Six Years After My First Trip and I’m Feeling Rusty
It’s been six years since I first left the states and I feel like I’ve been harping on that fact, but it’s difficult to stop thinking about my last outing. It’s, really, my only true frame of reference. Besides my last trip, I flat out just don’t travel. I’m not a traveler, and Covid certainly hasn’t helped with that fact. It actually delayed the original start date by a full year. Yeah, I was originally planning on striking out five years after the first trip. Five years just sounds better for some reason. But that plan went out the window the minute borders started closing and medical facemasks started becoming all the rage.
But you didn’t come here to read about Covid. You most likely came here to get away from it for a little bit. No, you came here to read about my struggles. Lucky you, I’ve already had a few.
However, I’m going to try and make this quick. Nobody likes a whiner.
The Four Horseman of the Alpacalypse(Sorry)
First, I packed lighter this trip, but the bags that I did bring are packed pretty much to the brim. Max capacity and that’s fine(drawing supplies took up way too much space), but I guess I was hoping I’d learned from the last trip. While I didn’t bring a giant ass travel suitcase and a million unnecessary things(I brought a literal Blue Yeti mic last time because apparently, I was starting a travel podcast?) I still packed an absurd amount of questionable art supplies. It’s a step in the right direction, but it still feels bad, man.
Second, the flight attendant that checked my international travel documents told me I needed a return ticket for a date that’s four to eight months out. When I questioned it she suggested I book the ticket before my flight which was 30 minutes out. She then said she couldn’t give me my tickets back until I did. So, I promptly booked the tickets and walked back to her workstation. She then told me that her manager had informed her she was wrong, but the return ticket would still help me in my future travels. I was NOT happy with that one, but she was right in that I’d need the ticket anyways. I bought the ticket flexible so I can change the date and place, so that’s the one upside to all of this.
Third, my brand new hiking shoes were stolen on my second night here. To be fair, I wasn’t the only traveler that had their shoes stolen that night as a girl from Holland also had hers taken, but that doesn’t really ease the pain of my shoes being gone. Luckily, that frees up some space in my pack as I did pack a pair of backup Nikes. They’re nothing special and they’re certainly not made for hiking, but it’s a hell of a lot better than walking around barefoot in the meantime.
Lastly, I got sunburned while exploring on the first day. That one’s definitely my fault and it was to be expected given my terrible track record with turning red. Needless to say, I now have a tube of 100 SPF to take along with me.
This Is The Rhythm of the Flight
At the end of the day and the beginning of the weekend I guess I just feel rusty. I feel like I’m still finding my rhythm for traveling. Some days I go out, get sunburned and see Peru. Other days I stay in, write, draw, and relax and wish I was out there seeing more. But I guess that’s all part of the process and probably why I like longer trips. If I only traveled for a week or two, I feel like I’d never get into the flow of seeing a lot and then accomplishing just as much at the end of the day.
If nothing else, this helped me realize that there is a rhythm and it’s going to take me some time to find mine. While I figure that out, I’ll be sure to update again on what actually went on out there. Spoiler alert: I went to a cat park, had drinks with a few lovely travelers, and sat by the Pacific Ocean. If a cat park isn’t a hook, I don’t know what is! Here’s a few sneak peek pictures for next time. See you next time!
-Vagrant Whiner
If you’re interested to read my previous article, click here.
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