December 1- November re-cap, December

Alright just a brief re-cap of November before I get going into what December's 'sacrifice' is...

November was a success, and required a little bit of weaseling out of using a phone (ordering food, answering questions, etc.). For the 2 or 3 times that I've really wanted to use my cell phone this past month, there have been countless times when I've been REALLY glad I don't have it with me here in Antofagasta. It feels good to have that freedom and disconnection from the world...most of the time. As for the daily interaction, I was successful every day that I left my apartment. Due to a stomach bug, there were two such days that I didn't leave the apartment. Otherwise, I picked up bits and pieces of the language in an everyday sort of way (ordering food, asking for directions). Over the weekend, for example, I went to Mejillones, a sleepy town on the coast that is in the middle of the desert. Our taxi driver chatted me up and while I felt VERY overwhelmed, it was a good learning experience, thanks to his pointing and repetition. It's for these people that I am also very thankful.

Recently, I've been going through a lot of difficulty in grasping the enormity of this transformation of self. It's hard to imagine that everything can be susceptible to change, but here it is. Nothing has been made exempt, and so it has been incredibly trying, while for the most part extremely satisfying. More on that to come. In the meantime, it's a new month and that means new challenges. It's amazing to think that by the end of this month, not only will I be home, but the year will be over. 2009 will have come and gone with big changes and big goals, some of which were met, some of which were not. What a trip it's been. More of re-capping to come, and certainly more of my South American adventure to report.

In December, I plan on giving up swearing. I do it too much too often, and it's a good goal to curb that sort of behavior. I put the odds on doing this at about 1,000:1. In the meantime, my daily task will be writing for at least a little bit every day. I brought a journal with me, and so I should be dedicating more time to writing in it than I have.

Talk to each other.