Hey there everyone! Sadly it’s coming to an end this upcoming week and this will be my 2nd to last blog update from the program 
This week has flown by, but in a good kind of way. It’s sad to know that we only have 8 days left on this program but the memories that we all have made this semester will last a lifetime. Last weekend we went to the Milodon cave, which is the sloths ancestor that is much larger than the current day sloth. These caves is where they have found bones and evidence of where these ancient creatures lived. Now that we realize how little time we have left, everyone is trying to fit as much as they can. Many nights out with friends, coffee shop stops, and snack runs. Quality time spent with these friends we have been with for 3 months is so much fun. A lot of us most likely won’t see each other again after this program, but the close friendships made here will remain strong. Pro tip: have friends/connections all across the World. Then anytime you want to visit a place you have a friend and a place to stay… double win!
We have all been working on writing our rough draft which was due this past Saturday night. It’s definitely a new thing for me to write a very professional short research paper. It requires lots of thought, smooth flow, and many references. Now that we have an idea of what our paper will consist of we will begin to touch up the rough draft and have the whole paper completed by this upcoming Friday. Simultaneously we are working on creating a presentation for our fellow classmates, professors, and staff here at the center. We will be presenting next Sunday, and for those of us who get chosen, will present to the town on Monday.
We had a couple events these past days ranging from movie nights, frisbee at the field, and game nights. We also had yoga at the plaza with one of our professors (Greg) to enjoy the early morning sunlight and Spring breeze. Our other professor Shaw, which is also our adviser for our research papers, had us over to his house yesterday to have morning breakfast on our day off. It was so interesting to just sit around with your professor and talk about some of the best memories of the semester haha. We had fresh strawberry juice and ate pancakes, cornbread, and some yummy fruit.
Before I head off to Santiago on the 18th I will send a update on how the paper and presentation went. I hope that everyone is rocking finals and are ready for a little Christmas break… because it is very much needed! I am very excited to spend Christmas, and New Years in a warm climate (unlike in the states). After the program for my winter break I will be traveling to Santiago, Iguzau Falls, São Paulo, and Rio before returning back on the 1st of January. As of now I will be blogging on this two week adventure to share some about how the holiday season is going for me and some tips and fun stories about solo adventuring.
Luke
Traveling with Luke 