When you move to a new town, for even a short while, everything you need must be re-established. I need a few things to really thrive in this world day by day. Love, time to think, deep friendships, and fresh air all go without saying. I also need dogs, decent wine, good coffee, cultural experiences, interesting running routes, and favorite haunts.

I don’t expect to create a perfect life here in Concepcion, but I do hope to embrace this place and find favorites–special moments that stand out. In the past week here is what I’ve explored…

This past weekend, Bill and I decided to finally brave the busses. First, we hoped on the bus in the direction of San Remo because we understood there was a lake there–Laguna Grande–that had some trails surrounding it. We hoped we might find a place to do a nice long run….

 

Laguna Grande, it turns out, is indeed a beautiful lake with some trails and pathways along the shore, but there isn’t a path encircling the whole lake. We went as far as we could in the direction I was walking in the above video, and then turned around to find the trail that traces the water’s edge out to the peninsula.

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While it looks dry and fairly clearly marked in the above photos, the trail turned muddy not far in–which of course didn’t stop us. We ran/mucked our way through about five miles of forest beside the shore before catching the bus back to Concepcion.

A quick turn around (you know, spit shower, change of clothes, and a little deodorant) saw us walking out the door to catch another bus to a coastal town north of us called Dichato. Apparently Dichato was completely wiped out by the 2010 earthquake/tsunami tragedy, so everything we encountered is a new version of what used to be there. We’d heard that Dichato was a good place to get some excellent seafood. This turned out to be true. OMG, we ate until we were completely stuffed.

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And then took a lovely walk on the beach, partly along the newly constructed seaside walkway.

 

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Little by little, we’re finding what we love and making memories in our temporary home.

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