What am I doing here?
And where am I?
The second question is the easy one.
I’m in Puerto Natales, a city in Southern Chile. Puerto Natales is in a region of South America called Patagonia. If you’ve read Bruce Chatwin’s books (or if you’ve bought really cool hiking gear) you’ve heard of Patagonia before. It’s a vast and rugged region of southern South America that includes parts of Chile and Argentina. If you want to explore you can read about Patagonia here at Wikipedia. (I support Wikipedia with a monthly donation but I don’t receive anything in return for supporting free knowledge).
As for the first question - what am I doing here? Well, right now I’m adapting to a wildly new environment. I flew into Puerto Natales from Santiago on Thursday, three long days ago. I’m counting backwards on my fingers through the haze of an erratic-climate induced headcold, crazy arrival elation, airport chaos, travel angst, a massive packing attack, and the lingering guilt of leaving my ten-month-old puppy and my horse in (loving and trusted) deputy hands as I shouldered my tangerine rucksack and wheeled my duffel bag into Boston’s Logan airport to embark on a month of adventuring in Chile, Argentina, and Antarctica.
Puerto Natales seemed a little gloomy when I arrived under some thunderous black clouds, but I’ve quickly learned that the weather here is mercurial, and the wind and sun and cloud come and go on a whim, blowing rain and laughter with them. This afternoon I walked for three hours along the shore, and back through the streets to my hostel. I got lost once, rained on twice, and blown in every direction. The sun shone the entire time.
The mountains in the distance are capped in snow and black-necked swans hang out in the shallows at the foot of this little city. Water surrounds Puerto Natales, which is a major port in the fjords of Patagonia. Gangs of friendly dogs roam the streets and a little fox terrier walked by my side for half a mile this afternoon.
I’m finding my feet. The streets are peopled with friendly Chileans and eager backpackers. I’m hiking and exploring and taking photographs by day, socializing and learning Spanish in the evening. I’m discovering what I didn’t know about Chilean cabernet, and how tacos can really taste. The light lasts until nine-thirty, and the long evening is given to writing.
I’m liking this groove.
