Ask a knottie anything

emilyinchile · February 2010

Alright, inspired by today's WPBP and My Name is Not's suggestion in said poll, here it is!

MNIN asked about living in Chile, so I'm going to start it off...but I swear I'm responding to a question, I'm not just totally self-obsessed.

I studied French in HS, got more or less fluent, and decided to study Spanish in college. I'd always known I wanted to study abroad, so it made sense to solidify my Spanish. The UCs have their own exchange program, with programs in Spain (Dad's English, I've been to Spain and can go cheaply when I visit family in the UK), Mexico City (didn't sound nice), Costa Rica (would love to go on vacation, but I studied poli sci...what would I do in CR?) and Santiago. So, Santiago it was!

I met FI in class. The full story is in my bio, but basically we thought we'd just hang out, ended up falling in love and did long distance for 2 years. It made more sense for me to move here since FI was still studying, getting a visa in Chile is easy, and my Spanish is better than his English. The plan is to move back to CA in a few years, probably a little before we have kids, but we shall see.

Stina, if you're looking into acting and are from CA, why NY rather than LA? Does theater interest you more?

CTGirl30 · February 2010

Emily, I saw your note in the WPBP so I figured I should spill. :-)

So here's the Cliff Notes - FI and I live in CT (hence my very boring and unoriginal screen name) we are 34 and 31, respectively. We just bought our home this summer and we're having all sorts of fun painting / decorating / adjusting from being apartment dwellers to homeowners...this wedding will be his second and my first. We're excited to start a family sometime soon in the next year or so, post-wedding. He's in finance and I'm a research analyst in an engineering company but one of my Master's degrees is in Psychology, which is probably why I like reading this board so much. :-) I usually hang out here and on my month board, which is pretty active with a great group of girls. (My local board is quieter). So hi everyone! lol.

bablingbrooke · February 2010

Emily, I'm a UC alum too. Which school did you attend?

MyNameIsNot · February 2010

That's so cool. I'm always envious of people that can just up and leave and go to a whole new world. When I grow up, I want to be an ex-pat, but I don't think I have the balls to leave.

What do you do down there? Do you live in the middle of Santiago or out some? What's day to day life like? (I'm nosey. You can tell me to STFU if you want.)

emilyinchile · February 2010

CTGirl, yay! Now I know more

Brooke, I went to UCLA. From the Bay Area (peninsula). And my dad's from Preston/I lived in Maidenhead til I was 4/we currently have a house in Cheshire...just to feed the anglophilia you commented on in your post

MNIN, I feel like it's something that sounds so exotic, but these days it's not any scarier than moving across the country. Harder, possibly, due to both bureaucracy and cultural differences, but I had the safety net of FI, his family, my host family and speaking Spanish. We live in Santiago itself, albeit in a more residential neighborhood rather than right downtown. And I work in finance, in a job that's hopefully the first step to some "international business" position, once I figure out what that means. I have a link to my blog in my sig, if you want to know more...and clearly I have no problem with the nosey, since I write about my life all the time

bablingbrooke · February 2010

Ooh, I've heard Cheshire's really nice! I lived in Surrey. Actually got to go back to the UK for a few days about three weeks ago--really miss it there!

What do you like best about Santiago?

CTGirl30 · February 2010

Yup, there's a start. ;-) lol.

Your Chile experience is very interesting - I love to travel and wish I'd had more chances to do more of it...(I feel like I got a late start in life on that and I'm only 31!) But...I hadn't even left the US prior to last year. Some of my favorite places here in this country, though, would be Seattle, Newport, Cape Cod, Boulder & Denver, CO; CA, Vegas...so much personality in each different area.

emilyinchile · February 2010

Hard question, Brooke! Superficially, I really like the old architecture. I work downtown, and it's a mix of new high rises and ornate old buildings (that look is a major part of why we chose our venue). In general terms, I like that it's got quiet, residential areas as well as restaurants/bars/culture and that I can get around relatively quickly and easily on public transportation - although I should add that we live in an upper middle class area, and most lower and middle class people live farther out from the center and have longer commutes.

I think something that's fun about moving, even within the US, is having new trips. From San Francisco, for example, I might think of a weekend trip as going to LA. My MOH who lives in Philly will go to NY. Here we'll go somewhere else within Chile or South America (went to Montevideo, Uruguay in Dec). I love traveling, so having new quick/low cost options as a result of living elsewhere is pretty cool.

stina93446 · February 2010

Emily, I am actually FROM CA. But I love theater. The theater business is mainly in NYC so I am doing that "dream" of being on Bway. I have nothing against LA and film industry, I just know that for me, it's way harder to act on film than on stage. I do have to say though, that I am a real actor, not a ham it up actor. If they needed I could act on film and be believable. I just choose to sing and dance too.

emilyinchile · February 2010

Gotcha. I wasn't sure if you preferred that side of it or were in NY for other reasons (like your DH's job or something) and makign the best of it.

stina93446 · February 2010

Actually, DH can work anywhere. He is self employed and makes cell phone games and apps. So it's solely because of me that we're here.

Ask a knottie anything

Re: Ask a knottie anything

Choose Another Board

Search Boards