It's been a month since I returned from my trip to Chile. Almost two years went into the planning and execution of this 20-day trip.  I was able to pull it off with the help of the Hobkey Adventure Grant. However, it was the first time I had ever traveled outside of North America and there was so much that I didn't know. I was so overwhelmed in the planning and wanted to go big, but I ended up only getting a teeny-tiny sample. I want more.
I wanted to conclude this series of trip reports from my Chile trip by talking about my experience and things I wish I knew for next time.

On January 15th, 2017, the Hala Team and I drove to Eduardo’s hometown, Carelmapu. Which in the Mapuche native language, means “Green Land”.  It was about a one and a half hour drive from Puerto Varas. It was an adorable, small fishing village with colorful buildings everywhere.  Mar Brava (meaning “rough sea” in Maphuche) was an amazing surf break that was only a ten minute drive from Carelmapu. We took the SUPs out and surfed at sunset.

On January 14, 2017, Hala Athletes and Ambassadors Paul Clark, Joey Saputo, Eduardo Hernandez, Andy O’Brien, and I ran the upper commercial section of the Petrohué River, and it was pretty crazy fun! The stretch itself is very commercialized and the rapids are relatively mellow compared to some other stretches in Patagonia. The river had just gone down to a manageable level after it flooded streets and farms the previous week, but it was still considered very high water.