One thing I’ve learned from traveling so much is to basically never have a plan. This is because if you have a plan, it will without a doubt go wrong somehow and you will have to just go with the flow. Which is exactly what happened when I tried to get home Tuesday night. EVERYTHING went terribly wrong.
My flight was scheduled for 11pm Tuesday and I would get home at 6 am Wednesday to spend the day shopping and hanging out with my mommy (she took the day off work and everything for me!) So I’m just chilling at the airport in Santiago for what I stupidly think is the last time, when they tell us our flight is cancelled! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! Is what I was thinking to my self/saying out loud. I was so ready to go home and see my family after five months but I couldn’t I had to wait at the airport for them to decide what to do. So even though we knew the flight was cancelled at around 10:35 we had to wait around until 2am. WHAT THE HECK?! Not only did they not let us leave until 2, but American Airlines claimed it wasn’t their fault and wouldn’t pay to put us in hotels or for transportation. Well that was just the cherry on top of the crappiest sundae ever because I had no cash left to pay for anything and was not about to take out more money for one day that I didn't even want to be there for.
Never fear I made friends with some crazy American girl who lives in Santiago and just so happened to have an extra room with a futon in her apartment! What are the chances?! So I, along with a kid from my program and another gringa we picked up at the airport, went with this girl to stay at her place for the night. So it was close to 3am when we finally got there and made ourselves beds…well sort of. The next morning I woke up with the AWESOME realization that I still had some leftover pancake mix, chocolate chips and peanut butter in one of my ridiculously large suitcases! #winning We made a delicious pancake breakfast, stored our giant maletas (suitcases) in her bodega (storage unit) and wandered around Santiago one last time. After an afternoon of eating at a restaurant named California and walking around Santiago (I’m not really sure where all we walked because I recognized nothing), we decided to go back to the airport and check in early just to make sure there was a flight leaving that night.
AND THERE WAS!!!!! Thank goodness, I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I’d been stranded practically homeless in Santiago for another day. I arrived a day late and was picked up at the airport by just my dad instead of my whole family like originally planned. But it didn’t even matter that it wasn’t how we planned it because I made it home!!
So there you have it. The somewhat shortened tale of how I finally made it home to Texas. Too bad it was rainy and gross when I got home; it made me miss the beach more than I had anticipated. I also noticed that Americans are very very loud. I’m still adjusting to some American customs that I lost and getting caught up on pop culture and trends. But I feel at home. (you know, until I leave for Italy on Thursday). I am truly a citizen of the world now! Oh you’ll be happy to know that my first lunch home was a #1 from chickfila complete with a dr. pepper to drink!
Thanks for reading my blog and following my crazy/sometimes boring adventures/daily activities in Latin America!
Besitos,
Gaby
P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS/FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Ciao (Farewell to mi segundo hogar)
I leave tomorrow to go home to Texas. It’s weird saying that because for the past few weeks I’ve been so anxious to leave and see my family and eat American/Mexican food and have normal Christmas-y weather and now that the time has come I wish I had more time here to enjoy the beach and explore the cerros of Valparaíso. But I guess that means that I like it enough here to come back one day. I don’t think I could ever permanently live in Chile but I would love to come back and visit again, maybe next time my family can come with me so I can show them the place I’ve called home for the past 5 months.
Even though I’ve traveled a lot this semester I feel like there is still so much to see and do not just in Chile but also in Latin America. Which makes my future travel plans a bit more complicated since I still want to travel Europe, Asia, and Africa, Australia basically the world. Every time I go somewhere I think to myself “Next time I come I should do this instead of that and I must eat there again” because I like to think that one-day I will be back. In regards to traveling I also found some great quotes to hopefully better explain how I feel about it:
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living”—Miriam Beard
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all people’s cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”—Maya Angelou
So after seeing Machu Picchu, visiting Buenos Aires, backpacking across the end of the world and all the smaller travels in between I feel like even though I have beautiful pictures and memories, I learned and experienced so much more than those pictures could ever show.
Next post will be written in TEXAS! I still can’t believe I’m getting on the plane tomorrow night! Soon enough I will be at chickfila and drinking a dr. pepper. It’s the simple things you miss when you’re gone for so long.
Besitos,
Gaby
Even though I’ve traveled a lot this semester I feel like there is still so much to see and do not just in Chile but also in Latin America. Which makes my future travel plans a bit more complicated since I still want to travel Europe, Asia, and Africa, Australia basically the world. Every time I go somewhere I think to myself “Next time I come I should do this instead of that and I must eat there again” because I like to think that one-day I will be back. In regards to traveling I also found some great quotes to hopefully better explain how I feel about it:
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living”—Miriam Beard
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all people’s cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”—Maya Angelou
So after seeing Machu Picchu, visiting Buenos Aires, backpacking across the end of the world and all the smaller travels in between I feel like even though I have beautiful pictures and memories, I learned and experienced so much more than those pictures could ever show.
Next post will be written in TEXAS! I still can’t believe I’m getting on the plane tomorrow night! Soon enough I will be at chickfila and drinking a dr. pepper. It’s the simple things you miss when you’re gone for so long.
Besitos,
Gaby
Thursday, December 8, 2011
PATAGONIA. EXITO. (Success)
Before leaving on my big backpacking trip to Patagonia I thoroughly fried my stomach at the beach and fell out of the bus. So as you can probably already tell, I was off to a great start. (If you have a sunburn on your belly and no access to aloe lotion, deodorant is a pretty good substitute!)
Anyway, when we arrived at Torres del Paine National Park I couldn’t believe our luck because the weather was perfect. Blue skies, hardly any wind, good temperature. I thought to myself that it was just a fluke and tomorrow we would have winds that blew me over and freeze our butts off. But it wasn’t! We had casi (almost) perfect weather all 6 days! Que suerte! Day one was fairly easy and we had plenty of time to enjoy the weather and hangout by the river near our campsite in the glorious Patagonia sunshine. However since we were so far south the sun didn’t set until 10 o’clock and then it rose at about 5:30 or so. Which made sleeping schedules difficult!
Day 2 we hiked toward Glacier Grey. IT WAS AWESOME! We saw icebergs and avalanches. So cool!!!!! It was a pretty long day of hiking so we rewarded ourselves with a delicious dinner of chili in Chile! (okay I can’t take credit for this it was all Andrew’s idea. Emily and I didn’t want to carry all the cans.) But I’m so glad we did because it was delicious! Que rico!
Day 3 we had to back track a bit so we passed by all the icebergs again and let me tell you it was still totally awesome the second time around! Even though I’d walked that path the day before I was still in awe of how beautiful it all was. Day 3 was kinda long too so we soaked our feet in the freezing river and it was glorious! Except for when I took my shoes off I discovered a few blisters. So I went to the Guardaparques and he bandaged me up! What a swell little man named Mauricio he was. Props to him for touching my nasty feet!
Day 4 was a shorter hike up in the Valle Frances! It was just a day trip without our packs because we stayed in the same campsite as the night before. Everything was still beautiful and amazing and life was good! Instead of our normal pb&j tortillas we splurged and had sopa de zapallo (pumpkin soup) with some noodles. But it accidentally turned into something that tasted like mac n cheese! A happy accident if you ask me.
Day 5 My blisters were at their worst and we had a long haul. But with the encouragement of Emily and Andrew I made it to the base camp of the torres! I am very fortunate to have such patient friends! Not to mention the breathtaking views that would put even the grouchiest person in a better mood. Those helped distract from my feet that were on fire
Day 6. Our last day did not exactly go as planned. I ended up getting sick and feverish. I wasn’t able to do the 45 min climb to the Torres because of this. And we still had about a 4 hour hike back down the mountain to catch the bus back into town. So I very slowly made my blistery feet and fevery body move down the mountain. Once again Emily and Andrew were the best friends to backpack with because they were so incredibly patient and understanding. And even though it took longer than originally thought we made it down in one piece safe and sound!
After six days of backpacking in Patagonia I can say that without a doubt it is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. And the perfect ending/last hoorah of my time in Chile. The good, the bad and the ugly included, it was the most incredible journey ever.
Besitos,
Gaby
Anyway, when we arrived at Torres del Paine National Park I couldn’t believe our luck because the weather was perfect. Blue skies, hardly any wind, good temperature. I thought to myself that it was just a fluke and tomorrow we would have winds that blew me over and freeze our butts off. But it wasn’t! We had casi (almost) perfect weather all 6 days! Que suerte! Day one was fairly easy and we had plenty of time to enjoy the weather and hangout by the river near our campsite in the glorious Patagonia sunshine. However since we were so far south the sun didn’t set until 10 o’clock and then it rose at about 5:30 or so. Which made sleeping schedules difficult!
Day 2 we hiked toward Glacier Grey. IT WAS AWESOME! We saw icebergs and avalanches. So cool!!!!! It was a pretty long day of hiking so we rewarded ourselves with a delicious dinner of chili in Chile! (okay I can’t take credit for this it was all Andrew’s idea. Emily and I didn’t want to carry all the cans.) But I’m so glad we did because it was delicious! Que rico!
Day 3 we had to back track a bit so we passed by all the icebergs again and let me tell you it was still totally awesome the second time around! Even though I’d walked that path the day before I was still in awe of how beautiful it all was. Day 3 was kinda long too so we soaked our feet in the freezing river and it was glorious! Except for when I took my shoes off I discovered a few blisters. So I went to the Guardaparques and he bandaged me up! What a swell little man named Mauricio he was. Props to him for touching my nasty feet!
Day 4 was a shorter hike up in the Valle Frances! It was just a day trip without our packs because we stayed in the same campsite as the night before. Everything was still beautiful and amazing and life was good! Instead of our normal pb&j tortillas we splurged and had sopa de zapallo (pumpkin soup) with some noodles. But it accidentally turned into something that tasted like mac n cheese! A happy accident if you ask me.
Day 5 My blisters were at their worst and we had a long haul. But with the encouragement of Emily and Andrew I made it to the base camp of the torres! I am very fortunate to have such patient friends! Not to mention the breathtaking views that would put even the grouchiest person in a better mood. Those helped distract from my feet that were on fire
Day 6. Our last day did not exactly go as planned. I ended up getting sick and feverish. I wasn’t able to do the 45 min climb to the Torres because of this. And we still had about a 4 hour hike back down the mountain to catch the bus back into town. So I very slowly made my blistery feet and fevery body move down the mountain. Once again Emily and Andrew were the best friends to backpack with because they were so incredibly patient and understanding. And even though it took longer than originally thought we made it down in one piece safe and sound!
After six days of backpacking in Patagonia I can say that without a doubt it is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. And the perfect ending/last hoorah of my time in Chile. The good, the bad and the ugly included, it was the most incredible journey ever.
Besitos,
Gaby
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