Visiting Muelle de Las Armas, Chiloé

Our wonderful tour of Patagonia sites continues with the Lago Grey Path. Our van pulled up to the beginning of the path almost an hour after lunch, and we carried our sluggish bodies out of the van. This was one of the last stops of the tour and we had already been dumbfounded by the wildlife and wide landscape that we have seen along the way. 

"One hour and 20 minutes" reminded our guide.

Chile turned 206 years old on September 18th! Experiencing the 18th in Chile was an insightful experience of the country's culture, history, and politics. It was a glorious day filled with intoxicating smells of BBQs, Chilean kites flying high in the sky, and everyone laughing and dancing with their loved ones. Looking back, here are some great ways I was able to enjoy such a historic day of a country that I’ve come to call my own.

With technology, communicating is a lot easier than it used to be while traveling. Now during the times you are abroad, you can not only communicate with your family and friends back home, but you can use programs like Skype and Facetime to see them, as well. Although it may not be the main method of communication, sending postcards and written letters from around the world can be something you keep and look back on to remember your time abroad. I did this while studying abroad in London, and am grateful for the experience.

I left the hot 98 degree Santiago air to land in a snowstorm in Boston. After a 15-hour journey, the freezing air slapped me in the face as the automatic doors opened to let me out. Disorientated and dehydrated, I bumped into a man on my way out of the plane. “I’m so sorry. I am sorry,” I cried out.

“It’s ok,” he snarled back. Ahh, yes, the frigid air irritating my skin, the cold remarks of strangers refusing to make eye contact, and the monitor announcing flights every few minutes. Logan Airport, we meet again. 

Montevideo took my breath away. Even before we landed, I knew I would fall in love with Uruguay. A small country located at the bottom of Argentina, Uruguay is cornered by the breathtaking Cordillera mountain range on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the right. Flying over the Cordillera was simultaneously exhilarating and petrifying. Luckily, I got a window seat and got a great view of the curvy mountains frosted with a touch of snow. We HAD to keep our seat belts buckled when flying over the mountains because of turbulence.

There's a saying that we use in our study abroad program whenever someone wants a break, and I'm sure you've heard of it: self care, self love. As in: self care IS self love. I'm 21 years old and I'm exhausted. But I also think I'm invincible, which can prove to be dangerous, given my insatiable desire to explore the world around me.

As kids, we never had to budget. And life was good. I started learning about budgeting when I became a fresh(wo)man in college. Initially, I was petrified of that word. I learned about bank accounts, food expenses, saving money (what little I had), and even balancing checkbooks. I started working two months after my 15th birthday so I could pay my phone bill. I really wanted a cell phone, but also understood that my dad was a single parent and I needed to help wherever I could.

This past weekend was surreal! As part of our study abroad program, the program director invited us this past weekend to La Serena and Vicuna, a six-hour drive north of Santiago. I am so grateful that we took rest stops to stretch our legs, because I would have gone insane. Given that our trip is coming to an end in less than a month, it was such a perfect way to spend time together as a group.