Today was our last day in Santiago. For lunch, Bailey and I met up with my friend and sorority sister Elise, who has traveled to Santiago for three weeks for her work. It was really neat to see her in Santiago and share our experiences! I'm looking forward to sharing pictures when we're both back in the States.
I am currently on the plane on the way home. There were plenty of open seats, so Bailey and I got to sit together for our final leg of the trip! I'm sad to be leaving Chile. To my surprise, I connected very well with Bailey's friends and was sad to say goodbye to them. I now understand how difficult it was for Bailey to leave after spending four months with them and why she was so excited to return to Chile after less than a year. I'm glad that I was able to come with her back to Chile, and I hope that some of her friends are able to come visit us in the States!
Looking back at this trip, it was so different than any trip I have taken. First of all, I am happy that this was the most budget travel I have done and the most local immersion I have gotten (since we stayed at Bailey's friend's houses and at their work sites). I think this trip compares most with my study abroad in China with the language barrier and the everyday challenge of communication and getting from point A to B, but it is still a very different trip from China...
How can I best put it into words? Looking back at my blog entries... in Egypt I wrote about what I learned, in Australia and New Zealand I wrote about what I did, and in Chile I wrote about how I felt (and I know that God was with me every step of the way). So, I can conclude that this trip in Chile was more about finding out who I am in challenging situations, how I cope with obstacles, and how quickly (or slowly) I adapt to new situations. What a great experience!
I'm so thankful to have been able to go to Chile with Bailey and to leave with great memories and great friends. The landscapes and the scenery in Chile are stunning, but the people and the culture are just as beautiful :)
I'm a bit worried about going home. I think my biggest worry is falling back in to the comforts of life in the US, because in reality, I don't need any of those things. I feel like I'm going to walk into my house and feel that it is too big and walk into my room and feel like I have way too many clothes. I'm worried about all of the English that I will have to speak and how easy it is to do so. It's been great (and humbling) living out of a backpack for the last four months and facing the everyday challenge of life in Chile, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I want to try to hang on to the simplicity of backpacking- the fact that it's okay to be dirty and to wear the same shirt three days in a row, to walk everywhere and to spend the entire day and night outside. I feel like I'm two people sometimes- one who has a blast living in the heart of the city and then one who is perfectly at peace being in solitude in the middle of the wilderness. How can I balance (and satisfy) these two cravings in my life moving forward?
But I do know that right now, I am at peace. Going home has of them rang reminded me of why I travel: to learn and grow, to challenge myself, stretch my limits, and foster an appreciation of both the world at large and the city I call my home :)
For my records, here's the final schedule of the trip:
Mar 15-18, Santiago, stayed with Carlos and family
Mar 19, Puerto Varas to Cliffs in Northern Patagonia
Mar 19-22, Cliffs, stayed in La Ruca
Mar 22-24, Huilo Huilo, stayed with Alberto's chef friends
Mar 25, Villarrica, stayed with Byron and family
Mar 26-27, Pucon with Byron, whitewater rafting and Huerquehue National Park
Mar 28-30, Valdivia, stayed at Giselle's
Mar 30-Apr 1, Cliffs, stayed in La Ruca
Apr 2-4, Puerto Varas and Yan Kee Way, stayed at Negra's and JP's
Apr 5-7, Santiago, stayed with Carlos and family
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