Chilean Earthquake

The recent earthquake in Chile is another horrible disaster crashing into Latin America. Thankfully, Chile's infrastructure and enforceable building codes prevented the devastation that ravaged Haiti. I applaud the Chilean government and President Bachelet for, in response to initial looting, striking a quick, decisive deal with supermarket chains allowing for the free distribution of staple foods. As body counts grow and and destruction slowly cleared, Chile will indeed face challenges in rebuilding Concepción and Santiago. Our hopes and prayers are with those most effected. Due to timing and nature of the earthquakes, the obvious comparison of Chile's and Haiti's emergency responses once again exposes the world to the unacceptable, impoverished conditions plaguing Haiti. Watching a less severe disaster topple the city of Port-Au-Prince reaffirms the fact that although we must focus our attention on the current crisis, we must not forget about the continuing efforts Haiti will require in the months and years to come.

The past few days I've been receiving many emails from friends and family asking if I'm alright. The earthquake and aftershocks did not reach Santa Cruz, Bolivia where I am living. I was actually anxiously waiting for a severe aftershock that the news predicted to reach us at 5 PM the following afternoon -- I've never experienced an earthquake before. Nothing came. Friends living and traveling in Chile were indeed shaken up, but all are safe and unscathed.

As I prepare to move on from Bolivia soon, I've begun to start reflecting on my time spent here. Since arriving in Santa Cruz, blog posts have taken a backseat to daily activities while I've soaked in the Bolivian lifestyle. I'll just say that I love Bolivia enough that I've strongly contemplated staying. As promised, I'll be sure to finish and post more stories of drilling, of Carnaval, and, if I'm feeling sentimental enough, include a separate response to my time here. Mainly, it's been difficult to paint a picture of my life here in short anecdotes and small paragraphs. On the road, I will surely resume writing more regular posts and bring you all along with me during my travels.

Again, thank you all for your concerns about the earthquake. I encourage you all to direct these prayers to those in effected in Chile and Haiti.

Chilean Earthquake