Apartment conserjes and shopkeepers are diligent about sweeping up (yes, sweeping … like with a broom, not a rake) all the leaves on their turf each day, so it rarely feels like fall. But this Saturday morning — it seemed like the whole city was still asleep.
And thanks to modern technology, I got the best of both worlds — Christmas at the beach and time with my family who was on another continent.
Mark insisted that all of us sit at a single table, like a family. I explained that with big families, Thanksgiving means grabbing every chair you can find and spreading out between the “dining room table, the table on the patio and the kids table.” Some people would even be relegated to eating dinner on a TV tray propped up in front of the couch. Mark would have no such thing. And with that, the quest for a table for 20 was born.
I practically grew up in a tent, I went camping so much as a child and teenager. I remember weekend after weekend camping at Lake Mead, Lake Powell or Lake Mojave. I’ve camped in the Grand Canyon and in Zion. I’ve camped in Missouri, Idaho, California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. I was excited to add Chile to my list of places I’ve slept under the stars.
If there is one thing Chileans do right, it’s celebrating their history. Fiestas Patrias, known as Dieciocho because it’s celebrated on Sept. 18, is everything that’s good about Chile.
So besides fast rides and long lines, what else was the “biggest” amusement park in Chile not so big on? Consumerism. Read about a day trip to South America’s second-largest amusement park, Fantisilandia.
Everyone seems to ask me the same question since I’ve moved far from home. I usually dodge the question. But given that today is the Fourth of July and so many people are dying to know, I really pondered what it is I miss about the United States. Here’s my list in no particular order.
