first impressions

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My first impressions of la Paz came from the stunning view I saw out my window as my plane approached the sparkling city from the north. My plain flew in at 6:00 am, and while all I wanted to to was sleep it was obvious la Paz never did. This city is a sea of light situated in the high altitude mountains and while I have only been here for 24 hours I can tell you the lights never really go out.

I'm happy to say the list of breathtakingly amazing sights has completely been rewritten after just my flight to Bolivia. Flying into Miami at night was spectacular, as well as the sun set over Dallas. But hands down flying over the amazon at sunrise had to be the unexpected amazing moment. With winding rivers tracing through forest with no end in sight. Bit really the most amazing thing about my flights wasn't the sights, or the food (which was also amazing) but instead were the people I met on my way here. Over my three flights, 14 hours of flying, and three major airports/ cities I went through every emotion I knew and some I had only read about. Bit it was the kind people I met that kept me going.

when I think about how I ran into meeting everyone along the way I find it very bitter sweet that I will probably never see them again, but that's also the cool part to. It reminds me of 'no country for old men' that part where one man who is ready to kill the other takes out a coin and says heads ypu live tails you die, but before making his move makes a speech with one profound idea, imagine how you, I ,and this coin got here. To this moment, every decision and choice you and I made, every hand that touched the coin, to get us all here for this moment right here. I think I finally understand that monologue.

its funny how the people I met where exactly what I needed at the time. The first was from Portland to Dallas where I met Joe, a middle aged project manager from Dallas working in Eugene. He was an environmental engineer who had traveled the world and loved his job and wife. He must have known I was in need of some kindness and re assurance. In the end we talked, he offered to walk me to my next gate. And he wished me luck. The next person I met was a lovely woman from Australia (regretfully I don't know her name) she was on her way to Miami to meet up with her husband where they would both head to new Orleans to meet their son. We talked about traveling, airports, and customs. If I had any doubts or fears she was quick to answer and help. We parted with some advice, "there ate things we can change and things we can not' for some reason advice from a stranger always seems to mean more. The third person I met for only moment really. Maybe 20 minutes as we waited to board the plane to la Paz. She was an American professor going to meet her son and his family in Bolivia, where she had lived for 10 years. She first went to south America with the peace corp where she met her husband and lived tell leaving to teach in America. Everything about this woman was amazing and her support of my plans to travel and volunteer ment alot. We parted ways wishing each other luck. The final person I met was the woman who sat next to me on my last flight, she was on her way to visit her family in la Paz where she had grown up, she was now a professor of Latin American studies at a university in Miami. She was surprise to here that I was traveling alone but was quick to answer any question I had. Parting at the customs desk she pointed me to the right line said good luck.

you may be wondering why I just gave you the condensed life story of four people, and I guess its so I can remember them. These were four strangers who were kind and open, in a time when it seems not many are. And just like I know carry their stories with me that also have mine. And when you travel, especially alone its not only about what you do, but who you meet along the way.

first impressions is what I called this entry, and while the first impressions of the city are important I am more impressed by these peoples first impressions.

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