Reflections and Gratitude, 2013

As I packed up my backpack tonight in anticipation of my departure to India this weekend, I stopped for a few seconds to take in the present moment. The smell of the worn backpack, the crispness of the new journal, the checklist of chicken scratch beside me. It was just nearly 1 year ago that I stuffed the same pack before departing on a yet-to-be-determined length of stay in South America. As the year comes to a close I can't help but reflect on what amazing experiences 2013 has brought me and I really just wanted to write some thoughts here to express my gratitude for the last 12 months of my life.

I am grateful to experience Christmas in Buenos Aires, to take in the gritty, yet absurdly picturesque streets of the city, to sip fine wine and eat delicious food. To travel on to the beaches of Uruguay and soak in the sun, to meet the dawn of the new year after an epic fiesta. To wander through Patagonia and take in some of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. To challenge myself physically trekking through mountains and glaciers and reward myself with new friends and memorable times. To find a new home in Santiago. To begin to teach yoga. To work and play and live in a foreign city and country, yet not feel strange and alone. To make lifelong friends and learn a new language. To find new adventures in Ecuador, surfing the coast, exploring the bustling capital city, rafting through rapids, hiking for hours on end and blissfully taking in the heat of the sun on horseback. To drift north to Colombia sharing travel experiences with new and old friends, sleeping in hammocks, dancing on the beach until sunrise, hiking through remote jungle and coastline and taking in the history of one of the most beautiful capital cities I have seen. To return to the United States and slip back into the warmth of family and friends. To experience the summer coast to coast in the US. To celebrate momentous occasions. To challenge myself to figure out what's next. To make the move to Austin. To start a new job. To begin a new chapter. What a ride......

If 2014 brings me even half as much joy as this past year, I will consider myself a lucky girl. Happy New Year to my family and friends around the world. More experiences to share after I return from India.

Cheers!
Cara

Adjusting to the "norm"

As I was taking a mid-afternoon lunch break from my recently acquired full-time job, I realized that the last time I contributed to this page was likely at the end of my life-abroad experience earlier this summer.  Although the blog originally was intended to journal my travel experiences, I think I'd like to continue to use the space to reflect a bit on life and such. I mean, to think back that it was less than 4 months ago I was living and backpacking around South America, yet how much has happened since, it's truly mind boggling...

I recently spoke to a very good friend of mine who I had met traveling in 2012. She is currently still on the road, backpack slung over her shoulder, and I have to admit catching up on life over skype was difficult. I developed a deep nostalgic feeling for the free and uninhibited life I had previously closed. The constant adventure that meets you everyday. The life where you might not be sure what you'll be doing or where you'll be in a week, month, year....Alas, she told me, "part of me is jealous of your situation....the security, comfort and stability....I'm tired." Moral of the story, the grass is always greener, but the conversation had me reflecting on this incredible year I have had, the past, present and future which has altered the course of my life infinitely.

Fast forward 3+ months from my arrival back to the United States and so much has occurred. I have been reunited with family and friends. I have celebrated weddings, births and changing seasons.  I have traveled coast to coast in the beautiful U.S. of A. I have embarked on further yoga studies surrounded by inspiring teachers and friends. I have begun a new life adventure living in a new city with a new job.

I don't take for granted the unconventional life I pursued for nearly the last 2 years, in fact, I know it was meant to happen. For without the thrill, the travel, the new experiences, the lessons learned, I would not be the person I am today. As 2013 comes to a close and a new year (and new decade for me!) begins, I look forward to the goals ahead, the travel that awaits and the adventures that continue no matter where I am in the world. Stay tuned for more from the day-to-day and a few more exciting times on the road.....

Colombian Heat

The weight of the humidity hit hard as I stepped off the plane in Cartagena, Colombia, however, as the taxi wove in and out of the old city streets en route to my hostel I could already sense it was more than just the oppressive climate radiating heat. I've said before in other places I've visited that you find a certain energy in the culture, the people, the lifestyle. But nowhere yet have I found this heated passion, this electrifying energy that seems consistent throughout the entire country. Perhaps it's the energizing music that is influencing sounds around the world, maybe it is the fact that Salsa and dance is a part of normal life, it could be that the population is extraordinarily good looking, or it is just that damn hot, literally. 

Clock tower, Old City Cartagena

My trip started solo in the beautiful caribbean coastal city of Cartagena. I spent my first few days exploring local neighborhoods, walking the streets of the historic old city, relaxing at the beach and adjusting to the heat. One afternoon I ventured by boat to Playa Blanca, as the name suggests a pristine white beach with crystal clear blue water reached via a 1 hour boat trip. I spent the night in a hammock listening to the waves crash a mere 6 feet away….blissful. 

Cartagena city streets at night

Relaxing at Playa Blanca

From Cartagena, I made my way about 4 hours along the coast to the city of Santa Marta, not known for much, but a gateway stop to the National Park Tayrona where I was eager to visit. Luckily, I found a fantastic hostel, The Dreamer, just outside the hustle and bustle of the city with a great pool, bar and loads of friendly travelers who became fast friends right away. After a night here, I spent the next 2 days in Tayrona, camping overnight. It really doesn't get much better than hiking in sunshine with breathtaking, untouched beaches on one side and lush green mountains on the other. 

Beaches in Tayrona

After Tayrona, I headed back to The Dreamer Hostel to plan the next part of my route. After a lively night out with new friends, we headed 1.5 hours further along the coast to the sleepy beach town, Palomino. 2 days and nights here proved to be the perfect amount of time to relax and enjoy. 

new friends and a party bus!

From Palomino, I headed back towards Santa Marta, to the hippie beach town of Taganga, a requisite stop on the gringo backpacker trail. In Taganga, I was fortunate enough to be joined by my friend Rena who was looking for a fun escape from NYC. Here for 2 days we enjoyed the beach, great seafood and a day of learning to scuba dive! 

Scuba Diving

After Taganga, we packed our bags and made the journey back to Cartagena where we would spend our last 3 days together touring the city, eating fabulous meals , enjoying the beach and making a few new traveler friends. As the weekend came to an end so did my trip in Caribbean Colombia and I said farewell to Rena and hopped a plane to Bogota, the capital city. 

One more stop at Playa Blanca

Rena and I enjoying a drink at Cafe del Mar

Bogota is huge. Like really, really overwhelmingly large. Thank god, I had a local friend, Felipe, who was kind enough to show me the best spots and introduce me to his city. After settling in at a fantastic hostel in the Candelaria district, Felipe and his girlfriend took me on a mini tour of city center and out to dinner at the most indescribable, oddly entertaining, Colombian institutions for a sampling of delicious bites and drinks among utter chaos. It was a blast and a great welcome to the city!

views of Bogota from Cerro Monserrate

Me and my Colombian friends at Andres DC

The following day, I played tourist and hit a number of museums and city highlights including the cerro monerrate, which offered a breathtaking view of the entire city. My last day in Bogota, I hit a few more tourist stops before meeting my Colombian friends for a late lunch and afternoon beer, after which I departed for the airport to head back to the U.S. 

Botero Museum, Bogota

Street art in La Candelaria

Colombia has been known for many defining characteristics during it's history, and unfortunately from the average US citizen point of view, in recent times it's mostly negative. But more than any summary of my 3-weeks traveling in a new country, I really hope to convey to my friends at home how safe, friendly and breathtakingly beautiful this place is. It was a pleasure to experience the passion and heat of this country and culture and there is still so much more I hope to see one day. 

With Gratitude

With bittersweet emotions, tomorrow I say goodbye to my life in Chile. I thought it best
to honor my experience by giving gratitude to the people who have made this past 6+ months ones I will never forget.


My Dear Friends of Santiago:

Thank you for allowing me to find and make myself at home, thousands of miles from what I had known.

Thank you for offering friendship and family, creating bonds beyond my wildest expectations.

 

Thank you for including me in trips near and far, from the parks in Nunoa to the ski lifts in the Andes, to the beach and beyond.

 Thank you for sharing your country, the excitement of the city, the beauty of the Sur and
the magic of the Norte.

Thank you for accepting language and cultural barriers, yet finding common ground to connect and communicate.

Thank you for helping me discover myself along the way of this adventure.

 Thank you for teaching me.

 Thank you for making Chile a place I will always know and care for in my heart.

 This is not goodbye, but rather, hasta luego...until we meet again.

 With Gratitude, Light and Love,

Cara


**Of course, thank you to my family and friends in the States for your support and trust this year. Without that, I'd truly be lost.

Ecuador: Ama La Vida

 As the sign greeted me with the national slogan "Ama La Vida" along the breezy beach amidst sunburned vacationers and salt drenched surfers I knew that it was more than just words that would show me to "love life" during my brief journey through this beautiful country.

My month in Ecuador began on the southwest coast in Montanita, a soft days/hard nights kind of surfer’s paradise. My stay overlapped with the end of the World Masters Surf Championship, so I was fortunate to be in the company of some awesome surfer dudes and chicks from the US, Australia, Venezuela and more.  During my days I took to some local surf lessons or yoga at Casa del Sol, where I stayed. And at night ventured to town with new friends for tasty cheap bites.

sunset surf

surf lessons

From Montanita, I continued 1 hour north along the beach to the small coastal fisherman village, Puerto Lopez. During my brief stay in this sleepy town, I volunteered at a local organization there, Clara Luna. During the day we assisted at the organization’s foundation for disabled children and adults and in the afternoons we enjoyed the beach and relaxed vibe of the fishing village. A few afternoons I was able to help out with the Club de Ninos, where we read and played with local children from the town. Before my departure, I took one excursion, a boat ride/day trip to Isla de la Plata (also known as the poor man's Galapagos) for some hiking and snorkeling. A perfect way to end my time on the coast.

Club de Ninos

Isla de la Plata

From there, it was time to connect with Holly, my friend from Santiago who I had planned the majority of the trip with, so after a rather uncomfortable 10 hour overnight bus ride (buses are nothing like they are in Chile!) I made it to the capital city of Ecuador, Quito. In Quito, we explored the city during the days taking in the beautiful architecture, churches and culinary delights.

From Quito, we wanted to visit the Ecuador section of the Amazon so we ventured to El Oriente via an overnight bus to Lago Agrio to get us, eventually, to the Cuyabeno Reserve. After 2 hours by bus and 2 hours by motorized canoe through the jungle, we arrived at Guacamayo Lodge and enjoyed a fantastic 4-day, 3-night adventure in the Amazon.  Days were spent swimming in the lagoon, hiking in the jungle, relaxing in hammocks and visiting a local community and Shaman. During the evening we enjoyed the company of the other fun travelers and delicious foods served by the lodge and, even one night, ventured out for a private paddle trip and night hike with our awesome guide Vin. It was so powerful and yet so simple to disconnect completely over those few days. I didn’t find myself missing email or Facebook, but rather looked forward to the time of day where I could see the sun set and moon rise at the very same time over the lagoon. Absolute bliss.

Canoe ride in to the jungle

sunset swims in the lagoon

From the jungle we headed back to Quito, but another overnight Ecuadorian bus ride was a bit much to stomach, so we opted to break up the trip with a short stop in Papallacta and enjoyed a night at the Termas (hot springs) before bussing back to Quito early the next morning. Our next destination was the Otavalo market, about 3 hours outside of Quito, it is known as the premier destination for Ecuadorian handicrafts, and it certainly did not disappoint! We spent a few morning hours browsing the multitude of stalls and interacting with friendly, if not a bit overly pushy, vendors. After settling on a few personal purchases and a few gifts to bring back home, we returned to Quito for another night before packing up all our bags and heading south to Banos.

our goods!

Banos was the town we had heard about from other travelers, but really had no expectations going in and it turned out to be one of my favorite stops! This is the place you go for any outdoor adventure sports you can think of: hiking, rafting, jumping off bridges…and then follow that with any kind of spa service you would want. We opted to rent bikes one day to explore the various waterfalls just outside of the main part of town as well as rafting the next day, followed by steam baths and massages! Day 3, we joined up with some new friends for a rather challenging hike up to the cabin of one of our bartender friends in town. After just barely making it through the freezing cold night, and unfortunately Holly getting quite sick, we made it back to town eventually and spent the rest of the day trying to recover. We thought it best to lay low and relax for another two days until Holly was feeling better enough to travel onward.

Waterfall bike ride

hiking "upstairs" with Roberto

steam baths

From Banos, we continued south to Cuenca where we spent 2 days and nights exploring the beautiful colonial city.

views of Cuenca

From Cuenca, we continued on to our last stop and furthest south, Vilcabamba. This small town gained recent notoriety as “the valley of longevity” since so many of its residents were living well into their 100’s. Thus, many gringos began relocating and it now serves as a mix of local Ecuadorians, retired Ex-pats and new-age backpackers taking in the beauty of the area as well as meditation, medicinal healing and vegetarian food that the town has to offer. After 4 blissful days, it began to feel like time really did stand still, alas, our trip had come to an end and it was time to head back to Santiago.

mountain horse rides

All in all, Ecuador was a country I knew very little about and had heard even less, yet surprised me to be one of my favorite places I have visited. A small, yet proud land filled with beauty, tranquility and, of course, friendly inhabitants. 

Namaste Series: I'm Teaching

So the hard work and challenge of Yoga teacher training came to a close upon leaving Austin, TX, and I have to admit, I had a strong mix of emotions at the conclusion. I was sad not to have our close group training sessions, I was anxious at the prospect of leading my own classes and I was uncertain as to what the next step in my yoga life would even be with this experience under my belt.

Upon arriving in Santiago, of course I scouted out local yoga classes for my own personal practice. After discovering there were virtually no classes to be found in the city in English (thank god for YogaGlo), I started trying various styles at local studios in Spanish. After a visit to a class at my favorite vegetarian restaurant, El Huerto, I met with the teacher who told me he was in need of some extra help during the week due to his shift in schedule. Que Suerte! I thought, how lucky to find an opportunity to begin my yoga teaching career. After a test run of teaching the teachers, I was hired for Mon/Wed night classes, with the intention of teaching in English while incorporating as much Spanish as I could. And that's when it sunk in….holy Sh*t!  What am I doing? I don't know if I'll be a good teacher? What if I mess up? I don't even know how to speak fluently in Spanish, how can I teach in another language? thoughts, nerves, anxious worrying swirled around for a bit, until I came to terms with my options. I could be scared, say no and go on about my day. Or I could be brave, face my fears and jump in.

It's hard as a beginning teacher to think about the teachers you respect and learn from and try and picture yourself at that level. And I finally convinced myself to realize that I'm not at that level yet, and hopefully I can be one day, and that every teacher had to have a first class. So with that intention, I started the journey of creating my own yoga community in Santiago.

Now, 6 weeks later, I am amazed at how enriched this experience has been for me and, I hope, for my new students. I have grown in confidence, I am taking risks in the studio and I am making new friends along the way. This opportunity has allowed me to aspire to grow my own yoga community, and specifically English speaking yoga community, here in Santiago. I've created a page for us to collaborate on this adventure, so share the love and give it a like! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Yoga-Santiago/101018096757664?fref=ts

I'm looking forward to the journey ahead in my yoga career. I can only my own positive intentions, spirit and challenges are impacting my students each time they step on their mat. Namaste.

A Life Abroad

View of the city from my Providencia apt

I apologize for the absence of posts for more than a few weeks now…Unfortunately, life tends to get in the way of some of our extracurricular hobbies and it has certainly been a busy one for me as of late.
But now, after beginning to find a balance and routine, I have finally begun to feel a bit more settled in a new life abroad.



Backtracking a few weeks, I was so privileged to be part of the Wanderlust Chile festival in mid- February.  3 days filled with yoga, music, nature and community in the beauty of Termas de Chillan (in the South of Chile). The yoga was blissful, the music vivacious and the energy contagious and, fortunately for me, I made some very dear friends from the experience.

Wanderlust Chile

In addition to new friends, I had the opportunity to experience a traditional Temazcal ceremony during the festival. Temazcal in Spanish refers to the small enclosed structure where hot stones are introduced, over which is poured an infusion of medicinal plants and water to produce steam. This creates a type of "sweat lodge" or sauna in which people are gathered inside for a ceremony led by a spiritual guide who uses chants, visualizations and meditation exercises among other tactics that serve to guide the emotions and group dynamics. The Temazcal is recognized as a place of ritual ceremony that improves the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being.  Percussion instruments and songs help participants release and express emotions, while assisting in the focus of the true purpose; connecting with mother nature. I am fascinated with learning about new spiritual activities and, this one in particular, was so impactful for its ability to open my heart, connect with the energy of the people around me and connect with mother nature. A few weeks later in Santiago, we were able to reunite with a Temazcal in Cajon del Maipo. I feel very lucky that I have been able to take part in this ritual both times amongst the majestic beauty of mountains and greenery.

Temazcal in Cajon del Maipo

Also in February, I had a wonderful visit with my mom who traveled over from the States. We spent two jam packed weeks touring Santiago, enjoying very fine cuisine, escaping to the Atacama desert for the weekend and relaxing along the coast in Valparaiso. It was so special to share my Chilean life with family from home and have a familiar face around. Definitely bittersweet to say goodbye at the end, but I have the excitement of looking forward to another family visit from my sister very soon.

Me and mom in Valparaiso

Now, back in Santiago and finding my groove, I have spent the last few weeks balancing a full time job with meeting new friends, taking advantage of the still-summer weather with outdoor runs and al fresco dining, teaching and practicing yoga (more on that later), planning some upcoming travel and even filming a commercial that will run in the USA in the spring!

Summer nights in the city

So it seems, the gypsy has found a state of being, staying in one place and creating a "normal life" at least for the moment….

Am I no longer a traveler?

It's been about 3 weeks since I've officially settled in Santiago, Chile. In that time, amongst the sweltering summer sun, I've moved into two different apartments, started a full time job, practiced and taught yoga and even started training for a half marathon. When I stopped this weekend to reflect on my life in the Southern Hemisphere thus far, I was almost put off. Isn't this relatively the same life I had not much more than a year ago? Isn't this idea of a routine and daily grind what I wanted to get away from? Is this boring? I felt perplexed. Perhaps I hadn't gone about this right, was purely "living" in a foreign land enough of the adventure my wanderlust craved?

But then I spoke with a friend, who helped put things into perspective, and as I stared out my window looking into the distant Andes mountains and he said, "but Cara, you are living in Chile...." Ah yes, there it was. I may not be hostel hopping or trekking mountains, but this is a new kind of adventure. One where I try and make a life for myself in a foreign city, amongst a completely different culture, set of values and language from what I am used to. I'd call it a "challenge" adventure.

My birthday has just recently passed and as I think about my goals for the last year I have in this decade I can only hope that I continue to challenge myself and others around me. For without a thirst for adventure and a true intention to make ourselves better people we won't ever change and wouldn't that just be...boring.

Patagonia in 12 Days

I'm not usually one to recommend rushing through travel. I am so grateful for the gift of time in the past year to savor and experience all the wonderful places I've been able to see. However, after realizing I needed to get back to Santiago rather quickly to get started on various work projects, I had to plan a pretty strict itinerary in order to see the parts of Patagonia on my list. I thought that my itinerary might be helpful to share with others as well as it would certainly fit well into a 2-week vacation taken from the states. Patagonia is such a vast area comprising the southern area of both Argentina and Chile, there are so many beautiful places to see and things to do. The best time to visit is December-February as it is summer, and don't let the icebergs fool you, it really does feel like summer! You can start on either the Chile side or Argentina side, but since I was coming from Buenos Aires, I started on the Argentina side first and flew to Ushuaia, Argentina for my first stop.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, known as the southernmost city in the world, is situated on a bay bordered by a mountain range to the north and the Beagle channel to the south. It is also where you can take a boat trip to Antarctica, but this is extremely costly and takes no less than 9 days (another trip!). Once I arrived, I opted to take a boat trip along the Beagle Channel where you stop at various smaller islands to see some of the indigenous animals and take in a spectacular view of the famous lighthouse (although this is actually not the most southern lighthouse I was informed). The following day, I took a bus to the national park where I was fortunate to meet two very nice Irish girls also traveling who I hiked with for the day and then later realized we were staying at the same hostel in the next town the following night. From Ushuaia, I took a morning flight to El Calafate, Argentina.

At the end of the world

El Calafate is a wonderfully quaint town with spectacular landscape. I really loved the hostel I stayed at here and found everyone to be very friendly, we even had an asado the first night I was there which was a great opportunity to meet fellow travelers, drink lots of Malbec and practice some Spanish. One of the most popular tourist sites to see is the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the only growing glaciers in Patagonia. It is also known for its spectacular ruptures caused by the pressure of the ice that creates small water dams in the lake and causing the ice to break off in grand, loud displays. It was a spectacular site and everyone cheered each time we witnessed an intense rupture. I did sign up to do a day tour of the glacier which included a guided mini trekking on the ice. I don't always love touristy attractions, but this was one not to be missed. The shear size of the glacier is really astounding.

Ice trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier

The next morning I took a bus to El Chalten (about 3 hours away). El Chalten is a small mountain village at the base of the Torre mountain, and its more famous neighbor, the Fitz Roy mountain. A small village indeed, there is basically two streets of quaint restaurants, hostels and lodges and the paths to both mountains start right from the town. The first day I hiked the Fitz Roy path, about 8 hours roundtrip, with a new friend I had met in Calafate. On the second day, I ventured out myself on one of the other shorter paths, and pretty exhausted, jumped back on a bus returning to El Calafate for the night.

View of Fitz Roy from the hiking trail

The following morning, I boarded a bus to Puerto Natales, Chile (about 5-6 hours) a small city in Patagonia Chile which is the primary tourist stop for those venturing into Torres del Paine National Park. I checked into a hostel and then hurried around town to rent camping equipment and purchase my food for the upcoming 5-day, 4-night trek I planned to take in Torres del Paine, known as the W trek. I was both excited and nervous for the trip as I figured it would be challenging (and certainly something I had never done before) and also I was a bit apprehensive to embark alone. Luckily for me, groups of travelers start the trek each day so it is quite easy to meet people that will take the same path as you for the duration of the hike. I was even more fortunate that I found some new friends I had met in El Calafate, the nicest couple from England, who offered to let me join up with them. We ended up having a great time, albeit extremely challenging. I really don't think I've done anything harder in my life to date. I think carrying everything on my back was really the hardest part, especially since we walked sometimes 25+ kilometers in one day! Even with the pain and exhaustion, it ended up being an experience I am so glad I took. The landscape is breathtaking and the adventure of the trip itself was a blast. Needless to say, I have never enjoyed a shower and warm bed as much as the night I returned back to Puerto Natales.

Torres del Paine

Camping for 1

unreal scenery

The next afternoon I hopped on a Sky Airlines (the best to use while traveling in Chile and surrounding) back to Santiago where I am now getting settled and putting together the pieces of my "living abroad life." I am excited to share what more is in store in the months ahead...

Sunrise the final day at Torres del Paine