Poolside & Tableside Reminiscing

1/17/2019

After a long but life-changing time of traveling and exploring Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, finishing the trip with a day at Cascada de las Animas was perfect. Cascada is a nature sanctuary located in the mountains of Chile in the Maipo Valley. It is a place where you can get an adrenaline rush from ziplining, enjoy beautiful views by trekking, and even become more in tune with yourself while getting a massage or relaxing by the pool. Our group did just that!

We started off the day with a breakfast provided by Cascada. As you can see down below, we were all sitting in groups. Peter made an observation about one of the sandwiches, saying that "tomato and cheese on ciabatta tastes a little like a pizza." This random comment summed up our trip in a way, as there were plenty of random, funny comments that were said in ways that made people laugh. Swathi also said she was going to cry when she got back to New England weather, and I believe that was how the majority of us felt! Eating breakfast together was a great way to start off reminiscing.

Carla, Andrew, Nolan, Lee, Wes, Peter, and Swathi enjoying breakfast together 

 After breakfast, some of us went to relax by the pool. While the water was slightly chilly, we made the most of it by listening to music, talking to each other, and enjoying the spectacular views of the mountains. While thinking back to the trip, Carla was extremely happy with how it went but wished the group could have some more time together. I resonated with this as well, but we soon made ourselves feel more optimistic when we talked about our plans for coming back to campus soon after the end of SIE. One of our favorite memories we shared was the day of the graffiti tour of Valparaiso, and the time at the beach in Vina del Mar.

The gorgeous view from the pool

Reminiscing about our trip both while eating meals and relaxing by the pool was great because it allowed us to share our favorite experiences together and create plans to further grow our friendships when coming back to campus. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience that created new relationships very quickly. We became very close to one another, even if some of us didn't know each other prior to the trip. Overall, feeling like we wanted to rewind time to the very beginning of the trip was a common theme shared between many of us, and I am extremely grateful to have had the chance to be surrounded with people who made me feel that way.

Peter, Swathi, Jon, Carla, Jill, and Caroline sharing smiles and memories at lunch