People Who Helped Me Be Happier in Chile

In this article, I will share some people I met in Chile.

They helped me mentally and financially.

Familia Chilena

My host family definitely helped me a lot.

My host mother always listened to me carefully. When I was sad, she was always there for me. When I needed help with administrative tasks, she quickly looked up solutions on the internet.

My host father was very supportive. Whenever I needed help, he was willing to assist me. When I didn’t understand Spanish, he explained it to me in English so I could understand better. His advice, based on his teaching and translation experience, was also very helpful.

My host brother bought me a hamburger when I was feeling down. My favorite food was “Sushi Americanizado,” which is not traditional Japanese sushi but an Americanized version that I liked.

He also helped me get my business on track and often taught me Spanish. I remember when he told me, “You’re lazy. You don’t pay enough attention to what you say. That’s why you make mistakes.” After that, I became more conscious of my grammatical errors.

My Chilean cousin also helped me be happy. We played “paletas” at the beach, celebrated my birthday, and she even took my Japanese classes.

My Family in Japan (Online)

Under normal circumstances, I rarely call my family. I usually don’t contact my mother unless I need help. But during the lockdown, it was a different story.

I called my family in Japan every day. I’m glad they always picked up the phone to listen to me. Even though our conversations became repetitive, they were always there to help me feel better.

One event I can’t forget is when I was sleeping in a thin sleeping bag at a campsite and couldn’t sleep because I was freezing. I called my family from my tent, whining about the cold. Their advice was to press the pressure point on my palm, which supposedly would help me feel warmer. I think it worked… a little.

All they could do was send messages to make me feel warmer.

Debra, Charity Shop

I can’t thank my boss enough. I love her so much. She taught me many important things about living happily, actively, and independently, with cariño (care).

I hope I can be like her in a decade.

Refer to the article about my boss.

Friends in Chile

I met some very inspiring friends there. One of my friends used to be my student, but later we became good friends, and they invited me to stay at their house in La Serena for two weeks.

La Serena has a famous beach, and we sometimes went there by bicycle.

The friends in La Serena were incredibly generous. They have their goals and keep striving for them.

They are active in sports and their hobbies. Their lifestyle is one of my goals.

I realized later that I had met many precious people. I am lucky.

I wouldn’t be the same person I am now without them. I want to thank each person I encountered.