I'm leaving the country, and y'all are coming with me

Come November, I and my family are leaving the United States.  No, seriously.  I mean it.

Country of destination:  Chile.

My husband recently accepted a scientific position that requires us to relocate to Santiago, Chile for at least a year - longer if everybody is happy.

And I plan on taking all of you with me.

There are a lot of logistics to work out - where to live, getting a car, getting the kids enrolled in school, etc.  It will be an exciting and challenging time in our lives.  Hablo poquito espanol, y mi marido, nada.  Language is just one challenge we will face.  I'm sure that there will be cultural, economic and sociological challenges as well.

I will be a stranger in a strange land.  This is not the first time for me:  when I was in college, I spent a year abroad studying at L'Universite de Fribourg.  There were language issues, to be sure, but it was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.  I hope to accomplish something similar this time around.

I will have some free time on my hands as I will not be able to work in Chile.  Then it dawned on me:  a dKos diary series about being an ex-pat in Chile.  I would share my experiences and observations, and how the Chileans perceive me and my country.  It would also provide another POV, from a South American perspective, when the preznit says or does something stupid (which will inevitably happen).

I am excited and a little scared.  But I feel like if I can experience another part of the world, all the more richer my life will be just for the experience.  I'm looking forward to sharing it with you guys.

So pack your bags, metaphorically speaking.  We leave in November.

Hasta luego.

•  Propinas, por favor

  Muchas gracias.

  by TigerMom on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:20:18 PM PDT

  •  andale

    toma algo mojo y buena suerte

    by claude on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:37:13 PM PDT

  •  well good luck!

    It is an adventure to move to another country.  

    by TexMex on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:26:08 PM PDT

  •  I look forward to it

    but I don't speak Spanish.  I hope the diaries are not too difficult for me to follow!
    Congrats to your spouse for the job!

    by annetteboardman on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:27:10 PM PDT

  •  Congratulations!!

    I've spent 5 years out of the country in 22 different countries. They were the best and most fulfilling 5 years of my life. I enjoyed it so much, that I will set sail again next April and hope to be gone another 5 years or maybe forever. I've always wanted to visit Chile, but it might be a little too far south for my climate preferences! And it's not an easy place to sail too! At least not from Hawaii!

    Bien suerte!!

    by reflectionsv37 on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 07:22:37 PM PDT

•  For Interesting Comments

  I hope you read this diary I wrote a few weeks ago - Would You Ever Leave to Live in Another Country?.

  Good diary, TigerMom.

  by JekyllnHyde on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:23:16 PM PDT

  •  And I Look Forward

    I would share my experiences and observations

    ... to your diaries titled, "Dispatches From Abroad - or How I Tamed the Atacama Desert in Chile."

    Best of luck, TigerMom.   :)

    by JekyllnHyde on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:35:29 PM PDT

  •  wow

    I missed that diary

    by TexMex on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:22:33 PM PDT

  •  sorry I missed that

    the answer is yes, been in Germany four years now

    Tigermom, you'll love it!  Trust me.

    by Jeffersonian Democrat on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:33:19 PM PDT

•  Oh, fun!

  Sounds like a read adventure.  Good for you, and I will love to read the series.

  by mem from somerville on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:23:34 PM PDT

  •  me, too

    from my rocking chair, a virtual adventure.

    Best Wishes as you prepare to go!  May you have a wonderful year!

    by cfk on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:25:32 PM PDT

  •  I'll give you a preview

    of what I think some of my experience will be like:

    When my husband and I went down to Santiago in March, we found the Chilean people to be extremely polite and gracious.  A prime example:  we found an underground parking garage, got our ticket at the entrance, parked the car and went about our afternoon.  When we returned, we got in the car and proceeded to the exit.  We put the ticket in expecting to be told what we would have to pay and then pay the attendant standing there.  Not so.  What we were supposed to do was go to the cashier (caja) first, then get our exit ticket.  Needless to say, we caused a backup at the parking garage exit, about 6 cars had to backup to let us back into the main garage so we could get to the caja.  We were absolutely embarrassed, but the attendant and the other drivers were very understanding and even laughing a bit, as were we.

    Needless to say, we eventually got out of the garage.  But now I know what caja means, and I will never forget.

    by TigerMom on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:35:24 PM PDT

•  Vamos! n/t

  by marykk on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:23:44 PM PDT

•  Don't forget your field guide...

  ... they have some cool birds there.  :-)

  by lineatus on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:24:17 PM PDT

•  I wish you well and will look forward to

  hearing from you.  This is exciting and scary.  I have one little complaint:  next time you say you're taking me w/ you, could you really take me?

  by real world chick on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:24:20 PM PDT

•  No hablo Espanol, pero

  Buena suerte!

  We look forward to your dispatches and hearing your take on a country about which we hear little here in the States.  It sounds amazing.

  by edsbrooklyn on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:24:32 PM PDT

  •  It's an exciting time in Chile

    The country is growing and changing, in terms of its economy, population and social mores, particularly in Santiago, and they are going through some growing pains.  It will be very interesting to watch things as they happen.

    by TigerMom on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:28:46 PM PDT

•  ask them about their social security system.

  IIRC Chile is the model on which Dubya wanted to reform our social security system. I'm betting they aren't happy with theirs.

  by Unbozo on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:29:46 PM PDT

•  Good luck

  and safe travels. It sounds so very exciting! I have a friend from SA but not Chile and I love to hear her talk about her native country. I think the diary series would be absolutely wonderful! Please do it if you have the time.

  by Ga6thDem on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:30:04 PM PDT

•  This coming July 5 I'm moving to Australia

  going via Europe and the Middle East - my main concern is that Bush won't bomb Iran while I'm flying over the Gulf...

  by Lepanto on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:32:07 PM PDT

  •  Well, then, Good Luck in English!

    Huge changes happening around here.  Best of luck.  Is it a permanent move?

    by edsbrooklyn on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:35:33 PM PDT

    •  no, not permanent

      just a semester engagement

      by Lepanto on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:58:47 PM PDT

      •  Sounds great.

        Change is good for the perspective, no?

        by edsbrooklyn on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:31:41 PM PDT

  •  well, enjoy that!

    The Stirling range in south west side is splendid!
    Margaret River wines and giant Tingle trees!!!!!!
    Coooooooool

    by TexMex on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:24:57 PM PDT

•  Pictures!

  Lots of pictures!
  Congrats! and safe journey to you!

  by Silent Lurker on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:35:05 PM PDT

•  sounds like a great adventure

  The more liberals we have around the globe representing the USA, the better these days.

  You might want to invest in a few of these though:

  http://www.cafepress.com/...

  by markymarx on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:37:35 PM PDT

•  Excellent!

  I've been following several blogs by ex-pats living in Uruguay.  They're a wonderful way to learn about another country.
  I look foward to your Chilean diaries.

  by jazzmaniac on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:38:45 PM PDT

  •  Can you point me to those ex-pat blogs?

    I'd love to read them too.

    by DebtorsPrison on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:55:45 PM PDT

    •  Certainly, here are a few.

      I hope you won't mind if I don't embed the links.

      http://www.uruguayliving.com/

      http://chuckstull.blogspot.com/

      http://uruguaydreaming.com/

      by jazzmaniac on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 08:00:31 PM PDT

•  I'm jealous!

  And wish you all the best.

  Make sure you get some travel time in.  Southern Chile is fantastic.  Chiloe Island.  The Carretera Austral (Southern Highway), passing through fantastic scenery.  You can climb Villarica Volcano and look down into its smoldering crater in Pucon.  Take the three-day Navimag boat trip from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales, a trip through incredible scenery, and which you may very well share with hundreds of sheep and cattle.  Torres del Paine National Park in the far south is incredible.  Pop over to the Argentine side in Patagonia to see calving glaciars at Calafate,and spend some time on the Beagle Channel in Usuaia, southernmost city in the world.

  And for fun, take a look at My Diary on the time I had a chance to take down Augusto Pinochet with my Swiss Army Knife!

  by DebtorsPrison on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 04:54:51 PM PDT

•  All 100,000 + of us are ready to go.

  Hope you make plenty of sandwiches for the trip, we Kossacks are a ravenous bunch! :-)

  by indy2dem on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:29:37 PM PDT

•  You beat me to it!

  I'm working on a Diary on how Americans (who are just a little disenchanted with Bush) can move overseas and get a passport.

  Key word:  PASSPORT.

  I'm working on finding the very best places to get a passport, and be able to get citizenship in these countries.  

  YES it can be done.  In countries like Portugal, $5,000 will get you a citizenship.  That's right.  

  Countries like Chile are also one of the best, because you can get a passport, if you do certain things.  Hint = it has to do with business.
  I'll explain everything in my upcoming Diary...

  by Cliss on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:34:55 PM PDT

•  You've probably done it already

  but if not, get everybody into Spanish classes locally and buy one of the Spanish computer programs.  And take more classes once you get down there - they're usually pretty cheap and often you can get one-on-one tutoring if you want.  Find some games in Spanish to play with the kids -Scrabble in Spanish is a good one.

  And have fun!  

  by Lujane on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 05:35:07 PM PDT

•  Chilean connection for you

  I have a very dear friend, living here in Mass. who was born and raised in Santiago. His entire immediate family lives there. If we can help in any way let me know. Lucky you!!! An adventure at your doorstep. I'm a bit envious.

  by Penguins in Burma on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 06:07:17 PM PDT