Tag: South America

Did I?

June 30, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

Did I say goodbye to William properly? Parting sometimes had its challenges with the way we were moving in out of our own schedules and the schedules of the buses, flights and hikes we needed to make it to our next cities.

I had booked an abbreviated tour of Colca Canyon to his full day hike. I have a misty memory of it seeming way too early to say an official goodbye and when you hope to see people again in the next leg of your continental travel, goodbye gets even murkier. Many of us were not returning home just yet so couldn’t our paths continue to coincide. Feeling a bit of resistance to old routines and responsibilities, doing the work of giving our time to organizations continued to be more appealing.

We were equally reluctant when “see you later” was so much easier. Still knowing this might be the last time for then or for a long while, sunglasses doubled as protectants and a means to hide the abundant red eyes. One of the hardest times was leaving my first Peruvian home when the one exiting made their official goodbye speech during the regular weekday morning briefing.

We did our best, not too bad, treating the person to a special time maybe in the form of their favorite part of the city or their favorite local cuisine. Sandboarding was one goodbye and fortunately I did get to reconnect with those friends but there was always a worry.

I think the rub was not particularly always knowing how the next partition of travel would turn out, what days would correspond, where we would unwittingly linger, and where we would be mesmerized by more friends to add to the social media rolodex.

I think a lot of us must have worried if this would be the last time. Once the volunteering and backpacking was done, how often and how far would we be able to return. Staying in touch and follow up visits have not escaped us as much as we might have thought and the last time I made it all the way back to the very beginning of this adventure was not too long ago. I  think too long – but still a hopeful glimpse in how it can always be possible.

Sideways

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.

By chance

April 30, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

Kat said I should stay in the room with fewer people. (At this time in our life, fewer people meant 4) The thought seems so funny now. What seems so small when I look around my spacious apartment today was suddenly luxury in contrast to the other rooms available.

Back then, I grew accustomed to situations that were mainly just housing/homes in the midst of a lot of outside activity. There were hostels with just enough room and shared bathrooms and shared responsibilities and maybe circumstances did not matter so much then because we were younger (not necessarily young, some of us but not all, but just being younger in general) and maybe because we knew how fortunate we were to be in a situation where we could help others, maybe because this was temporary, and maybe just because we were on a mission. We could forget luxuries and space and privacy we had left in our originating homes.

Instant acceptance and understanding came through just Kat’s messages alone before we got to this in-person decision. Much more than the instant relief we were receiving from being impromptu traveling companions, I knew she was more than cool and gracious in the current goals we shared, and in our breaks (her from school life and me from work), we wanted to do something else that we felt needed to be done. We opened ourselves up to learning more about this region and naturally ourselves. Neither of us had a background in construction but were afforded the opportunity to be around a few people who happened to have this and to use our own unique skills and training in various ways.

I took her up on the room offering. The vacancies were proposed to us at the same time and her perspective made sense. Our first night was spent in a temporary space at a nearby hostel and there was even less room there. Yet, our hosts were gracious and sweet. We were happy to be safe and warm after a stiff bus trip. During that night, we had walked back over to hang out with the rest of the volunteers in the main house (more in Pleasantly Confused). We were surprised, we did not even need to meet the expectation we had to grow into our initial condensed space. We were quickly given the options of the proposed four-person room and her more occupied one just one day later.

She would be there for a few weeks to my intended six months although now I know I would be fine in a number of spaces, either way. In so many ways, I would be okay in a number of spaces and a bit stronger for being open to what was offered. What I saw was not always pleasant but added to my disposition and a lot was indeed beautiful. Kat had coincidentally helped me to the best place for me at the time, to one of my closest friends, who I will always adore.

I could have automatically disregarded my own comfort (as I sometimes tend to gravitate) and there may have been a different story and an opportunity missed but I was learning to take care of myself a little better while taking care of others. We need to be able to do both.

You May Go Home Again

AUGUST 29, 2019 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

You may always go home again. Yes. Despite the near contrary expression, I believe this to be true. Whether it be your home away from home, where you were born and raised, or just where you feel most yourself.

9 years after volunteering in Pisco, Peru, I was there again and welcomed with open arms by people I knew and to whom I’ve remained connected. I was welcomed by new “curious friendly” * stares as well. Truthfully, the latter was just as reminiscent of the comfort I found my first time in South America overall. I won’t say all is rosy, but the overwhelming majority of experiences are very receptive ones.

As I also travel back to Ohio to visit, I know going home to family is solely being wherever they have landed. You can always go home to family, to the loved ones that love you, no matter where they may be. The affection is multiplied by my brothers’ welcomes and from the extended family through them.

Changes, in my perspective, only reside in how we should grow. We should not want to be the same. We should want every day to be wiser and more comfortable in our own skin, but we can also know the significance of homes as foundations that can help us grow. Also, true for our passions. We can tell where we feel the most at home by what makes us come alive. Where we find our heart with people and energy is where we find our home and we should always be traveling there.

*Benny from fluent in 3 months

The curious friendly stares he describes are a good description of some nice experiences when abroad

Photo Credit: Pete Linforth on pixabay.com

Translate My Life: Post #16 and My First Blog Rant

 
MAY 19, 2019 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

Embarking on a path that is more about your passions is scary. Too often, we’ve been led to believe that feelings, desire and the drive for a calling is not what pays the bills or ensures a stable life, by any means. We might have been led to believe that we’re strange or even indecisive when all that is really happening is the perpetual getting back around to what really drives us. When the thoughts are, “isn’t there more” and “is this the life I really want”, then we can actually be thankful to all that is mighty that our persistent curiosity refuses to be stifled. You don’t ever want to be confused into losing this.

Compromising a couple of dreams for present security is not dire and I pause, because I don’t know if any of this is true for you, but it is a scenario with which I am all too familiar. I am describing me, so I don’t necessarily want to put this on others, but if you can identify, I am happy to be in good company. I know that all too often, it is the supposed order of the larger world beckoning us to fall in line.

However, I have to take note that the larger world’s modern technology and on demand access to certain principles have also helped fuel my focus. The nearly universal access to social media platforms like YouTube has been a blessing. Though social networks can be formidable with negativity, it has also provided the opportunity to connect to enhanced ideas and greater intentions. Many of the entrepreneurs and free thinkers I follow, (in addition to the books I’ve read and currently read) have reopened my tired eyes. The positive thinkers and generous achievers know the formula for being true to yourself, good to others and constantly striving to be better day by day. The formula is not always perfect (for anyone) but the right knowledge and intentions do help in staying grounded and again taking us forward to where we really need to be.

I don’t have to readily dissolve every grain available but putting together a lot of the ideas have gotten me back to some universal truths. I realize I am not going to be satisfied until I try all the paths along which my dreams are winding.

I plan on spending the rest of my time here, checking in on my progress. I welcome it. I continue etching out time to write, translate, travel and add in more activities as I go. One of the steps to drowning out the so-called order of stability has been growing my life as a freelance translator. I’m now happy to be translating and regularly taking part in events hosted by the National Capital Area Translators Association.

I go to my premiere stock trading meeting next week. (I’ll see if my practice reading the market is paying off as much as I feel it is. So far, I’ve made an extremely modest profit.) Following that meeting, I will attend an eCommerce, eFreedom (see update) event with my colleague. We are aware that one of the big pieces helping us focus more on community and our passions is reaching financial freedom. (I have no problem being obsessed with that goal as it translates into more time to do more of what matters to me.) There is family. There is volunteering. There are friends. There is travel. There is the global community. There is bliss on the other side of our efforts and along the proper path as well.

There are many challenges but let them not be issues simply for the sake of being a part of an ill fate, but rather let them be challenges for the sake of growing past limitations. Propel us all towards our meaningful goals. Let us not retreat into respective acceptable corners of stability with our respective creature comforts. Let us yell out through our actions of being true to ourselves and especially don’t let us be tricked because we are quite competent at our everyday non-passions.

Now that I’ve committed to this in writing and posting, I likewise challenge myself not to ride it out in the comfort zone. I have to also note when that comfort zone is cleverly disguised as familiar obstacles. (“Why is a known hell preferable to an unknown heaven?”)

It is going to be okay. It will be for me and for everyone that feels this way. We need to work that balance of not being too critical as well (of ourselves or others). It is only natural that the voices showing the path to what is deemed clear and normal are all too easy to find. This is why they are considered “normal” and they easily lay us upon the route of the least resistance. It’s easy to get sidetracked.

The future is the question to be answered. My current (aka past) goals are highlighted by my continued intentions to step outside the box.

We can help others by being true to our callings and though it may take us off the beaten track (a little or a lot), we can be forever grateful that our nagging dreaming feelings just won’t let us go.

Presently, I am happy to be participating and exploring a lot of what I only previously wondered about and I’m equally happy that I’ve taken some interesting chances with my adventures. Though I’ve been holding back, I’m glad to be putting myself out there both physically and mentally. The daring times have taught me the most about myself and what matters.

Like my post below (if you’d like😊) and share me – @riskysafetravels.com

I hope you find some useful and/or interesting information in the archives as well.

Yours truly,

Cassandra Johnson, blogger (riskysafetravels.com), volunteer, freelance translator, writer and aspiring swing trader

Update: eFreedom is something I do not recommend at all. It was a very costly and time-consuming experience and I would not want anyone to experience this as well. While I will spend money learning from entrepreneurs and teachers in various industries who are experts, this is one I would not revisit. It is very important that we make sure our sources are reputable and I want to let you know to do your due diligence.