Well, here I am. The last day of a nearly 6 month long journey through a bit of South America. The last weeks moved swiftly as I made my way north from Pucón, Chile to Valparaiso on the coast, eventually flying from Santiago to the States. Valparaiso is just about an hour west of
Santiago and is the regions largest port. It is also home to a house of the famed poet Pablo Neruda, numerous Pinterest-worthy restaurants and more artsy graffiti than you can shake a spray can at.
I spent 4 days there with Leigh and a German girl we adopted in Pucón, at the home of a wonderful Couchsurfing host named Lucho. Together we ate seafood soup at 6 in the morning, sang in the streets with friends who play the accordion and saxophone after a particularly late party, swam in the ocean and cooked thai food. Valparaiso is pretty hip. Go visit if you can.
Stray Friends
At the beginning of this trip I had many doubts and fears. Doubts that I wouldn’t be able to communicate with locals or figure out the busses in Peru. I had fears that I might be mugged or hurt in some way while I was by myself. My parents worried, some friends warned me to “be careful!” and prejudices told me to guard my things as well as my free spiritedness.
I do not claim to be particularly brave; these warnings and worries weighed heavily on my mind as I prepared for the trip and in the first few days after I arrived. However, with each bus ride I completed and each interaction or conversation that took place, those worries disappeared like gas from a balloon.
Cliché Answers
Now, bare with me because this next bit is going to sound very cliche, but I thought I would find something on this trip in South America. Some answer to my questions about who I was in this world and what I could offer to people when I returned to my “real” life. In short, I discovered, nothing has changed within me. If anything, I’m more confused, haha. But the difference is, is that now I’m ok with that confusion, whereas before, I was anxiously awaiting the answer. I have found that the other travelers i met have these same doubts and fears and that the reason they travel is simply to chip away at the unknown mountain of answers.
I thought making a trip and conquering some fears within me would change who I was, but it hasn’t. It has however, changed how I see the world. it has set my regular self onto a new path, a path of motivation and inspiration for life. A path full of multiple perspectives and a thirst to be the best version of myself for myself and the others around me.
I don’t know how long these feelings will last, but before I feel them diminishing I will plan another trip. To anyone who read some of my blog over the last few months I say, “thank you”. It wasn’t much, but it was nice to share some thoughts and photos if only to keep a record for myself and assure my parents of my continued survival.
Globalizing South America
South America is a beautiful continent to visit. The colors and landscape, food and people all have so much to offer. However, Like much of the world, globalization and desires for increased knowledge and technology are changing the continent and slowly mixing cultures in a way that leaves very little to be discovered. One can see this in the South American cities as familiar North American companies move in and homemade items and goods move out.
That being said, there is plenty to see and experience before anything changes too much, but you must act fast. Buy a plane ticket! Pick a place, any place, and use the abundant info on the internet to explore the options for travel. Stay with some strangers via Couchsurfing or Workaway, it is the best way to see a city or town. Cook and camp when you can. Research the things you want to do before you arrive. Read some blogs! They have a ton of hints and pointers. Don’t let a language barrier stop you from traveling! The only thing stopping you from exploring the world is your own mind (unless it’s money, in which case you better open a savings account tomorrow). The world is friendly and we humans are more alike than you might have thought and a simple smile can go a long way in terms of communication. I saw so much generosity from strangers over the past 6 months that 
I can’t imagine how I existed before without it. It is contagious and inspiring.
Ok, no more spewing my cliche revelations, it’s all been said before. Come talk to me if you have any questions about southern Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile or traveling in South America in General. I look forward to a new chapter in my life, (far from a final one though) and to the people I will meet, only now it will all be in English!
Alyssa Maunders
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