My life as I know it would not exist if I had chosen Spain. In my senior year of college, my major in International Studies required, quite logically, that I study abroad. My minor in Spanish left me with two options for my exchange: Spain or Chile. I decided rather quickly and without much thought. I had never been out of the country and had only traveled by plane once. Spain seemed predictable, so I chose Chile.
It has been sixteen years since that first trip to Chile, and I have returned many times. One of those times I fell in love, the next time I got married, after that we were back to visit family and friends, then to meet new nieces and nephews, and eventually to introduce our own two children to their family in the southern hemisphere.
Until now, we have always visited with a round-trip ticket in hand, to return us to a short list of U.S. cities that we have called home. This time, my husband, two children and I don’t have a return flight. Until now, we have always have an apartment or home to return to. This time, we sold our house and put our belongings into storage to allow for an extended stay. Until now, we were always visitors. This time, we get to start a new story.
True Story: Chile 