The Guide Life

First of all, it’s been a long while. A lot has changed here in terms of my life and what I do on a day-to-day basis. My life before, contrary to what my facebook made it look like, was not nearly as eventful as it may have seemed. Sure, I uploaded some sweet pics of awesome places in Patagonia, but the actual amount of time I spent in those places was very little. I spent my days running between my Chilean home and a classroom full of pre teen and teenage girls. When I wasn’t working I was walking around my neighborhood, chasing the only 3 golf balls I owned around the beach with an old rusty sand wedge, playing the occasional pick up soccer game, or just sitting on a bench staring out beyond the straight of Magellan to what seemed to be the end of the world, the vast unknown, pondering a mixture of English and Spanish thoughts.

These days of what seemed like nothing actually taught me a lot about what is important in life, what is necessary to be happy, and that living simply is the way to be. It also brought to my attention the cold, hard truth that volunteering to teach was not something I wanted to do for another semester. My heart yearned for a new challenge, different scenery, adventure and a certain degree of uncertainty. Through a series of very fortunate events I stumbled upon a guide job opportunity at the Hotel Rio Serrano, just outside of the Torres del Paine National Park. It was like a dream come true. Ever since the first time I visited the park back in August of last year I was in love. The pure majestic beauty and brilliance of this place is something that doesn’t exist in many parts of the world. It is truly a special place and there is something about it that drew me in. To be able to live and work in this incredible place has been everything I wanted from my Chilean abroad experience. And now my life does actually resemble my facebook profile, the incredible scenery, awesome people, and continuous adventures daily. And on top of it all, they pay me to do it, a fact I still find hard to believe sometimes. 

I have had the pleasure of meeting and guiding for some incredibly interesting people. From college professors, to lawyers, to travelling families, to people that would’ve believed anything I told them solely based on my long hairedness, general lack of overall hygiene and my almost but not totally legitimate title of guide. But no matter their background or level of gullibility, they all have had different lessons to teach and advice to offer that I have been incredibly thankful for. They have encouraged me, supported my previous choices that have led me to where I am, challenged me, inspired me, and have been utterly surprised at how young I am. 

As previously mentioned, this place has a way of showing you what is absolutely necessary in life, and that in truth is very little. A roof over the head, clothes on the back, food in the belly, and something to wake up for every morning. It has also shown me that not everything you see can be believed. False peaks give way to more to climb just as horrendous conditions can turn into the most beautiful of days. But this translates into something we see everyday, such as someone’s life on social media, mine included. There are often many other factors that do not reach its light, and often for good reason. But before you go comparing your own life to others based on these outlets, don’t forget that many things go unpublished and that there is often more to someone, or a situation, than meets the eye. So instead of being quick to judge and slow to trust, I encourage you to do the exact opposite, because in this manner, experiences are made richer and connections stronger. Obviously the shady looking guy in a dark alley late in the evening probably isn't the best place to start, but I'll let you all use your sense of discretion to try this one out.

My time here is coming to a close, for now anyway. My dad is currently in route to join me on a 10 day backpacking trip in the very park that I spent the last 3.5 months working in, and I am stoked. After that, I will spend about 1.5 months traveling to the North of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru before returning home at the end of June. For how long? Who knows. But one thing is for certain, I am still left with a yearning for adventure, for new challenges (mental and physical), for spontaneity, and for a wide open road with endless possibilities. Where my next adventure will take me, no one knows for certain just yet, and that's kind of the way I like it. Until next time. Chau!