Renewal

A traveler´s life is limitless in its excitement, novelty, and… exhaustion. Over the past three weeks I have pushed open my boundaries, transformed my perceptions of the world, and tested my capacity for discomfort. I have experienced food poisoning and altitude sickness and survived several Bolivian bus trips. I have spent nights in the frigid cold and days in the heat. I have put my mind through every emotion in the spectrum and my body into every predicament imaginable.

For some, the concept of a trip is synonymous with room service, palm trees, and tropical drinks. After my experiences over the past few weeks, all I can say is that I may not have been comfortable all the time, but the rewards were substantial. I watched the Andes Mountains appear on the morning horizon and assert themselves over the landscape like kings. I ran barefoot through the world famous vineyards of Mendoza as the setting sun inflamed the sky. I swam in the Chilean sea and wandered the enchanted streets of Valparaiso. I felt the dizzying effects of staying in the world´s highest city in Bolivia and renewed my spirit in a thermal lake. I descended deep into an ancient mine and saw Bolivia´s powerful mountainous landscape from the inside.  I enjoyed all the local flavors, customs, and people and there were even a few palm trees.

At the end of all the movement, I was hungry only for stillness and for the city I had been away from for three long weeks. Buenos Aires, my home, had changed in my absence. The weather is much warmer and the trees have flowered, but all the familiar elements are still there. I am now looking forward to the task of reconnecting with my city and discovering it all over again.