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!