The next stage...

Valparaiso was our first destination after we arrived in Chile about 6 weeks ago. At that time we were enchanted with it: a UN World Heritage Site, with artistic surprises around each corner of its twisting, steep roads and alleys, its buildings clinging precariously to the steep hillside overlooking the busy Pacific port. It was like nothing we had seen before. But after 10 days or so we had tired of all the steep hill climbing, the lack of greenspace, the constant dodging of poop on the sidewalks from the city's huge population of scruffy stray dogs.

For 6 weeks we toured the North, the South, and everything in between. We saw beaches, lakes, islands and volcanoes. We met wonderful people everywhere, and we all agree that we would be happy living out the year in any of the places we've visited.

And yet, we find ourselves back here in strange, wonderful Valparaiso, and we've found a beautiful apartment where we plan to spend the rest of the year! In the end, we realized that this year is about experiencing something different, something we can't find in our everyday lives in Minnesota. And it doesn't get much different than Valpo. We still need to figure out a school, but we've heard about several great options and we're confident that we'll find something great.

On to the next stage of the adventure!
-Dan