I was sitting by myself on the plane with my thoughts as it flew over the last stretch of the great continent. This was not how I planned leaving South America. After everything we had been through traveling from the southern tip all the way to the equator, flying by plane seemed a lame way to depart. I had pictured myself traveling all the way to the northern tip of Colombia and waving goodbye to the continent I called home for over 6 months as I sailed away on a sailboat. However, because of time and safety issues, we came to a group decision to bypass Colombia and head straight for Central America and thus ease the worries of all those who care about us.
As I was in the air, I realized this was a fine way to leave. I was remembering my plane ride to Buenos Aires at the beginning of the trip. I felt like a scared little boy, unsure why I decided to leave home and all I knew for some need for adventure. My first couple days in Buenos Aires I began questioning why I ever thought about doing this and a part of me actually wished to go home. 187 days later, I again found myself on a plane. I no longer felt like a scared little boy, but a man. I had trudged down cold rivers, been stranded at middle of nowhere towns, skydived, rode horses to ancient sacred ruins, met vicepresidents, and most importantly, developed a stronger relationship with God. I am different. I grew up in South America and I realized on that plane, it was time to move on. I realized it didn´t matter that we were not going through dangerous Colombia because I already knew I could handle it.
So, its time to say my goodbye to this mighty land. Goodbye Argentina with your endless Patagonian plains, your hearty meals, and your tall mountain passes. Goodbye Chile with your wide glaciar fields, your jagged peaks, your beautiful blue lakes, and your vast deserts. Goodbye Uruguay with your beautiful sandy beaches. Goodbye Bolivia with your endless salt flats, your cheap prices, and your dizzingly high altitudes. Goodbye Peru with your rich history, your ancient ruins, and your kind vicepresidents. Goodbye tiny Ecuador with your diversity and your friendly little villages. And goodbye to all the places I did not see with your mystery that will draw me back once again.
Hello Central America with your new people to visit, your new places to explore, and your new adventures to unveal. I can´t wait to meet you.