So if you're here, you probably have heard about my trip. Basically, I'm traveling alone to South America, flying in to Santiago, Chile, and backpacking as much of the continent as I can, hopefully in a counter-clockwise direction through Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, and Venezuela. It's not for a school program or anything, just traveling on my own terms. I'll be gone until mid-December.
Why? Because I can. Really. It began with an urge to step away from Westernized "classroom" perspectives of the world, and seeing it on my own terms, immersing myself in culture, and learning new things about life. It sounds euphoric because it is. Why not another country/continent? I don't know.. South America and Chile was the first place to call to me.
Part of the allure of this trip has become the organization of it. There is none. I have no plans whatsoever, aside from a roundtrip flight. I know some places I'd like to see, and the basic route I'd like to travel, but I have no dates, reservations, or contacts. That is what makes this trip exciting. And no, I don't speak Spanish (or Portuguese), but I took two years in high school and have a basic understanding, enough to start. From what I hear, language isn't usually the hardest boundary when traveling the world.
FAQ's:
- Am I excited? Yes. I'm stoked. I couldn't be more ready for this to change my life and open my eyes, and learn tons of stuff that a classroom could never teach me.
- Am I scared? No. Not yet. I think that the fear won't set in until I'm on that plane heading there. At that point I can see myself thinking, "S***, what am I getting myself into?"
- Am I sad to leave? Sure, I'm gonna miss friends and family and the life I've settled into. But this is a priceless opportunity that I can't afford to miss, and I have all of your support along the way.
- Have you seen Touristas or Hostel? Nope. I know what those movies are about... Although it's truly dangerous in some places down there, it's also a naive Western stereotype to stick "South America" into the class of "dangerous, third-world, and crime-driven." Don't get me wrong, I'm going to walk softly and carry a big stick (AKA: knife), but I'm sure I'll be fine and generally safe.
On traveling alone, a good friend and former TA once told me, "Traveling on your own will be great. You encounter amazing opportunities by yourself, much more so than when with a companion... People will invite you into their homes, to events, and to travel with them." She's right, and although I anticipate choosing to be mostly on my own (and those few dark, rainy nights in a tent in some jungle..), I also plan to make some new friends along the way.
So I leave Monday night on a flight to Santiago, Chile. 13 hours of plane time. Luckily it's only NY time over there, so I won't have to deal with much jet lag. I arrive 7 PM Tuesday, Santiago time, and travel to my hostel in the heart of the city. I have 4 days of reserved rooms there and then no plans. We'll see what transpires. I will think of you all often, and save me your best wishes.
P.S. I won't be able to respond to as much personal email (bsumwalt@gmail.com) as I would like due to time constraints, so please forgive me for late/nonexistent responses to any mail.
NOTE:
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I will try to update the blog as often as I can, hopefully once a week or more. I appreciate all of you bookmarking and checking back on me often, as this is my only source of communication! Future posts will have less writing and more pictures. Your support, just by reading this, means more to me than you know.
Thank you all!
Cheers,
Brian
