The long land of Chile

I remember flying over this country upon my arrival, the sight of the Andes really blew me away. I am from a very flat part of the earth (Iowa), and had never seen anything so dominating as the Andes.

They are a force that defines Chile, not a spot of the country exists without them, save the isolation of Easter Island. No matter where you might wander in this long and skinny country, there they stand, sure as a compass, pointing you along your path.

I feel that many Chileans take for granted these mammoth forms. I guess I can understand, if you grow up with something always being there, it can be hard to imagine what life would be like without it. The open expanses of the Midwestern United States became a fact of life for me. I relied on the beauty of clouds, massive thunderstorms, tornadoes and blankets of snow to connect me with the natural world that exists in the corner of my “civilized” eyes. A world that we as people often forget encompasses our powers until it boils to the point of emergency.

I suppose I am lucky in that respect. The plainness of my home can be out dune by tall hills. The tranquil rural standards of Iowan culture shattered by the bustle of a living Latin city, with its micros, crowds of people on the street.

I wonder how a Chilean would feel if they set foot in my home state. How would the robbery of one of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet settle in the soul of a Chilean wanderer? Would they be as bored with it as I am inspired by the long and monstrous expanse known as the Andes?