There go the glaciers

We've been having amazing weather for more than a week. I mean it's hot and there's hardly any wind. Locals who might be in short sleeves in 45-degree F weather are in pain. I'm loving it. The other day I heard it was up to 25 degrees C, that's in the high 70s. And that never ever happens. We're talking blue skies and sunshine. It's just so lovely and so clear, you can see mountain ranges across the fjord that you can hardly ever see. I don't know the names of them, because it's never clear enough to see them or try to identify them. Though, this morning I woke up with the music of my dream still in my head (calentimiento global). Other than the fact that I'm definitely dreaming in Spanish, I'm not sure what it means that I'm dreaming so fervently about global warming conversations. Anyway, the warm weather and completely breathtaking, mindblowing views make me happy. And they're kind of a tease, making me think, Oh, I could live here. It's so beautiful. But I was really missing the sunshine before this "heat wave," so that's why it's a tease.

Thing is, I really do like Natales. It's a cute town on the Pacific, on Seno Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound) sheltered by fjords and with mountains jutting straight up out of the water. If you just take a look at the people walking around town, they all walk so slow. Nobody's in a hurry, people stop and say hi everywhere. And if you're not in a conversation with someone who actually lives here (it's really a tourist town), you're talking to a traveler. These conversations are usually lovely and refreshing. People come here to go to Torres del Paine, and as is the case with most travelers, they're looking for something. Beauty. A step back. To gain perspective. Even when it's raining. So, yeah, I like it here. Forever? No. For how long? I still don't know.

When I first got here I stayed with lovely Marijke and Sergio for about five days. Marijke, who was doing the cycling trip from Ushuaia to Alaska, got sidetracked and is no planning to go cycle in India and Southeast Asia for six months with Sergio. On the 19th, they swam across the fjord in freezing water, this was the first time crossing, and they did it quick. They really are amazing, and I was so happy I could be there to give them towels. What a production it was and what a day! This was also the first day of our lovely weather, lucky as they are, and they has sunny blue skies and calm, sin viento, water.

Then my dear Chilean friends Ivian and Pedro invited me stay with them for a while. It's a bigger place, though I do miss Sergio's real coffee in the morning. I really adore Ivian and Pedro, we have a blast together, laughing a ton. Now they're gone for three weeks on vacation, so I'm watching their dogs. It kind of worked out perfect. Ivian even helped me get my stuff out of the other house. When I first got back here, I was super nervous about how people were going to be and all the things I had to do. But now that I have a place for a while (and can look for another place without being in a big hurry) and have my stuff out of the other house, and have talked to Roberto a bit, I feel a lot less anxious. Plus it's been so nice just staying with people and being with friends all the time. It's the unknown and anticipation that cause so much stress.

And really, upon getting here, I had the same feeling I had when I arrived to the States: just that I'm so lucky. So lucky in the States to have family and friends who love me and who I love, that I feel healthy, and that I have options. Here I feel the same, lucky to have friends that I love and who love me. And even luckier to still have all my family and friends in the States. Maybe that's an obvious. But this whole thing would be a lot more difficult without the support of mi gente. I mean, if I fail miserably, I know that someone will take me in and still love me afterward, and I didn't always know that. It took me a while to know, and it feels so good, not only to know it ,but also to see myself finally be able to. And So, thank you.

We're all just ships...

Each one of us is the captain of our own ship. And on the journey we let on various passengers and crew. They get on and off, come and go. The influx of passengers is a daily activity. The trick is to not get stuck, don’t toss out the anchor. Keep on keeping on… Maybe the ship gets capsized or moves slowly through icebergs, where you end up only inching along for a while. But someone will get on to help fix the leaks and you’ll steer your way through the icebergs and keep moving forward, if your anchor’s not down.

We had this great little talk with a handsome young 21 year old we met during our trek. He works and basically lives completely in the campo and is saving up money to study art in France. When he was 15 he died for about 20 minutes and watched everything from above his own drown body (I already mentioned the lack of swimming knowledge in Magallanes, right?) His energy was pure and deep and calm and beautiful. Marijke and I were doing the big circuit, which takes you behind the Torres del Paine. In a complete circle. We met him on our first day out, and perfectly, again on our last day in the park.

There were so many people we met, and it just felt so good to be in constant motion… I had a lot of time to talk with myself. My anchor’s been down, but I’ve been reeling it up, especially the last week hiking. I think Marijke and I both finished the big O different people. And me, I’m more at peace than I’ve been in ages, maybe ever? I feel like it’s overflowing. I wish I could put it in a bottle for use when I’m not feeling so llena de paz. But I’m sure I’ve got a few extra bottles of it laying around somewhere among my vital organs. So here we are, back in Natales. I’m not sure yet what’s about to happen, but I know it will be right and that everything will be OK.

The Paine Circuit

December's paper just went to press yesterday morning, and I definitely feel like I need a bit of a rest after it. So tomorrow after a long time without visiting the park, I'm heading into Torres del Paine tomorrow morning. It'll just be me and my Dutch friend Marijke doing the big circuit, about 8-9 days. The first night we'll be staying in Ecocamp where Roberto works, and I think he'll be there that night, too. We'll see. I haven't really been doing any exercise since I've been in Natales, so I think I might be more out of breath than I'd like, but super looking forward to it. It's still closed because of snow on the biggest pass, etc., but mostly it's closed because the government park organization can't get its ish together to open the refugios and make repairs to the rope ladders and what not. Anyway, that just means that we have to be careful. Anyway, I'll take lots of pictures and hopefully upload all my end of the world pictures some time soon. I think I stopped uploading pictures somewhere in mid-Bolivia.

Nos vemos when I'm back from the park! xoxoxo

Another November beginning

It’s springtime and windy as all hell. To me, it’s pretty cold to be spring and my bare skin hasn’t seen the light of day in way too long. About a week ago or so, we went kayaking with some friends on Lago Sofia. It was a gray day but still lovely to see (what we could in the fog and low clouds) of the mountains from the water. Nobody in the region of Magallanes knows how to swim, because, even though they’re super close to two oceans, the water is freezing and it’s just not water that people swim in. And it wasn’t until the last couple years that the region got its first swimming pool. So, for example, even the army, when they’re choosing people to do whatever kind of special mission where swimming is a required skill, people from around here are excused from knowing how to swim, because it’s known that nobody knows how.

Home for the holidays?

My dear friend Lydia pointed out the alarming trend of one blog entry per month, gee that’s pretty bad. So here I am with my first blog entry of November, but it shan’t be my last. The whole computer situation is about to change, I really am planning to get internet and should sign a contract to work next week. I need the contract to stay in the country and to show that I’m capable of paying a monthly internet bill.

Anyway, the best part about this contract I’m about to sign is that it’s with Black Sheep instead of Cascada. Yep, that’s right. I quit my other job. I really liked the people I was working with, but hated traveling to Punta Arenas every day, well three days a week. So tiring. 6-8 hours of pure sitting in the van. Leaving way too early in the morning, and often without breakfast because some of the drivers would arrive earlier than I was expecting them (meaning we got different information from the office). Most of the time we’d arrive to Punta Arenas an hour or so before we’d even have to pick up people, and would have to just wait in the car outside the hotel or airport until the magical hour arrived. Man, I’ll stop complaining, but I was crazy to think I’d actually enjoy all that. Plus, who am I kidding? I’m just not an early morning person. I still might help out with their web site, but I’m waiting to hear how much they’re willing to pay me.

So, yeah, Black Sheep, writing, editing, traveling (to fun places) in order to write reports or interview people, the possibilities are endless. More my pace, passion, onda. Yay. Very happy about all this. Plus overall I’m meeting more people and feeling more comfortable, inviting folks over for dinner, and I even have some friends who I can speak English with. The people I work with in the BS office (a bunch of people from Oregon and Holland) say they always have a big holiday dinner for the folks here, all without family, but really, there’s no reason for me to stay here for the holidays when I miss my family and friends so much. So… I’m coming home! I arrive around 10.30 on Christmas morning. That was the cheapest way. And I’m so so so happy and relieved to know that I’ll be home.