Today was only my second day of school in Concepción, but it marked the end of my second week in Chile. “Whirl-wind” doesn’t quite capture how much I experienced in this country already, from the towers of Torres del Paine to the sand and termas (hot springs) of the Atacama Desert. This is my first time traveling abroad, apart from Canada, and Chile is a country in which I never expected to be. I feel as foreign as I look most of the time, but the people have been patient and welcoming to a degree I don’t often experience in the U.S. The sheer latitudinal range of Chile means there are countless unique ecosystems to explore, and I feel so lucky to have visited two distinct regions of Chile with 2 fellow LSU students and a travelbug-bitten friend from my home state.
Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine were remote, yet more accessible than I imagined, and we really lucked out with the weather. It is a nature lover’s paradise, and we saw, among other life, a condor, puma, guanacos, Darwin’s rheas, cara-caras, and cool vegetation (yet to be identified). I almost lost my mind multiple times at the insane beauty of this place, as my travel buddies can attest, and I doubt I can adequately express my gratitude for the chance to be there. The sight below inspired a new life goal: backpack the circuit loop around the granite towers!
The arduous trek North (aka overnight flight) was sweetened by a sunrise over the Atacama desert, the driest desert in the world (my poor skin confirms this fact). San Pedro de Atacama was a strange amalgamation of a tourist mecca and desert oasis, with all the knickknacks, crazy good ice cream, and alpaca sweaters necessary for a gringo’s visit to the sand. Next time, I want to exclusively travel here by bike!
After 6 flights in 10 days and some weak and watery Nescafe, I gained what
you could call an intimate knowledge of the Santiago airport. If you want to
know where the best sleeping couches and charging stations are, don’t ask me
because I don’t want to relive it. Despite the lost sleep, the laugh lines and
dirty hiking boots I collected on this pre-program excursion will stay with
me for a long while. And that is a good thing.
I loved my first adventure, yes, but was excited to start
the program that afforded me this opportunity to be in Chile in the first
place. On Saturday, I arrived at the final destination of Concepción, where I
was greeted by my host sister Javiera and her dad. We arrived at my new home
where I was again incredibly grateful for the amazing opportunity… to nap. On Sunday,
we celebrated Mother’s Day with a trip to the country club and some
delicious empanadas. I now have several Spanish language apps downloaded to my phone and hope my daily efforts will improve communications with my host family soon!
Monday was my first foray into teaching 2nd and
3rd grade science with some wild and sweet little kids at the Campus Huertos of Colegio Concepcion de San Pedro. I was
impressed with the freedom of movement in the school and the hands-on
activities that my host teacher prepared for her classes. I can’t wait to
familiarize myself with the curriculum so I can engage more with the kids and start the laboratory section in the coming weeks. I am lucky, for many reasons, to be a scientist, but I am specifically lucky tomorrow since us Coast & Environment students are getting a tour of University of Concepción's marine labs, replete with special research presentations! I am grateful that science can transcend language barriers, and am excited to learn about local coastal issues from researchers at the University.
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