A month after I turned 25, I left for South America with all of my belongings in one backpack. This marked my new beginning, my healing journey.
One year ago exactly I returned to the states, I am finally going back and sharing some never before seen photos of my journey in South America, along with details of the routes I took. This journey began at the end of 2023, when my potential clients inquired about their elopement in Patagonia. I was ecstatic at the opportunity for this dream job, but I had no idea how much this inquiry would change my life.
I lived in a van for 5 years, the nomad lifestyle was one I came to know quite well. But when I lost my van two months before leaving for Argentina, my whole world changed. I knew I needed some drastic changes in my life, I had to release my old self and accept a more mature fearless version of me, and this was my push to do so. This led to me minimizing what I owned down to a backpack in anticipation of this trip, I was planning on going to South America, with no return in sight and seeing how long I could last.
In January, I flew from from Seattle to Buenos Aires.
Upon arrival, I was finally able to meet my friend Reed. Reed and I had grown up in the same town, and somehow never met. Now he lives in Argentina with his husband, and we had a lot to discuss on the differences coming from a religous conservative background to where we are now. I am so grateful Reed was there to help us get settled, adjust to the time change, get cash, see the city, before moving onto El Calafate.
El Calafate-
is where the hitchhiking and wild camping began. I'll be honest, my first night wild camping I felt like I was doing something wrong. I had never just found a bunch of wild bushes next to a road and set up camp hoping no one would find me. I was anxious, scared, it was surreal this was now my life. But the next morning, we awoke to wild horses and their babies grazing in the fields around us. I couldn't believe being immersed in the wildlife, a continuous theme on this journey. My heart lightened, and I got to the road to stick my thumb out and ask for my first ride.
The first couple that picked us up luckily spoke english, and we had a beautiful ride with over to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. I had seen glaciers before, but not like this. The Perito Moreno Glacier covers an area of approximately 250–254 square kilometers (97–98 square miles), with a length of 30 kilometers (19 miles). I couldn't fathom how beautiful Perito Moreno was, I have never seen a blue as vibrant as the ice canyons carved between these walls.
Afterwards, we sidetrekked to the eastern side of the country, with the longest ride with the sweetest Argentinian couple, and our first Mate (mah-tay). We were on a mission to find penguins, and this opened up maybe what I might consider to be the peak experience of my life thus far. We got some beta from a local who dropped us off at a secured port, and hiked to a penguin colony where no other humans dared camp. I spent 24 hours studying penguins, living with them. respecting them, photographing them, it felt like I was on a National Geographic expedition. These creatures are amazing, curious, beautiful, and silly. I'm grateful they shared their home for a day.
From there, we made our way back west, and up to El Chalten. El Chalten was the location for the elopement, which you can read a whole blog on here. Afterwards, we hiked across the boarder on foot in Chile, bringing us to the second portion of this trip which you can read about and see after the gallery from Argentina.
ARGENTINA
CHILE
Upon crossing the boarder on foot from Argentina into Chile, we reached our first campsite. We could see the back of Fitz Roy, and wish it goodbye and we continued into a new country. The adventure had begun, but I was very surprised with what I was met with in Chile. The first part was getting to a family owned farm where we would be able to access a boat, and cross water to the beginning of the La Carretera Austral (Ruta 7), a beautiful 1,200 kilometer stretch through Patagonian Chile.
The problem is, the boat only runs when the weather is absolutely perfect, and we had just missed it by one day. We knew from beta we'd read online we could be stuck here a few days, but we did not anticipate it would be over a week. This forced a slow down, we made friends with many other hitchhikers and bikepackers that also were awaiting the boat transit. Some of these friends, I am eager to go and visit again someday, we all got very close being stranded and starving together haha. Notably, my friends in France are high up for me to visit.
After 5 days (one with a forced fast to make supplies last), we ran out of food. We could purchase small portions of Oats, Noodles, and Rice, from Maria-Luisa, our host. We were HUNGRY, and began asking the newcomers if they had any food upon arrival. We had a futbol game against the carabineros, played card games, picked flowers, and cold plunged in the most beautiful blue water you've ever seen.
When the ferry came and took us to the Villa O'Higgins, we were lucky enough to keep seeing our new friends all along the route, until eventually everyones pace took them on their own journey. I adore these friends and these memories, I will always think of you when I eat empanadas.
PERU
AHHH Peru. Perhaps my current favorite country in South America. There is so much vibrancy in Peruvian culture, and a beautiful variety as well. After months of Patagonia, I was ready for the change of being in the jungle. But the Amazon Jungle is just one of the amazing things that stood out to me. Cusco may be my favorite city in the world. Macchu Picchu is obviously a must. It truly does live up to all the hype around it, there's endless culture to experience and enjoy here. The Asangate Trek, also pushed me into the highest altitude I have ever been in. I consider myself fit, especially after months of backpacking. However when you're at 16,000 ft, carrying a HEAVY pack, I counted my 80 steps everytime before I was absolutely gassed going uphill. Everyone else had donkeys to carry their things, but my group wanted to raw dog it (hell ya). This elevation is no joke. Asangate was also quite a mountain to behold, we had many beautiful calming conversations, and I offered ceremonial coca leafs for safe passage and protection for our journey.
Hitchhiking in Peru was more difficult than the other countries, this is where people would pick us up and then ask us for money when they dropped us off at our destination. To avoid the launguage barrier and uncomfortable bargaining over what is usually a free ride, public transit became the preferred method of transportation. My hitchhiking partner and I split ways here, and he headed back for the states. I was now continuing alone for the first time, I said goodbye to my friends, and took the bus into the Amazon Jungle to meet my friend Laura. I had plans to go all the way to Columbia, but I had no idea how much was about the change.
Laura has a multi generational farm with her husband, baby, her parents, and brother. I wanted to visit my friend, and drop into farmlife in the jungle. I spent my days bushwacking, path building, gardening, watering, and eating VERY clean. I haven't experienced jungle life before, and this constant rain was quite different for a desert dweller such as myself. It was here that I got a phone call from a friend in Moab wanting to catch up, on this call he said:
“Hey, I have a 40 ft trailer I can't pay off and I'd like to sell it to someone else.
That isn't something you're interested in doing is it?”
I knew almost immediately, but after thinking about it for three days, I knew this was now my path. It was time to go home to Moab, This trailer was the home I'd be dreaming of my whole life, and I was going to renovate her top to bottom. Since it was already mid spring in the desert and getting hot soon, I knew I had to go home immediately.
I booked my flight home for three days later, cancelled my plans for Ecuador, and returned to where my soul feels best, Moab.
More on that in my next blog where I show you the renovations, for now, here is the remainder of my journey in Peru.
