June 29, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson
William seemed particularly obsessed with his book on traveling through South America on a shoestring budget. This struck me because the guide seemed more like what would be appealing to me, but I was not as moved.
Once I was all set finding a great deal for a flight and lodging to my first South American country, I was considerably satisfied.
This is not to suggest I no longer get hyped for great bargains. I just consequently found I do not mind some spending room as well, especially when the service or product is well worth the marked or bartered price and let’s say it is not: I can only work with what I know and forget about driving myself crazy otherwise.
Priceless is also not just a cliché. The dividends I’ve gained in relationships and generally living abroad are nothing to which I could ever assign money.
His book was intriguing to me however, but before knowing him, I turned my attention to National Geographic and/or Lonely Planet and my beginner travel guides turned from easy accessories into their own kind of mementos. After consulting one or the other before heading out to covertly or not so covertly, (depending), examine them during my stays, they became a reminder of the experiences, getting to be a weathered reminder of the physicality of actually getting to be there.
Fortunately, William came to be interested in my National Geographic Peru edition too. I had it pretty much tucked away during my disaster relief efforts, where I met him, where he asked at the time when I was I was coincidentally leaving for Arequipa, why not go together.
I was learning firsthand about the city and my nearby areas, including the scenic routes and getaways, I was flipping through the guide again now that we found ourselves in Arequipa. I was looking at him a little sideways when every place we ate had to be a good deal. I wanted him to be careful. I wanted him to know there is a lot of good cheap food but some days, sometimes, food and other deals are hit or miss. Plus, I give him credit, he did not mind spending on official tours and hiking. Maybe I could ease up😊 but I kind of liked teasing him.
I knew spending just a little more in addition to some pampering and splurging had its place too, especially now that we were taking a bit of a break from roughing it. (We were not always roughing it, of course) Social life was still good, chill, relaxing, exuberant, saying more about we actually needed to have a good time and even before leaving for this trip and being with the rest of the group, there was sitting by the pool at a nearby resort, walking by the nearby ocean in our own city, a trip to the central market, pasta dinner and ice cream by the sand dunes. Pisco sours at the local bar. Luxuriating is also therapy. Perhaps, I could convince him. Perhaps, we were afforded more even more of a thrill now for not always having it and following long days of work. For now, I would need both my deals and my excess.