It's now been over two years since I left my life in Chile and came back to Europe. In the time since then, I've lived in Malta (a great experience, but not somewhere I'd live permanently), Bristol (my least favourite place I've ever lived) and back at my parents' house in Wiltshire (there are things I miss about this, but I'm glad to have moved on). Then in April this year, we moved out to our own flat in the town of Reading, near London. So far, it's been going well, but I have to admit there are some things that I miss about life in Chile from time to time...
The Food
Chile is not a country that is well known for its cuisine, but it actually has lots of really amazing dishes and drinks that we are missing out on here in the UK! Some of my favourites include Chilean empanadas (I like the ones with cheese and tomato or mushroom), sopaipillas (a fried pastry made with butternut squash) and of course, Chilean wine!
In my pictures above, we've got a vegan completo italiano (a big hot dog with avocado, mayonnaise and tomatoes - the colours make up the Italian flag, which is where the name comes from!), Chilean sushi (which is so much better than the sushi we get in the UK), mote con huesillos (a sweet drink with dried peaches and wheat, which is served in Santiago's parks in summer) and pisco sour - a few more of my favourites.
The Weather
Obviously the weather varies a lot depending on which part of Chile you live in, as it's such a long country, but I do think that Santiago is one of the best places in the world to live in terms of weather.
I love the summer there, which lasts for several months. There are plenty of beaches only a couple of hours away that you can visit for a day trip or weekend, or you can stay in the city and hang out in the parks or swimming pools (the one pictured above is Piscina Tupahue in Parque Metropolitano).
The winters are also a lot less cold and icy compared to UK winters, though they can be a bit hard to get through, just because homes generally don't have heating. But outside at least, it's not so bitterly cold and you even get the occasional day with 20 or 25 degrees in the middle of winter (Chileans call it veranito de San Juan). And the city is surrounded by beautiful views of snowy mountains - if you can brave the cold, you can drive an hour or two up into the mountains and enjoy a day in a snowy winter wonderland!
The Mountains and Landscapes
Following on from my previous point, I also really miss the landscapes in and around Santiago, namely the incredible mountains surrounding the city. And within an hour or two by car or bus, you can be right up in those mountains, or standing on a stunning beach if you go in the other direction.
Furthermore, you're only a couple of hours by plane from places like the Atacama Desert or Patagonia. So if you want to get away from the city and into nature, you have a whole range of options. I've always really loved how Chile as a country has just about every type of landscape you can imagine!
South America Travel
Living in Chile also gives you great opportunities to travel around the rest of South America. It's cheap and easy to take a scenic bus ride over the border to Argentina, and you're only a short flight away from bucket list destinations like Brazil and Peru.
Of course, living near London, we're very close to mainland Europe, but it can be expensive to travel there and most of the famous places get so crowded. Generally, travel in South America is cheaper and less crowded, and I miss it a lot.
Family and Friends
I couldn't finish this post without writing about what I miss most - our Chilean family! Of course I really miss my parents-in-law, brothers-in-law and Jackito the beagle, as well as the rest of the family and our friends. I also miss taking Jackito for walks in Claudio's parents' neighbourhood and seeing our animal friends (we call the three kitties pictured above Pickla, El Loco and Pepi).
Obviously, when we lived in Chile, we missed UK family and friends, so this is always going to be something we have to deal with, no matter where in the world we live!
This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and there are other things I miss, such as the architecture, the museums and other cultural attractions, and the fact that people are a lot more conscious of their personal hygiene than they are in Europe!
Of course, there are things I don't miss; namely the bureaucracy, higher crime rates and poorer working conditions. But I would definitely not rule out living there again in the future, though Claudio is less enthusiastic about going back! We will have to wait and see what the future brings...
