I have been in Chile for 6 weeks, and I realize that I have not posted a single blog since I have arrived. I apologize to those who signed up to be my followers. Let me explain.
I am not a writer, never have been. I prefer to live my life through pictures. Words for me do not grasp the beauty of a mountain or the taste of a glass of wine. Pictures on the other hand give a sense of reality to the breathtaking view of snow-capped mountains, or the awkwardness of 40 college students trying to get along in a foreign country. Although I have enjoyed reading my companions blogs, they recap the encounters much more gracefully than I could have.
However, there are some things that take place on a trip that not even a picture can capture. These are the things that change within a person when they are thrown into a foreign country and expected to survive. That is what I am trying to portray here. In six weeks I have discovered more about myself than I have in the 3 years I have been in college. It is amazing how when placed in awkward, uncomfortable, and unnerving situations you either sink like a ship or rise above the experience. I wanted to come to Chile to learn about myself and to hopefully discover my meaning in life. Now I can say I have learned about myself, I have learned that I suck at planning (Skydiving FAIL), but I have also learned that I can stand on my own two feet and survive. Now have I discovered my meaning in life, probably not, that will take me my whole life to discover. But I have learned that I am drawn to the culture of Latin America for some apparent reason. I know that I am meant to work in some way shape or form with these people. I have also learned that my life in The United States is much more valuable than I though it was.
I have always been a wanderer, changing location every few years, and running from every difficult decision in my life. However, being separated from my life for a few months has led me to realize all that is important back home. It is a very complicated issue to explain. I think you can only understand it if you experience it firsthand. i realized that most of the things in my life are not important. The issues that I once thought major issues, are now only specks of dust on the ground. I have learned so much about my personality and about my future from just the 6 weeks I have been in Chile.
These are the things that cannot be seen in a picture. These have to be written down.
