I´m in CHILE!

Hello All,

I´m in Chile!  My friend and I got here safely yesterday morning and have spent the time since then sightseeing, shopping at a local market, and taking in the Chilean culture.  The weather here has been great!  Not too cold at all.  Tomorrow we leave for Valparaiso.  Santiago and Valparaiso are the two cities between which Phineas Gage drove his stage coach.  I filmed a traditional dance that was performed at a restuarant I was at today and tomorrow we are heading to some of the oldest neighborhoods in Santiago that I´ll film for the documentary as well.  You´ll have to excuse my short entry--I´m paying for this internet time and the keyboard is not one that I´m used to. :)  I hope to post one more time while I´m here in Chile, but if that´s not possible, look for a long post when I return.  Adios!

False Start

I was not supposed to post on my blog tonight.  I was supposed to be on a plane to Santiago, Chile.  I was supposed to wake up tomorrow morning to sound of the pilot announcing our arrival into the Santiago International Airport.  My evening consisted of a false start, though. My friend and I were scheduled to fly to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile.  Our  flight to Atlanta was so delayed tonight, though, that there was no way we would ever catch our flight to Santiago.  So, instead of spending 24 hours in Atlanta waiting for the next flight to Santiago (since the next flight to Santiago was not until 10PM tomorrow night), we called our airline, asked if we could fly out tomorrow, and they rebooked us.  So, after all the packing and saying goodbye (and more packing), I'm still in Indiana.  False start tonight--real trip tomorrow!

My Fabulous Friday Morning

Last Friday morning, I was fortunate enough to be in Boston and continue working on my documentary by visiting the Warren Anatomical Museum.  Here's a brief timeline...

8:00:	Hopped on the “T” to head to the Harvard Medical School Campus.
9:30:	Met Dominic Hall, curator of the Warren Anatomical Museum; was given a tour of the building.
10:00:	Watched Mr. Hall and his assistants move Gage’s skull, tamping rod, and life cast into a room where I could film them (all the while in awe of the fact that they were willing to move such precious artifacts for me).
10:30:	Snapped TONS of pictures of the artifacts and filmed them as well.
11:00:	Interviewed Mr. Hall about Gage and Gage’s relationship to the museum.  Mr. Hall had fantastic answers to the questions I had brought with me from my students!  I’m excited to being editing my documentary later this summer.
12:00:	Left the Warren Anatomical Museum with a smile on my face!

During my other days in Boston,  I walked the Freedom Trail, took a Duck Tour around Boston with some friends (I would definitely recommend it!), and visited plenty of restaurants and markets.  The city is vibrant and friendly. The Boston Bruins were in the middle of their Stanley Cup run so different monumental figures, like Paul Revere, donned a Bruins jersey while I was there.  The weather was colder than I expected (in the 50’s and 60’s) and it rained all day on Saturday. However, the mix of the weather, the Bruins spirit, my amazing Gage morning, and some great friends all contributed to a phenomenal five days for me in Boston.   I head to Chile early next week; I am not sure how frequently I will  be on a computer, but I will definitely post about South America when I get a chance.  I leave with you some "action" shots from Friday morning.  Enjoy!

Why Am I Smiling?

Because I got THIS close (without touching, of course) to Phineas Gage's skull on Friday...

(This picture is of me behind his skull which is on the table.  Unfortunately, I cannot post pictures of his skull online, so you will just have to believe me. :))

Because I got to film Gage's skull, tamping iron, and life cast for my documentary...

(It was so amazing!)

Because the curator of The Warren Anatomical Museum was extremely helpful and fun to meet...

(And he was completely understanding of the fact that I wasn't a professional filmmaker.  Thank goodness. :))

Because I had 10 wonderful days on the East Coast...

(I returned home today and hope to post about my Boston experience tomorrow.)

Until then, have a wonderful evening!

Less Than 1,300 People...

That's how many people currently live in Cavendish, Vermont. Basically, its population is the size of Creekside Middle School! How crazy is that to think about?! I arrived in Cavendish, Vermont yesterday afternoon. The weather here is beautiful; the mountains and greenery are gorgeous and lush. Everyone describes Vermont as beautiful, and they are absolutely right!

This morning I took my "official" tour of Cavendish with a woman named Margo who is the coordinator of the Cavendish Historical Society. We met at the Historical Society Museum on Main Street. From there we walked to the railroad line that Gage and his men worked on in Cavendish. Margo pointed out approximately where the accident would have happened along the line. After checking out the railroad, Margo showed me a couple of houses that existed during Gage's time that are still in Cavendish today. She pointed out a house that stands on the site of  the inn where Gage was brought by his men after the accident. At the end of the tour I saw the plaque that memorialized Gage on the 150th anniversary of his accident. Margo was a wonderful tour guide who was able to provide a plethora of information about Gage's life and brain injuries that I hope to incorporate into my documentary. It is so neat to be in Cavendish!

I have fallen in love with Vermont, but tomorrow I head to Boston to begin enjoying the sites there. This post is a bit short because there is no wireless internet available so I'm typing it on the hotel computer.  I'll post again from Boston.  If anyone has suggestions about where to visit while I'm there, please feel free to leave a comment!