The irony of "living the dream"

I feel like I watch alot of documentaries and videos...I hear alot of stories, and they all make being on the road and experiencing new places sound so glamorous. It's like it's all one big adventure, and you see people living through this crazy stuff, and they are completely positive and stoked to be on their journey doing what they are doing. It leaves me behind with this standard for how my attitude should always be. I mean...I'm traveling...I'm in a new country having amazing experiences...and if those experiences are not quite what you would classify as amazing at the very least they are new. So, I had an epiphany last night as I laid in bed shivering and sweating...after a 9 hour bus ride from Pisco Elqui back to Vina Del Mar where both Jamie and I had our first "puke on the bus while it was moving experience". The epiphany: Those frickin movies are edited!!!! And those "adventurers" get to chose that their most shameful moments where they just crack and have horrible attitudes are not put in the movie!

This past week from last Tuesday until now has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I am in Chile on vacation...lots of people would be dying to do what I am doing. However, I have gone from having a blast to wanting to jump the next plane home and call this trip quits...several times! From struggling constantly with my communication to being homesick because I only have one friend here who speaks English, I have felt lonely during the days when I'm by myself. Even the books and the movies at the theater are in Spanish! That's great on somedays when I'm having a super positive ambitious attitude about the learning experience, but on the days when I don't, I just feel disconnected. I figured out on Thursday of last week, that it was more important than I thought to limit my time in the city because, for the hundredth time, I was reminded that I need wide open spaces...I thrive in nature, and when crowded touristy coastline is all of nature I can experience...it's only semi sufficient (but better than being surrounded by buildings of course). As I was trying to figure out what to do next on this trip, I encountered a major set back in the transportation department. Apparently, I was misinformed and I am not allowed to be traveling on partner airlines with my flight benefits. So....since I never bought a plane ticket home from Chile...I am stuck here unless I pay about 1000 bucks for a flight home. All I want to do is get to Mexico! I'm still in the process of figuring this out, but my world travel options for the next 3 months just got limited to the US, Canada, and Mexico. The part that made me feel bad was the fact that I didn't prepare very well...which is so typical me...one of the things I love and hate about myself.

This whole situation was put on hold for a weekend get away...to the Elqui Valley! This place is also referred to as "Valle de las Estrellas" (the valley of the stars). Astronomers come out here to do research, and it is a highly spiritually active center where there have even been several UFO sightings as well. It was referred to in an article as "Tibet's South American brother". Apparently, the main spiritual hill there "Cerra Cancana" had it's energy levels measured by NASA and they were measured the highest in the world. Pretty amazing! Anyhow, the experience was incredible. The valley is surrounded by mountains and there are grape vineyards everywhere. They export "table grapes" to the US and Europe, and they also grow the grapes for some wine and mainly, the countries signature alcohol pisco. Needless to say just hiking up and down the roads in the valley here was beautiful....as well as sitting down for a bottle of wine at any of the terrace restaurants. There was this cute little spot where we hung out for 2 nights in a row where they had a bonfire on the roof. You could drink wine, eat, and watch the stars. It was also very social so we made friends both nights, and heard endless stories about the valley and the history, etc...

The most interesting part of our little adventure (which was probably also the most fun) was our 60 km bike ride up and down the hills of the valley. We rode for 3 1/2 hours! Why you ask? Well...it could have been for pure pleasure, but the real purpose was cash...we'd run out of cash and the nearest atm was 60kms away! We spent the ride making random stops...totally being true to our Northwest roots....wine tasting...beer tasting...etc. Unfortunately the beer spot was closed (it was Sunday), but the path led us through the streets of a very cute, small Chilean town. We made a bathroom stop and caught a couple minutes of a sunday soccer game..which seemed to be the big event...in American standards, it looked like high school soccer practice. But the locals in the town were all fired up! When we got to Vicuna (the city with the bank), we realized that the atms only took mastercards and we had visa....thank God that there was another atm in the pharmacy that did take visa....so it all worked out. We took the bus back....40 minutes later we were back in Pisco Elqui feeling very hard core!

The trip ended with the senario I mentioned at the beginning of this very long blog...we got sick yesterday and spent the whole ride home with a severe case of food poisoning...and I got robbed. I had to sit next to the guy who did it the whole way home. I've never been so angry in my life...good thing I was sick...otherwise I might have strangled him or punched him or something. Instead I just had to sit there SO angry because when I tried to confront him...he claimed he didn't understand my spanish...and when the bus steward confronted him, he just denied everything....little pinche!

So, that's all...the ups and downs right? I'm sitting here this morning drinking coffee...better but weak. I still need to eat something, but don't really feel like cooking...and this afternoon begins all of our independence week celebrations with a party at the house. Viva los Fondas!!