South America: Jumpstarting My Life

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” - C. JoyBell C.

One week of time stands between me and seeing where my dreams take me. Lauren, one of my best friends, and I will be traveling through Peru and Bolivia; the main sites being the Winter Solstice Festival and Machu Picchu in Peru and the Salt Flats in Bolivia.

Following that, I will be continuing south with my friend Samson, whom I met two summers ago in Ecuador. We will head to Valparaiso, Chile which is a colorful, eclectic city on the west side of the continent. After a few weeks, we’ll travel to Mendoza, Argentina, which is in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, and is known for its Malbec vineyards. I’m excited about the hiking and red-clay tennis that will be plentiful enough to keep me busy for a few weeks. To finish off the summer, I’ll travel northwest to the Iguazu Falls, which lie at the intersection of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, the back down to Buenos Aires and finally to Uruguay, each for a few days. This adventure comes during a time of a lot of change for me; some of it my doing and some of it out of my control. Change is hard but is sometimes needed to see who you are and what you are capable of. It is undoubtedly scary and uncomfortable, especially for a person like me who likes to have a plan. Humans crave a certain level of comfort and things were definitely comfortable in the past, but now it’s as if someone picked up the doormat and shook it. Of course a mess is made and debris goes everywhere. That’s kind of where I feel like my life is right now; a chaotic mess. I know that with time, my life will be “tidy” again, but right now it is most certainly not. 

I’m hoping that the next few months traveling in South America will begin to provide clarity for me. In the meantime, I can’t wait to immerse myself again into the lovely Latin culture. I feel better equipped this time with my language skills and aim to engage in more conversations with my neighbors there and people that I interact with on a daily basis. I look forward to finding their dive bars and restaurants and turning the corner to discover beautiful street art. The stunning landscapes are sure to “wow” me because I find beauty in the simplest things. Lately, people keep asking me what am I looking forward to most. I honestly don’t know how to answer that question. Each location has something special and unique to offer. But if I had to answer the question, I am most looking forward to immersing myself into each community that I come upon and becoming more confident with my language. And when my language fails, because it will, my smile will have to do.