The Travel Chica

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8 Travel highlights of 2012 and why it is important to think about it

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I have a terrible memory.

Maybe that is why I have always taken lots of photos.  I try to capture my special experiences: the people, the beauty, the amusing, the weird, the firsts, the joy, the accomplishment.

Of course, it is difficult to capture a moment or a feeling.

But a photo can still bring back memories.

 

When I got rid of most of my possessions to travel long-term, that included my photo albums.  I used a scanning service to turn all of my film prints into digital files.

The fun part was looking at all of those photos again.

In addition to remembering lots of fun times and good people, I realized how many places I had visited and how much I had accomplished.

I have never been one to look at the New Year as a time to reflect and make resolutions for the coming year.

There will be no New Years Resolution list for me this year either.

 

But I do think it’s important to take a few minutes to reflect on the past year.

 

I did this for the first time (sort of unintentionally) last year as part of a travel meme.

This year I looked back at my photos to see where I was, what I accomplished, and most importantly, who I shared those experiences with.

#1 – Natural disasters ruin travel plans but make good friends

2012 started out with travel challenges and awesome people.

The photo above is a terrible photo.  But it made me smile when I saw it again.

My original plan to celebrate the New Year sleeping under the stars and sharing a bottle of wine with new travel friends was ruined by the fire in Torres del Paine National Park.

It was a stressful time, and people were really upset about this tragedy. Yet I had one of the most memorable New Year’s Eve celebrations of my life.  I just felt such a strong connection to the people I was with, and we were all in need of a fun night.

And I had just discovered how cheap a decent bottle of wine is in Chile.

#2 – Falling in love with Valdivia and finding my first travel buddy

Valdivia is a medium-sized college town with awesome beer, great food, and beautiful natural wonders a short bus ride away.

But perhaps what made Valdivia even more special for me was the fact that I was traveling with someone else for the first time during my sabbatical.

Tim and I had a fun, relaxing time drinking pisco sours, talking about life, and not making too many plans.  And because of him, I have this candid photo of myself, one of the few from my travels.

#3 – A CouchSurfing host takes me in after his house floods

I arrived in the north of Chile after a very long bus ride to discover that the Atacama Desert had flooded.  Even though Miguel had been up all night emptying buckets of water and cleaning up the mess left behind, he still took me in.  I told him if it was too much trouble, I could go to a hostel, but he insisted.`

He built this house with his own hands.

When the rains continued, he stood on the roof soaking wet laying down plastic and still refused to let me help him.

#4 – Taking silly photos with a solo nomadic chica

After the natural disasters I experienced in Chile, I crossed back into the north of Argentina.

I was on a mission to see a natural wonder.

I met Kim at my hostel.  Having an adventurous spirit and preferring independent exploration, we tried to rent a car and visit Salinas Grandes, the salt flats in the northwest of Argentina.  The other two girls backed out, and the cost of the car was too much, so we ended up doing the tour.  We both did not think the tour was worth the money, felt trapped on the bus, and were not impressed by the salt flats as they were filled with water this time of year (our fault for not researching).

But this picture reminds me of the conversations I had with Kim that week in Salta.  She had been traveling for over two years (and I believe is over three ow), living a budget backpacker nomadic lifestyle.  What surprised me most about Kim is that she is also from the US and close to my age.  You don’t meet many solo female long-term travelers from the US.

#5 – Writing a book is a lot of work

Okay, it was fun too.

I went back to Buenos Aires for a few months to do final research and write a Buenos Aires City Guide for Indie Travel Media (to be published in early 2013).

Although I worked A LOT, I had quite a bit of fun too.  My favorite memories are the shared meals (like the huge picada pictured above) with old and new friends.

#6 – Making a home in Sucre

When I left Buenos Aires, I still had work to do on the city guide.  I chose to stay in Sucre for a while because friends told me it is a pleasant city with decent internet.

They were right.

I chose a great hostel, perhaps the best hostel in Bolivia.  Many guests decided to extend their stays because it was such a great atmosphere, and the hostel was comfortable and well-run.  The owner Roxana is an incredible woman.  She lives on site with her young son, finding the balance between running a successful business and enjoying life.

We had group dinners at the hostel, watched movies together in the common room, and told stories about our travels.

I really did feel at home there.

 

#7 – A wonderful family a great organization in Bolivia

I wanted to get off the beaten path, so I went to Tarija, a popular vacation spot for Bolivians but not frequented by backpackers.  After stretching the limits of Google and wandering around asking questions in Spanish, I found a non-profit company that organizes a hiking tour.

Yes, the hike was amazing.

But what had the biggest impact on me was spending time with Vicente and Julia.  They treated me like family.  The night before starting the two-day hike, we shared a delicious home-cooked meal and had several laughs over their so-ugly-he’s-cute dog (pictured above).

#8 I FINALLY made it to Portland, Oregon

After I made the decision to end my travel sabbatical and come back to the US, I knew I had to still make travel a priority.

Before I went back to my career full-time, I visited the top US city on my list:  Portland.

It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

I spent a day biking around the city, exploring breweries, taking photos, and chatting with friendly locals.

Take a few minutes to look at your 2012 photos.  What is your favorite memory?

Comments

  1. My favorite memory this year was flying to and landing on a glacier in Alaska. You’re right that photos make it so much easier to recapture all those travel memories. I can’t believe you were able to couchsurf after your host’s house had flooded. He sounds like a really welcoming guy. I think experiences like that are some of the best things about travel.
    Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..Places I want to travel in 2013

  2. So hard to narrow it down just just one favourite place! There are so many great memories. A highlight would have to be walking the Camino de Santiago! The people I met along the way made it so amazing! Swimming with sea turtles in an unexpected trip to Barbados was right up there too! No planning went into that trip and it was still beyond amazing – again, the people you meet along the way! Looks like you had an amazing 2012! Happy travels in 2013!
    Anita Mac recently posted..Top 5 Travel Experiences from 2012

  3. Just like this year (2013), I remember having no new year’s resolution for 2012. I feel that the only time to do something is at the present moment, or when you can, not starting on the first day of the year. However, if a new year’s resolution, works for someone, then all the power to that person.
    Earthdrifter recently posted..Addas: A Taste of Sudan

  4. Some great reflections! Particularly of those whilst you were in Chile…it’s often the most random times (through opportunity or tragedy etc) that can have the biggest effect on us! Good for you :)

  5. Great article. I take pictures to trigger my memory too, it’s so much easier. If I don’t have a picture of something, the memory fades so much quicker. Looks like a good year!

  8. Love the photos! There wasn’t really one thing that sticks out, but I guess I am just proud that my hubby and I managed to leave the rat-race in London behind to start a new life in Cambodia. There were so many new impressions, smells and adventures that I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite.
    TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Welcome to the jungle

  14. Sounds like you are having so much fun. I known a little bit about Portland and it was really a great place to go with and I wish I could go soon. By the way the photos are cool and I really love it.
    Shane Curtis recently posted..Timber Sliding Doors

  16. This post makes me smile. That photo for #6 makes me miss Bolivia something fierce. We didn’t actually make it to Sucre, but our time spent outside of La Paz will go down as a lifelong happy memory… There’s something about the brilliant sun there, too, that’s calling my name. (*cough, cough* speaking from Oregon winter woes right now…)

    I’m SO glad you made it to Portland and loved it! I just ate my first return-home Pine State Biscuit the other morning and thought of you :)
    Bethany ~ twoOregonians recently posted..Dusk

  17. I’ve just been to Torres del Paine. You can still see the damage caused by that fire. Such a tragedy and so embarrassing for the guy who caused it. I’m off to read that post right now!

  21. Great memories! You should be so proud of writing your own book. Let me know when it’s published, would be great to read about Buenos Aires. I’m heading there very soon. My best memories was a year spent in China, cycling the full length of Vietnam and having a wonderful time in Sri Lanka.
    Agness recently posted..Postcards from Brussels, Belgium

  22. Church!
    #1 is my fav. Once stucked in a snow blocked road in the middle of nowhere past midnight. Without a warm place where to gather, we convinced the only nearby roadside hotel to open. After the initial hot chocolate everybody asked for, beer started to be poured like if there was no tomorrow.. we still laugh about it!
    Inma recently posted..Year in pictures 2012 taster

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