During the four-day, three-night trek through Torres del Paine National Park, I met Ellen during dinner on my first day of the hiking challenge.
After conquering the Tower of Paine, I returned to the restaurant dirty and smelly, with a single-minded focus to quickly finish my meal and take a shower. As a result, I was notably quiet during dinner. Glancing around at the others sharing the table, my eyes landed on someone sitting in the corner who, dressed neatly, appeared to be Japanese. It wasn't long before she struck up a conversation, and her English accent, fluency, and vocabulary were that of a native speaker, which piqued my curiosity.
Following a brief introduction, we found out that while our hiking routes differed, we were both heading to Punta Arenas next. After exchanging emails, we agreed to meet in Punta Arenas. We then set off on our separate ways to continue our adventures in Torres del Paine. Despite losing touch for several days, we eventually reunited.
From discussing the Brazilian Carnival and Torres del Paine to Taiwan and Canada, what was supposed to be just lunch extended into an evening. We couldn't bring ourselves to stop, so we moved to another restaurant to continue our conversation into the night. After dinner, what moved me the most was her insistence on walking me home, even though it took half an hour from where she lived in the city center.
When you are away from home, even a small expression of concern in words can be deeply touching, let alone actual actions. Thankful for the incredible fate that allowed us, living on opposite sides of the world, to meet in Chile.