Living as a Trotamundos

As of today I am saying farewell to Chile, at least for now, I think I will be back again. Five months latter and I am boarding my plane to head off to my next adventure. Now just to give you a heads up this will not be a reflective essay about how studying abroad has opened my eyes and how I have finally found myself. I will admit for many people traveling and studying abroad brings about a grand epiphany and self realization, and I think that is great when it happens. I did not have a grand epiphany, did not find the answer to some deep soul search, I did not find myself while studying abroad. I am perfectly okay with that, honestly I knew I wouldn't have that grand epiphany, I know who I am. *Note: If you are on a journey to 'find yourself' then go and run ramped through the world learning about new cultures until you do. And not as some shameless plug: I would recommend looking to God, from my life I can tell you it works out pretty dang well. I'm not have be...

For the past two weeks I have had a backpack strapped to my back and I LOVED IT! Like new addiction, already planning my next trip, could live out of a backpack for the rest of my life kind of love. So please come along and enjoy all of the highlights from my trip in Northern Patagonia. You read that right, Patagonia! My friend and I started our adventure on the shore of the mountain lake in Puerto Varas. We were exhausted from our long bus ride from Concepcion and the walk to the campsite. We decided to call it a night pretty early and with our packs in the tent and our sleeping bags zipped up tight we went to bed. In the morning though we woke up to a not so great surprise. The hiking boots of my friend were stolen in the dead of the night! Yes that's right...night one...and her hiking shoes were stolen. She was left with only her flip-flops, which don't work the best for backpacking. We were in good spirts though because there is always more good than bad in the w...

Not to long ago I had the wonderful pleasure of taking a trip to the small city of Angol with my friend to visit her family. Angol is just a couple hours south of Concepción and is considered to be in el campo. My friends family was great and their house was wonderful but you could say that the beds were hard as rocks! Just kidding...just in case you didn't catch that. This is the 'rock house' from the national park nearby. Really my friend's house was amazing in their backyard they had one of the most amazing gardens I had ever seen. The had basil, kiwi, apples, almonds, grapes, citrus, and so much more you wouldn't believe it. My friend's family was so wonderful and welcoming, with her cousin and brother we went to the national park Nahuelbuta. On a clear day you are able to see the ocean and the Andes from the highest point of the park, unfortunately for us it was a cold and rainy day. I felt like the wind was going to blow me away but I still loved ...