Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Viaje a Rapa Nui



And, the third and final Rotary trip is over. I must say, as I fully expected, it has now been categorized as one of my top three weeks here in Chile. (The other two being the two other Rotary trips.)

Easter Island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. All of the colors are so intense and all of the Moai statues scattered around make it look so cool. We spent the first few days exploring and seeing all the different Moai, going to the beach, visiting volcanoes, caves, lakes, and magnetized rocks, and watching Rapa Nui dances. The last day, it poured down rain the entire day. Half the group decided to go to the beach anyways, and I along with the other half, went kayaking in the ocean with torrential downpours and then later we went scuba diving! Scuba-diving was the most amazing thing in the world, although not literally.  I really didn’t know what to say afterwards, I was so excited and impressed with the ocean. That night we went to a club thing and sang Karaoke and danced which was a lot of fun! The last day we rode to the airport in our little tourism bus. It was a tiny thing that we took whenever we went somewhere on the Island, and the 23 year old Rapa Nui driver would turn on this amazingly feel good techno style music and we would all stand up and jump around and dance and it was the best times ever. By that morning, I was kind of realizing that that would be one of the last times together with all of my exchange friends and I was so happy from dancing and singing and laughing that I just burst into tears and didn’t really stop crying until we got to Santiago, 7 hours later. Those good byes were the worst, because I had to say good bye to some really good friends for the last time.

I don’t really know what it is that makes them so amazing. Perhaps the days of school that we’re excused from. Maybe it’s the crazy beautiful places we go to. But, I think it might just be because you get to be with kids from all around the world who all have so incredibly much in common. I really don’t think I could explain how much I am going to miss the exchange friends I’ve made here. Spending so many days, 24/7, you would think one would get sick of them all or that it would be awkward or difficult.

So absolutely not the case.

Its like an instant connection just being in Chile together, but then when you start to talk, you realize how similar you are to all of them, despite the fact that they live across the country/continent/world. I have friends from the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Denmark and Bermuda! I have friends from Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Nevada, California, Wisconsin, Oregon, Iowa and Indiana. And obviously, Chile! But, its not just that I’m friends with these random kids. I, as corny as it sounds, love them to deathhhhh. This is going to be tough to leave.

Its down to less than a month and the time is just flying by. Love my liiiiiiiiiife!

2 comments:

  1. I like that I can go through the states and pick out which represents who,
    and I'm flattered to come 4th.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Emmy, It's going to be hard for you to leave!
    But we are waiting for you! Can't wait to see you and hear all about it. Are you going to school in N.C.? Ha ha!!!!!!!!!! Don't blame
    you if you do!!!!!
    Love you

    ReplyDelete