The South of Chile truly holds a special place in my heart. It’s beyond words beautiful, and for some reason, every time I go, I feel a little bit at home. I think it’s all the green, tree covered rolling mountains, surrounded by water and that it’s full of down-to-earth people.

My recent trip south (hence no Monday Memory) began on a bus in Santiago, 13 hours later leaving my wonderful friends Maiten and Ashley and me at the bus station in Valdivia. It was a short, three-day trip, but we made the most of it, and I had a wonderful time. Famous for rain during this fall-going-into-winter season, we were blessed with two beautiful days of sunshine, as it only rained our first day there. And honestly, not having had rain here in Santiago for months on end, it was kinda nice to feel rain’s cleanliness, the crisp, fresh air.

Valdivia is famous for artisan beer and kuchen, a type of German cake, as the entire area has a heavy German influence. I tried all kinds of both, and I can assure you, rightfully so is it famous. I also loved the smell of the city–a constant odor of wood burning stoves, taking me back to West Virginia. Yes, it’s the kind of place you hate to leave, but you know someday you’ll be back.