November 24- I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come

...alright, so maybe that's only half true. The trip here was pretty chaotic in its suddenness and the way it came about ,but I certainly know what I was doing before I came here. And really, the changes I've undergone (and am undergoing, as this is a process that is more intricate than I'm aware of today) make the trip well worth it. This has been an incredible experience and I thought I'd share a bit of what I'm thinking about at this stage in the game. So without further delay, here are some thoughts on teaching in Chile....

1) I always find it some strange mix of amusing and sad when I hear people say "I don't know how you could do that" or "I could never do that". False. You (generic you; this is not addressed to anyone in particular) COULD do this. Physically, you could do it. It takes more mental toughness and drive to stay sane and to keep your wits about you than it does physical toughness. I think a lot of this is a distinction between wants and needs. What do we WANT to have and what do we NEED in life? Granted, this has been made EASIER with a laptop and an iPod, but could I do without it? Sure. I have been keeping a supplementary journal with things I'm not sharing online. I could just as easily leave it all in a book. The things you find out about what you want and what you need become clearly-defined in such an experience.

I find that for holidays, I don't ask for much. This is really because I don't NEED much. The truth of the matter is that you don't, either. Personally, that is. I understand those of you who own homes and have these "families" that you need to support may have a different perspective and that's fine. I'm just saying it's not THAT mystical for someone to be able to do this. It's a simple mix of prioritizing, a few simple luxuries, and the ganas. After that, it's all mental, which leads me to my next point...

2) Coming to the conclusion of point #1 takes mental guile. I was told in no uncertain terms that being abroad away from everything I would define as familiar would in many ways break me down. Sounds daunting, right? Right. BUT...in the midst of having everything I thought I knew blown up from the inside out, I'm beginning to see the formation of 'new': new perceptions of the world, of love, of life, of restraints (newsflash: aside from those pesky taxes, they're mostly in your head), of people, and of myself. And it's great. far too often we as a people are set up for a lifetime of work doing things that we don't necessarily want to be doing for the sake of these tangible, quantifiable things. And again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing; on the contrary, I think it IS necessary to work, if only to provide a roof over your head and survival, and to gain an appreciation for those things that you actually LIKE doing in comparison to your job (We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do).
This trip, if nothing else, has reinforced my belief that I'm meant to do work that does not become stagnant, and if education is where I can do that, then let's go! Anyway, more to come. For now, teaching duties are getting in the way of my free-flowing head.