Saying Yes

Being abroad has forced me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. Ever since I was a young girl, uncertainty has been a source of discomfort, but being here has taught me that so much beauty and joy comes from the moments of uncertainty. A small group of students from my program invited me to go to Atacama with them this past weekend. At first thought everything was telling me to stay back, I had never been somewhere with such a high elevation, it was freezing, and I didn’t know how my body would react, but then I remembered that there's freedom found in saying yes. As we were leaving Santiago, I was feeling very on edge as I wasn’t sure what the weekend would bring. When we arrived in the small desert town, the bus dropped us off at a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. When we finally arrived, our group of 11 friends cooked dinner. We spent an hour at dinner, forgetting about the rest of the world, laughing until our stomachs hurt, and all we thought about was the moment we were sitting in. This was the beginning of so many sweet feelings. We then went stargazing and it was such an incredible feeling. My friends and I put on all the clothing we brought with us and threw every blanket we could find onto our bunk bunk beds. The next day was absolutely beautiful. The 11 of us woke up at 4 am and went to see the geysers. It was 3 degrees fahrenheit there but I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. The air was so cold, but somehow every feeling other than joy seemed to escape my body. We laughed and shivered together. The rest of the day was spent in the moon valley, hiking, cracking jokes, and spending intentional time together. The sun painted the sky with the most beautiful pink and orange I have ever seen. Over the next two days we adventured and saw so many wonders. Coming back to Santiago was a long travel day, but I found myself sitting in so much gratitude for this opportunity and for the opportunity to say yes.