Jen's Going Where?

Hi friends and family.  It's official, I'm a blogger.  Due to the overwhelming requests (I'm referring to my mom and dad and probably my friend, Lauren), I've decided to recount my next five months in Chile as a WorldTeach (www.worldteach.org) volunteer teacher.  I'm about to begin my adventure and feel a mix of excitement and nerves.  This all came about earlier this year when I suddenly was no longer working full time, had more time on my hands as a freelancer and was allowed to wear yoga pants all day long.

Living in another culture has always been a life goal and I figured what better a time to do something like this.  After being inspired by two amazing friends that took time out of their own careers and lives to volunteer in Ecuador and always having a curiosity for teaching, I decided to go for it.

When I first started researching, I was instantly drawn to Chile - it's such a diverse and beautiful country (think glaciers, deserts, beaches and mountains) and I'm thrilled to discover as much as I can about it.  My plans were put on hold after the devastating earthquake but I decided to wait a few months and not give up on something I so had my heart set on.

This is by far the most adventurous thing I've ever done, but I'm also looking forward to pushing myself and hopefully helping others.  These last few months, I've been trying to prepare for the big trip by observing English As a Second Language (ESL) adult classes, buying "functionable" clothing, brushing up on my Espanol and trying to figure out teaching goodies to bring down (I'm starting to second guess my Zach Efron sticker purchase).  

So my bags are packed and this show is hitting the road.  Let's get this adventure started!  Next stop Santiago...