South America in 30 days: Epilogue

6:35pm
Miraflores Internet Cafe
Miraflores
Lima, Perú

It´s all over. In a little over an hour I take a cab to the Lima airport and head home.
To put it all in perspective is a great challenge.

In just under 5 weeks I have managed to experience quite a bit. I have:

*Visited 5 countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru)
*Traveled about 7,000 miles while here in South America
*Stayed in 15 hostels and two two-star hotels (yes! living large!)
*Flew on 5 flights, and took 7 buses (5 overnight) and dozens of cabs
*Visited numerous museums and churches
*Learned to surf in Brazil
*Went sandboarding in the desert
*Went to the top of Corcovado in Rio
*Took a helicopter ride over Iguazu Falls
*Walked with 100,000 Penguins in Punta Tombo
*Saw countless animals in the their natural habitat - dolphins, flamingoes, iguanas, alligators, breaching whales (from the beach), condors, turkey vultures, monkeys, parrots, toucans, snakes, foxes, llamas, vicuñas, guenacos, and 100s of different species of birds
*Hiked on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Southern Patagonia
*Drank Malbec in Mendoza
*Got robbed at a bus station
*Mountain biked down the World´s Most Dangerous Road
*Had way too many cheap, fantastic steak dinners
*Got food poisoning
*Watched the World Cup Rugby Final between South Africa and England in Bolivia at an Irish bar with Australians
*Hung out at Ipanema and Copacabana beaches in Rio de Janeiro
*Saw Evita Peròn´s gravesite in Buenos Aires
*Got altitude sickness coming into Bolivia and didn´t eat for 24 hours as a result
*Hiked to the base of Mount Fitz Roy in El Chalten, Argentina
*Experienced the full range of temperatures and weather conditions: from extreme heat, to extreme cold, snowfall, rain, hail, and sleet
*Slept in a hostel made entirely of salt, and then at dinner seasoned my steak with salt taken from the floor next to the table, also made of salt
*Visited a favella in Brazil
*Visited the world´s largest salt flats and the world´s highest and driest desert
*Tasted traditional meals of Brazilians, Argentines, Chileans, Bolivians (llama) and Peruvians
*Visited Viña del Mar, the sister city of Sausalito
*Got the worst mosquito bites of my life

What to make of all of this, good and bad? Because the good and bad have to be considered - it´s all part of the experience of travel.

I have never really taken a vacation of more than a week since I´ve been working. And I took this trip because I didn´t want to regret not taking one. You learn a lot about yourself on your own for an extended period of time. I think it´s safe to say that working in a cubicle 8-10 hours a day for years is hazardous to your health. I understand that it´s necessary, and doing that is what offered me the opportunity to be here.

I think of being back in that Starbuck´s about 6 weeks ago, and not having a CLUE of what I was going to experience coming here, only that I had a flight in to Rio and a flight out of Lima, and one night booked. And I if I had to do it again, I wouldn´t change a thing. Because it was truly an adventure. I´ve learned a lot about myself and gained some valuable lessons on my life moving forward:

Be adventurous, even if it´s just for one day, one hour, one minute. Try something different, go outside your comfort zone.

Start a conversation with someone who you wouldn´t normally. You never know what it will lead to.

Don´t use plastic bags. Bring a cloth bag to the grocery store, or if you have to, ask for paper. I saw way too many plastic bags wrapped around trees, or stuck in gutters, or worse, with a dead animal caught in one. Plastics never decompose. Too much of this beautiful landscape down here and soon to be up there is completely ruined by plastic bags.

If you want to see animals, go see them in their natural habitat. Don´t go to a zoo. Zoos mistreat their animals greatly, and although many in the US claim to be humane, animals life expectancy and quality of life is greatly reduced being in captivity, especially here. I found out that Orcas at Sea World and other places are taught their tricks by being denied food for extended periods of time. And that an Orca´s life expectancy in the wild is over 40 years. And in captivity? Just seven.

Look around. I found that you could miss something incredible right in front of your face if you are too worried about looking down the road.

After seeing people living in complete poverty every place I went, we really have a lot to be grateful for back in the US. A LOT.

Wherever you go, be at home.

As I am leaving here to catch my cab to the airport, I wanted to thank a few people. Because of them, I have gotten the love and support to take this trip:

My Mom and Dad (Reg and Laur, thanks for letting me pick on you about taking me to see Kenny Loggins and the Righteous Brothers) I love you both very much and I will see you Sunday. Dad, you taught me it´s cool to wander. Mom, you taught me to always be safe while wandering.
My sister Jennie, my bro Ryan and my nephew Rocky the Pug. I miss you and can´t wait to see you guys.
My girlfriend Jen - thanks for being so supportive while I did this - I love you and I´ll see you in 24 hours
My grandmother Bam - Hi Bam! Let´s have lunch at Ann´s Coffee Shop next week!
My Uncle John - to the Lormon with the most search results when you type ¨Lormon¨ in Google, you are a great inspiration for me and definitely in my travels. Stay clear of the fire down there in SD. See you in a couple of weeks.
Jeff Shanley - I had a special feeling on my first day at Conor, when I shook your hand and you said to me ¨nice to meet you Dan. Well, what are you doing standing around, get to work.¨I know I managed to hang on at Conor, but you made this trip possible for me. Thank you.
Carlos Estrada - thanks for the Portuguese book and for being a great friend
My homey David Falato - see you in Chitown next weekend!
All the people at Conor - Let me know if they are hiring over there, I want back into the group!
My cousins Matt and Mike (and of course Kirsten and Charlie Brown!), and Uncle Rick and Mary Jo and Meredith
Joel den Dulk - you've got it figured out my friend
My Aunt Mary Ann, Uncle Larry and all my crazy dancing Crockett cousins! And OF COURSE, Cousin Caitlin!
My very good friend Norman Tarazona - a huge influence on my travels. Dude, you are right, you never steer me wrong!
My manager at Epic Records
Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
My agent Jerry Maguire, I love you man!
Okay, I´m getting carried away.

A Jerrry Springer final thought, I hope that through this blog you were mildly entertained. I enjoyed writing it. It started as a way to make my Mom and my grandmother NOT nervous about me going on this trip. I remember sitting down with them and having a drink up at Tahoe over Labor Day weekend and telling them where I was headed, and seeing pure concern in both their faces. More like pure fright. And so, the blog was born.

And then in an intoxicated moment at a happy hour a week before I left, I told my bud Prasanna Muraldiharan (did I spell it right Prasanna?) the blog address, and the very next day, I think he forwarded it to everyone he knew at Conor! Prasanna, I didn´t think you were going to remember it! No worries.

But it´s been fun, and also a way to remember.

I hope that through this blog, there can be some inspiration to go travel. I know it´s not for everyone, and not everyone has the means. But even if just for a few days, a week, a day. Go somewhere you have never been. You´ll never forget it.

See you back in the States everyone.
Ciao y nos vemos,

Dan