Let There Be Work

During my first two weeks in Natales life was pretty quiet, but this last week has proved to be a bit more eventful. I'm meeting many new people, so it's nice to see some fresh faces and make some new friends. One of my housemates has returned from vacation and I enjoy having company in the house. Living in a big house, alone, for two weeks can be pretty...well, lonely. I appreciated having time to get settled and become comfortable, but it's great to have someone to share meals and practice Spanish.

However, I have even bigger news! I started working a new job on Saturday night!!! I'm working in Baguales, the local brewpub, and I'm super psyched about it. It's equivalent to the Southern Sun of Boulder (which most of you know was my second home), so it really couldn't be more perfect :) The food is great, my co-workers are friendly and helpful, and the beer is AMAZING! More than anything, this will be a great way to help learn Spanish. Until November, the bar is only open on Friday and Saturday, which means that I can go camping, climbing, and kayaking during the week and still make some cash on the weekends. It's a pretty sweet deal, especially considering I've only been here for three weeks!

Yesterday I received an invitation to Patagonia Camp, which is a hotel just south of Torres del Paine. Patagonia Camp is a beautiful hotel, built from Lenga wood, which sits in the middle of nowhere next to an enormous lake. The rooms in the hotel are actually yurts that are scattered along the hillside. And with views of Los Cuernos, the setting is more than ideal. I spent the day walking in the rain, taking photos, and just enjoying in the beautiful nature that surrounded me.

My friend Angie and I are hoping to leave for a three-day trip to Torres del Paine tomorrow. I still need to repair my tent, so that is the plan for today. Hopefully it doesn't take me all day to locate and buy the supplies I need for the repair. I decided that the duct tape idea wasn't going to hold up to the wind and weather down here. So instead, I'm going to stitch the holes before sealing it with seam grip. Hopefully this idea will hold up to the extreme conditions.

So all in all, everything is going great for me in Natales. I have a nice house, amazing friends, a job, and all of this is surrounded by the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen. Life is good!

A walk along the coast

Wanted to share a few photos from one of my favorite walks around town. The coast is beautiful in the winter! The water is calm, the mountains are covered in snow, and birds fill the shoreline. Can you believe that pink flamingos live here in the winter? I always thought that they were a tropical bird but obviously that was misconception! There are hundreds of them along the coast, along with swans, ducks, and many other species of birds. If the birds can survive the winter weather in Patagonia, then I will be just fine :)

Most of my time is spent studying spanish, going for walks around town, reading, exercising, and cooking. Each day that passes brings a little more daylight with it, but the nights are still very long. Although it is snowing today, the temperature is not terribly cold and it's still comfortable to go for a walk along the coast. I wonder if the flamingos will be out today?

Hola de Puerto Natales!!!

I arrived in Natales last night and I could not be happier! The air is brisk and fresh, the mountains have a blanket of snow, and my house has heat! More than anything else, I'm so happy to have a space to call my own. It's such a relief to unpack my bag and know that I don't have to pack it again tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong, I love this traveling gig but it can be exhausting at times. Even when I was staying in Santiago, I never felt completely safe or comfortable. It was always a big event to travel across the city alone, being the blonde girl and all. I constantly had to be aware of my surroundings, so there is never really a time to take the big breath of relaxation. I had to sacrifice so many amazing photos because I was nervous about taking my camera with me while I was alone in the city. It was an amazing experience and I learned so many things, but now I can finally take that long, relaxing breathe of fresh air.

Seven months ago I visited the most beautiful place and I felt a peace that I had never known. Since then, I've worked so hard to return to that place...to that feeling of peace. I quit the best job that I've ever had, I sold most of belongings, and I left the friends and family that I love so much. I made the choice to change my life, completely, so that I could discover more about the person I want to be. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere at the bottom of the world...feeling more peaceful than ever. Sending lots of love and hugs from Natales :)

Going South

I've spent the last week hanging around Santiago, climbing with friends, and preparing for the big move to Puerto Natales. My flight is not until Tuesday morning, but I need to spend the next few days packing and preparing my gear to be shipped via truck. One thing I've realized since arriving in South America it that I brought way too much shit with me. It's mostly gear for climbing and mountaineering, which I will use once I'm in Natales, although lugging it around the city is a gigantic pain in the ass. It will be a huge relief to buy this infamous blue barrel, pack my gear, and send it off on the long road south. On top of that, I came down with the flu Thursday night, so I spent the last 36 hours trying to rest and recover my strength. I suppose it's just part of the deal when you're traveling and I should have expected to be ill at some point, but that doesn't really make it any easier when it hits you. I am feeling a bit better today but I think it's time to head back to the house for some soup and an afternoon nap. Hopefully the next blog post will be from Natales and I'll be feeling strong and healthy again. Until then, big hugs for all!

Back in Santiago

After two weeks of traveling in Argentina with Katja, Miguel, and many new friends, I finally arrived back to Santiago last night. My time in Argentina was absolutely amazing! I know that I've said this several times, but there are no words that can describe the generosity of the people in South America. At every new hostel, we made new friends who shared their time, stories, food, and laughter with us. These people open their hearts to us and I've cherished the short amount of time that we shared together. I've learned so much and have so many wonderful memories, that I don't even know where to begin. There was the truck driver named Nelson, he drove us from Dean Funes to the middle of the desert, who shared stories about his family and his life on the road. And the guys that we met in Cordoba, who were from Rosario, took us on a picnic to the river near Carlos Paz. We sat next to the water all day...playing music, eating cheese and salami, drinking wine, and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful day. Lo De Chi Chi, the hostel in Cafayate, was filled with great people as well. Tony, Claudio, Chi Chi, and so many others joined us for dinner and music nearly every night. My mind is filled with beautiful memories and my heart with happiness, when I think of these amazing people. And I've only been traveling for a month! I still can't believe that I've been here for one month already. The time just seems to fly by!

As for the future...who knows? I really enjoy waiting to see what the day has to offer before I make the plans for my next adventure. I do need to start thinking about when I will travel south to Puerto Natales. The weather in Northern Argentina, and here in Santiago as well, is pretty nice during the days. However, the nights have been consistently colder and colder. I can only imagine how cold it's going to be down in Patagonia! Nonetheless, I will probably buy my ticket to Punta Arenas in the next few days and leave Santiago in mid July. My friend Drew arrived from Puerto Natales this week, so I'm looking forward to catching up with him before he heads back to the States for five months. Other than that, I am just going to wake up every morning, with a smile on my face, and be thankful for the amazing opportunity that I have to travel. I am so fortunate to have the chance to explore South America! So until next time...I'm off for another adventure.