It’s All Apart of the Journey

Something that I am always trying to remind myself of doing, is to take life as it comes and to not try to map out the future so much. This can be easier said than done, as I have witnessed time and time again. While backpacking, you do need to have somewhat of a plan if you want things to go smoothly, but at the same time need to understand that at least half of your plans might end up a little bumpy. A perfect example would be at the end of our trip to Chile. We left Mollendo, with the plan to get to Tacna, Peru then hop on over the border to Arica, Chile. We went on our way, grabbed a van with a few fun lovin' Peruvian strangers, and arrived in Tacna after a few more hours. 

Franzi and I then arrived at the chaotic bus station to discover that the road that crosses the border had been damaged due to flooding and they weren't sure WHEN we would be able to get a bus! We could 1) Stay in the industrial-like city of Tacna and see what happens within the next few days; which didn't sound great considering the mishaps we had already experienced in this little trip and the fact neither of us had much money to waste on hostels. Or 2) Head on over to Puno, Peru where Franzi would go alone for the night to Bolivia since I, being the lovely American I am, couldn't join her without paying for a Visa.

After about five minutes of standing in the crazy busy Terminal, we shared a “Get me the fuck out of here” look, and went directly to the ticket booth. It was one of those moments when you are so annoyed, but being miserable about it really won’t solve anything. Instead we loaded up on our favorite bus snacks, ( Sublime Chocolates are to die for) and knew we would laugh about it later. For those of you reading who are thinking, what is the big deal? You rode a few extra hours and had to turn around? Well, these can be up to a twelve hour ride consisting of a mixture between nice Grey Hound like buses or to sharing a four person Oldsmobile with a crying baby without A/c.

Well, we definitely did have our laughs afterwards! Not to mention the amazing scenery as always, as you can see the pictures above. This trip always reminds me of the lesson mentioned earlier. Much of the time while traveling, your plans aren't going to work out exactly or anything like you had hoped. However, you can't let it get to you, and panic. Sometimes you may literally be in the middle of nowhere, and complaining won't solve your problems.The best thing to do, is continue along your adventure by improvising!  After all, the unknowing of where your going, how your getting there, and who you may meet along the way is all apart of the journey. 

xx SLW