“Regresé de mis viajes. Navegué construyendo la alegría.”

by Ibeth Nuñez

I was unsure of what to write for this post until I saw this quote carved into a beam supporting Neruda's house in one of my pictures:“Regresé de mis viajes. Navegué construyendo la alegría,” which translates to: “I came back from my travels. I navigated creating happiness.” I like this quote, perhaps because I am traveling, perhaps because it added to the magic of Neruda’s house; maybe it is simply because I want to go back home and say, "Navegué construyendo la alegría."

It has been a month since we arrived in Chile and it is crazy how time has gone by so quickly. We have experienced some discomfort, we have been presented with situations which reflected the sadness of our surroundings-- but we have also witnessed the beauty of the simple things in life.

In only one month we have been able to grow from our experiences in this beautiful country. We have formed friendships and memories which we will cherish forever. The memories of those late night conversations, the laughter, the excitement of being in this amazing country, and those awkward situations will make great stories that will always be remembered.