Brazil, Colombia, and the return back home. A 2019 Recap.

It’s been a little over 5 months since I’ve been back home and the warm beaches of Itacaré feel like a lifetime ago. I’m sitting in one of my favourite spots (Liberty on Main) and am finally writing about the final leg of our trip. When I got back home, I feel like I got sucked into the vortex of my life. I was fortunate enough to jump right back into client work and slip back into the city.

Things have slowed down a little and I’m sitting down to reflect again on the last three months of our journey across South America.

Here’s a list of the most common questions I get:

Q: Favourite Place?
A: What a question! This is definitely the hardest. It is a toss up between Colombia and Brazil (specifically Itacaré)

Q: Best food?
A: Hands down Peru (maybe its just my bias). But Peru definitely has the most diversity of food, which makes eating out lots of fun.

Q: Scariest thing to happen?
A: Getting my passport wet on the W in Chile and crossing the border with nearly unrecognizable passport photo of myself. It all worked out okay.

Q: How was it travelling with Lauren for 10 months?
A: The worst! No, but actually it was the best. We actually had so much fun right to the end. And got better at learning each others’ needs and wants.

Q: Where would you go back to?
A: Northern Peru to do some climbing/trekking, Medellin to party some more and go to Spanish School, and Itacaré to lay on the beaches.

2019 was unforgettable. Truthfully, it makes 2020 pale in comparison so far. It’s been a slow stumble into the new year, trying to create momentum in my work-life. I suppose it’s part of the ebbs and flows of being in the creative field. I’m back and I’m slowly re-setting roots back in Vancouver.

Please do reach out if you want to connect 🤙

The final Stretch

We capped off the final leg with a wild road trip in the Salta region with Warren and Laura, beached around Brazil and explored Colombia.

Holy Salta. What can I say about it? It was the most fun being on the road with our great friends. Highlights include warren killing it at ‘remembering’ how to drive manual, all the lovely stray dogs, laying around in the sun and making “Parilla”. We managed to do an epic day long mountain bike ride and I’ve never felt that kind of pain from my saddle before. It was a treat to spend a month with such great company (Thanks you two!).

After a quick two weeks visiting Rio and the island of Florianopolis, Lauren and I parted ways for the first time in 7 months! Lauren had it in her goals to travel solo during this trip. I decided to find some time to volunteer as well. That led me to spending 5 weeks in the province of Bahia, which was absolutely stunning.

Volunteering through Workaway, I spent two weeks at Retreat Bela Natureza filming a video. The retreat centre is home to 12 healing dogs that live, play and work there. If you like dogs, you can have a watch here.

During my time in Bahia, I was lucky enough to experience the festival of São João. I would describe it as the Calgary Stampede, Canada Day and Halloween all in one. Our volunteer group went to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, and were met by 3 story tall Cowgirl statues, coloured flags, music, drumming and lots of firecrackers. It’s a festival rooted in the Catholic faith (St. John the Baptist) and celebrated traditionally by farmers in rural areas.

After my two weeks volunteering, I was reunited with Lauren where we spent the rest of our time in Brazil in Itacaré. This little fishing/surf town is an absolute gem and one of my favourite places during the trip.

Colombia was an absolute blast. I went there in 2015 for the first time and was determined to go back again. So much had changed, but the people remained warm, kind and welcoming. We capped off our our final two weeks at the Blink Spanish Immersion in Medellin. Blink is part school, hostel and restaurant and was definitely one of the highlights of the trips. I made new friends, finally learned how to Salsa, and experienced the nightlife of Colombia.

The question I get a lot is, do you miss it?

Of course I miss travelling! 10 months of new experiences, making friends, partying, laying on the beach, sleeping in, hiking, and endless adventures.

The bubble of Vancouver is very strong. I find myself slipping into the dullness of being the city from time to time. Maybe it’s an exaggerated sense of self importance. But what travel allows is that space to see the bigger picture. To remember the people and places I’ve met along the way. In stepping outside of my norm, the things that normally seem important become trivial.