Geaux Global 2017

No words can really describe the beauty that can be seen from the top of the Andes and although pictures are gorgeous nothing truly captures the magnificence like seeing it with your own eyes. All I can say is WOW! I would rate it as being in the top 5 best experiences and most beautiful views I have ever had. If I had more time here I would go back again. I hadn't skied in approximately 10 years so I was a little nervous. The only time I have ever gone skiing was in Colorado and I was around 10 years old. I enjoyed it, but ended day one with terrible shin splints. I was nervous this was going to happen again. When I noticed that my right boot was hurting I immediately began to worry because I didn't want to experience those again. However, it ended up being okay while I was skiing so it encouraged me to just keep on skiing. A few of us when on the green slopes and although there was a moment I thought I was going to die coming down a steep slope the adrenaline was so worth...

Since my Host Mom, Lia, works for a wine company, she offered to take me on the wine tour of Concha Y Toro. We first went to a wine tasting with a sommelier, who explained to us about the color, smell, and taste of each wine we experienced. We also got to pair the wines with cheese. Here is a picture of the layout. After the tasting we then toured the property of Concha Y Toro. Even though it is fall here and we didn't get to see the grapes, it was still very interesting to see. In the "Devil's Cellar" they locked us in and played a movie of how the brand got it's name. The tour ended with more wine tasting and a trip to the wine shop. Perfect Saturday afternoon!       -Caroline Hulin

Sunday: Today did not start off to a great start… When I woke up my throat was killing me. These past few days it had been a bit sore but I just thought with time that it would go away. When I went to the bathroom I took a look at it saw that it was very red and that there were some white spots on it.. Uhh ohh I know what this could be. We were supposed to be going to hike the hill but I really didn't think that I should if I was sick and or contagious. I talked to my host father and explaining to him that I think i need to see a doctor for medicine if it is what i thought it was so that I can still go to the school and not be contagious.  In this whole situation, I really wish my mom was here, no matter how old you get sometimes you just want your mom when you don’t really feel well. Anyways, the father was very nice and warming and took me to the emergency room. Once we got there I thanked my host father for bringing me and he said “No problem, now you are one of my chil...

Great experiences visiting different places around Chile. Valparaiso with host families, skiing in the Andes with colleagues, visiting a child centered Kidzania environment, and teaching English in a wonderful class of fourth graders. The children are valued but also expected to take responsibility for their learning and their choices.

If you're close with your family and friends, it can be kind of sad to wake up so far away from home on your birthday. My family is so big on celebrating birthdays so I was a sure that I would be homesick on my birthday. However, I could not have been more wrong! I woke up in the morning to presents, a cake, and my entire host family singing me happy birthday in English and Spanish! How thoughtful??? I truly felt like I was with my own family. Of course I still missed them at some moments, but thanks to my host family my birthday was amazing. After eating CAKE FOR BREAKFAST (the sign that it's going to be a great day), we got ready and headed to Valparaiso. If you have never been, put it on your "to travel to" list, because you won't be disappointed. It was utterly beautiful. We rode a tour boat and saw the colorful houses on the hills, navy ships, cargo ships, and Santa Maria university. Then we walked up a hill and ate an amazing restaurant overlooking the ...

Our first Wednesday we went on a tour of Santiago and saw many beautiful sights. My favorite place was a Cathedral downtown. Here are a few pictures of the inside. While we have many beautiful churches in Louisiana, this one was breathtaking. This week in my 1st grade classes, we are learning about action verbs and when to add a -s to them. The students were able to come up with their own subject and verb. Here is one sentence I got a laugh out of. They preceded to chant Donald Trump, after it was written on the board. The little reminders of the states! -Caroline Hulin