South America, here I am!

Well it looks like I am at it again.

Only a handful of people know that I embarked on my latest adventure. So let me apologize to all who get the message a little late. I am currently sitting in the domestic departures waiting area of the airport in Santiago, Chile (though by the time I am able to post this I will be elsewhere). I am waiting for my connecting flight that will take me to San Pedro De Atacama, where I will be staying for the next week while I explore the wonders of the Atacama Desert. Atacama is famous for being the driest place on earth.

Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know I was leaving. I bought the ticket late in the afternoon last Monday, and departed last night (Thursday). Most of you knew that for some time I have been planning my return to South America, but had no exact start date in mind. Little by little for the past month and a half I have been preparing for my travels, and once I felt ready, I purchased a last minute ticket.

I don’t have a ton to report just yet as far as travel plans. I will probably need a day to rest from the long sleepless flights before I am back in the swing of adventuring.

The most significant thing I can say at this point, is that my mind is in a very different place entering this new phase in my backpacking career. The month I spent in Europe, as well as the 4 months I spent in South America last year certainly came, in part, from a terrible need to flee. That’s no longer the case. I am very happy to report that my life is far more calm and stable. My last three months back in New York have been the best I have had in two years.

This time, no part of me feels the need to flee. This time, I was even a little bit sad to leave. I take that as a good sign. But I still have the same deep desire to keep exploring, to keep pushing and surprising myself, to see the world, to learn, and to have new unexpected experiences. I hope this time it will be even richer because coming home won’t feel as daunting anymore.

This is not to say that there isn’t still sadness. I certainly knew I did not want to be in the country on the day my mother passed, and for other various upcoming “anniversaries” that I could use serious distraction from. For me, traveling feels like a form of self-care. And while I will certainly miss my loved ones all so much, I like to think they are with me, and keeping me going (even if they want me to come home).

I am very excited to start keeping up my travel blog again. Please leave me comments, I love hearing everyone’s thoughts on my adventures. Or email me directly just to say hi and check in!

I am also really looking forward to getting back behind my camera lens. It has become a real form of enjoyment for me. And for those of you that worry about me getting into trouble, I spend much of my time at nights loading and editing photos or writing blog posts. And this time I have a new project with me. (Another thing that most of you don’t know about me these days is…) I have been drawing up a storm lately. Mostly abstract designs- but It’s been an amazingly therapeutic thing for me to be doing. I brought my sketchbook and all of my drawing pens with me. I have some personal projects I am really looking forward to working on along my travels.

So that’s the plan. See the world, take pictures, write about it and make art. I don’t think it can get too much better than that.