First Day of School

Today was the day, the first day of school. I have never felt more nervous in my life, well except for the time I backed into the cone during my drivers test. I slowly climbed out of bed, the air chilling me to the bone, oh how I miss indoor heating. I quickly changed into my uniform, but there was a problem... I looked down at the tie which lay on my bed. "How the hell do you tie that?" I whispered as I grabbed the piece of fabric and made my way into the hall and towards the kitchen where my host mom stood making my lunch. She turned around happily while looking down at what sat in my hand, the tie. Her face made me think I was a goner, that I would just have to get somebody to tie it for me at school, luckily after multiple trials and errors she figured it out, I on the other hand was lost, but that didn't matter so I quickly sat down and ate my breakfast then we were out the door. 

We walked down the street to the bus stop I tried to focus on our conversation, but the idea of going to school was starting to get to me. Viv flagged the bus and we climbed on, I looked out the window at the ocean that never seemed to end and began to think. This was the first time that I would have to enter a new school with new people and teachers, there wouldn't be any familiar faces that have helped make my education, such a fun and fulfilling experience, also there wouldn't be my twin sister who was my rock. "Aqui bajas." Viv said, snapping me out of my thoughts as I got up and followed her off the bus and across the street to the school, we entered the gates and walked to the office where I was met with multiple people who had little to no English skills. Not even ten minutes upon arrival Viv was already saying her goodbyes and the only person that I knew was walking out the door, the only person I had any sort of connection with left me, I never thought of myself as clingy but that just proved it. I followed the principal across the small school, she said a few words in Spanish and I nodded in response, everything was already so overwhelming. The principal led me over to a group of six girls and introduced me, then she was gone, leaving me alone with the girls who only continued their conversation as if nothing happened. I had no idea what was going on and had already forgotten their names. Five minutes later they all made their way down to the courtyard, I followed like a baby lamb as the students lined up in their classes. Standing at the back of the line I watched as the principal and a few other important people made their way onto the balcony in front of us, they started to sing the Chilean anthem and the school song,  announced daily announcements and then continued to call me out infront of 400 students, everyone turned my way as I did an awkward wave from the back. After the announcements I followed the line of kids to our classroom and the school day had started.

The school I have been placed in is Colegio Patricio Lynch and it's locate in Playa Ancha a ten to fifteen minute bus ride from my house. My school is fairly small like most Chilean schools, the whole facility is fenced in and the only way out is through the front door. The largest part of the school is towards the left, theres a courtyard in the middle and the library and a few other classesrooms are in another building towards the right. An example of how small this facility  is compared to my high school in America, this school can fit inside my gym at my highschool in the states, in fact the gym is still much larger.  Colegio Patricio Lynch has in total 400 students in attendance, my whole junior class is made up of around thirty kids, which is extreamly small compared to my senior class of 400 and schools attendance of around 2,000.  In my eyes the school is adorable, like a childs doll house. 

My schedule this semester is...

Monday: Gym, Language, Elective English, Math, English. Tuesday: Homeroom, Language, Study Hour, History, Orientacion, Language. Wednesday: Art, Language, Biology, Physics. Thursday: History, Math, Religion, History. Friday: English, Philosophy, Language, Philosophy, Gym. 

Mondays are the only days I get out at 5:30 the rest of the week school gets done at 3:45.  Most of the classes are 45 min while others are 90 min. 

The bell rang finally and I rushed outside to find a smiling Viv waiting for me, I was so excited to see that familiar face. In the end the first day of school could have gone alot better but then I stop and think, this isn't Forest Lake Highschool, this isn't Minnesota and this isn't my native language so I'll take me completing the first day as a win.