The last two weeks of July were a complete blur. We never really thought that the day would come where we would actually have to say goodbye to our new family and friends, our beautiful Chile experience. It was a month full of lasts. Izzy and I took our last trip together, and at this point we felt like travel experts. We had our last meals with our families, trained with our soccer and basketball teams for the last time and shared our last moments with our university friends. I still don’t know if I’ve fully processed all of my emotions from leaving, but what I do know about hard goodbyes is that they make the return so much sweeter.
Our last trip was to the southern city of Pucón, located around a breathtaking lake that the mountains reflect off of. It unfortunately was a bit rainy so we didn’t get to everything we wanted to but some highlights were that we stayed in an old Volkswagen van at our hostel, swam in Las Termas Geométricas, kayaked and found some really great food.
We stayed at what is claimed to be one of the best hostels in Chile, right on the lake, named Chili Kiwi. When we were searching for a place to stay we were looking for some cheaper options since it was our last trip. Us being our adventurous selves, when the van option popped up, we booked it with little hesitation. And it definitely was an adventure to say the least. When we got to the hostel, we were led to the backyard where it was parked and opened the door to about two feet of space with the bed directly in front of us. But we honestly thought it was hilarious trying to navigate staying in that thing.
Our first day we went to Las Termas Geométricas, which consists of a ton of natural hot springs that you can go swim in. It was definitely odd getting ready to swim when the mountains and bridges around us were covered in snow, but there was so much steam from the pools that we didn’t even get cold. We swam in at least 6 different pools and it was super relaxing. There were also several waterfalls around the hot springs that we could see.
Another highlight of the trip was an amazing restaurant we found called Café de la P. We loved everything we tried there, from hot chocolate to coffee to salad to their dinner selections to the chocolate that you could buy just outside the café.
When we got a break from the rain, we decided to go kayaking on the lake. It was a super peaceful morning, the water was calm and we saw several interesting birds.
Once we got back to Chillán, it was time to start saying goodbye to experiences that had become routine to us. I had my last basketball game and practice, went out and ate with my team one more time, rode our last micro, ate our last complete with our university friends, went out to a really cool restaurant with Izzy’s family, Onda al Pala, that we hadn’t tried before and had our final presentation for one of our classes.
The love that I was shown by so many of the people that I met in Chile is something that will always stay with me. People are genuinely happy to see you and sit down and talk with you. And with the Hispanic/Latino culture being so centered around family, I immediately felt like I had a place there, with both my host family and my basketball team. It was a strange experience leaving because it felt like I was just starting to fully get used to the culture and language and then all of a sudden I had to leave. But I know that I now have lifelong friends and family that I can go visit whenever I can, and the memories Izzy and I have in Chile will always have a special place in our hearts.
Lindo Chile, te voy a echar de menos y nunca te voy a olvidar.
Ciao for now, and one day I’ll return.
Jordan