Submitted by Jessie Eastburn on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
When I arrived in Puerto Montt, Chile it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Everywhere I looked there was another geological wonder. Active volcanoes and mountains as far as the eye could see. The day I arrived in Puerto Montt, I hiked up Volcano Osorno. The rocks I have only ever seen in laboratory classes were suddenly beneath my feet and multiplied by the millions. Reaching the summit, I turned around to view the most spectacular view I have ever witnessed. Lakes and streams, trees and grass, flowers and boulders, volcanoes and mountains. In that moment, I inhaled the freshest air that I have ever breathed and listened to a peaceful silence I fear I will never hear again. I have never been more in my element than I was among nature and new friends on Volcano Osorno.