnecessary changes.

On top of the chaos in the city, there was a loss in our host family. We are just trying to be supportive of the family, as we attended a mass service tonight, and are awaiting our REAL parents arrival. They are currently in Caracas trying to get tickets home.

I absolutely LOVE my classes and the people here. I am actually sad that classes are suspended which is a really weird feeling. Tomorrow we plan to go to the pool again and this weekend, the hot springs. Tonight we had such a fun time with our "aunt". We drank some wine and just laughed. I think it was really good for our aunt to relax and smile since she has had such a rough week with her uncle dying. We also gave her a candle and Jack Johnson CD and I think she really appreciated it. She is so funny and cute.

Overall it has been a little more difficult lately since we have kind of been on lockdown and for the first time in the past week, I felt unsafe. But I think once the city calms down, things will be much better. Whenever I get down I just look outside and see MOUNTAINS and SUNSHINE and everything seems to be much better :) I am also thankful that I don't have a parasite because 3 people in our program do and they are miserable :/

anyways.... sorry if my English is bad. I am finding that when you speak two languages, you start to struggle in both! :)

she's only happy in the sun

We spent a lot of time exploring the city this weekend. Mercado principal, el centro, the pool, etc. Mercado principal is basically the market place. I got a bracelet, a purse, and a dream catcher. There was a lot of cheap trinkets and souvenirs and its only a ten minute walk from my house so I will be back! Then we ran errands with our aunt and met our grandma. She was so welcoming and lives in a really quaint neighborhood with lots of kids and family. Then today we spent 5 hours laying by the pool. It was so relaxing and we got LOTS of color! Tomorrow = first full week of school. I have class at 8 am... YIKES!

Just a quick update. Peace, love, and sunshine :)

Let the good times roll....

Soo I have had a lot of firsts since my last post-- first day of school, first arepa, first night out, and overall lots of exploring. We live about a 20-30 minute walk from school so when the sun is up it is perfectly safe to walk, plus a good way to exercise. The sun beats down on us as we trek to school; of course receiving lots of whistles and hollers that we just simply ignore… it’s their culture.

I had Politics and Geography for the first day of school. I already feel like I will learn so much because the NATIVE teachers just lecture in Spanish, are extremely knowledgeable/kind/understanding and there isn’t all of the busy work that I find at Minnesota. I am also taking Children’s Literature, Film Criticism and Linguistics.

The food here is really good and the portions are a lot smaller which is good! An arepa is a flat bread type pita stuffed with different things. They also have tajadas which are fried plantains. We found a bakery which is really close to our house where I think we will spend a lot of time! They have GREAT food and DELICIOUS coffee! It feels like I am at home when I am there.

Last night (Thursday) we finally went out! We met lots of Venezuelan students from VENUSA that went with us, they are SO nice and really want to take care of us. There was a big group of us which was better and safer. We went to 3 bars... bananas, poco loco, and one more that I don't know the name of. There was a really important baseball game going on so everyone was cheering which was really exciting! and the favored team WON! :) Lots of dancing, drinking, hanging out with friends, and good times.

Today we ventured out to the grocery store which was nice. It is very close to our house. And tonight we have nuevos encuentros and a BBQ which is where we get paired with Venezuelan students as a learning experience/buddy system. Should be fun! They are really cool people. Then our new friend Isbelys is taking us out.

I love the location of our apartment and there are 5 of us living in the building which is very convenient.

Hope all is well with everyone at home! :)

WE MADE IT! sorry such a long post.... :)

Sooo.... I am finally here! What a relief :)

I will start from the beginning.....

The travels overall went very smoothly, everything was on time and no luggage was lost! We flew four hours from Miami to Caracas, one hour from Caracas to El Vigia, and a two hour bus ride from El Vigia to Merida... the buses truly are FREEZING!

When we arrived to VENUSA (the name of our school) a woman was standing with a sign that had our names on it.... at first it was very awkward and we were very nervous! In the taxi we found out that she was actually our host mom's sister because our parents had to go out of town on an emergency until saturday! However, our host "aunt", if you will, is 26 and very nice and fun! and we have heard very good things about our parents too. When we arrived the power was out and we had to carry our heavy bags up 3 flights of stairs... OY! But once the power turned back on we had time to straighten our room and get situated. As soon as we were done we PASSED out as we were running on hardly any sleep! We each have a twin bed, share a closet, have our own bathroom together, a TV, wireless internet, and overall all of the basic necessities! It is a little smaller than I expected but I cannot complain. And we have purified water and pretty yummy meals! :)

Today, Tuesday, we had to be at school at 9 am for orientation. We learned a little about how things work and signed up for classes. The school is basically one building with 3 floors. There is a pool table, wireless, lockers, a cafeteria, and my favorite part: HAMMOCKS! For lunch we got a 2 hour break and sat outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather and had empanadas, yummy! Unfortunately we had to take a spanish placement exam which was a little harder than I expected but oh well! I will improve over time :) Then they took us on a tour of the fun part of the city. It is very crowded, lots of shops, lots of traffic, and lots of spanish. They also took us to an ice cream parlor that is known for their number of flavors.... AROUND 800! I had coffee and sangria and tried someone else's BEER flavored ice cream-- SO WEIRD! Then we returned to VENUSA to end the evening.... unfortunately there was a fire and riots in the street so we had to wait much longer until we could safely get home. Don't worry Mom! It was just the motorcyclists that are trying to protest against Chavez's new rule enforcing that they wear orange vests which are very expensive! How crazy! But they keep us very safe at VENUSA. We finally safely got home in a taxi, had dinner and now are here! :)

Tomorrow= 4 hour hike in the mountains and I cannot wait! Then I think we are going to venture out tomorrow night for the first time. By then I should have an activated Venezuelan phone which will make things much easier.

Overall, things are going GREAT! I have met amazing people and am in love with the weather. I am looking forward to taking many trips to the beach, going on adventure tours, and improving my spanish! I already feel 100x stronger after 2 days! So it only will go up from here!

MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU ALL!

<3>

and the journey begins...

We made it successfully to Miami where it is cloudy, rainy, and very humid but much WARMER and more pleasant than NE or MN. We have met around 8 other students joining us on our journey and they are VERY nice. Everything went very smoothly besides the Fox channel not working at the hotel for the Vikings game... thank goodness for nfl.com! haha I think we are just going to lay low today in the hotel and try to catch up on sleep since we have to leave for the airport at 2:30 AM! YIKES! Although everyone is already speaking Spanish to us here in Miami, tomorrow is when the real emersion begins. I will have updates as SOON as I get settled in and have access to internet. Safe travels :)

Merida Forecast... rough ;)

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
80° F | 51° F	80° F | 55° F	78° F | 53° F	78° F | 51° F	80° F | 53° F
Clear	Clear	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Clear	Clear
Hourly	Hourly	Hourly	Hourly	Hourly

History in the Making- Darius Rucker... 10 dias

Don’t move Baby Don’t move
Awww look at you
I just want to take this in
The moonlight dancing off your skin
Our time Lets take our time
I just want to look in your eyes
and catch my breath
Cuz I just got a feeling

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, cling to,
one we can’t forget
Baby, this could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making

Inside, baby inside
Can you feel the butterflies?
Floating all around
Cuz I can sure feel them now
Tonight, maybe tonight
Is a start of a beautiful ride
that will never end
And baby I’ve got a feeling

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, cling to,
One we can’t forget
Baby, this could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making

Right here, right now
Holding you in my arms

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, we want to cling to,
One that we can’t forget
Baby, this could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making

^^ It is exactly one week from my return to Minneapolis... which means I am only 10 days from the big day! Packing is a lot of work but very exciting. I need to remember that it is possible to get by with very little, considering I went 7 days in Israel without ANYTHING. The song above has recently become my favorite. It was playing in the car as I sadly took Ben to the airport... but it is actually quite uplifting. I have a lot of mixed emotions: nervous, scared, confused, unsure but above all, EXCITED! I am mostly excited for the culture and the adventure aspect... and I am nervous about my host family, security, and difficulty with the language!

The above song talks about how we don't have forever so we need to live in the moment, especially in relationships. I think being apart from everyone will only make me stronger. I will be so busy that 4 months will go very fast, and the relationships that are worth lasting, will be just fine! Almost everything I have done in my life has been by instinct, spontaneity, fate, and destiny and it has pretty much all worked out for the best. Going to Minneapolis for school has found me the best friends in the world, going to Israel and then Canada has found me the best boyfriend in the world, and now I am confident that Venezuela is going to find me something special as well (of course not replacing the two above discoveries!) Anyways, I plan to try to keep up with this blog as much as I can although I understand time will be limited and unfortunately Venezuela is known for many power outages (it will make for good stories).

Thanks for reading! and if I bore you... sorry! You don't have to read it :) It is also going to be a journal for myself so that I can look back on it years from now and remember my experience!

KELSEY <3