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5-Day Packing List for the W Trek in Torres del Paine (Chilean Patagonia)

The W hike in Torres del Paine National Park is truly indescribable.  You have to experience it for yourself to understand the true beauty of this pristine, remote slice of earth. While some may find stories of extreme winds and volatile weather to be intimidating, others will likely be equally overwhelmed by the task of packing all the necessities for a 4-5 night trip in a single backpack.  This packing list is here to help.

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When You’re No Place Like Home For the Holidays

For the first time in my life, I know with complete certainty that I won’t be having a White Christmas. This afternoon I walked to a flower market, planted some new petunias on my balcony and then headed into the kitchen to bake Christmas cookies. Here in the Southern hemisphere it is full on summertime, and my brain still can’t still seem to process the fact that it can simultaneously be pool season and the holiday season.

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6 Hours in Valparaiso + a Chilean Rodeo

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Despite the fact that Valparaiso is one of the top day trip destinations for visitors to Santiago, after nearly 7 months of living here, we still hadn’t made the trip. If we had been visiting Santiago for a week, we no doubt would have made the excursion right away, but living here made it seem less urgent.  Instead, we opted to spend our weekends exploring the city, hiking in the Andes and taking various weekend trips to destinations further outside the city limits.

With spring on the horizon, though, we decided we needed it was time to move this trip up the priority list. Continue reading “6 Hours in Valparaiso + a Chilean Rodeo”

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Easter Island (Isla de Pasqua) in 5 days

Being Moai

Easter Island is somewhere that has always intrigued me.  With it’s natural beauty and mysterious history, it was a place I dreamed of visiting, but in reality wasn’t sure I would ever get to see with my own eyes.  It’s one of the most remote islands in the world, and not easy to get to from most places. But, lucky for us, one of the few direct flights available to the island is from Santiago, so adding it to our list of travel destinations during our time here was a no brainer.   Continue reading “Easter Island (Isla de Pasqua) in 5 days”

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Cheers to a year!

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It’s been one year since Matt and I stood in front of our closest friends and family, and made a vow to stand by each other for the rest of our lives.  So much has happened between now and then, part of me can’t believe it’s only been one year. But, on the other hand, that day, so full of joy and love seems like it was just yesterday. Continue reading “Cheers to a year!”