The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

Visiting strangers in Maine

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One thing it took me a while to learn while I was traveling in Latin America is to be a better friend. What do I mean by that? The majority of interactions we have with other travelers are very casual.  When we talk to another traveler in our hostel or at a café, we are […]

Can I live car-free in Columbus?

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I have really struggled to write this post.  I think part of it is because I often wonder if I’m just being stupid. I want to live car-free. And when I tell people that, they look at me like I’m crazy. I did not drive a car once during my 20 months in Latin America. […]

A Guide to Food and Drink in Bolivia

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I was told by several people that the food in Bolivia is pretty bad. It would be hard to come by fresh fruits and vegetables.  And of course there is food poisoning to worry about. However, I actually enjoyed the food in Bolivia. Sure, you can get lots of fried street food that looks like […]

My First World Problems

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My first week back home in Columbus was spent putting things away (not that I had much stuff to put away), buying necessities, and meeting up with friends. Overall, it has been an easy transition with little stress. (Yes, I am aware that the real transition will happen when I enter the corporate world again.) […]

Travel the World Through Food

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I ended my time in Latin America with something I had been looking forward to since before I started the journey, a photo session at the Salar de Uyuni. Now I am home. I am ready to be home. I am ready to keep exploring while still enjoying the comforts of home. A week after […]

8 Crazy Photos from the Incredible Salar de Uyuni

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The grand finale of this tour is taking crazy photos in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni. But first, let me show you a few “behind the scenes” photos of how the crazy photos are created. Setting up the shot.   You have to have vision. You have to have willing participants to stage […]

8 Favorite Animal Photos from Tupiza to Uyuni

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The landscapes of the Bolivian Altiplano are incredible and the highlight of this tour. The animals are great too! You don’t see a lot, but the ones you do see are special (at least for a girl from Ohio). 8 Favorite Animal Photos These were the first animals we spotted. All three of them walked […]

12 Favorite Landscape Photos from Tupiza to Uyuni

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I delayed publishing these photos because I spent countless hours downloading, sorting, editing, and uploading the 1000+ photos I took.  I exercised a lot of restraint with the shutter, but I still had that many photos from four days. Then I had to figure out how I wanted to present them and narrow down the […]

6 Tips for Surviving the Four Day Tour to the Salar de Uyuni

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I did it!

I survived four days in a Jeep with five strangers without a shower in the freezing Altiplano of Bolivia including:

extreme altitude,
no internet,
and minimal access to electricity.

For someone like me who likes to run every morning, eat reasonably healthy, and have lots of me-time, a tour like this is a little frightening. But it is totally worth it to see some of the most beautiful landscapes in South America, and I will be sharing my photos starting next week.

But first, let’s get practical.