First impressions in Patagonia

Well it sure has been a trek, but I am here safe in the small town called Puerto Natales. It took around 28 solid hours with plane flights, bus rides, and layovers to get here. The surreal beauty of the landscape driving on the small highway to our town and flying over the Andes is stunning – seeing the peaks of the huge mountains stick through the tops of the clouds and the amazing glaciers frozen over a vast area. The first few days have been adjusting to the cold climate, trying to learn the other 22 students names on the trip with me (who are from all across the United States), and many group activities as we try to understand living in a very tight knit space and how to be flexible with each other. Yesterday we had a group scavenger hunt where we split up in groups of 3/4 people and had to find certain locations and items over town. This was a great opportunity to see the downtown area and the be able to see many of the shops, restaurants, and small cafes. One of our tasks were to find a to-go menu from a restaurant to bring back, so it was a great opportunity to be able to practice my Spanish skills which haven’t been used in quite a bit since most everyone in this smaller town (even though it is a very popular tourist area) does not know any English. Now that was a very funny situation to watch from afar haha. Most all of us have very similar majors dealing with the environment, animals, and policies. Though many have no experience with the Spanish language which is a very hard having to ‘translate’ in situations. It definitely is testing my capacity with how well I think I know and how much I actually know. I love it here. The slow pace feel. The crisp air as you walk through the town. The vibrant Spanish energy. All of it it starting to become home for these next few months, and it’s only the beginning. The town is just starting to have tourists flock in as it is becoming spring here and soon-to-be summer (which is the most popular time for everyone to come explore). We have started classes which are all very interesting topics as we learn about the earth from a geological standpoint, the ecosystem here and everything in it, and the social dimensions and conservation efforts of the people/town. We start our first excursion next Tuesday and I honestly can’t wait… let the adventures begin!