It’s been 80 days since I ventured away from home and set off on the road.
In that time, Phileas Fogg made it all the way around the world, while I’ve only been through one continent. But, oh my, what a trip this has already been!
In that short period of time I’ve:
Been cleansed by a shaman.
Learned to shoot a blowgun with an Amazonian tribe.
Got cuddled by dozens of monkeys — and bitten by one.
Slept (poorly) on 9 overnight buses.
Hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with my husband.
Seen mummies, dinosaur footprints and the world’s largest salt flats.
Stayed out all night in Buenos Aires.
Had a Bolivian woman urinate on my backpack.
Seen pink dolphins.
Drank pisco in Pisco.
Flown over the Nazca lines.
Attended my first football game.
Spent the night with a family on Lake Titicaca.
Answered the eternal question — can bikini bottoms double as underwear?
Nearly purchased a rum distillery.
I’ve learned a lot about myself while traveling, but mostly I’ve learned a lot about the world. I still marvel over the fact that every day brings me to streets I’ve never seen before, surrounded by people I’ve never met, in places I never knew existed.
Before I began this trip I wondered how travel would change me, and now I wonder how it won’t.
Here’s to the next 80 days!
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