South America: Culturally and Naturally beautiful. My Spanish improved massively while there which was my intention of going as well and seeing so many of my old friends that I hadn't seen in 3 years was nice. It felt as if nothing had changed like stepping back in time while I was in Chile. In Patagonia the views and hikes were breathtaking and spiritual. The mountains seemed to exist in a world of themselves, one that wasn't effected by world politics or news, they were just there to be appreciated. Argentina was a mix of my highest highs and my lowest lows, I had a lot of misadventures and spent a lot more money then I had intended to. Yet I also had some of the most amazing nights and experiences from glacier trekking to tango dancing. I also learned a very very important lesson here, just keep smiling.
Antarctica: The most incredible place I have visited in my entire life. There are not words to express the sheer amazement that being surrounded by ice and sunlight in every direction with zero human contact can give you. The silence produced by the lack of any "city" noise, no planes, cars, businesses just the sound of the boat floating in the bay. The world seems so big when you reach such an untouched and pristine location. The way the water and glaciers and sunlight decorate the landscape and reflect back the colors of each other were enough to memorize and captivate every one of my senses for hours on end. I can not believe I had the opportunity to visit this continent and I am already looking forward to another journey back.
Europe: The continent I had traveled most previously, I wasn't sure what to expect for my trip. Originally I had intended not to visit any of western Europe and focus primarily on the Eastern side however plans change and when I had to go to the Netherlands for my credit cards I found so many amazing moments from all over Europe that I hadn't anticipated. The biggest lesson I learned though was how to be okay being alone and taking time for myself. How to enjoy a meal by myself and sit and read on my own. Long term travel can be hard because there is never a weekend, time to relax and chill, because I feel as if I'm wasting a day in some incredible city if I'm not doing a million things at once. In Italy I really appreciated each and every meal, enjoying even if on my own whether I ordered 2 or 5 courses. In Germany I took time to just sit in the sun behind the East Side Gallery on the grass over looking the water with a beer in my hand and no worries. Europe also gave me the amazing opportunity to reconnect with so many of my friends that I had made over my previous months, most notably my road trip around Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria with Emma, my fellow bikini girl from Antarctica.
Africa: One of the biggest continents I only saw a very small segment and mostly Southern Africa. However all 4 countries were very unique in their own way. The political situations, and cultural ideas were unlike those of any other place I traveled to. The wildlife blew my mind, watching elephants break through our fence to eat our vegetable garden, camel riding in a desert, and swimming with penguins. I think a lot of our perceptions of what countries in Africa are gonna be like is framed via massive generalizations, while yes I saw devastating poverty in places I also saw progressive and modern cities in others and everywhere I saw the most carrying and amazing people. Being able to volunteer on my trip meant a lot to me because it helped me feel as if I was actually doing something even if for a few weeks instead of just traveling and eating and exploring.
Oceania:
Asia:
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