Overcoming culture shock is one of the challenges American expat Shannon has been facing since her move to Chile, her husband's homeland. Read about how this country girl is coping with city life in the busy Chilean metropolis of Santiago, and what she appreciates - as well as dislikes - about her expat life in Chile.	Shannon Kasella

-Where were you born?

I was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, USA, on June 8th, 1988.

-In which country and city are you living now?

I am now living in Santiago, Chile.

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my husband, who is Chilean, and his family.

-How long have you been living in Chile?

I have been living here since January 15th, 2008.

-What is your age?

I am 20 years old.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Chile?

I met my now husband, Rodrigo, in Montana in January 2007. He was there on a work permit. I travelled out of the country for my first time to Santiago, Chile, to be with him. I spent just three months here and returned to the US. I came back in January for a longer stay. Rodrigo is my reason for living here. I would have never come here without him being here.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

You don't need a visa to get into Chile, all you do is pay a fee of $100 and they put a little card into your passport. The card doesn't expire until your passport does. To get a temporary visa isn't very difficult, I am in the process of doing that right now. If you have all the right paperwork there is no reason why you shouldn't get a visa.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

I don't have medical insurance. If I stay here much longer though, I will be looking into it. I did try to go to a doctor once and they won't treat you at all with just a tourist visa.

-How do you make your living in Chile? Do you have any type of income generated?

It was quite easy to get a job here. Rodrigo was receiving emails of new job positions and we just happened to come across one one day.

-Do you speak Spanish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I am not fluent in Spanish, not even close. I understand very much though. I can get myself around with my Spanish. I think that is it important to be able to speak Spanish. I am learning more and more every day. It is so hard for me to learn in a school setting though. I have learned so much first hand, no class would have ever taught me that.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I miss my home and family all the time. I had a visit home for a very short time in July, coming back here was really hard. Living in a city as large as Santiago is so hard for me, I am a country girl. The whole clubbing scene was never something that I was very interested in.

My favorite things to do here are usually out of the city. Taking little day trips into the mountains and just walking around exploring, or going on a trip to the beach are my favorite things to do here. In the city I love to people watch. How people act and dress just amazes me all the time. I could never get bored of sitting on the subway just watching people.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

For the future, I plan on being able to travel around Chile more as well as other South American countries. Rodrigo and I will be going back to the US for a little over a year, but after that we will be back here in Chile until he is finished with college.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

I don't have a place of my own, but I have looked. To live in the nicer side of Santiago, the higher class area, the price is up to $300 for one bedroom and month.

-What is the cost of living in Chile?

People that come here for trips and short times seem to think that everything here is cheap. It isn't until you have been here for a long time that you realize how expensive it really is. I make about 600 US dollars a month here. In the end, I don't end up saving very much - with food, transportation, and other things I have to pay for.

-What do you think about the Chileans?

Chileans, what do I think of them? Well, where do I begin? They are different than people from the US. For the most part I enjoy them. It is very difficult for me to make friends just because of the culture difference. People here are shocked that I am 20 years old and not living with my parents still, plus the fact that I am married.

Chilean men are easier to get a long with, but they only are after one thing it seems. The women just plain don't understand me and my upbringing. I can't find people my age to hang out with because I am in a whole different maurity level than they are. They haven't left their parents' house yet and I have been out since I was 18 years old.

Other than trying to make friends it is difficult being a blonde here. Not only do they stare at me because of my hair and green eyes, they don't stop when you notice them staring. It is very annoying, not only that I just feel creeped out most of the time. They have what is called "piropo" in Spanish which is a cat call. I think these cat calls are horrible. Men, usually construction workers, will shout horribly rude and nasty comments to you in the street. I have a hard time keeping walking without wanting to say something equally rude back.

A lot of the people here assume that I am rich because I am from the United States. It drives me insane when I have to pitch in more for a party just because I am American. Also telling a taxi driver that you are American is a bad idea. They will charge you more because they assume you are just rolling in cash.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Chile?

The positive thing about being here is that I am learning and seeing things that many people my age have not seen, many things that people never get to see in their lives. I am living something I never thought I would. It is a good thing to see the world; it gives a person a more open mind.

I would have to say the worst thing about living in this country is the standard of living. The house I live doesn't have heat nor does it have air conditioning. There are many things that I took for granted in the US. The dishwasher, the clothes dryer, heat, and having my own car.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Chile?

What tips do I have? Well, for one I recommend that you see as much as you can, try everything at least once, and keep any valuable jewelry at home. Also before you leave you should let all your credit/debit card companies know that you will be out of the country.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Chile?

Well there is quite a group of expats blogging. These are a few I read regularly:

http://ohquepasa.blogspot.com

http://soylajet.blogspot.com

http://whatsarasays.blogspot.com

And this is my personal blog: http://shannontripsandfalls.blogspot.com