Got my groove back

Before I left on vacation, I was dragging. A fight with a group of pain-in-the-tukus students over cheating and the grind of my routine were wearing me down. I came back from my five days away tired and a little bit sunburnt, but enthusiastic and happy. I realized yesterday that that was the first trip I had taken alone since being in Chile. Amazing, no? I´ve done so much traveling this year, but none of it on my own. I was reminded of everything that I love about traveling alone.

I can do whatever I want to. I can skip whatever I don´t want to. I can talk to everyone or no one at all. I can sleep all day or get up at the crack of dawn. I can walk for hours or laze around. I can make new friends a whole lot easier and speak way more Spanish. It´s a beautiful thing.

Plus, getting away from everything and meeting so many new people made me remember just how special I am for being here. I sometimes forget in the day-to-day at the institute, with my Chilean family, and with my gringo friends that no one in the world is exactly like me, and that most people aren´t anywhere close. It´s so nice to feel special.