Housekeeping
On top of Machu Picchu I had a bit of an epiphany about traveling and my life. (Skip this if you’re rolling your eyes already.) My thoughts:
Like a lunatic, you quit your perfectly good job in a declining industry in the middle of a recession. When you left in May you had no clue what you wanted to do with your life; two months into the trip and you’re no closer to knowing. Fuck.
While I didn’t exactly expect that answer to reveal itself to me amid the epic majesty of one of the seven wonders of the world, I was hoping that by now, I’d at least have an idea. Or maybe have ruled out an option or two.
Nope, you’re clueless, still. You tell people random things to make it sound like you have a plan but you have NOTHING. Even worse, your time is running low. In one month you are going to need to find a new apartment and a new job before the cost of living unemployed in New York swallows your savings in one little gulp.
Then I realized, or rather, Travis suggested—what do I need to rush back for? There is no deadline, nothing pulling me back so soon, except maybe iced coffee, my friends/family, and my rabid obsession with Autumn in New York. Why not stay in South America for a few more months?
I have enough money.
I want to learn and practice Spanish.
I want to see Argentina.
I freaking QUIT my job and moved out of my apartment. Starting from scratch on all of that after just three months? Not yet worth it.
I now know, after two months of traveling, that it’s perfectly safe and reasonable for a female to prudently travel alone, as we’ve met plenty of them.
I’m going to extend by trip by two more months.
I’M GOING TO EXTEND MY TRIP BY TWO MORE MONTHS!!!!!!!!
Maybe it’s prolonging the inevitable. Maybe it’s going to cost me a few hundred bucks to move my flight. Maybe I’m going to miss out on a few really cool things at home. Maybe I’m going to need to buy a cell phone. But maybe I’ll actually learn Spanish. Maybe I’ll go home feeling like I’ve seen (almost) everything I wanted to see in South America.
So all of that is to say that I’ll be in Sul America until October 17. See ya’ll then!
