Translation: I’m going to go to South America!
My World Race journey will take me to three or four countries there: Chile, Bolivia, and Paraguay/Argentina.
I thought you might like to know a little bit more about those countries, so … here you go!
CHILE: “Because Chile stretches two-thirds the length of South America, it is home to an impressively varied climate: from the world’s driest desert in the north to Patagonia in the south. It is a country rich in history, culture, and the arts, and is a popular tourist destination in South America.
“Chile is also one of the most prosperous and successful countries on the continent, with a high standard of living and continual economic growth. About 85% of its people live in major cities, with the rest of the population in more rural areas. There is so much this beautiful country has to offer the world.” 
Side note: Easter Island is actually off the coast of Chile! I didn’t know that until a couple days ago! But I probably won’t get to go because it’s like 2300 miles off the coast. But it’s fun to know that anyway!
BOLIVIA: “Although the poorest country in South America, Bolivia is the wealthiest in terms of natural resources. From the Andes mountains to the Amazon basin, Bolivia is full of natural beauty. However, the true wealth of Bolivia is its people.
“The most indigenous country in South America, over 60% of the population traces their heritage back to one of over 30 different ethnic groups. Ancient traditions and social customs heavily influence the local culture.”
Below is a short video of what life in Bolivia was like for a previous World Race team!
Bolivia from Deborah Gordon on Vimeo.
PARAGUAY/ARGENTINA: These two are lumped together as one because plans aren’t concrete yet. Half of my squad might be sent to one country and the other half to the other one, or we might spend half our time in one country and the other half in the other. But if we end up going to both, then my World Race experience will be 12 countries in 11 months instead of the usual 11 in 11.
“Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking country in South America and the 8th largest in the world. It is a nation of immigrants, where the mix of languages and cultures have created something all its own.
“Paraguay is home to swampland and vast wilderness. Though still highly influenced by its indigenous language and culture, there is a huge divide between the rich and poor classes of Paraguay.”
That’s all for South America! I’ve never been there, or to the Southern hemisphere, so I’m very excited to explore that region of the world.
Also, the other day, I realized that with my list of countries, I’ll be traveling to four different continents. FOUR. DIFFERENT. CONTINENTS. That’s crazy! I don’t really know much about any of the countries I’ll be visiting, so it will probably be a little bit of a shock adjusting to so many diverse cultures in a relatively short period of time.
It’s been fun so far, though, prepping for my journey. I’ve gotten to talk to people all the time about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, which has been good for me because it forces me out of my comfort zone a little more. I’ll definitely need to get used to being outside my comfort zone for the World Race.
And this has given me a great opportunity to brush up on my Spanish! I took four years of Spanish in high school, but haven’t really used it since then. It’s been nice bringing back some of what I learned, now that it will be super useful to know it.
I’ll be sharing more information about the other countries I will visit soon; if you’re interested, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming posts about Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa! And to make sure you don’t miss anything, please subscribe to my blog.
If you want to support my year as a missionary, please consider making a financial donation — those funds will cover all of my needs for the entire 11 months, and this trip just won’t happen without financial support.
Thanks for reading!
*The country info is from the World Race website. Here’s the link: https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=routes&subtab=october-2017-1
