San Pedro de Atacama & Paraguay

Two of my most memorable trips during my study abroad were my trips to San Pedro de Atacama and to Paraguay. I went to San Pedro de Atacama (the most arid desert in the world) with two of my friends from study abroad and we stayed in a hostel that was super cute and cozy. Atacama was like nowhere I have never been before as the town was super rustic and very very small. In Atacama, we did a stargazing trip where we were able to see very bright stars at night and take a photo with them, we hiked in a desert valley and got to see views of the whole desert, we visited geysers and hot springs and got to watch them, and we had a lot of many great memories. I have amazing photos and got to witness amazing things there that I am really grateful for! I also really enjoyed spending my last trip abroad with my friends and getting to know them even better and bond through our time there. Atacama was a place I would really recommend if you visit Chile since it's so unique. I got to see flamingos, got to travel around in a bus and witness nature, and more. 

For my trip to Paraguay, I went to visit one of my friends that studied abroad in West Virginia a few years ago. I flew into the capital city and was immediately greeted by her and her mother who I had never met before. We drove about eight hours, picking up her father in between, to go visit a town that has the biggest waterfalls in South America that spans across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The next day, we visited the waterfalls and did some trails that went through them. I got to see many views of the waterfalls and got to spend time walking through one. We got to try really good food from Brazil like Brazilian steak and empanadas and acai which is one of my favorite desserts. I also got to go to the place where all three borders connect and got a picture next to the sign. I really enjoyed my time at the waterfalls. Then we went to the capital city of Paraguay which was not necessarily my favorite, but I really enjoyed spending time with my friend and getting to know her and her family better. I felt so warm and so welcomed by them and it was a great experience to have at the end of my study abroad when I was already really missing my friends and missing home. We went out for sushi, had a little girls night, and then it was time for me to fly back to Chile to finish out the last week of my program by going to my favorite cafes, spending time with my friends, visiting the mall, and then saying my goodbyes. I am glad I had these two experiences as I will look back on them fondly.