It's time...

Packed. Ready. And yes, I am bringing my towel.

...and I'm ready!

The goal over of the last few months was to get a DNA-level of understanding of this adventure, so that when I get south of the equator I can simply go with it and take in the opportunities.

I believe that people do the best they can with the tools they have.  The "tools" can include things like personal knowledge and skills, personality traits, money, access to information, support from family and friends, etc. 

And time.

I tend to take all the time I have when I work on anything - big or small.  I had two and a half months to get ready for this excursion, which was kind of short. I won't know for awhile if I could have done anything differently during the planning phase, but for now, I want to remember that the amount of time doesn't necessarily translate to being any more or less thoughtful about it.  Years are long -- there's more time to think of stuff, but there's more time to not think of stuff too.

The outstanding question is whether I can ever be ready for my brain to hurt in terms of hearing and speaking the Spanish. Because that's gonna happen!

Who wants a Chilean fishing rod?

Fishing rods beat out leather and wine in terms of
popular imports. For obvious reasons.

If packing for a four-month excursion proves to be too overwhelming, one might take a break from it all by a) shoveling after a snow storm (fun!), b) spending way too much time reading about customs and duty tax, (super fun!) and c) marathon-watching House of Cards (actually fun!)

I'll definitely be on the lookout for certain things to bring back/mail as gifts to my people. Chile is well known for copper, lapis lazuli, and wool. I'd love to bring back some pisco and wine, but that gets trickier, or at least, more expensive.

File under: Details, Random

For Skype, FaceTime, and general interest: standard time in Chile is UTC -4h, but the country observes daylight savings time (el horario de verano) from the second Saturday in October through the second Saturday in March. We're going into the southern hemisphere autumn (set the clocks back), and the northern hemisphere spring (set the clocks forward), so we will go from a three hour time difference to a one hour time difference.  (Currently, Chile is UTC-3h, and Minnesota is UTC-6h.  On March 8, the UTC offset will be -4h in Chile, and -5h in Minnesota). 

The tourist visa is something I can only obtain at the Santiago airport.  It is a physical card, and -for real real- I cannot lose it. Or leave the country without it. (So if it's lost, the only people who can replace it are the International Police.)

I hope to get a +56 prepaid cell phone for the duration. It may or may not be necessary to dial 09 first to call a cell phone from a landline in Chile, but it will be necessary to dial from a landline if I need to call a toll-free number in the United States in order to avoid charges.

The emergency numbers in Chile are 3-digit numbers, and follow an ABC-123 pattern.  From any phone, one can dial 131 for medical (ambulancias), 132 for fire (bomberos), and 133 for police (carabineros).

Chileans have RUTs (equivalent to Social Security Numbers) for taxpaying and employment purposes, and -like SSNs- have come to be required for a number of purposes (including renting an apartment).

My World Travel Adapter Kit doesn't list South America! Electricity Around the World says I can use the Continental Europe adapter in Chile, and the Australian adapter in Argentina.  The USB power adapter that comes with iPhone and iPad supports 110-240v power. I'm bringing the whole kit, in any case.

Getting to Viña

Once we chose Chile, we narrowed in on Viña del Mar fairly quickly.  That was a challenge, in retrospect, give how enormous Chile is, and how extraordinarily different the regions are.  Alicia has a friend who lived in Chile for several years who recommended that we investigate San Antonio, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar, and I met some friends of a friend who grew up in Viña pretty early on in this process.  The Viña/Valpo area has about the same population size as Minneapolis-Saint Paul (my comfort zone), its central location might make it easier to explore both the northern and southern parts of the country, and its proximity to Santiago hopefully means day- or weekend-trips to the big city. (Also, if we need to get to the Embassy, it's only an hour and a half away.)

Viña has been described to me as the working-class counterpart to neighboring bohemian Valpo. It has been described to me as a resort town (am I going to live in the Chilean Miami? Lahaina? The Chilean Cancun?) and a place that Chileans go for vacation. It's also a place that the president of the country relaxes, and where the legislative branch of the government houses.  I am looking forward to to exploring the city and the region, and am curious about how two economies - tourist and local - play out in Chile, especially as it is something I think about, but don't know much about, in the United States. 

Job searching and backup plans

Most people I've spoken with who lived abroad temporarily did so through a program (job exchange, missionary work, study abroad), or had moved abroad for a long-term or permanent opportunity. Exchange programs for librarians were either long-term, or in Africa or Europe. AuPair programs appealed to me for the opportunity to live with a Spanish-speaking family, but I read mixed reviews about what to expect in terms of freedom.  Teaching programs cost a bit to get into, but they would prepare you, include some Spanish teaching, and do job placement. Volunteer programs also cost quite a bit, and require skills that I don't have (medical, mainly) or require a longer time commitment than I was willing to give. 

For reasons, Alicia and I are creating this immersion experience from scratch, and a big part of that included finding ways to afford it.

Option #1: Find temporary employment. 

I created my first international CV (which included information that I would never share in the United States on a resume...date of birth? Nationality? Marital status? Eh. When in Rome.) with the focus of teaching English or putting my library experience to good use. (Although, the idea of learning to farm or working in a restaurant appealed to me, farming can be isolating, and working in a restaurant would either a) put us in contact with English-speaking patrons and coworkers, or b) would have a lot of Spanish coming at us really quickly). 

Forums (expats, teachers, reddit), the Internet, and chats with loose acquaintances made it sound like there were teaching jobs to be had, we just had to be there as teaching companies in Chile wouldn't consider hiring anyone until they are in the country.  We planned to arrive in mid- to late-February (school year starts in March) to deliver our CVs to schools and companies, and scour the internet and the local  papers for opportunities.  Going into something with a decent-sized unknown (not knowing whether these jobs were available to anyone with native English or native English speakers with language teaching experience/licenses) meant creating a back-up plans if we couldn't find employment.

Backup Option #1: Volunteer my way through the country in exchange for food and shelter. Sites such as Help Exchange and World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms match volunteers with hosts throughout South America (and the world). 

Backup Option #2: [still blank. come home? stay anyway? live on a beach somewhere?]

Toward the end of December, I responded to an ad we had seen on learn4good.com (Alicia had written in November), and in early January, we realized we had discovered positions that matched ideals of having Chilean coworkers, being situated in Viña del Mar, paying enough to make ends meet, and requiring skills that I have.  And that was the equivalent of what full-time means in the US (40 hours per week) as opposed to full-time in Chile (approx 48 hours per week). 

Six figures

I just realized that I'm going to be earning six figures in Chile.  (This is likely to be the only time in my life I will be able to say that, given that my life's work is in public library service.)

I've been casually working on (er...meaning to work on) being able to say numbers in the hundreds and thousands in Spanish as most prices in Chile are in the hundred thousands.  Chile has the highest cost of living in South America (also one of the most stable economies), and the prices of some goods are equivalent to what they are in the US.  The exchange rate (one US Dollar is equal to 543 Chilean Pesos), though, means that while I might pay $2.50 for a dozen eggs in the US, I would pay $1,420 in Chile. I'm looking at rent prices of 120,000 (if I'm lucky).

Before giving a green light to this project, I did a lot of calculations to determine whether we could forgo my salary for five months, researched what a leave of absence would mean in terms of suspending employer benefits (insurance, vacation/sick time, flex spending account, PERA contribution, etc.), and created a few scenarios in which I would be able to make ends meet in Chile without having to draw (too much) on savings.  Oh, how I do love a good spreadsheet.

Making my own way in another country has been a goal of mine for a long time, but I couldn't go into it without considering security, backup options and insurance.  There's no guarantee to complete financial security, but since I wanted to get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, I also looked into extra security measures such as EMV chips (turns out it is a bigger deal for travel through Europe) and took care to look for zero liability.  Consumer Reports rates some of the best ways to send money abroad (some will work, others -like PayPal- aren't used in Chile).  Insure My Trip is a very helpful starting point for comparing medical travel insurance plans or packages, and in explaining what is and is not covered.

I thought about writing a how-to-finance-your-sabbatical type post, but realize that this post is more a reminder to my future self that I did some work to figure out how to afford this adventure if something happens.  I won't know how the planning will or will not pay off until I actually do it, and may not know how well my plans work until well after I return.

Oh, and I stumbled upon this tip, don't flash your cash, from the state department. Very helpful! (But really, I should give a thought to how I prefer to carry cash, since it has been a long time since I've carried anything more than a twenty dollar bill.)

Are sheep going blind in Chile?

During my trip to Australia last year I got a terrible heat rash on my arms and neck - probably due to the fact that the ozone layer is thinner over Tasmania (and most of the southern hemisphere), and (although I wore sunscreen) my skin didn't quite adjust to the extra ultraviolet rays as well as my travel companions.

In both hemispheres, stratospheric ozone (the good stuff, not on the ground) drops in the spring, but  ozone loss is more rapid throughout the southern hemisphere. The ozone hole over Antarctica has to do with ice clouds (containing the ozone-eating chlorine and bromine chemicals) that form during the winters, and then deplete the ozone layer when the sunlight returns in the spring and activates the chemicals.

The ozone layer is thinner over Chile, too, and looks to be thinner the further south one goes.  There's not much to do about it beyond bringing a better sunscreen and the UV-protective shirt I picked up at REI a few years ago.  I will also pack my remaining supply of "buttocks cream," (the lotion that helped heal my arms in Australia last year) just in case.

p.s. I stumbled across this question of whether sheep are going blind in Chile due to the ozone hole. Sheep are going blind in Chile, but it turned out to be a case of the pink eye.

Important destination research

I have a working theory that the closer to the equator the hotter the food, and the further you go from the equator the food gets milder and milder.  When I think of Thai, Indian, Moroccan, or Mexican food (countries that are close to the equator) I think of "full spice," "curry," "pepper," and being asked "how hot do you want it?" in restaurants. When I think of Australian, Russian, Scandinavian, or Minnesotan food (countries/states further from the equator), I think "butter," "bay leaves," "onion," and "potatoes." (Not that people in these regions only prefer hot or spicy, but that's what the agriculture supports).

I was reminded of this theory when I went to select a meal on Air Canada.

"Bland Meal"

It's been fun to read about Chilean food! I've met a few Chileans in the last few months, and most talk about the seafood first (congrio - a type of eel - and salmon are mentioned most frequently), the barbecues (asados) second, and the pisco and wine third. Everyone I've spoken with has mentioned that the prices of fruits and vegetables are more affordable in Chile than in the United States, and that typical Chilean cuisine (empanadas (meat pie), pastel de choclo (corn pie), curanto (fish soup) is delicious and flavorful, but not spicy.  The Humboldt Current brings a wide array of seafood to Chile; olives (not native, but thrive in the climate) are grown in the northern and central regions, and this may be one of the few times that I could try llama meat.

I'm definitely looking forward to a day trip through the Elqui Valley for a pisco discovery expedition, a jaunt through the Colchagua Valley for a carmeneré tour.

A quick note about propinas (tips).
Tipping in restaurants is generally 10% of the bill (lower than the 15% to 20% of the US). I don't expect to eat out very often, but I do expect to buy groceries. It is customary (expected?) to tip the people who bag your groceries in Chile, as they do not earn a salary and depend entirely on tips.

At any rate, I'm looking forward to a few months of meat and veg.

Getting to Chile

What started with "I am thinking of doing an extended stay in a Spanish-speaking country for six months to learn Spanish," got to "I am going to live and work in Viña del Mar, Chile for four months" fairly quickly.

Chile or Argentina...Chile or Argentina...

Getting to the southern part of
South America was the easy part

Neither country would have been the wrong choice, so I spent a few weeks contemplating this decision. I talked to as many people as I could find, read country profiles and travel books, searched for work and places to live, and kept up with my South American multireddit.

When I thought about increasing vocabulary and developing fluency in Spanish, both countries appealed to me.  When I thought about understanding people so that I could do things (like find work and a place to live, or get a cell phone or a bus ticket), Chile won. The Argentine Spanish accent is beautiful to listen to, as it is heavily influenced by the Italian language.  However, when I watched Nueve Reinas, an Argentine movie, I couldn't make out the words that I knew. When I watched Gigante, a Chilean movie, I could make out the words that I knew, and could at least spell or sound out the words that I didn't know.  I've heard that Chileans speak very quickly, that Chilean Spanish is not necessarily similar to the Spanish I encounter in Minnesota, and that I should be prepared to not understand anything for awhile. I'm hoping that it won't take as long for me to understand the language in Chile as it might have in Argentina. I'll find out!

I didn't have many contacts in either country while I was exploring the options, but once I decided on Chile I have met or been introduced to many people who are either Chilean, have lived/worked in Chile, and who have been willing to put me in touch with the Chilean people in their life.  That has been fun - and helpful!

Beyond the language barrier, I also considered geography, comfort, and where I might stand a better chance of immersing myself.

• Chile is not nearly as big as Argentina, and has well maintained highways, making it easier to see more of the country by bus (which is cheaper than flying everywhere!). 
• Buenos Aires (13.5 million) and Santiago (5.5 million) are too big for me, and while Argentina has more smaller city options, the small cities are still close to or over 1 million people.  The Valparaiso-Viña del Mar region (about the same size as Minneapolis-Saint Paul) appealed to me instantly for its size, relatively central location, and proximity to Santiago. (Also, it translates to "Vineyard of the Sea." That works for me.)
• The cost of living in Chile is higher, but it seems to be more stable (politically and economically). 

Random thoughts that occurred to me along the way, but that didn't really factor into my decision-making:

• Malbec (Argentina) is my favorite wine.  Carmenere (Chile) is quickly catching up.
• Argentina has more opportunities for whale watching. When I'm at an ocean, I look for whales. It's what I do.
• My childhood impression of the counselors at El Lago del Bosque (the Spanish camp I attended). The Argentines were gorgeous. The Chileans were nice. I want nice.

Language learning

A little over one year ago I was speaking with a colleague about language learning, and I mentioned that I was a very good beginner, but always got stuck when I had to make the leap to conjugating verbs and expanding my vocabulary.  He didn't bother with talking about the various ways to learn a language. He just jumped right to the best way of learning a language, which is to live in a country where that language is spoken.

Living in a Spanish-speaking country is not the only way to learn Spanish, just one of the best ways.  I have a decent background in Spanish, and have taken formal Spanish classes throughout my life.  But when I wanted to speak Spanish in my work at a public library in South Minneapolis I got more serious about listening and speaking.

Before this trip came up I began to work on improving my Spanish again in order to talk with patrons.

Active vocabulary
Brainscape Spanish uses confidence-based repetition (you rate your confidence as you plug through the flashcards, which means that flashcards are repeated at a great rate for learning). It does not include a recording option, which I actually prefer since I'm trying to build my vocabulary with this app - not my fluency.

DuoLingo uses more techniques to engage different learning styles. You answer questions using multiple choice, construct sentences, record your voice, and translate between languages. It's really easy to use (and free) but requires a bit more accuracy than I'm interested in right now.

CatAcademy is simply brilliant. It's a British app to learn Castilian Spanish, but you learn language. From cats.

Passive Vocabulary
News in Slow Spanish Latino is a fantastic service. The presenters speak slowly, so I have a chance to hear the language and make out the words.  I can listen for a long enough (and short enough) period of time to get the gist of what is being said without having to know the meaning of every single word.

Español Interactivo. Each lesson includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced - which is great for both building active vocabulary and recognition.

There are many other options for language learning, including books, finding a language swap partner or taking a class in the community. So far, I have learned (and remembered!) the most when I have conversations with friends or library patrons in Spanish. Much as computer programs have improved, nothing beats human interaction.