The Prime Time of Your Life

Today (day off!) we took the tourist bikes for a spin around the vineyard. It was simply charming, until we rounded the bend and two large, barking dogs began to chase us. One of them was so close behind, I was sure he was going to bite my leg, but he didn’t. I pumped my bike pedals with all the energy the afternoon sun afforded me, and left the mangy animal to eat my dust, escaping with my limb intact and my adrenaline pumping full force. And yes, I did scream like a little girl.

I take full advantage of the downtime provided by this peace n’ quiet kind of place and use it lose myself in various books. So far, I have read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. They are both wonderful literary works in very different ways. The long-winded, antiquated prose in As I Lay Dying made my head spin at times. I definitely recommend Zen and the Art of Motocycle Maintenance for anyone that enjoys heady philosophical discussions and/or road trips across America. Next up on the reading list is White Teeth, by Zadie Smith.

Nine hour days here definitely wear on me, but every single day is without a doubt interesting. A few days ago, two American women came to do one of the cooking classes offered here. My manager, Pablo, let me know about 30 minutes ahead of time that I would be translating for them. He added that I could learn all about what they would be making (bread and empanadas) and even eat it afterwards. Good motivation.

In about 10 days, we are going to cross the border into Santiago, Chile. We will cross the Andes mountains on a bus, and supposedly the views are absolutely gorgeous. After a few days seeing the sights in Santiago, we’ll either venture further south into Chile, or we’ll hop on another bus, cross the Argentine border again, and go to Bariloche.

For all of you that are thinking about visiting, take this opportunity to Google , “Bariloche, Argentina.” It’s incredibly beautiful and picturesque, and you know you all want to come visit. As of right now, Bariloche is the final destination. I would love to work at one of the ski resorts there, in either summer or winter or both. I’m well aware that I am missing a lot of snowfall back in Colorado. Please throw lots of snowballs for me. Lots of love to everyone from the southern hemisphere!