What does three days of biking over hilly terrain under a warm spring sun produce? Incredibly toned legs and a cherry red sunburn.
Biking, according to my program coordinator Patricio, is “a Chilean way of life,” a way of life my group and I were able to experience this past weekend on our tour of the Valle de Colchagua.
Fitted with helmets and bikes, we set off bright and early Friday morning, our first stop being at the Laura Hartwig winery. This winery specializes in Carmenere, a red wine only produced in Chile.
While we were lying in a gigantic field of grass, waiting for our wine tour to begin, we heard soft whinnies and a fast-paced clopping of hooves coming our way.
To our surprise, a carriage drawn by two bay draft horses came around the corner. The winery had organized a carriage tour of the vineyard for us.
As I sat in the carriage enjoying the soft breeze flowing around me and the springtime sun shining on the newly leaved grape vines, I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander.
I thought about lots of things, but mostly I thought about Bloomington. I thought about how spring arriving in Bloomington brings with it a sense of excitement, a rejuvenation that comes with the warmer weather, encouraging students to finish out the year strong. I remembered that feeling because I felt the same way that day, enjoying a spring day in a Chilean vineyard.
Though spring is months away for Bloomington, I couldn’t help but think about the fall as well, the crisp air and changing leaves. I smiled as I thought about students standing in line at Starbucks, waiting eagerly for pumpkin spice lattes.
Everyone breaking out fall colored clothing, warm sweaters being a top priority. All things that made me miss the place I’ve called home for the past three years.
As our Chilean driver brought the perky horses to a stop, I was brought back to reality and the smiling faces of new friends I was surrounded by.
The rest of the weekend consisted of biking, biking, more biking, some kayaking and lots of eating. I believe our program coordinators think Americans are used to non-stop eating because every time they take us on an excursion, we eat three times as much as I would otherwise.
On the last day of our bike tour, as I pedaled slowly up a dirt hill and smoothly raced down, another bout of homesickness hit me.
Patricio said biking is a way of life in Chile, but really, it’s also a way of life in Bloomington. I love seeing all the different sorts of bikes Bloomington folks pedal around on, making their way to class, work or just enjoying the day.
Though I am not a particularly avid biker, being on the bike tour made me think of how much the Bloomington bikers would have loved riding along the seashore, through valleys surrounded by mountains and through the streets of colorful towns in Chile.
Our tour ended at Punta de Lobos, the best surfing location in Chile. I watched some surfers tackle big waves for a while before heading to a spot where I could stare out at the ocean, hear the massive waves crashing against the rocks below me and feel the ocean spray blowing gently on my face.
All weekend, I’d felt these twinges of my ?homesickness.
I miss Bloomington, my friends and the pending Halloween parties I know are going to be amazing.
On the bus ride back to Santiago, I thought about these things, and I know that though I felt homesick, I was also getting more and more attached to this place I’ve been calling home.
When I return to Bloomington next semester, I know I’m going to remember the trips like these, the long days of biking under the warm Chilean sun, making my way to class at San Joaquin, drinking terremotos with friends, and I’m going to feel a different touch of homesickness.
A touch of remembering a place I called home, a place that will forever stay with me in my heart.
