After much thinking, anxiety, and stress of not knowing what to do externally, but having an internal voice screaming what my heart desiredâŠ
I can say⊠I DID IT.
I traveled alone to the most beautiful place I know, San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina, suddenly, 1000 km away from home, from one week to the next.
Now I want to share my trip story, the highs and lows, how it made me grow, and why I recommend you also dare to travel to the place you want to go!
The Decision and Inspiration (the spark)
First:
I was scared, not gonna lie. I didnât know if everything would work out or if I could find a hotel or apartment. But I had made the decision. Nobody could stop me!
I was inspired by YouTuber Alex Rogers and his video âTestament to Spontaneity.â
He suddenly went to Machu Pichu with friends. The video he made was glorious, well-structured, and filmed. But what touched me even more was his message about the importance of being spontaneous,
doing something without meticulously planning for weeks, and why it makes you feel alive.
I know he might have a better economic position than me, coming from a first-world countryâŠ
But thatâs no excuse, and it doesnât mean I couldnât travel where I wanted. In this case, the place was clear:
San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina
Last summer, my sister went there and showed me pictures of everything they did:
The breathtaking landscapes, the calming city, the little town, the food, kayaking, trekking, and more.
I loved everything my sister told me and fell in love with the place before going there!
So I saved up some money!
I couldâve gone there months before. I almost did, but something always commanded me to stay here in Buenos Aires.
Either responsibility, like my Kung Fu school, my freelance work, or othersâŠ
But I bet that if I was more focused on going, I couldâve gone there anyway. I couldâve found a way for sure.
After all, it doesnât matter. Regretting the past is futile because you cannot change anything.
The minimum planning
On the 20th of July, after months of uncertainty, I received a promotion from a travel agency that offered me a 20% discount on all trips on long-distance buses, and that was my signal!
Then the rush started. I told my family and they went crazy:
âWhat are you gonna do there now? There are barely 5 people.â
âYou wonât be able to do the activities you could do in the high season.â
âItâs cold as f*ckâ (and it was, but who cares?)
At other points in my life, this wouldâve stopped me from doing what I wanted to do, but I was so decided I just couldnât process those sentences as a hindrance.
And something pretty interesting happened. My family saw how determined I was, and they started changing their minds. So much so that they started to help me with my travel!
In fact, after some days my mother somehow found me a better transport option than the 13-hour long bus⊠a 1.5-hour plane đ
To be honest, I didnât even bother to search for flights because I was sure theyâd be a lot more expensive. And SPOILER: they were a lot cheaper than the bus đ
And all because my mother wanted to help, I paid 40,000 pesos (30 dollars at that time) less and traveled much more comfortably and a lot faster!
As you can see, the initial catalyst, the discount on buses, didnât even matter after all. Since I could take advantage of my flexible schedule and fly when people donât usually do, I could enjoy the low prices!
Letâs not forget about the place I stayed at!
I sent thousands of messages to people on Facebook Marketplace and found several options,
but only 3 were acceptable for my traveling budget (to be honest, it was too low đ ),
and even though they were great options, I decided to find a cheaper one, although it seemed like an impossible task.
After almost surrendering, I saw the light at the end of the tunnelâŠ
I found a really friendly lady who offered the exact place I was looking for, for less than 30% as much as other people were asking for!!
The apartment had all I needed: a bed, a bathroom, and a kitchen with utensils to make myself some food (eating out every day wasnât an option đ€Ł).
Now everything was decided, the search had been tough, but I had everything I needed, so I packed a small backpack with the minimum stuff I needed. Then I did it⊠I travelled to San Rafael, Mendoza.
My stay
I did everything I wanted to do!
On the first day, I was tired as hell because I had to walk 8km to the apartment (the taxi wasnât an option!)
What a way to start đ€Ł
From the next day on, my real adventure began. To summarize:
- I went to the Borges Labyrinth, made in honor of the well-known Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
- I visited Los Reyunos, and thanks to the low season, I could enjoy the view with literally no people around me for kilometers, NO ONE! It was the best experience of my travel.
- Did bungee jumping for the first time.
(I donât have a picture for that đ)
- Went to a lot of museums and learnt about the history of San Rafael.
- I went to Valle Grande, and Oh man, the mountains and the views were amazing. I traveled through the water reservoir in a small boat, with only a few people besides me, and it was awesome. I could enjoy every moment, with barely any others doing stuff around me.
- Visited El Nihuil and its reservoir, experienced the real cold for the first time in my life, and got chased by a pack of dogs because there were no more awake people besides me (I went there at almost 7:30 am with -7 degrees Celsius đ )
Meaningful Encounters and whatâs really worth it
And the one thing I want to highlight outside of all the beautiful activities I did there, is the awesome people I met, and how that broadened my horizons. Iâm not the same person I was before the trip.
I met a lot of people there, none of them were cold or dry. Indeed, all of them were incredibly warm and willing to help me with whatever I needed to do,
and that was simply amazing!
One day, I came across a lady at a chocolate store. I bumped into her and started talking and laughing about wanting to eat everything at the store đ
I met amazing people for more than just a chat. The lady that I rented her apartment to was incredibly sweet and caring, and the old man who was taking his dog for a walk almost ended up telling me his whole life story in a matter of 10 blocks.
The man took me to Los Reyunos in his car and made me know another reservoir I didnât know before, without asking me for anything in return.
And so, these people made me more open to meeting strangers, they broadened my perspectives, and made me feel like another local of San Rafael.
Imagine if I hadnât gone there, I wouldâve lost the chance to know all those amazing people I met at that specific time. Who knows whether I couldâve met them if I had gone some months before.
Another thing I want to highlight is that even though many activities require a fee to do them,
The things I enjoyed the most were the ones that required no money, just to be present.
Alone and breathing the best air I ever inhaled, I sat on a rock at the bottom of the mountain, looking at the reservoir in the distance.
Having some mates in the park, Plaza Francia, which had a special charm unique to it.
Just walking through the center, greeting people, and getting greeted back⊠It was awesome and it didnât cost any money!
Getting out of my comfort zone
And growing as a person!
This adventure made me grow as a person since I had to go far beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone:
- I had to cook with as few things as I had in the fridge.
- Had to ask a lot of people to know how the buses worked in the city (barely any information on Google).
- I had to walk at 5 am in the darkest hours to take a bus to El Nihuil, with the cold eating me alive.
All good things end (for good!)
Everything finished, and I greeted the city on Sunday. I was sitting on a bench at the park, having some mates,
and just feeling fulfilled for everything Iâd done. I felt proud of myself for doing what I wanted to do and overall FREE.
On Monday, I took the plane back home.
I was happy to tell my family everything that happened during the trip. I shared all the stories and experiences that will remain with me till my last breath.
Things that nobody nor any condition will ever take away from me!
All things end, though I wanted to stay a bit longer. I knew this was for a greater purpose because I knew that when this travel ended,
It automatically gave me the possibility to start a new one⊠A new adventure.
Cheers,
Nehuen
