Big Bang 2010

This weekend is Big Bang Pucón 2010, a big freestyle ski/snowboard competition on Villarrica. My friend Chantelle who I met in Chillan told me that a bunch of her friends were going, so I looked into it. The weather forecast for today was great and miserable for tomorrow, so I decided to go ski today on my own and try to catch some of the events. It was really cloudy in the morning, but the snow was wonderful. I couldn't see well, but I got to explore more of the mountain and carve up more of the lava chutes. There were more people there for the competition, but I didn't actually see any jumping until the afternoon when it cleared up a bit.

Boo Clouds! I can't see!




I had a blast skiing by myself, watching the competitors fall, and snapping pictures. I also discovered the steepest run I have found in Chile. It is a lava chute off to one side of a chair, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to get back to the chair if I hopped over the cornice to get to the good stuff. I saw another guy do it, so I went for it as my last run before the lifts closed at 4:30. Amazing. I'll have to go back. It isn't Mott, but it's sweet.

Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, so the competition will probably be cancelled. I am hoping to finalize the poster. Monday night I am taking an overnight bus to Santiago to go to a Miike Snow concert on Tuesday. I will stay with Fabiane, the Brazilian linguist I met in Pucón. Then I will take the overnight bus back to Pucón on Wednesday.
Mom is coming in less than 3 weeks! As excited as I am, it means I am leaving soon. Today is the day I officially realized how much I am going to miss this place, and these people, and this experience. I could never have fathomed how good this trip would turn out to be.
I love Pucón. I love the small ski town atmosphere, with the main central street and the local charm. I love the people. I love the food. I love Gloria and Leo and the hostel and the animals. I love our family meals together. I love walking home on Colo Colo and seeing horses and mountains, and then arriving at our beautiful garden and seeing the sign for Paradise. I love the way the air tastes and how every sunset is completely different. I love that Gloria doesn't know where North is, because she claims the sun goes in circles. I love how much Gloria and Leo still love each other and how clear that is to me. I love speaking Spanish. I love having an excuse to blog and take millions of pictures every day. I love that every day is unpredictable, partly because of the constantly changing guests. I love that I was scared but did this on my own. I love that this was a way for me to do many things that make me happy all at once. I love that I haven't spent more than I needed to, but I didn't deprive myself of much because of cost. I love that I opted out of a program and instead dealt directly with my local employers/hosts. I love that in a way, I traded the more traditional 4 years of college including 1 semester in Europe for 3 years of college including 1 semester in Ghana and 2 1/2 months in Chile. (Maybe I missed out on a few Frat parties, but right now I wouldn't trade my life for anything.)
All I can feel is that it was meant to be.

Oh, and the latest photo of delicious food that Gloria made: this is kuchen, proof of the German influence in Chile.