I trekked 71 kilometers (45 miles) and albeit far, I only saw a small part of the huge region that spans two countries. As in nearly all of my South American ventures, Nora was by my side. For 5 days, we hiked the popular W-shaped trail in Torres del Paine in what felt like a beautiful fairy tale ending to this chapter of my life.
What’s at the bottom of the world? Penguins, of course. From Punta Arenas, Chile, the world’s southernmost city, I sailed the Magellan Strait to visit the largest penguin colony in the region.
The fireworks show in Valparaíso is simply unmatched and it was a spectacular way to ring in what should be an incredible year for me. Feliz 2014!
Although this race reminded me how difficult it can be to live so far from home, it was also another show of the incredible connections I’ve made here and how much I’ve changed throughout this journey.
Knowing that this would be my last Fiestas Patrias in Chile for the foreseeable future, I vowed to go all-out. Success would only come if I did as the Chileans do and sacrificed a week of sleep, spent all my money on terremotos and ate all the delectable treats I could stomach with a guilt-free conscience. And so that’s exactly what I did. During my nine-day holiday, it was all things Chile and it rocked.
Four months ago, I couldn’t run a whole kilometer without stopping to walk. Today, I ran a full seven and crossed the finish line in my first-ever race.
We entered Chile in San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert on the planet. And all I remember is pure exhaustion.
