My big kid life: Continuing the life of an adventurous "student": Climbing to heaven

This past weekend we took a trip with our program down south to Pucón(International Study Abroad). I think we were all hesitant and had our reservations about going with the program because there were around 60 of us and 3 coordinators and at this point we're pretty over the whole kindergarten field trip stuff. But nonetheless they paid for our bus tickets and cabins in our "included excursion" so I guess that saved a little money while we paid for everything else on our own.

Thursday night began waiting for 40 minutes at the bus terminal and collecting our $10 for 3 days of breakfast from the trip coordinators. The 12 hour bus ride began around 9pm. The routine has become very familiar at this point-put your bag under the bus, find your seat, talk to friends and eat snacks for a few hours, try and get comfortable and sleep around midnight and see how long you can stay asleep. Never mind the ever changing temperature in the bus, flickering lights, occasional kick to the back of your seat and that one person who snores. After finally getting to Pucón around 9:30am and checking into our cabins we boarded another bus and set out with all 60 of us for a tour around Pucón. The weather was super rainy which turned out to be pretty fun as we climbed up to 3 waterfalls and all pretended to be the next Tarzan. We sampled 5 kinds of bread and some sort of milk in an old Mapuche hut (indigenous group), went to a lake and natural hot springs and the waterfalls. After the drive back all smelling like wet dogs it was time for us to make dinner on our own. After making fettuccine alfredo, chicken and broccoli it seemed like going to bed was the best idea. Meghan, Kelly and I shared a queen bed with Jen having the twin to herself. Believe it or not 3 people in a queen isn't bad unless someone is an ugly sleeper and makes noises when they sleep (mmmm Meghan). Saturday we went hidrospeeding. Another activity that is probably outlawed in the states or would at least require a waiver, but in Chile all it requires is some cold hard cash. Us 4 girls and the guys piled into yet another white van and made our way to the river. We suited up in those ever form fitting wet suits, water socks, helmet, life vest and to top off the outfit...flippers. We also got our little foam boards that would be floatation devices for the next hour. Quite a comical scene as we ~~jumped~~ stumbled in the glacier water ready to float over some rapids. The guides we were with would ask us to try and stay in a line like ducklings with their mom, but that obviously would prove to be difficult and not as fun. We made it down the class II rapids laughing most of the way, in between shocks of water rushing over our faces. After learning we only went through class II rapids and our guides have done class V I'm determined to find more places to hidrospeed. Fun fact- Mike Horn holds the record for highest waterfall hidrosped/riverboarded in Costa Rica on a 22 m (72 ft.) waterfall.

After some wraps for lunch and singing entertainment provided by Kelly and I we headed to the lake filled with glacier water. As if we weren't cold enough from the river Kelly and I went for a swim and stayed in the water for almost an hour while everyone else hung out on shore soaking in the rays and quite possibly letting their stomachs soak in some beverages (but that's not legal in public places like the beach so we'll let you leave what happened on the beach up to your imagination). Regardless it was a lot of fun just to be outside in the sun with friends. Saturday night was more pasta and chicken for dinner and then bed time at midnight.
Sunday morning's wake up call came at 5:50am and I was pumped. I've always loved mornings and this was going to be no exception. We made breakfast burritos in the dark for fear of waking up the other members of our cabin. We met the boys and our tour guides at 6:45am and got suited up in our climbing gear to climb a volcano. We had boots, jackets, helmets, backpacks...the whole bit. In our white van we headed about 40 minutes to the base of Volcan Villarcia. It was a beautiful, sunny day as we hopped on the chairlift. Jen survived her first ever chair lift ride and after that we were ready to start our 4 hour ascent to the summit of the active volcano. As I looked up the mountain I kept thinking about "the ants go marching one by one" because there were probably 20 tour groups all keeping a steady pace up the switchbacks. The volcan had just gotten fresh snow so the whole climb was in snow. Our guide paced the front and we all followed like dutiful soldiers. At the beginning everyone was talking and the boys played our favorite 20 questions game, but towards the end everyone was silent. It wouldn't have mattered if you did talk because the wind was so strong that you couldn't hear anything. Our cramp-ons and ice picks became our best friends up that mountain. I wouldn't say hiking it was the most fun, but the summit was definitely worth it. After reaching the summit just before 1pm celebration ensued. A gallizion or so photos were taken, sandwiches were feasted on and beers were shotgunned using an ice axe to open them. Brandan lost a bet and had to lay naked in the snow; Kelly, Meghan and I took our 5 layers off and ran topless through the snow making the other people on the summit wonder if we were from the circus or something. The smell of sulfur was powerful much like the geysers at Yellowstone. There aren't very many places where you can peer into the top of an active volcano. We had climbed about 4500 ft. The summit of the volcano is 2,860m (9,383ft). The decent was only about 2 hours because with the help of your butt and ice pick you can slide down for good chunks of time, walk for a minute or two and continue sliding down. The fog had rolled in so you would slide into complete oblivion. The feeling of penguin sliding down a volcano is something everyone should experience. So go for it the next time you climb a volcano. By the time we reached the base we were all soaking, but completely elated. There's something about conquering a physical feet like a mountain and realizing you're only a small part of this great big world. Standing a top an active volcano above the clouds looking out to the vastness almost gives you the feeling of being invincible. Maybe not invincible, but the feeling that if climbing volcanos is possible what is impossible?

Pucon Tours was awesome to go with and for $95USD for 2 days of entertainment we were happy.

After a quick swim in the lake, showers, and chicken salad we piled back into a bus to head back to Vina. After several jokes about the Jac bus station, manjar and cookies, predicting my friends futures, and me asking a million questions we all ~~fell asleep~~ attempted to sleep. We arrived in Viña around 7am and had classes that day.
Now back to the title of this post it comes into play with a book I read on the trip called Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander. I've read a few books now about people's near death experiences and their trips to heaven and returns back to earth. Reading a book like this when you're with a big group of people makes for a great conversation stater because everyone has their own opinions. I don't know how much of people's "journeys" to heaven really happen and how much of it is a chemical released in your brain after you die but it's interesting to read about. After discussions between my friends and me we've all concluded that we just want to go to heaven one time, and never come back. Say what's up to the Man upstairs and hang out with Him for the rest of eternity. I think heaven is a happy place full of incredible powder ski days, beaches, waterfalls and millions of new and old friends. All I know is that if heaven is as great as my life has been the past 20 years then I'll be happy for eternity.