It’s been a fucking year (I)
A lot of people ask me how I actually ended up here in Chile.
Well, in a nutshell:
I called a crazy friend.
I said: “I wanna leave this place. You’re coming with me?”
She answered: “If we’re going to South America, yes.”
On October 4th, 2017 we got on the plane.
A lot of things have happened since then. A journey to the core:
1 I lost my phone in Quito, Ecuador
I dropped my phone in a taxi my very first day in South America. To my defense: I hadn’t slept for 28 hours at that point. But still, forgetting your phone in a taxi is just a stupid thing to do. I was lucky and for some reason, my phone was not turned off immediately.
That lead to some especially funny adventure, since I had to call the taxi central without speaking any Spanish. I must have gotten something right though. Because in the end, the taxi driver brought my phone back and I didn’t even have to tell my mum. Until now, now she knows. Sorry, mum.
2 I lost my sense of wrong and right in Máncora, Perú
One month later we arrived in Máncora, a pretty nice place in the North of Perú. The beach next to our new home, 30 degrees and sun every day. The bar, our new workplace, next to the pool.
Let’s just stay this was the beginning of an end. Use the heading as an indication, and let your fantasy do the rest. No, stop. I’ll lead you.
Sorry, that was a lie. I won’t.
But when we finally left Máncora, I knew for the first time, that four months of travelling wouldn’t be enough. I changed my flight back home from January to April.
3 I lost half of my Christmas traditions in Parácas, Perú
We were the luckiest of the luckiest and one of our best friends from home came to visit and travel with us for Christmas and New Years. That did not only mean great company, it also meant a lot of presents and home-made Christmas cookies from our parents.
Together we decided to spend Christmas at the beach for the first time of our lives. And since December means midsummer in Perú, it was also going to be our first Christmas in bikinis:
At this point, we had been carrying a bottle of Styrian wine with us through South America. Some friends who produce wine had given it to us. We were supposed to drink it a day we would miss home especially bad. Christmas seemed to be the occasion.
Summed up, this was the most unusal, but at the same time one of the most special Christmas dinners I ever had:
4 I totally lost my motivation climbing Machu Picchu, Perú
I came to South America with exactly one point on my to-do-list: Climb Machu Picchu. And I was pretty motivated to do it as long as it was far away. Until we booked the tickets, I realized what an effort it would be to go up there — especially since it was rain season.
If going up there made me realize one thing, then that I should have done more sports in my life. But it was too late and I had no other option. Or more honest: my dear friends didn’t give me any other option.
So, looking back to this incredible experience now: Thank you for dragging me up to Machu Picchu even though I almost cried for the bus. I am unbelievably happy we did it — and even more grateful that we never have to do that again.
Climb Machu Picchu: ✔
5 I lost my soul in La Paz, Bolivia
Starting to work in La Paz two weeks later (we’re in January now) was more or less season two of what happened in Máncora. I chose a bar to be my living room and strangers to be my family. It could be described as an unbelievable or near-death experience. Both is valid in this case.
6 I lost touch with reality in Uyuni, Bolivia
In the beginning of February, we left La Paz to see the Salt Flats of Uyuni, in the South of Bolivia. A lot of people had told us before that it was one of the most beautiful places they had seen traveling South America. But you can just not imagine what you see there. It’s a piece of surreality. You don’t know where reflection ends and the sky begins.
I don’t think one can actually capture the beauty of Uyuni in a picture, especially not me. But just to give you some idea:
After Uyuni I went back to La Paz. On my own.
7 I lost some fear in Córdoba, Argentina
After a couple of more weeks in La Paz I wanted to go and see some new places out there. On top of the list: Sucre, Bolivia; San Pedro de Atacama, Chile; the North of Argentina.
For the first time of my life, I went to travel on my own. Gosh, this was exciting. My Spanish went from “I can ask for the way” to “I actually understand the answer” rapidly. I made tons of new friends. I learned how to explore places in a less touristic way. I enjoyed just being with myself, in a hammock, at a waterfall, acompanied by a good book.
And I realized: Traveling on your own does never mean being alone.
After that I got pretty good company, met up with the whole crew from La Paz in Mendoza, and finally went to Santiago. From there I was supposed to go back to Perú at the end of April. Because I actually had a flight back home.
8 I lost control and an international flight in Lima, Perú
Until mid April I was actually really convinced I would go home. Because honestly, I didn’t have any other option at that point. But then everything came different, I received an unexpected call and I was supposed to decide whether to stay and put everything on pause back home for a while or press the fast-backward button to go back to the life I used to have.
I obviously freaked out for like a week, I even went back up to Lima.
At some point I decided just not to go to the airport, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime-chance. Life’s what happens while you’re making other plans, they say. And that sums up my past twelve months pretty well.
So I called a friend of mine. He got me a job in Lima the same day I was supposed to be on that flight. I stayed there for three more weeks, basically trying to fix everything I had messed up. In May I went back to Santiago.
