EL TERREMOTO

Hello Everyone, yes I am alive and well. As you may have heard on the news everywhere there was an 8.8 earthquake in chile last week! I just got electricity back today. Santiago is 200 miles north of the epicenter (concepción), they say in Santiago it was about an 8.0 earthquake which is still VERY strong. Pretty much the most frightening experience of my life to date. The earthquake happened at 3.34 in the morning, I was, of course, in a discotec (my first time, dont worry i havent been partying everyday!!) and it starts shaking and at first I was like is someone jumping? Then it starts SHAKING and i grab my friend, apparently say to her in spanish that its an earthquake (she is american, what?) and we get shelter by this pillar. We were on the second floor, so everyone else is running towards the stairs, i figured that was the worst thing, i could get trampled etc. The lights flicker and then go out altogether along with the music, all I can hear is people running/screaming and the building shaking. So scary. I was calm for a while but it just kept going (apparently for 3 minutes!!!!!!!!) and i started getting really scared/preparing myself for when the roof collapsed and I died. No joke, that is how much it was moving. It finally stops. We go outside and find our other friends, the city is completely blacked out (only time you will ever see the stars in downtown santiago), there is glass all over from shattered streetlights, there is bits of buildings in the streets, everyone is out in the streets. Luckily our chilean friend lived close by and had a car for the weekend, so we start walking there. I am of course trying to call my host mom but all the phones are trying to work at the same time. I get through and tell her I am okay and trying to get home.

Finally get home around 5 45 in the morning. I tell you, nothing bonds you like an earthquake. There were soo worried about me, love my fam!

First night slept with my sistie, aftershocks all the time (and still happening and will continue to happen for 2 months) and ever since I have been sleeping in my little brother's bed while he sleeps with my parents because my bedroom is downstairs and everyone else's is upstairs. Tonight will be my first night sleeping back downstairs (its not as scary now that we have electricity again).

Today was the first day we started doing orentacion stuff again. All the start dates of the universities have been delayed. It is really stressful with classes and stuff bc we havent enrolled or anything yet. Classes at one university officially start on monday. I will have to do a post about my universities.

Sorry this post is so long. But yes I am alive and well and missing all of you!