Day 10

With the pressure of ALMA off of our shoulders, it was time to relax. After spending the night in San Pedro de Atacama, the day called for a leisurely breakfast, window shopping, and an excursion to Los Flamencos National Reserve to view the third largest salt flat in the world and the flamingos that reside in that extremely harsh environment.

Day 11

Time to leave the high desert. Good thing, too, because I wouldn’t have lasted much longer. No matter how much water I drank, it was a losing battle. My hands were cracking and there was blood in my sinuses. We convoyed back to Calama, seeing this stretch of terrain in daylight for the first time, then flew back down to Santiago.

Day 12

Last official day of the ACEAP trip. After a morning meeting of the ambassadors to discuss our experiences, we had one final presentation by Dr. Luis Chavarria, Chile’s representative for the European Southern Observatory (ESO). After some emotional and tearful goodbyes (you become fast friends with people after spending 20 hours per day together for nearly two weeks), we departed one by one to the airport, heading back to our various home cities in the United States on our respective flights.

Day 13

It was time to catch my morning flight and return home. I watched the spectacular Chilean landscape fade into the distance, crossed the equator, counted ships waiting at the Panama Canal, and touched down in Orlando. Feeling dead-tired but maybe happier than I’ve ever been and with memories to last a lifetime, my adventure had come to a close. I’d seen things and visited places that very few people on Earth had and I’m eternally grateful to the ACEAP program for selecting me. I’m already plotting my return to Chile.

Want to go with me?

BY THE NUMBERS

Want to see more? Check out MOAS social media for additional pictures and videos, join us on Space Day (April 8th, 2023) for a live presentation, and on April 29th, 2023 for a special premier of Big Astronomy.