Ditch the Bucket List

I love the idea of bucket lists, I really do. Anytime I see one of those posts listing the “30 Things To Do Before Turning 30” or “10 Places to Visit Before You Die” I’m tempted to make my own. I am nothing if not goal oriented, and I’m confident that if I made a list I would strategically allocate vacation days and funds until I had carefully curated Instagram posts documenting each and every item. It would be fun. I would see lots of places I had always wanted to visit. But what about all those places I hadn’t yet dreamed of?

You see, the problem with bucket lists is that they don’t leave room for spontaneity or unexpected detours in our lives. They don’t factor in the many google image searches I’ve done that eventually led to flight purchases. They don’t take into account the fact that my dream of living and working in Europe, accidentally led me to Chile.

Hiking the “W” in Torres del Paine (Chilean Patagonia)

From the moment we signed our contract to move to Chile, Torres del Paine National Park was on our minds. This park is at or near the top of many adventure travelers’ lists, and the iconic “W” hike is considered by many as one of the best all around multi-day hikes in the world.

Road Trip! Santiago to the Patagonian Lake District

After 9 months living in and exploring Chile, we finally ventured south. When we found out we were moving to Santiago, one of the places we were most excited to explore was Patagonia. This extremely remote area in the southern tip of South America is considered one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.

3 days in San Pedro Atacama

Just over 1000 miles north of Santiago, you will find San Pedro de Atacama a small desert town surrounded by some of the most otherworldly landscapes I have ever seen. From town you can easily visit salt flats, volcanos, geysers, alpine lakes and desert valleys that will make you question whether you have somehow been transported to another planet.

6 Hours in Valparaiso + a Chilean Rodeo

Despite the fact that Valparaiso is one of the top day trip destinations for visitors to Santiago, after nearly 7 months of living here, we still hadn’t made the trip. If we had been visiting Santiago for a week, we no doubt would have made the excursion right away, but living here made it seem less urgent.  Instead, we opted to spend our weekends exploring the city, hiking in the Andes and taking various weekend trips to destinations further outside the city limits.

With spring on the horizon, though, we decided we needed it was time to move this trip up the priority list.

Easter Island (Isla de Pasqua) in 5 days

Easter Island is somewhere that has always intrigued me.  With it’s natural beauty and mysterious history, it was a place I dreamed of visiting, but in reality wasn’t sure I would ever get to see with my own eyes.  It’s one of the most remote islands in the world, and not easy to get to from most places. But, lucky for us, one of the few direct flights available to the island is from Santiago, so adding it to our list of travel destinations during our time here was a no brainer.  

Valle de Elqui – Drinking Pisco Under the Stars

This past Monday was a holiday here in Chile, so we decided to take advantage of the long weekend by taking a road trip to Chile’s Norte Chico region.  We set our sights on the sunny Valle de Elqui, a beautiful valley in the Andes that is blanketed with a patchwork of vineyards. The dry climate means days are bright and sunny, and nights offer some of the clearest skies on the planet.

Day Trip – Skiing El Colorado

It’s June and ski season in the Southern Hemisphere has officially begun.  From our balcony, we can gaze out and see the nearest ski resorts in the distance.  This weekend, we decided it was time to see them up close. Early on Saturday, we packed up the Jeep, picked up some friends and took the winding mountain road to the El Colorado ski center.

Beach Weekend – Pichilemu & Punta de Lobos

Some of my favorite trips have been inspired by photos.  Pinterest led us to explore the coast of Croatia, photos on a friends blog led us to an incredible hike  through the Calanques in southern France, and most recently a friends Instagram post led us to the small surfing town of Pichilemu, Chile.

3 Days in Buenos Aires

As we set off to spend a long weekend in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, I was both excited and a bit nervous.  In the weeks leading up to our trip, I had heard so many good things about the city.  When I told friends and co-workers where we were headed, I was always met with a smile and an “Oh, you will LOVE it”.  So, naturally, I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about.  But I also wondered if it would live up to the hype.  After 3 days of eating, drinking and exploring, for me, the answer was a resounding yes.