It's the CAT! By Emily Nickles

I have decided my Chilean family is probably a lot like my United States family when we were younger, except not all girls.  After arriving to a welcoming family Saturday night, having a delicious dinner, and much needed shower I woke up Sunday nervous/excited to see what the day had in store.  I had been told at my arrival that communication would be difficult because my Chilean family didn't speak much English, but we would make it work.  We still were able to have a nice dinner that night, but I was anxious to see what a whole day would have in store.  It went great!  We went and had a big lunch out and just started to enjoy each others company.  Since I have never had sisters it has been so fun seeing what life might have been like with sisters.  I think I still like being the only girl in my family though!  After lunch we decided to get the dog out of it's little area and play with her, this is when the real giggles began.

Miley Selena, as in Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez together--definitely a house of girls

We soon discovered a small cat that kept on meowing, realizing that this cat could get in the gate we had discovered what a good amount of the day would involve: trying to get the cat out.  Florencia, Fernanda, and Francisca, my new three sisters were on a mission to get the cat.  This is definitely something that I would have done as a kid, and still was interested in doing now.  The littlest Francisca is only 4 years old so she doesn't know much English at all, she did know THE CAT!  This is her new favorite thing to say to me.  If she even just hears a sound, it's the cat!!!  We had so much fun trying to catch the cat, throwing it out of the gate, only for it to get back in, over and over again.  I was glad that they didn't much like cats, because I definitely don't like cats! We also used Miley to scare the cat, we took the cat way far down the road from the gate and as soon as they put the cat down they said CORREO, luckily I knew that meant RUN!  This chase lasted quite awhile and extended into Monday, I could have spent more time playing this game with the girls!  It was definitely a fun way to break the ice, we already have an inside joke!

Francisca and the CAT!

After our adventures chasing the cat again on Monday we went to see the Universidad de Concepcion.  Both my Chilean parents went there, and Robinson, Gloria's nephew who lives with us, is studying there.  It is a beautiful campus, very open and old, but good old!  It was fun seeing how happy they were to show me around the campus, seemed that it brought back a lot of good memories.  Also Fernanda got roller skates, only a week ago, and was able to show off her skills all through the campus.  She is fearless, she fell a few times, but that never stopped her it was right back up and off she went!

Fernanda rocking the roller skates!

Our attempts at a group shot!

Not the best but good enough!

Flo and Francisca looking at the ducks

Overall, I am excited that I now have a good thought connected to cats.  I am sure that forever on I will remember THE CAT! as one of the best, and funniest times spent with new people.  I am glad that they are as easily amused as I am.  I am also actually super excited to start school tomorrow!  The oldest Florencia is going to be in one of my classes!  It will be so nice to have a familiar face since it will be like being the new kid in school, although there will be a lot of us.  Cannot wait to see what the rest of my visit has in store!