"From Chile with Love" by Nick Janzen

The longer I spend in Chile, the more I love it. Filled with impatient excitement, I hardly slept on the long overnight flight from New Orleans. My Chilean family met me at the airport in Concepción, and I think they were just as excited as I was. I’m staying with the Espinoza family: Claudio, María, Benja, and Francisca. Benja is 17 and speaks excellent English, which I appreciate considering my Spanish is pretty atrocious. We all get along really well; its almost like we have the same personality. The Espinoza’s are very kind, and I can tell they care for each other very much. They haven’t hesitated to make me feel like part of the family; for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Fransica, Benja, and María at the table after lunch

As one of the “science people,” my experience has been a little different from most of the other LSU students. In addition to participating in some of the classes at Colegio Concepción San Pedro, I help to organize the environmental activities that will take place throughout the trip. There will be three tree plantings in various locations around Concepción over the next two weeks. Alex and Emily (my other science friends from the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science at LSU) and I are hoping to teach the students from San Pedro not only about how to plant trees, but about why caring for nature is important. We’ve had the opportunity to meet with several municipal officials and it is clear that the community has a desire to protect their environment—an important virtue, given the city’s high rate of economic growth. The lakes, mountains, and rivers around Concepción make the area a truly beautiful place.

Trees for a planting in San Pedro. Kenny's on the right taking pictures.

Wednesday was a holiday, as I’m sure all of you faithful readers know by now. My Chilean family took me to Dichato, a small beach town about 30 minutes away from San Pedro. Dichato was destroyed during the 2010 tsunami. Many homes in the town remain blighted, but there is a ton of rebuilding going on. Dichato is a popular weekend destination for people living near Concepción, especially during the summer—and its no wonder, considering how beautiful the beach is. My family took me to a delicious seafood restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean. After eating we walked along the beach, chatting and taking pictures as we went.

 The Pacific Ocean from Dichato. "Pescadores artesenales" fish in the distance.

Dichato beach

My first week has absolutely flown by. I’ve been working long hours at the school, but this trip is an incredible learning opportunity for all involved. And my family is great about showing me around the city in our free time. I think tomorrow we’re going to Lota, an old coal mine that extends underneath the ocean, which sounds incredibly cool.

¡Hasta luego!