Author: Jasmine Doremus

So…the next time someone approaches you to ask if you’d be willing to take a survey, consider saying yes or at least be kind to them. Surveying to me has become like a customer service job, or rather, a job that everyone should have at some point in their life because you sure learn a lot about people and more importantly, how to treat people. I’ve decided to dedicate this blog post to the humans that I’ve interacted with while surveying at the historic sites here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It doesn’t seem to matter that this study is being conducted with the National Park Service, people still think it’s a scam or that they are going to be asked for money. Someone has to remind people the process of collecting data and doing research…Nonetheless, it’s made for some interesting conversations and moments where I question, did that person really just say that?

I have encountered a lot of kind people who do respect research and the NPS but those stories aren’t as entertaining. So this will be a collection of the “oh my gosh I can’t believe they just said that” stories:

03/06/23

I approached a man (from Florida) and asked him in English if he’d be willing to participate in the visitor use survey. He then responded with, “¡Hola! Are you offended when us Americans try to speak Spanish to you?” To which I responded “no, I’m from Oregon and Puerto Ricans are also Americans…” 

Another man that I asked IN ENGLISH if he would participate in the survey responded with, “No, I don’t speak Spanish.”

03/07/23

After surveying a nice older man while his wife hovered over us, he stuck out his hand to shake mine. I reached my hand out, naturally, to shake his hand back. His wife then tried to bat at our hands with a pamphlet saying, “ooooh don’t touch, don’t touch!” I presume because of being in a post pandemic world but there’s really no knowing what’s going on inside peoples heads…

03/08/23

For context, I have a septum nose ring. 

A man explained to me the history behind using nose rings on animals, mainly cattle to pull them around. He then told me that nowadays they are used so boyfriends can drag their girlfriends around. 

3/11/23

This is less funny but rather a powerful moment for me. Two middle aged women from Florida were asking me about my life and plans and I told them how I was traveling in Latin America and how I’m planning on going back and their first response was, “…but aren’t you scared?” I looked down at them as they were both sitting on a bench in front of me while I was standing surveying, and seeing their genuinely curious faces and big scared eyes, I happily responded with “No.” It almost flashed before my eyes, a life with fear and with no exploration because you’re scared of something that hasn’t even happened. I felt blessed to be the age I am and experiencing the things I’ve experienced because I don’t want to be middle aged and scared of the world around me. 

Initially this was going to be a funny story because one of these women was complaining to me that she had to use her credit card to pay for the pass to enter the National Historic Site. She explained how that was unfair because you’re never suppose to use your credit cards “in a place like this.” I think she means a debit card but I was also confused what this place meant to her. Was Puerto Rico a dangerous place to her? Did entering a U.S. government owned building not feel legit? Does she know that Puerto Rico is a US territory? Does that even matter to her?

At first I thought, “oh my gosh here we go…” but then I really just felt bad for her. And once they asked me if I was scared to travel, I really felt bad. It’s not so funny once you realize that someone lives their life with fear due to a lack of knowledge. And I’m not saying I know everything, I’m just a little more aware of the world around me…

The two weeks working in Puerto Rico wrapped up quickly, as I knew they would. It felt like a nice stop in between leaving South America and going home to the states — not too mention it’s a beautiful archipelago.

I enjoyed traveling by myself again and thought about that while sitting on the bus heading north having no idea what my next week will look like. I do enjoy company for long 18hr bus rides but it was good to have time alone. Why people recommended La Serena to me, I’m not sure…A friend I made from Austria put it best, “if you’ve been to other beaches in your life, they were probably better than this one.” I don’t even have photos of the beach because I didn’t feel comfortable taking my camera out and I felt that the image of dead gutted birds on the shore, mixed with trash, and heavy clouds wouldn’t be something I needed to remember. This is important to note because I came to this city for the beaches (supposedly). Let me back track to my first day in La Serena.

After a very long bus ride, I arrived at the terminal and judging the town very quickly, I made the decision to do the 10 minute walk to my hostel in the evening. Always feeling more vulnerable with my bags on me, it was a fast walk but felt good after being on the bus all day. Once I found the hostel, I was stranded outside with the sign that read “reception closes at 4pm.” This is when I met Felix, a kind man from Germany who not only let me in but helped me distinguish my bed for the night and gave me a little tour of the hostel. 

I instantly was reminded once again how kind people are and how you’ll often find a friend while traveling alone. I ended up spending my next few days with him and the Austrian I mentioned above, Raphael. I loved the trio we made: always laughing and having good conversations about the world. They were some of the kindest people I met while traveling and when they left La Serena, my heart sunk again for a bit. 

The funny thing though is that it’s also a small world here in the north of Chile. We all had reservations at the same hostel in San Pedro de Atacama, I was just a day behind them. 

Before I jump to the desert, something I found interesting — from the perspective of a woman — was comparing my day in La Serena where I walked around with Felix to my day alone there. Felix and I walked around town and markets and to the beach. The next day, I was bored in the town and decided to repeat that route because I enjoyed it, however I was alone this time. I walked to the same place we bought fried bread and sat by myself to enjoy it, and was approached by a flirtatious male. I then walked through the market looking for gifts and was asked out by a male vendor. I then walked to buy a smoothie at the same stand and was flirted with by the blender man. It’s funny how different your experience is as a woman by yourself. 

Anyways, once I stepped off the bus in the Atacama, I felt alive! There’s something about deserts, man. I instantly felt excited and ready to explore the driest place on earth. I found the hostel and walked through the doors dripping with sweat, to be greeted by the familiar kind smile of Felix. I was so happy to see my friends again and spend the week with them. 

We walked around the small town, went to salt lagoons, did a star gazing tour, ate delicious food together, drank beer and made friends with the other 50 Germans at the hostel (hah), and just enjoyed the tranquility of the desert. This stop was exactly what I needed.

For a lot of people, their next stop was going to be the salt flats in Bolivia. This was a hard moment for me because I really wanted to join them on that bus up there. We were already so close to the border and I met so many nice people, I was ready to go on that adventure too. But…I had a commitment to follow through with so I just let that feeling of wanting to travel more resonate with me and inspire me for future trips. 

I had a flight back to Santiago on the 27th and woke up that morning to a message from the airline that my flight was cancelled. Being the slightly neurotic person that I am, I had planned an extra day for possible errors such as this one. Still hoping to get back to Santiago, I showed up at the airport to see about other flights and bam, I was put on a flight that left in 10 minutes! This was a good reminder to not stress and have faith in the universe, that something will work out, that someone is looking out for you. 

[Written on 02/21/23]

Since traveling, I found I haven’t developed a routine of writing. There will be weeks where I write everyday and weeks where I don’t write one word. While this last month consisted of not writing very much, I felt the craving within my body for my pen and paper. To express some of my all-consuming thoughts, to help digest hard ideas, or simply to pair words with pretty photos from Chile and Argentina. So it’s later than I would have liked, but I’ve given myself the time to write now. 

I’ll start with the end of the world. Ushuaia is mountainous and extremely windy. It’s more developed than I imagined as well but I found it underwhelming, which makes sense because there’s not much to do there besides tours. I just enjoyed zooming out on Google maps and seeing how close I was to Antártica. 

There was a point in Ushuaia when Julián and I realized we needed to be back in central Chile in less than 2 weeks. Having taken our time going down Chile, my mindset switched gears to go slow but that wasn’t the case in Argentina, we had to get up the country, and fast! 

So, after running through every possible plan, we decided it best to take out some of the Patagonia towns and just go to El Calafate to see the all enormous Perito Moreno glacier (yeah, the one that’s actually growing)! After one of the worst bus rides of my life from Ushuaia, we finally made it to the insanely touristy town of El Calafate. It took me 2 days but I finally understood why everyone said you only need to see the glacier and then get out of there. The town is tiny yet packed with foreigners! 

The glacier, absolutely beautiful. 

The next phase in our plan was to fly into Mendoza because if paid with cash, the ticket was cheaper than a bus ride and 3 days faster, hah… So we jumped back up to central Argentina and I was excited to be in a familiar place again, or rather, to see familiar faces. I learned that it’s not always a good idea to mix different parts of your world together. My volunteer work in Mendoza was very different from my time traveling in the Patagonia with Julian and the two parts of my trip didn’t mesh well together…

Nonetheless, my heart was warmed from my Mendoza friends. I got to see more of the city than before and even go to the base of Aconcagua. Going back meant that leaving again was even harder because I saw people that I thought I was never going to see again. Goodbyes are always the hardest part for me. 

It was a bittersweet goodbye one evening in Mendoza. I was sad to leave but grateful to have been there again. I was also heading to Santiago to see my parents after 6 months of traveling. My heart was full with emotion that night. 

I got to introduce my lovely parents to Valparaiso where they walked the same steps that I did months before and met people who are dear to me. This was an exciting week but I definitely didn’t account for the heat that would be there in February. I think they were glad to escape some winter back home! 

We also got to explore Bariloche, Argentina together, all with fresh eyes. This was a nice change of pace from the busy cities in Chile. We ate asados, Swiss chocolate, and French fries until we couldn’t eat anymore! The city is also filled with breweries which was fun. The days flew by with them but was a much needed recharge for me.

And then the goodbye inevitably came and felt strange because I felt like I should be leaving, going home with them. I have such a short amount of time left traveling, about a week in Chile before my 2 week job in Puerto Rico. So my mindset is “ok you’re going to be traveling a week by yourself and then switch gears to work mode and then home.” I’m trying to enjoy this last week and reflect when I can. Take time to observe and appreciate little things like making a friend at the busy Santiago terminal when your bus is 2 hours late. I’m in no rush to finish my trip, no hurry to rush my life, I want to slow down. That’s why I’m going to La Serena and San Pedro de Atacama. I’m going to spend time on the beach and under the huge starry sky, taking my time to take it all in. 

“The mountains are women” are the words of my friend Chloe. She got her writing published and ever since I read it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this phrase and how true it rings. As I was hiking up my final trail in Torres del Paine to see the torres, I felt the connection with nature and the femininity within her. I walked fast so I could be alone with her and not have anyone in my way.  There was nothing but trees guiding me up, snowflakes hitting my nose, mountains towering in the distance, and my breath. It was the most meaningful time during the 4-day backpacking trip on the W trail. 

I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, I just knew I wanted to go to the park and hiking for a few days seemed fun. After renting the camping gear and prepping some food, Julián and I were off. The initial boat ride across the lake was stunning right off the bat and we were greeted with the well known windy welcoming. The lodge that awaited us near Lake Grey was enormous and reminded me of a fancy ski lodge. I don’t know why I was surprised to see the campgrounds — Torres del Paine is a huge tourist attraction so it makes sense but in my mind, seeing such beautiful land with such invasive infrastructure was hard to grasp. Anyways, we hiked for some 5 hours up our first part of the W, ended up in a more humble campground and pitched our own tent.

This day was hot and equally windy but very worth it for the glacier that we got to go see the next morning. The first glacier I’ve ever seen actually and it was enormous, the most impressive one we saw throughout the whole trip! It was massive and sitting nicely by the water. It was so silent too, creating an almost ominous feeling. Looking at it, I felt guilt. I felt lucky to see this enormous piece of ice while it’s still here. I wondered if it’s shrunk a lot in recent years. I wondered how long it would be here until climate change has totally destroyed it. I felt like I wanted to give my respects to the glacier in some way, like say thank you for still being here and I’m sorry for how we’ve treated you. 

So due to my lack of research, I learned along the way that there’s at least one glacier at the top of the trails that make up the W shape. After Glaciar Grey, we then packed up our gear and headed to the next campground, Frances. We unfortunately arrived at the same time as the trail to the glacier closed and also learned that it’s a rough hike up so we decided to spend the night and then again, get up early to hike up to the glacier and then onto the next spot. There were two glaciers here in the middle: Frances and Británica. This was a hard hike and even harder without coffee as I felt my eyes bulging out of my skull and my knees screaming at me to stop climbing up rocks. We finally made it to glacier Frances and it was beautiful because you could spin in a full 360° circle and be amazed with a turquoise lake in one direction, a forest in another, the mountains in another, and of course the glacier in the other. I was content here but because we are humans and have this weird sense of incompleteness if we don’t finish something, we kept going to find the Británica glacier. This I found funny because the glacier ended up being so much less significant. We really just hiked super high up and everything that was so beautiful hours ago was still beautiful but just smaller, hah! Nonetheless, I’m glad we actually completed the whole trail because otherwise we would have just done like a weird U shaped trek instead of the W and we can’t have that! 

I do think 4 nights and 5 days is the way to go for this trip so you can take your time — we definitely had to walk fast to each trailhead in order to hike it in time. I would have liked to take my time more because it was all so beautifully overwhelming to take in. Then again, it’s nice to get in a fast rhythm of walking. Initially, I laughed in my head a little about the walking poles I kept seeing people use. Or I would hear them behind me and think how funny they sound. But I will now never judge those devices again. The people that used those sticks flew by and after my knees were killing me on the 3rd day, I wished I had a pair of those dorky things! 

The 3rd day was our 20 some mile hike because we packed in 2 glaciers with steep uphill hikes and then went to the next campground. The most beautiful day as well because we somehow got lucky and hiked early enough to be basically alone the whole time, just us and the glaciers. We also were mainly alone hiking to the final campground and you could really feel the isolation out there but in a beautiful way, just you and the nature and you feel so little in the midst of it all. We got heat, rain, and wind this day. You really do get every season here because we got snow the next day! 

The mountains spoke to me this trip but so did everything else. No one talks about the pastures of green lush grass that go on forever or the huge trees with sunlight shining through them or the bridges arching over the turquoise water. It was literally a dream to be there. I didn’t see the Torres the next day during my final hike up because the fog covered them but that didn’t matter to me, it was everything else in the hike that mattered. Julian and I even ran for a little bit of the hike, making me feel like a kid again with bursts of energy. Every time snow or wind hit my face, I was reminded that I’m alive and grateful to be feeling it. It was so much more than a hike to see the most desired sight in the park, it was a full experience getting up and town the mountain and I enjoyed every second of it. I loved pushing my body and mind all while being in the place that makes me feel most alive, in the outdoors. 

If I had the chance to do my trip over again, I wouldn’t change anything because I’m learning so much about myself and traveling. But if I were to come to the Patagonia again, I think I would come with a tent and sleeping bag and work my way down the whole carretera Austral, hitchhiking and sleeping on the lawns along the road. Many friends I’ve met have taken this route and while it would be a completely different type of trip, I think it would be exciting and more rewarding from the people you’d meet to the sights you’d see! In Puerto Natales, I got to meet up with a friend I met in Mendoza which was amazing! I also invited a friend that I met at the park who happened to be from Montana. Before I knew it, I was eating lunch with my Aussie friend, a fellow Montanan and Julian. Seeing someone again that you once met while traveling is such a nice feeling because it defies odds. I’ve met people who say, “I’ll never see this person again so whatever, it doesn’t really matter” but that’s bullshit because it’s a small world down here and why wouldn’t you want to make friends with people from all over the world, it’s one of the coolest opportunities we have while traveling. Anyways, it was nice to see him because I’ve met way less people since heading south and it feels more isolating and touristy in these towns in the Patagonia. Maybe it’s the shift from workaways to being a guest at hostels now but I miss the interactions. 

Julian and I are headed to Punta Arenas and then Ushuaia, to the end of the world as they say! I don’t know if we’ll see penguins or whale watch or do the tours that people come here to do but I’m ok with that. I like just being here in this part of the world.

[written on 01/14/22]

Approaching a lush green forest, Julián and I stepped outside on the outer deck of the fairy. I tightly wrapped my scarf around my neck and face just so my eyes could peak out. The cold breeze felt good after a month in hot Mendoza. Arriving in Chaitén at 10pm was unexpected but beautiful because we arrived with the backdrop of a orange and pink sunset. The Workaway host agreed to pick us up as well which I was thankful for as I didn’t have service upon arrival and the cabins lay 12 km outside of town. The owner is a peculiar man. I’ve learned that his tone of voice does not match his message and it’s hard for me to follow his Chilean Spanish. Nonetheless, a kind man with a bit of a hoarding problem. 

We entered a cabin to be greeted by the other volunteers, 4 Chileans, cooking French fries just for us. I quickly bonded with this group due to their welcoming personalities and I love the Chilean slang they use. We work from 10am-3pm and then go adventure Chaitén and the surrounding forest after. We always cook meals together, hitch hike, and stay up until 3am talking. We’ve connected so much that we decided to go to Futaleufu together and rent a cabin. 

Being in the forest, in cold weather, with a black sand beach nearby and fog hovering over green mountains in the distance has absolutely revived my soul! I’m realizing how healing nature is for me. 

Going to Futaleufu was the best decision we could have made — it’s an absolute paradise filled with cows, turquoise water, mountains, and lots of sunshine. The owner at the cabins in Chaitén was a little upset we were leaving and told us there’s so much more to do in Chaitén and that we’ll get bored over in Futa. I think he’s just jealous he doesn’t live there. Working for him was fine, the cabins were really cool but most of the time I found myself reminiscing on how I’d love to stay here with a group of friends instead of cleanup after a group of friends! I figured 3 months of cleaning up after travelers was enough and couldn’t wait to be the guest in Futa. 

The 3 hour bus ride had beautiful scenery but we were cooking inside the bus. It was basically a rolling oven and unexpected from chilly Chaitén. The ocean breeze really does a lot. There also weren’t enough seats so I found myself sitting on top of my friends’ laps or on the ground next to the bus driver. 

The cabin we rented was perfect and quaint, right by a path that lead to the river that we swam in most days after our long hikes! It was perfect. The town reminded me a little of Missoula but smaller. I was grateful to be there and to realize I’ve lived in such beautiful places, similar to this one, my whole life. I’ve been lucky enough to explore the Pacific Northwest of the states, which with the nature access, has some of the prettiest sites I’ve ever seen.

The 3 nights in Futa flew by and then we returned to Chaitén to spend the night before catching a ferry back to Puerto Montt the next day. Unfortunately, I can down with some illness on the bus ride back and lacked energy to do anything besides sleep. We were going to hitch hike back to the cabins to stay for free because we never actually got our 2 free days after the week of working but the 10 mile walk with my bags seemed too daunting for my throbbing stomach. I also realized that I had money to pay for a hostel in town for the night and I didn’t need to suffer if I didn’t want to. I know that I’ve worked hard to save up money for this trip and so that now I can accept times to relax. The group decided to go that route too and we ended up negotiating for a cheaper rate. After being in Futa, Chaiten seemed like a dark ghost town. But maybe that was just my sickness talking…

It was great to be surrounded by so much Spanish this week, or rather this month. I haven’t spoken any English aside from phone calls back home. The Chilean slang did exhaust my brain cells at times and I found that especially when I got sick, I just wanted some English. But I think everyone is more irritable when sick. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to have met Denisse, Titi, and Tommy, and hope that they have the best travels. Now onto Torres del Paine!

[written on 01/09/23]
The best blog posts are written upon reflection, I think. Or as my dad told me, the ones where realizations are written are more interesting than explaining the day by day. I agree with this because I get bored reading about itineraries and common tourist activities that were partaken in. As I sit on the ferry heading to Chaitèn, Chile, I’m thinking about how many people are traveling this same path, down the Austral road into the all glorious Patagonia. I’m thinking about how plans don’t really matter and aren’t that special nor unique. What is so much more fascinating to me is the feelings and thoughts that people have along the way. Are they traveling for themselves or others? Are they appreciating the good and bad times? Are they taking photos solely to remember the pure beauty of the landscape or to share on Instagram? Are they going to gain a desire to travel more after this trip? How do they view their trip? As a break from life or as their life? While none of these answers really matter, I think it’s fascinating. It’s fascinating to hear about the purpose of travels and the end results. 

Reflecting on my trip, I’m realizing that I grew more in the last week than in the four months that I’ve been in Latin America. I’ve looked back on my blog and journal and read the fear that I had while starting my trip. I remember the feeling of uncertainty weighing on me and the lack of familiarity being daunting. I questioned my trip for about a month straight. But over the last week, my fear has vanished. The feeling of uncertainty excites me! I love being unfamiliar and having to figure things out. I’ve recognized how competent and intelligent I am, that I can navigate the world if I want to. That’s something powerful for a 22 year old woman to realize. That’s not something that we are taught growing up in our society, even with the positive upbringing I had. Although I was fearful 4 months ago, I knew deep down there was a reason I was planning to leave everything that was familiar and beautiful to me. And for that, I’m forever thankful for the bravery of past Jasmine. 

As I head down to the south of Chile, I’m refraining from planning. Because I don’t have a tent and with the uncertainty of weather, I’ve made some reservations in hostels to know I have a place to sleep but I don’t want to have any expectations for the near future. I’ve realized how much I value traveling solo as well, I have a desire to do more of this. I’ve continued to be inspired by female solo travelers. Watching my female friends walk away with nothing but their backpacks and a grin on their face for their future that awaits them gives me such an inspired feeling. They are capable of anything and so am I. 

This morning in the hostal in Puerto Montt, I was speaking to the owner, a middle aged woman with 4 kids who has run a hostel for 20 years. She initially refrained from talking with me upon learning that I was from the states. This bothered me at first because I was initiating conversations in Spanish but she only responded to Julián. I remembered what Kendall told me months ago in Chile, that before you judge someone, ask yourself if it’s a cultural difference. I paused and thought that instead of being silent and hurt that she wouldn’t talk to me, I’m going to show her we can communicate. So I sat down with my coffee this morning and joined her for breakfast, speaking in Spanish. She told me how she’s always worked in tourism but hasn’t traveled much because of having kids. She then asked me “but aren’t you scared to be traveling alone? And so young too, what are you 24 years old?.” I responded with, “no, I’m 22 and I was scared when I started my trip but I’ve had a full turnaround with my mentality on fear and traveling.” We were silent after this and I realized how lucky and happy I am to be seeing Chile instead of with babies at home. 

I have been looking forward to being in the mountains for months! Even after my profound thoughts on reflections, I’ll still do a quick recap of Mendoza, hah! I went paragliding in cerro arco which was absolutely spontaneous and amazing! 30 minutes flying in the sky was one of the most meditative things I’ve done. The landing was equally memorable because I got to watch all the professionals land and talk to Argentinians left and right. I felt so comfortable and cool speaking in Spanish and realized how well I speak while I’m by myself speaking 1:1. I even met a guy who lived in Eugene! 

I was reunited with my friend Seba, from Valparaíso. He came to Mendoza with a friend and we made the most of 2 days together. I’m blessed with the memories of laughing and dancing in the middle of the night in a plaza together. 

I learned how to make hundreds of empanadas and ate the most delicious food in Argentina. The alfajores and asados are to die for. 

And now I’ve been reunited with my friend from Colombia, Julián to go explore some of southern Chile with. We even got to see Kendall for 30 minutes yesterday as we both happened to be in Puerto Montt! 

It’s a small world down here in the Patagonia!

I’m proven time and time again that things will work out while traveling. Arriving to Mendoza, I had little planned out aside from arriving at hostel campo base for my next Workaway. On the bus, I met this Argentinian woman who kind of took me under her wing and explained the process when crossing the border and got us a taxi cab when there were none in sight. It was quite easy to take the bus over to Argentina from Chile but I’m thankful for her kindness upon arriving in Mendoza. 

I walked in the hostel to emptiness aside from 3 people in the middle of a long hallway with a fan blowing on them and a tv in front of them. They welcomed me briefly but told me to throw my bags down and have a seat, I can get a tour later. Then I realized. I arrived in the middle one of the semi final game for the World Cup. That explains why there were no taxis in sight! Argentina ended up winning that day and the following week I got to experience the game in the middle of a passionate crowd on the streets with a jumbo screen. I’m not really a fan of watching professional sports but this was an amazing experience. I went with some guests from the hostel and we learned some Argentinian soccer chants, drank beer, got sprayed with beer, and cheered with the rest of the crowd! 

Mendoza is a party. I can’t believe I’ve been here for two weeks — it’s crazy how fast time goes by when you don’t sleep! The days are hot and long so lots of them are spent in another hostel’s pool, eating Panchos (hot dogs), and dancing to Latino music. The dancing here has been one of my favorite things. I’m happy that I can keep up with my Latino friends in the clubs and I’m learning more amazing music. 

I finally went on a hike with my two Brazilian friends who are volunteers as well. We spent all day in the mountains hiking, laughing, dancing, picnicking, and taking goofy photos. Mendoza is surrounded by beautiful mountains and I hope to explore more of them while I’m here. 

This hostel has been an adjustment from La casa azul but I’m learning to adapt (especially to the 12am-8am shift)! I’ve really gotten use to the volunteer group dynamics but I’m sad because most of the volunteers I’ve gotten to know are leaving in the next few days. But this is a similar feeling as the one I had in Valparaiso. I’ve especially bonded with Ari and Michelle from Brazil and hope to visit them one day I their home provinces! They speak a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese and I swear I’m beginning to have a Portuguese accent from how much we talk. 

There’s been a lot of people passing through the hostel that I met in Valparaiso too which has been fun, it’s always nice to see a familiar face. 

I’m really in awe by the generosity of Mila, my new hostel boss. He rented a car to drive Michelle, Ari, Lou, and I to San Rafael which was so beautiful. We blasted music during the 3 hour car ride and passed around a joint up until the border check, hah! It’s always a good time with Mila —he’s consistently checking on people and offering things, especially food…so much food…! This man knows how to cook an Asado! 

It’s crazy to think that I spent Christmas here dancing to cumbia and eating asado with all of the other travelers in Mendoza! New Year is sure to be a party as well…

At the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be surrounded by kind people, a safe place to sleep, food on the table, new surroundings, and the sound of Spanish.

It’s been just about a month since my last blog post. The beauty of this last month is that when I look back on it, people and moments stick out. I did a few more touristy things and went to a few more destinations but the bulk of this last month was spent at La casa azul conversing, cooking, laughing, and being with other people. My daily routine often includes an hour of yoga on the grass outside of the hostel, time spent basking in the sun, doing a 5 hour shift, meeting new guests, and walking to the climbing gym or beach with other volunteers. 

I’ve continued meeting amazing human beings on their journey in Latin America, discovering new Latino music, and conquering the stairs that make up this city. My hearts been touched by the familiarity I’m gaining in Valparaiso. By the owner of the small mini market above the hostel that we buy bread from. By the guy selling cheese at the market that remembered me only after buying cheese once from him. By the employee at the climbing gym who doesn’t need to ask my name anymore for my reservation when I show up. 

I suppose the event that stands out most in November is Thanksgiving. I was sitting on the sofa in the main entrance of the hostel when I smelled the familiar smell of stuffing cooking in the kitchen. It was a moment of nostalgia for me. One that I really appreciated because of the happy memories I have with my family during the holidays and for the new memories I’m making here. Kendall and I prepped 7 different dishes for our hostel friends. While I was sad to not be with my family, I was rejoiced to be with kind people and to share some of our culture with them. Kendall and I had a blast buying groceries and cooking all day — we are basically pros at shopping at the large outdoor markets! 

Once we had the table all set and everyone was there, Kendall had everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. With sun beaming down on my face, surrounded by kind souls, with ample food in front of us, I had more than enough to be thankful for. 

It was quite difficult to explain the thanksgiving dishes to everyone but they loved our food. Explaining how to make stuffing seemed to be the hardest one, hah!

One of the things that I’ve grown to appreciate most this month is the culture around food here. People are extremely generous and more than once, I have been offered food and when I say thank you, they respond with something along the lines of “the only thing I like more than eating is seeing other people eat.” The culture in general is very generous and community based, it warms my heart. 

I leave for Mendoza in 5 days and I think a little part of my heart will break when I have to say goodbye to this city and its people, but that just shows how beautiful of a place Valparaíso is.

The start of the week in Valparaíso was lovely. The people at La Casa Azul are very welcoming, both the volunteers and guests. There’s people from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, etc., I love the mix of Spanish dialects that my ears are getting accustomed to. I love that when I’m trying to remember a word in English, I can only think of it in Spanish. I love speaking Spanish to the sweet older woman who owns a restaurant down the block from our hostel. It’s genuinely fun to speak Spanish as a second language and have this opportunity to meet people that I otherwise wouldn’t have. I’m seeing how many doors are opening because I know Spanish.

My first full day in Valparaíso, on October 22nd, consisted of a morning volunteer shift. It was a really easy shift because it included cleaning the bathrooms, floors, and kitchen and then setting up the table for breakfast where we all ate together. Every morning there’s bread with jam and coffee for the volunteers and guests. After eating and speaking with people, we cleaned up and learned some things about reception. Before I knew it, my shift was over and one of the guests invited me to go walk around with him. We ended up going with another volunteer as well, walking down and up stairs throughout the town, seeing murals everywhere in the streets, and stopping by several art exhibits. It was so amazing to speak Spanish with them and see some of Valparaíso. This town is so vibrant and filled with art, it fills my heart to finally be here after trying to travel here for the last 3 years. 

We got these amazing hot dog things at a food truck called “Completos” and ate them on the beach while we played a card game. It was such a great day, however, I did pick up some bug and ended up getting sick for just over a week which resulted in time spent resting in the hostel. The silver lining in this is that I got to talk to several guests and make connections which I’ve loved. I’ve met lots of Europeans, lots of Chileans, and a handful of people from other Latin American countries. One person in particular that stood out to me was Marcos, a man from Brazil who is probably 65 or so. I remember when I first spoke with him and he asked me what I had studied in the university, I was nervous to tell him because of the backlash I often got from older men about my liberal arts studies. I reluctantly told him about my psychology and Spanish degree and he met me with nothing but excitement. We ended up having conversations about psychology all week. He also told me stories about his travels from earlier in life and we ended up being very like-minded. I love that a 22 year old woman from the states and a 65 year old man from Brazil can be so similar even with such different backgrounds. This just goes to show how similar we can be with people from all over the world. It may feel like we could never bond with someone from such a different culture and place but that’s just small minded thinking and I’m glad Marcos helped me see that. 

I’ve decided to journal about all of the special souls that I meet because that might be the most impactful thing from traveling. While I had an idea of what it’d be like to work in a hostel, I never imagined how many different people I would get to talk to. I love working in La Casa Azul because the environment is amazing. I love cooking meals with the other volunteers or guests, I love checking people in and hearing about the purpose of their trip, I love cleaning the house and following the mission statement of making it feel like a home away from home. It’s truly beginning to feel like that for myself as well. I love the movement here, how normal it is to spend 10 minutes walking up or down the stairs just to get to your home or to the store. I love seeing people I recognize in the neighborhoods and saying hello. I love reading feminist quotes painted on the steps. Even the litter here is artistic, pieces of paper with inspirational quotes written on them. I love that I want to be here and that I have that choice and ability. 

My days have been filled with so much walking, exploring markets, buying fresh veggies from street vendors, exploring museums or art exhibits, getting piercings, going to the climbing gym, watching the sunsets by the ocean, and spending time at the hostel. It feels amazing to be building a community here in Valparaíso.

I‘ve been being in the moment for many days, not taking photos or thinking about my blog, which I think is a healthy transition. I’m feeling less touristy everyday I’m here and for that I’m thankful. I still have a list of sights to see but it’s amazing to not be in a rush to cross things off of that list. It’ll happen when it happens…

Ciao <3

Is what someone asked Kendall as we were leaving a cute cafe in Santiago this morning. After 2 weeks in Colombia, we finally broke out our sandals in dry, sunny Santiago and stand out like a sore thumb because of it but that’s okay, we don’t mind. This city has so much style and is very westernized, a big change from Colombia and Costa Rica. 

Kendall and I were picked up from the airport from a friend of a friend, named Juan Jose. It was a really easy process to enter the country and so nice to be picked up by a local again. Juan Jose took us out to get food and meet one of his friends who was very welcoming. Kendall and I were pleased with how easy it was to converse with them and they even complemented our Spanish. We’ve heard from everyone how difficult Chilean Spanish is to understand but it hasn’t been bad! It’s a different story though when it s a group of friends talking to each other…I swear it sounds like an Asian language at times. But the guys we meet know that and said they speak differently to new people which is nice. 

The day we arrived, October 18th, turned out to be the anniversary of a political upheaval and riot. So we had to change our hostels to a safer area which ended up being great because it was also by shops and restaurants. We took our first day in Santiago to run errands and even go thrifting. It felt very much like a U.S. shopping experience.

We later had a free pasta and wine dinner at our next hostel. We were able to meet new people but after about 6 hours of shopping, I was feeling drained and relaxed in our room while Kendall went out on the town. The next morning was relaxed and we took our time getting up and then walked around and explored the Parque Metropolitano de Santiago. This was a beautiful little hike up to the virgin statue. 

We later went out this evening to a tecno discoteca and enjoyed the Santiago night life! The next morning was an early one. We caught a ride with our friend, Juan Jose to Viña Del Mar where he was meeting people for a bachelors party. We saw a glimpse of Viña and their place before we took an Uber to the neighboring town, Valparaíso. It was such a lovely sunny afternoon with a nice breeze in the air. The air smelled of fish and all the smells that a port town has. 

The hostel is atop of various windy roads that our Uber went up until he couldn’t drive anymore and we walked the rest. There were several stairs and murals guiding us to our hostel. We finally arrived to La Casa Azul, our first Workaway together for the next 3 weeks.