Richard Lytle '20 Explores Chile in Semester Away
Sophomore will rejoin Christ School student body in 2018
Richard Lytle '20 has decidedly mixed emotions about returning home Saturday.
It is no slight to either Asheville or Christ School, but more a reflection of the sophomore's experience the past few months. Richard has been attending Idaho's Alzar School this semester. And the best part? Alzar has organized student expeditions to Chile since 2007.
Other than a small break for Thanksgiving, Richard has been in Chile since October. He will rejoin the Christ School student body for the second semester. Richard hopes to show his fellow Greenies a video presentation of his trip during a future Assembly.
"I'm excited to come back and see everyone. I'm also sad to leave. For me, this has been everything I wanted and more," Richard said. "I've experienced so much and done so much. I've met so many great people. It's been totally worth my time."
Richard has been attending classes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, his time in Chile was not strictly academic. International students from Alzar got to kayak a variety of rivers, backpack in the Andes Mountains, and explore such areas as the Cochamo Valley and Patagonia National Park.
It is hard to pick just one. But Richard said that his favorite part of all the sightseeing was the Carretera Austral road which runs about 1,240 kilometers through rural Patagonia.
"It is super beautiful," Richard said.
"Every day is a little different. I went to Costa Rica in middle school, but this was my first time in South America. I'd love to come back some day."
