Gringa 4

I've been really busy wrapping up work and saying goodbyes so I haven't spent much time at home lately. My interactions with my host family have been really good, but also really few and far between. I thought maybe they were counting down the days until I left and asking themselves why they let a stranger live in their house for a year. But today I found out that they are having another gringa live there next year. Excellent! That means they don't hate me or rue the day they let me in (where do I get these ideas?). It also meant that I could tell them I might be in Santiago again next year. It was going to be awkward if they felt like they had to offer me a place, or even if they genuinely wanted to -- living alone or with friends is high on my wish list. But in March, they'll welcome the 4th gringa they've had live with them. That's really impressive. Taking someone in for a year, feeding them, teaching them Spanish, etc., is no mean feat. They are wonderful people and I'm very grateful to them.