Coinceding to the Timline


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South America » Argentina » Santa Cruz » El Calafate
July 17th 2010
Published: July 17th 2010
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When you leave with 6 weeks ahead it feels like forever.... so much unknown, so much to come, so much you accept not knowing, so much you decide to just let come to you because you have no other option. And then as youre traveling you start to see how much there is to see. How much you dont have time for. Lust for all you want to explore. Dreaming of returning to these places... but also resent for your return flight, the only finite thing in your path. The only thing that keeps you from going on forever... well that and money and school or work.. and well real life. But its what you see. So we travel place to place for weeks with that at the back of our minds, as far back as we can push it. And then, one day, boom. Youre ready. Maybe not jumping for joy, screaming on a mountain top, but ready. Ready to go home. Not really ready for the price difference, or the responsibility that lies ahead, but ready to get on that plane at the very least, and see the people on the other side. The other side of the world, and really the other side of our lives. Because to some extent, its different. We are who we say we are to the people we meet and travel with for however many days we decide... and other than in relation to eachother, here, thats who we are. No more. And no less. Just as it sounds, a blessing and a curse. To be unknown. Isnt it always both.

We have spent the last few days exploring Patagonia. Yes it is winter. But if you have experienced a midwestern winter, you are overprepared and way more hardcore than winter here requires. We saw Torres del Paine yesterday. WOW. The wanderlust we were slapped with was incredible. The longing to return, and trekk the shit out of this place. To walk the W trail, to camp, to walk wide eyed and mouth open for days... please. Bring me back. Like a little taste of Patagonia, the tip of the iceberg, ok punn intended, feeling was overwhelming. But we did see a Glacier, annnnnnddddd icebergs. Standing on the beach where shells dont wash up, but rather chunks of ice. And just off shore, BLUE ice. Yep, big ol' ISSSSBEEERG STRAIGHT AHEAD. Ok, so it was little titanic role play for part of the day. But you couldnt help yourself either. They look fake. Like big chunks of blue plastic bobbing about in the freezing cold water. Really. Yeah.. ok fine theyre real. No wait, really? Um... yeah this is ice on the shoreline. I'll believe it... but only because... i have to? It was THAT strange. That kind of train of thought mindboggling kind of strange. But it was real. And so were the beautiful Torres del Paine, google it if youre interested. Which seem to change color and look totally different from each and every angle. Torres del Paine means Towers of Glaical Blue. Just as epic and poetic as it sounds. Towering. Literally. The view is never exhaustive... but the whole ordeal was extremely exhausting. As was supporting ourselves against the intense wind we found there.

We made our way back into Argentina via bus today. Now from El Calafate, the home of the Third largest glacier in the world?.. something like that. El Perito Moreno... thats his name, the glacier that is. Tomorrow we will befriend him. And the following day we will make our way to the trekking capital of south america, El Chalten, where yes we will trekk for the day. Another moment when we wish we had days upon days to explore and find our way... but leaving with the taste in our mouths will hopefully force our return. So some more beautiful scenery and mountains layed upon fields and rolling hills, snow and snowcaps in the distance. And in a few days on Monday morning we head to Buenos Aires where we will hopefully meet up with a few friends party all night, pet a tiger, see a crazy show literally named Brute Force i imagine to be the south american blue man group, and take a few deep breaths before heading home. Heading home with all the wrong money left in our pockets, camera cards jam packed, dirty clothes with holes in all the most obscene places, and passports almost cached and nearly requiring amendments... thank you reckless chilean customs stampers... we will most likely be the dirtiest people on our respective flights... and if thats the case, we can probably say we also had the richest most knee deep experience we could.

I started talking about this. That moment, when the switch is flipped and your brain and heart and the things you can imagine and imagine wanting and enjoying turn. And they turn toward home. Conciding to the one piece of schedule youve had all along. The piece that has chartered your course in as slight a way as youve been willing to accept it until, Now. And we have begun to flip. We let our thoughts turn toward the things to come at home with a tinge of yearning and a pinch of longing rather than a fistful of resentment. And we know south america has treated us well, well enough that we can accept our dates, enjoy our days and think happily of you.

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18th July 2010

Good Trip so far
If you have clothes that are not wearable after this trip, please discard them and don't bring them home. Luv you, Mom

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