If I could have a whole gap year to travel, if I could go around the world, if I could grab my backpack and head off with no fixed destination or return date, if I could… Words from wise travelers come to mind saying: “The hardest part is making the decision, the rest follows.” I haven’t had the courage to make that decision (for now), but I wasn’t so cowardly as to stay sitting on the couch and the power of excitement did the rest. So the year-long trip around the world turned into just under half a year, and that half became two months. Sufficient? No. An appetizer? Who knows… dreaming is still free, you know.
So I’m leaving, for two months, a very long time for some and short for me. But they are what they are: two months to live the dream of traveling, to set the alarm clock to see a glacier instead of a traffic jam, to meet interesting people, new cultures, for my eyes to witness incredible landscapes for the first time, to smile like a fool again in the middle of a crowded bus; at the end of the day, two months to be happy, immensely happy, because I am aware that traveling is what brings me happiness.
In 15 days, I’ll be boarding a flight to South America with an itinerary that, to be honest, is very under-developed, if not almost non-existent. Two months, three countries: Chile, Bolivia, and Peru (well 4, as hopefully I’ll set foot briefly in Argentina). Yes, I know, dear experienced backpackers, too much territory to cover in such a short time, but there’s no need to see them entirely, of course; it’s better to see and enjoy a little well than a lot barely stepped on. So I’ll get wherever I get and enjoy what I see without regretting what I miss. Great dreams like Easter Island or the Galapagos Islands are left out, but as someone has taught me, patience is a virtue I’m starting to work on, so… everything in its time.
The timing of this trip has meant I could barely prepare for it, or even let it sink in, despite it being more than planned. A whole year saving coin by coin, longing for it, and suddenly, it’s here in just 15 days, without having been able to read, research, search forums, or decide which places I want to reach, with the guidebook pages as new as the day it arrived on my shelf months ago. That’s my only regret, not having savored the “before,” but… there’s no use complaining. The bright side is that it will be a very improvised trip and, from experience, I know those tend to be good, very good, so: South America, here I come, make some room because I’m arriving, and make it double, please, because this time I’m accompanied.
Dreams to be turned into memories
– Looking into the eyes of the great king penguin. – Conquering the W trek of Torres del Paine (it would be quite an achievement given the total lack of physical preparation I’m going with) and discovering the authentic culture of the gauchos (baqueanos) at the Hotel Las Torres -Feeling a glacier under my feet but this time on the southern side of the globe. – Losing track of time looking at the starry sky of the Atacama Desert. – Getting covered in mud in the Amazon.
– Knowing what it feels like to set foot in the legendary Machu Picchu. – Feeling tiny before one of the highest waterfalls in the world: the Gocta waterfalls. – Seeing a double sky in the mirror of the Salar de Uyuni.
And the rest I prefer to discover along the way, along that path for which I am not quite sure what route it will follow. If you have been there and have suggestions, comments, ideas, now is the time to share them as they will be more than welcome.
See you soon on the other side of the pond and I’ll be telling you how the trip is going on social media with the hashtag #IlusionTrip
