The nighttime cemetery tour was great fun.  The graveyards definitely have a different feel between daytime and nighttime.  Observe:

In all seriousness, though, the scariest thing on the tour was actually an enormous spider we saw up close in its web in a tree!

But let’s leave on a less terrifying note.  Here are some random photos from the trip.

And finally, in honor of my Edgar Allan Poe themed Halloween decorations I’ve been putting up around the house…

Yesterday I was fortunate to get a big conference commitment out of the way early in the schedule, plus we had a rather long lunch break.  A coworker and I booked it over to Jackson Square, which was lovely (and extremely hot, with no shade cover).  We walked through the St. Louis Cathedral, a different style than the one I went to in Buenos Aires but lovely as well.

The Mississippi River was right nearby, with large ships passing each other.  Later on in the evening I saw a bit of Fulton Street.

Tonight I’m going on a flashlight cemetery tour!  Then tomorrow I fly home. It’s been a great adventure these past couple of months, but I’m looking forward to getting back to a routine and spending a lot more time with my family.

Yesterday I took a swamp boat tour and got to see some American alligators in their natural habitat!

Now, I have loved crocodilians ever since I was a Zoo Teen volunteer at the Oregon Zoo, so a highlight for me was getting to hold this little cutie (I was assured the tape on his snout doesn’t hurt him):

That evening I saw some jazz on Bourbon Street.

Then earlier today during a conference break I took a streetcar out to the Garden District and walked through the lovely neighborhood.

I ended up in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

I finished up the day with a beignet.

Tomorrow I’ll be very busy with conference happenings.  That’s it for now!

I have arrived in New Orleans, my first time here.  A highlight for me was checking out the Hotel Monteleone, whose lobby has a neat display of books by authors who have stayed at the hotel or even mentioned it in their work.

Then my coworker and I lucked into seats at the hotel’s Carousel rotating bar!

I’ve completed a year of grad school, and to say the least it’s been a year of growth.  I’ve taken many assessments, from how I deal with conflict to my intercultural competence.  I’ve identified core values, crafted a personal mission statement, and undertaken a personal development plan designed to get me outside my comfort zone.  I’ve participated in service projects at a local food bank and at a women’s shelter in Chile.  I’ve done an interactive simulation of culture clash, honed my presentation skills, and taken on team projects with people I’d just met.  And I’ve been getting to know the most fascinating people!

A lot of times I feel like I’m just clinging for dear life to this breadth of experiences, hoping I’ll retain enough later on to reflect back with a depth that my current schedule doesn’t afford.

Also, I think it would be fun someday to use these assessments and other exercises for fictional character development.

In the meantime, off to New Orleans for work.

I’m still slogging through homework associated with my South America trip and working on a couple of story revisions.  In a week I’ll leave for another trip, but first, before I shift gears to that one, here are a few more random photos from my study abroad experience.

Chile:

Argentina:

We kept moving at a whirlwind pace, pretty much a blur of class stuff and restaurants.  For things of note from class, we went to a software company office whose vibe took me right back to my Silicon Valley intern days (disco balls, neon lights on the ceiling, and Ping-Pong and foosball tables).  Later on we toured a factory and donned this stylin’ protective footwear:

I’ve enjoyed checking out the cool interiors of some of the local restaurants.  Highlights include a steampunk bar located through a secret door in a brick wall, and a lounge-type spot with a hanging curtain made of chains!  Once I get all my photos and notes in order, I’ll have to do a separate post about all the wonderful food and décor in both Santiago and Buenos Aires, but for now here’s a glimpse of the hidden steampunk bar:

For our last night, we had a tango lesson and then saw a show.  I can now say I’ve danced the tango in Buenos Aires, and it was a blast!  Then I spent my final afternoon of the trip exploring the city on my own.  I made it to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Finally I made it to the Centro Cultural Borges and saw the display about Jorge Luis Borges’ work.

It’s been an amazing trip.  Now to enjoy my time back home with my family!

We flew over the Andes very early on Saturday morning, then over the pampas, and into a very foggy Buenos Aires.  Here’s the view of the Andes from my plane window:

We toured the Boca Juniors soccer stadium and got to step out onto the edge of the field.  The next day we attended a match at a different stadium; I particularly enjoyed getting to cheer for the home team with a loud “¡Gooooool!”

I’ve gotten out and about in the city, such as seeing the Casa Rosada, attending Mass at the Catedral Metropolitana where Pope Francis himself used to celebrate the Mass, and enjoying a huge Argentine steak.

We’ve got a lot of company site visits this week for class.  It’s been years since I studied abroad in England, and the intensity of this experience reminds me how much room for growth each person possesses within them throughout their lifetime.

We’ve been keeping very busy, so here are some quick highlights:

We ate at a restaurant themed around Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. We visited an innovation center housed on a college campus.  We toured a winery in the Casablanca Valley and walked through the amazing, hilly port city of Valparaíso, often compared to San Francisco.  Having spent lots of time in San Francisco visiting my maternal grandparents in my youth, I could definitely see the similarities.

Later this morning we fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina! I have really enjoyed my time in Chile.

Things of note since my previous update:  This morning we were in our first class when the floor started shaking.  We experienced a 4.9 earthquake.

Also, yesterday as we were on our bus heading back from the stunning Maipo Canyon, we were passing through the town of San José de Maipo when our bus encountered a festival.  The street we had planned to take was closed, and it was very tight quarters turning, going in reverse, and getting to another road.  I would like to apologize to the people of San José de Maipo for the resulting traffic backup!  The town was lovely, by the way.