I have been in Vilches for almost a week now, and the experiences I have had here have been absolutely amazing! This little pueblo is nestled right in the mountains, with beautiful views of nature, friendly people, and, for me, a great feeling of home. I am truly happy here and my heart is at peace.
So much has happened this past week- independence day, my birthday, hiking, horseback-riding, and getting to know the town and people- that it will be difficult for me to delve deep into specifics of all the fun, but I will highlight the main happenings. As I have said before, Independence day was September 18th, and because of it there was a small celebration up the road in Vilches Alto (Upper Vilches). There was food, dancing, and of course, Cueca! We stayed there into the night, so I rang in my birthday with dancing and singing at midnight! It was such a great time and we got to mingle with Chileans too, so that was nice!
Since I have arrived here I have been up in the national park a couple of times, for a short hike and a horseback-riding excursion! Both were great experiences! Although, I must admit, it was very painful to be on horseback for that long (because I have never done it before) and at times a bit scary to be on the edges of the cliffs while riding an animal!! I finally just had to let go, and put all my trust into the horse, and think about how she did not want to fall either :-) I really enjoyed it though and we saw some beautiful parts of the country! The smell of the wind in my face, the sound of the rushing streams that we crossed and the warmth of the sun on my face made it a truly majestic experience.
I love Vilches. I love the people. I love the mountains. I love the work being done here and the opportunities that I have here. There is construction of a center for women that are domestically abused; there is a small clinic that has aspirations about a healthier population, in general; and a small, one-room school that has been threatened to be closed, despite the fact that the children who attend it would have to other option for an education otherwise. There is also ecological work with irrigation, organic farming and gardening, as well as, hopes of building a dam so there would be a better water supply for the people here during the summer. Everything that I have seen so far has interested me so much! I am excited about possibly working here, and I am also anxious to go to Santiago and observe the work there! We will be going to a small town on the coast this weekend and after that we will be back with Judy in Santiago!
Since I arrived here in Vilches, I have also finished, Without a Vision, the People Perish, and I am a new person, quite literally. I am truly inspired to do some searching and rediscover the Earth, myself and the Divine. I am searching, and because I know I need to at this point in my life, I am happy. I am seeing in a new light that we are all part of the earth; and the Divine is present within it and within us. I have moved on to my next resource of information, the book, Original Blessing, and I feel as though I am coming alive, slowly. After all, “you were there, and I was there,” from the beginning.
