Flojera

I'm not getting any work done. All I want to do is sit and stare at the Cordillera.


We had just enough rain over the weekend that I can clearly see those majestic Andes Mountains for the first time in almost three months. I could be doing other things, but I only want to sit quietly and soak in this view.


Earlier, I went to an expat meeting. I didn't know anyone at the meeting and the inevitable getting-to-know-you questions were asked.

"So, what do you do here in Chile?"

I get asked this question a lot, usually by well-meaning people. It's a normal question.

Since I'm not here for a job, if I'm feeling cantankerous, sometimes I reply, "Nothing." That's usually a conversation stopper, so instead I often say, "I'm retired," which doesn't fare much better.

This frequently earns me a skeptical once-over. "Really?" as if they can't believe it. "What do you do all day?"

"Well, let's see..." I laugh because explaining my schedule is complicated. Should I tell them that I'm an excellent time-waster? Or that every day is different? I usually launch into a spiel about classes and workshops, which satisfies their curiosity.

"Oh, so you're a teacher?" Not really, not at the moment. I haven't quite learned how to admit the truth, that I'm a writer.

Except on days like today when it's far too tempting to sit and watch the sun light up the snow-capped Cordillera. Today, I'm definitely a flojera, a lazy mountain watcher. Can you blame me?

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

Chasing Winter

One week from now, I will be on my way to the airport, heading back to Chile for their fall and winter. I'm a winter-chaser. I admit it. While some people are "snowbirds," avoiding winter. I am a "sunbird." I dodge summer.


If the temperature goes above 70º, about 20º Celsius, I am uncomfortable. Considering that air conditioning is not the norm in Santiago, and that my apartment has none, I stay away during Chile's hotter months.

I've been watching the weather carefully this year. A few weeks ago, it looked like summer in Santiago was on the wane and fall temperatures had arrived, but last week, summer came back with a vengeance. Santiago temperatures reached up into the 90's. Whoa!

Some like it hot, and then there's me. Since I can't change my return date, I guess I'll have to sweat it out for a bit, literally, when I return, but I'm considering another alternative. Land in Santiago, repack, and then go further south to the island of Chiloé where it's a blissful 57º today.

According to a report on Philly.com, fall is a great time to visit. "After summer vacation...Local tourists go home; the leaves turn red and yellow." One woman is quoted in the article as saying, "I know this is Chile, but I feel as if I'm somewhere else, in Vermont or England."

Fall is my very favorite season and I've wanted to visit Chiloé for a very long time. Bonus: I hear the seafood there is to die for. Thanks for the push, climate change.