We travelled to three new countries (four if you count the connection in Panama). In total, we took ten flights on five different airlines. We faced a cancelled flight and a missed connection. It seemed everyday brought a new experience and interesting unplanned activities. One of the greatest unexpected joys were found in the people we encountered and the stories they shared. In essence, they became part of our story. The trip was definitely an adventure at many levels.
.
 |
| Dallas Jan 31, 23 |
We intentionally choose this experience as the start of our 10-year plan. We wanted to see new things and travel while we still have the health to enjoy it. We knew we were spending money that more conservative thinking would suggest we hang onto - for a rainy day. But we believe tomorrow is not a certainty. The good Lord has us in His hands and we cannot predict the future. So, we will seize our time and make the most of it. Living la Vida Loca!
The phrase “la vida loca”, translated from Spanish, means “the crazy life”. It is something you may say when you are doing something out of the ordinary, or on the wild side. This may be used to refer to a person who is living with a “no regrets” kind of style, someone who's cool, fearless, and does whatever they want.
 |
| South Beach Feb 28' 23 |
These two photos were taken at the bookends of our trip. A month went by so quickly. The trip was really divided in half with Jordan and Eliana's wedding in Manaus and prior to that Chile and Argentina. I have written much about the trip in previous blogs. Specifically, the highlights from various activities. So here I will provide a high-altitude perspective.
Setting the wonderful wedding aside, four activities exemplify our approach to living la Vida loco. Sitting in thermal hot springs in the high Andes, gathered for a family style meal with fellow sojourners eating great food and drinking wine until after midnight, getting drenched in the falls of Iguazu, and the surreal experience of swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon. Each of these exemplify our wanting to approach the adventure at the edge, and maybe a bit beyond, of our normal. Stretching our sensations by living beyond ourselves.
Experiencing new cultures is invigorating! Challenging! At times confusing, at times a little frustrating. It is like a sport or a puzzle. Maurina and I enjoy the challenge of putting the pieces together. Admittedly it was difficult when we left a comfortable Spanish language and entered a very foreign Portuguese language. That was a stretch, but we survived with a lot of help from Jordan. I had previously spent time in China and Japan and the language challenge was similar.
Clearly as I reflect on the trip, the best part may have been experiencing it with Maurina. Obviously, we spend a lot of time together anyway. However, experiencing new things together was awesome. After almost 45 years, we understand each other's rhythms very well. But for whatever reason, adapting to each other's needs in new situations, was fun. Rather processing through a new experience, or just sitting together quietly with our own thoughts, our time together was amazing.
Our bags have barely been unpacked and we are already talking about our next Grand Adventure. "The world is our oyster" is how the saying goes. The door to a large and wonderful world is just waiting for us to walk through. We can't wait to see what is next.
For now, and always, cheers!
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment