Long ago I didn't really appreciate travel. I used to complain about long, boring plane rides and never really valued the privileged of modern day voyages. Then - in my 20's - I traveled through central & south america on bike and hitchhiking. All my possessions were carried on a backpack. My man & I spent days pedaling, days waiting for someone to pick us up, long hours under the sun walking along roadsides and un-restful nights camped out along the road too.
That is when I started to really appreciate trains, planes, and buses.
Now - in my 30's - I am traveling a different way. I am trying to consolidate all the lessons I learned from roughin' it with a certain level of comfort and style. So now I fly from continent to continent. The trip takes 16 hours instead of 3 years and I really enjoy it ... well, mostly.
Because travel will always involve some amount of stress and I am still living on a low-budget even if I can afford to splurge on plane fare. So that means packing with precision though, fortunately, I do not have to sacrifice my sense of style.
A few days ago I packed my bags, left my hometown, and headed to Southern California. I took the train, listened to podcast after podcast and stared out the window as the landscapes of forests & suburbia sped by. It was a really pleasant experience. Once the train arrived I met up with my sister & her boyfriend. We explored beaches, met some puppies, talked about books, had pizza & beers at their local brewery.
((my sister & her boyfriend))
And then the journey to South America began! I was sad to say goodbye to California but even more eager to get back home, see my honey, and hug our cats.
I put together a cute outfit with bright colors to fit in with the summer of SoCal as well as enough layers for winter in Argentina. My backpack was filled with snacks, a novel, and a notebook and headed home!
Thanks so much for reading!!