no tienes pies

"You don't have feet." - from the mouth of the new love of my life, a two-year-old who equates not wearing shoes to not having feet

---

Hey guys.

So if living in a Chilean house, getting cooked my favorite meals by a cute woman I call mamá, being scolded when I forget to wear my raincoat, and attending grandma's birthday party didn't convince you that I really am just another member of the fam down here, I've got another persuasion point to offer:

I just returned from a six-day family vacation.

My host niece Sofía (for those family-tree-impaired like me, that's my host parents' granddaughter) turned two recently. So we loaded up the car with what else but tea and bread and made the 10-hour trek to Osorno, Chile (in the lake district, near all those lovely places like Pucón and Puerto Varas we visited during Bicentario). 

Riding with my host parents ain't nothin' like riding in a cramped-n-crowded bus. We stopped every two hours to take tea, stretch our legs ("to prevent thrombosis" ... Rosi's real concerned about that), and to moo at cows meandering across the highway.

We arrived late Wednesday night (yep, I skipped a good deal of school to partake in this adventure ... but Mads promised to share her notes! Thanks Mads!) to a shower of hugs and kisses, most of which came from the most preciously precocious two-year-old EVER. 

World, meet Sofía González, AKA mi reina preciosa (my precious queen), mi corazoncito (my little heart), mi pedazo de cielo (my piece of heaven). 

Credit: Thank you, host parents, for the nicknames of my future children.

She was fascinated by my duck silly band. Patito = little duck.

My host mom gave her some wallet photographs of herself as a baby. She carried those around so proudly.

So smiley!

Gahhhh pigtails make her even cuter.

Her favorite plastic fruit was the potato.

Noted: Children like to bang hard-boiled eggs on the wall. Great, healthy diversion.

Something learned about Chile this weekend (or maybe just the particularities of my host fam): while adults greet adults with a kiss on the cheek, children are given open-mouth kisses. Yeah, it took me a little while to get over it too, especially since Sofía had a nasty sinus infection going on. But I haven't developed any symptoms yet! (What does that make the score, Mads? Abby's Immune System = 8, yours = 2?)

And now, World, meet Sofía's hometown: Osorno.

Lago Llanquihue.

That's Volcán Osorno! That sneaky volcano that wouldn't show itself when we visited Lago Llanquihue in Puerto Varas!

You didn't think you'd get away without some flower pictures from me, did ya?

So, obviously, we enjoyed the outdoor beauty a bit. 

Salto de los Novios. Waterfall of lovers.

We stayed inside on rainy days and danced the cueca to the sound of Tío Pedro's (Uncle Peter's) guitar strumming.

We scouted out some quaint local restaurants for this slam-dunk combo of raspberry kuchen (remember what that means? PIE) and raspberry smoothies ... both fresh and all-natural. 

 We went to the farmers' market.

It took SO much self-control not to stuff one in my pocket ...

We went to some thermal baths next to a river.

105 degrees Fahrenheit. No artificial heaters.

 And we decorated the house for the princess's birthday party.

My present, the butterfly wings and matching wand/boingy antler things, was a HUGE hit. So was my host sister Pauli's bouncy pony.

She just kept shouting, "¡La Sofía vuela!" Sofía can fly!

Each cake I've had in the country has gotten progressively better. This cake had manjar, banana cream, and PEACHES. Ay Dios mío.

I contributed the birds' nests (thanks, Momma Hannifan, for sending the peanut butter and butterscotch! And thanks to my language-exchange partner Nicolás for helping me make them!).

One thing learned about select host family member:

My host dad says, "I am Jack Nicholson" in English every time he puts on his sunglasses. Do you see the resemblance?

One thing my host family found out about me:

I talk in my sleep. My host parents (yeah ... in a house of 10 people, someone's gotta share a room) said they awoke one night and entertained themselves for 5+ minutes listening to me have a conversation with someone. "Love" was the only word they could pick out. Dad's advice at the breakfast table: Work on stopping that before you get married, or else hubbie's going to ask, "Who is Edward? Who is John?"

Overall, lots of family time, zero English, and fresh air for six days was exactly what I needed before the upcoming craziness of end-of-the-year exams. It was also great to be greeted by freshly powdered mountains upon arriving in Santiago. Weather can't make up it's mind :).

There's the metro Mads and I ride to school EVERY DAY! With the mountains behind!