Day 1: Goodbye Columbus...Hello Chile!!

From the get-go, I just knew this trip was going to be fun. Hannah and I carpooled to the airport and parked in the cool polka dot car lot. On the shuttle to the airport, we met this nice older couple with their 2 grandchildren. They told us they were going to Disney World, and the kids proceeded to describe their favorite rides in great detail. It was so cute to see them so excited about Disney! The grandparents seemed more excited about the Epcot Food & Wine festival.

The first of 3 flights was pretty uneventful. Well besides the extra turbulence on take-off since it was so windy in Columbus. :) But we got up to cruising altitude, and all was well. I watched Frozen and put the Spanish subtitles on. Now I'll know how to say, "Do you want to build a snowman?" and "Let it go!" Very useful. :)

This movie was even better with Spanish subtitles lol

Once we got to Houston, we made a beeline for food. Then we camped out next to an outlet to charge all our devices in preparation for the long flight. The flight to Santiago was long (but not as long as Ethiopia). Since there isn't much of a time change, I slept most of the flight. One thing that was entertaining was me shooting a fountain of water out of my water bottle 3 rows ahead of me. That is the second time this water bottle has shot water all over the place when I opened the straw. Hannah laughed so hard she started crying. Luckily, the people ahead of me didn't see where the water came from. ;)

The connection in Santiago to Puerto Montt was....interesting. We thought we'd have plenty of time, but our flight from Santiago was over 20 mins late due to strong headwinds. We went through customs (which didn't take very long, all things considered) and literally ran to get our bags and go to the domestic terminal to re-check in for the domestic flight. We got there just as they were almost done boarding, so we successfully made it to Puerto Montt. :)

We flew along the Andes Mountains from Santiago to Puerto Montt

We're staying one night at the Saltzberg Hotel & Spa in Frutillar, Chile (really close to Puerto Montt). Apparently most of the settlers from way back in the day were German, so there is a very German vibe in the names and decor of this hotel. It is seriously picturesque, nestled next to this gigantic gorgeous lake across from a volcano (fun fact: the volcano across the lake was the one that erupted earlier this year lol). The rest of today is going to be spent relaxing, eating, and preparing for the busy week ahead. The plan is to get in some sightseeing tomorrow before the program kick-off dinner. :)

We concluded the first day with a walk around Frutillar, Chile after dinner with the program facilitators. It was a perfect night for walking, and they showed us the pier and beautiful theater right next to the lake. If Day 1 was this awesome, I can't wait to see what the rest of the program holds.

Trying the local beer

Abrazos y besos,
Joslyn :)

Daily Bible Verse:
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
-Psalm 31:24