Balance isn't something you find, it's something you create.
After 9 months living in and exploring Chile, we finally ventured south. When we found out we were moving to Santiago, one of the places we were most excited to explore was Patagonia. This extremely remote area in the southern tip of South America is considered one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. Continue reading “Road Trip! Santiago to the Patagonian Lake District”
Just over 1000 miles north of Santiago, you will find San Pedro de Atacama a small desert town surrounded by some of the most otherworldly landscapes I have ever seen. From town you can easily visit salt flats, volcanos, geysers, alpine lakes and desert valleys that will make you question whether you have somehow been transported to another planet. Continue reading “3 days in San Pedro Atacama”
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”
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”
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!”
This past Monday was a holiday here in Chile, so we decided to take advantage of the long weekend by taking a road trip to Chile’s Norte Chico region. We set our sights on the sunny Valle de Elqui, a beautiful valley in the Andes that is blanketed with a patchwork of vineyards. The dry climate means days are bright and sunny, and nights offer some of the clearest skies on the planet. Continue reading “Valle de Elqui – Drinking Pisco Under the Stars”
It’s June and ski season in the Southern Hemisphere has officially begun. From our balcony, we can gaze out and see the nearest ski resorts in the distance. This weekend, we decided it was time to see them up close. Early on Saturday, we packed up the Jeep, picked up some friends and took the winding mountain road to the El Colorado ski center. Continue reading “Day Trip – Skiing El Colorado”
Some of my favorite trips have been inspired by photos. Pinterest led us to explore the coast of Croatia, photos on a friends blog led us to an incredible hike through the Calanques in southern France, and most recently a friends Instagram post led us to the small surfing town of Pichilemu, Chile. Continue reading “Beach Weekend – Pichilemu & Punta de Lobos”
As we set off to spend a long weekend in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, I was both excited and a bit nervous. In the weeks leading up to our trip, I had heard so many good things about the city. When I told friends and co-workers where we were headed, I was always met with a smile and an “Oh, you will LOVE it”. So, naturally, I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about. But I also wondered if it would live up to the hype. After 3 days of eating, drinking and exploring, for me, the answer was a resounding yes. Continue reading “3 Days in Buenos Aires”
We moved to Santiago just shy of 2 months ago and, until this week, we hadn’t seen a single drop of rain. For a couple of mid-westerners, this kind of consistent weather isn’t something we are even remotely accustomed to, but I have to admit, I got used to it pretty quickly. Continue reading “Down Came the Rain and Washed the Smog Right Out”