Dia Numero Uno - Chillin' in Chile

Now I'm not saying I don't love sitting in one spot for nine hours with my legs crammed into a tiny space with nothing to do and only insufferable chick flicks to watch, but there is just something about a long international flight that is unpleasant and extremely exhausting. However, I am grateful to say the grueling experience was more than worth it once we actually arrived in Santiago. Even the next hour it took to drive to our hotel in Vina del Mar went by must faster due to the anticipation and all of the new scenery to look at outside of the window. Once we got situated in the hotel we immediately went out to grab something to eat and then promptly all seemed to pass out simultaneously. I didn't want to take a nap just yet so I just relaxed for several hours before we all got together to go out for a group dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Overall the day was very relaxed and we had a lot of freedom to explore our surroundings, from the numerous stray dogs roaming the streets to my first ever glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Tomorrow brings an early start and a busy day, but I am extremely excited to continue to explore and learn during my stay in Chile.