Yesterday I took an airplane home from one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Easter Island was so colorful and pure and untouched by the rest of the world. I got the privilege of spending a week on the incredible island with some of the most amazing people I have ever met, my exchange student family, and eating delicious fruit, watching sunsets through the Moais, biking through the palm trees and surfing in the clearest waters with giant sea turtles. This trip could not have easily been more perfect, and I know I sort of say that a lot, but I really mean it!
Day 1: I spent the night at my German friend Florian's house and woke up early to meet everyone at the airport to catch out plane to the island. Everyone was super tired but incredibly giddy and excited and running on Starbucks frapaccino sugar highs! We all boarded the plane and wished ourselves safe travels. My host mom and some friends sent me sweet little texts wishing me a happy vacation, and with that we were off!
When we arrived at the island everyone was in shock. We had to pass through the clouds before we could see the island from above, but as the coulds dissapeared a bright green island was revealed and everyone fought their breath at the sight of it. We could not wait to get off the plane, but as the first of us stepped out we were totally caught off-guard by the intense humidity of the island. Everything was wet and our clothes and hair stuck to our skin in a kind of really gross way. But we didn't care! We were on isla de freaking pascua and nothing could dim the light in that! We were greeted by the islanders with fresh flowered necklaces and boarded out buses to the hotel. We were suprised to discover that even the hotel was filled with flowers! This island just bursts with colors and life and smells like rain and flowers everywhere!
We spent the rest of the afternoon climbing rocks and searching for natural swimming pools in the sunset! It was a great day!
Day 2: We were alowed to sleep in and then had a lovely breakfast of fruit and home made bread. After that we drove up a hill in a bus to see the Moais! Easter island has a lot of Moais speckling the island, but where we went there were a lot!
After that we went to a beach where we ate BBQd chicken out of banana leaves! We then swam around in the beautiful bright blue ocean waves for way too long and I didn't even get sunburnt!
Day 3: We planted trees on a hill on the island for the islands reforestation movement. It felt nice to leave something behind on this island that had already given me such great memories!
Later that day we hiked up to see the tallest volcano on the island. From up there we could see the entire island and it looked so magnificent!
Later that night we drove out to watch the pascuense dancers with the Rotarians of the island! It was so interesting and I learned a lot about their culture though the dances!
Day 4: We went on an underground adventure through the ancient caves of the island! They were so long and dark and it was a little scary but really exciting. It took all morning and completely tired us out, but it was completely worth it!
When we got back to the city, some friends and I found a little cafe that sold the most exquisite juices I had ever tried in my life! We all got smoothies and juices and hung out and talked and had a great afternoon!
That night, we had a typical island meal that was prepared underground from nothing more than the heat of the earth! It was delicious and amazing and after dinner, we got another performance from the pascuense dancers.
Day 5: We woke up early because it was our turn to learn how to dance pascuense! It was hilarious and impossible. The pascuense women can move their hips in a way that apparently isn't possible for people who don't have hot Latin blood, but we had a great time trying!
After lunch we had some free time to choose what we wanted to do on our last day. My friend Michelle and I decided we wanted to rent bikes and ride up to find seven Moais that stand together in the middle of the island. The bike people said the trip would take about three hours, but determined to have time to surf afterwards, Michelle and I sprinted ahead of our group and finished the whole trip in about an hour and a half!
We got back to town and sprinted over to the surf shop to rent boards. We quickly changed and them ran out to the water to catch some waves. Michelle had never surfed before and wanted me to teach her, but it was pretty rough out there and I was having my own troubles surfing hahah. Either way, it was nice to paddle out and be in the ocean. While we were out there we even saw some sea turtles!
Day 6: We woke up feeling a little bit bummed that we had to return that afternoon, but still grateful for the week we had spent in paradise. Alex and I wore our Chilean pants for the first time and felt super beachy hahaha. We left for the airport an hour after breakfast and nobody was ready to leave.
We spent barely any of the five hours on the plane in our seats. Everyone was walking around and hugging eachother and cherishing the last moments we would have together as a group. When we got to Santiago, everyone cried in the airport because even though some of us still have a few months left, we could feel the end beginning. It is hard to say goodbye to your real family when you leave for exchange, but it is a million times harder to say goodbye to your exchange family because there is no way to do it right. How do you say goodbye to people you have no clue when you will see again? Exchange families are special because everyone in them has gone through what you have, but more importantly, they have gone through it with you. They have stood by your side and been through all your best and worst moments. I hugged everyone extra tight in that airport because even though I have a lot of time left, I have about one friend leaving every week before my departure. One of my best friends, Evan, is even leaving this Monday. I know I will be okay and I know they will be okay, it's just I will miss being okay together.
This trip was one of the best weeks of my life and I cannot say that enough! I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go thanks to my moms extra shifts in the hospital. Thank you so much, mom. I don't know how to make this up to you, but I will be searching for ways for the rest of my life.
The only complaint about my trip was that Juliana wasn't there. I thought of her the entire time and how she must have felt in Hawaii! Everyone in my district knows her name now and says she sounds awesome, as if "awesome" could even come close to describing my best friend. Juliana, I miss you and we need to out Easter Island on our list of places.
IORANA, everyone!
(Hello and goodbye.)
:)
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