The New Young

Recently, I was reading one of those articles that floats around on Facebook. It was called "7 surprising things that make you live longer." That got my attention. I discovered that:

1. According to researchers, smiling in photographs is good for you. The theory is that people who smile in photos are genuinely happier than people who don't, supposedly a reflection of well-being. These animated people tend to live up to seven years longer than non-smilers.

I don't know how much I smile in daily life, but I can smile when someone says "Cheese!" or "Whiskey!", as they do here in Chile. Does that mean I'm actually happier or just a good at smiling on cue?

2. Next on the list was having "positive" initials. Huh? My initials, "SR," seem neutral. They don't indicate anything negative, but neither are they positive, whereas initials such as ACE, WOW or VIP can allegedly add over four years to your life. I might have to reconsider my nom de plume.

3. Number Three is getting married. While they claim that married people live longer, I've been there-done that, and I'm certain that and the divorce that followed took a few years off my life. I'm in the minus column on this one.

4. Being slightly overweight is Number Four. No problem. I've had this one licked for years.

5. Having religious beliefs helps deal with stress and often creates beneficial social bonding. No argument.

6. It's no surprise that Number Six is also about being social. People who have a strong social network tend to feel less stressed and depressed and often live longer than those who do not. I'm seeing a pattern here.

7. Last, but not least...laughter. Studies have proven that laughter can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and boost your immune system. I once took a laughter class where the teacher explained it all to us. Laughter suppresses our fight-or-flight response and stimulates the vagus nerve which promotes healing.

In Santiago, there is a laughter group which meets once a month in Barrio República. The facilitator leads games that encourage the participants to laugh. At first, you feel ridiculous, then only silly, and afterward lighter and happier. If you'd like information about this laughter group, you can visit Alex de la Risa's Facebook page.

Let's see. It looks like I need to be silly, social, and smiley, even if I have to fake it until I feel it. When I add up the above and subtract out the minuses, I might gain a few years, if the Santiago smog doesn't get me first.

~~Sally Rose
Author of Penny Possible & A Million Sticky Kisses
iamsallyrose.com

Polyglot or Bon Vivant

I watched a video about twins from England who are polyglots. Each one speaks more than six languages fluently. And here, I've been patting myself on the back just for wading through Spanish.

The video shows one of the twins demonstrating his extraordinary skills. I noticed that he cycled from Hebrew to French to Catalan to Spanish to Portuguese. Listening hard, I tried to understand him in languages other than English or Spanish and heard many similarities in the romance languages. I've been thinking about trying to learn a third language, though I'm not sure which it would be. Where would I most like to visit next? That would be the biggest motivator for me because I plan to keep traveling.

In a travel article I recently read, the author listed eight reasons that travel can make you healthier. Among them were pleasure, sense of purpose, and challenge to keep the mind sharp. Also, smiling for all those selfies. Apparently, just the act of smiling sends the "happy" message to your brain. It's hard to feel down when you're smiling.

Between practicing for my selfies and tickling my brain with new information, I may live to be 112. Wonder how many languages I could learn by then.

~~Sally Rose
Author of Penny Possible & A Million Sticky Kisses
iamsallyrose.com

Best of Both Worlds

I've just spend six months away from Chile, the longest period of time outside the country since moving there in 2011.

At the end of next month, I'll be returning to Santiago. People ask me if I miss it. I'm happy and somewhat relieved to answer, "Yes."

There're my friends, of course, but I also miss other familiar things: my Pilates studio, my manicurist, my hair stylist, my massage therapist, my students. I miss more natural food. I'm ready for an empanada and pastel de choclo, and while traditionally plain, Chilean cuisine is becoming ever more varied and interesting. I'm anxious to investigate all the new bars and restaurants that have opened during my absence, many of which I can walk to.

Heresy for a Texan to admit, but I dislike driving. It's stressful. I miss decent mass transit and plentiful, inexpensive taxis. I miss my barrio, a little gem in the heart of the hustle and bustle.

"I'm a big city girl, but I was born and raised in a small town..." begins my soon-to-be-released book, "A Million Sticky Kisses." With over 6,000,000 residents, Santiago qualifies as a "big city" and my neighborhood reminds me of a "small town." Best of both worlds.