Only when it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

The day started off early, when I woke up to the sound of my third alarm clock blazing and the lights flashing 7:30, I wanted to shut it off, I really wanted to go back to sleep, it was cold out and I think even dark still, where had summer gone? I managed to get out of bed and started prepping my training I was giving that morning to the volunteers at VE GLOBAL, regarding crisis intervention and increasing coping skills. I made coffee, toast with hummus and wrapped my blanket around my shoulders. It was going to be a cold morning. In the middle of the training that morning I was talking about the Therapeautic Crisis Intervention approach when I was asked a difficult question regarding a difficult child a volunteer was trying to manage. While I searched my brain for an answer, Eileen Bosworth, popped into head, my last supervisor and boss who had run the prevention center I worked in. Whenever I felt overwhelmed or stressed, she would make me put my thoughts into imaginary boxes and ...

Maybe I should stop counting how long I have lived here, it's just that I still get the question at least once a week, how long have you been here? When are you going home?  Well as normal, I have let life fly by and decided it's about time for an update, as I arrive at my 1 1/2 year mark of life in Chile. I'm sorry, hasn't it been decades? Well life has been swift, exciting, normal and swell as it can be. I spent the holiday season in Chile this year, enjoying an amazing Chilean Thanksgiving with all of the international volunteers and friends here in my apartment. We had a splendid mix of traditional dishes and international food. We passed around boxed wine and then mushily all stood up to say exactly what we were thankful for that year. I was grateful for many many things. Following Thanksgiving, I stayed in the very warm holiday spirit by attending the Paris Day Parade (yes its a mockery of the Macy's day Parade), some holiday parties, and a beau...