The Awkward Traveler

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The Awkward Traveler has moved!

2 years ago

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Major

Me: I graduated from Maryland last year
Girl at bar: Oh, what did you major in?
Me: Anthropology
Girl at bar: Oh my god! I love that store!

2 years ago

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I Take a Trip to Tango

My latest contribution to Spin Earth, an article about Tango in Buenos Aires…

2 years ago

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So sorry I haven’t been updating. Life’s been a little crazy, a little nuts. I’ve been trying to keep busy, occupying myself with a new job and the illusion that I will take advantage of my free gym membership. One of these days I will, darnit!

Even though I just started my new job, I can’t wait to go on vacation. This time I won’t be alone on the open road. I’m trekking to the Pacific Northwest with my family. It should be interesting, after all my independent travels, I can just sit back and let my parents do all the planning and worrying. Im just going to sit back and relax. Additional side note: my sister will be of age in Canada so we will be doing some heavy drinking.

Hopefully, Ill see you guys on here more often…

PS. Susanna is coming home this Friday!!!

2 years ago

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WELCOME BACK

I’ve been home 1 week, 1 day, 3 hours, and 29 seconds. I’m already back to work and already back to the grind. South America seems like a distant a dream. A land filled with a strange language I no longer remember. A land where I lived a life as a farmer, barman, and Latin Lover.

Here in Maryland I’m a bland suburban dude. Drive to work. Eat Panera. Bicker with family.

I long for relaxing days and never ending nights.

That’s not to say I haven’t been enjoying myself. It’s been great to see old friends. This weekend I’m throwing an Argentine dinner, trying to recapture some of the old magic. We’ll see if it works.

2 years ago

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Broken Bolivian Bones

Ah jeez. This one´s a doozy. Me and Maya had been enjoying our travels, eating at all you can eat buffets, visiting 7 colored mountains, and Moon Valleys. But then she had to go and do something stupid.

We were on day 2 of our 3 day jeep trip through the Bolivian Salt Flats and we came upon a big rock field. Fun to climb and fun to photograph. Fun until Maya fell off a boulder and shattered a bone in her foot and realized she would need surgery. Luckily our fellow jeep-goer was an orthopedic surgeon…

What followed was maybe the most intense 24 hours of my life. Rush to small Bolivian pueblo for X-Ray and cast. 5 hour jeep ride to bigger city so we could catch a bus to La Paz (Bolivian Capital). Got to bigger city and realized there were no available seats. After some scrambling the bus company offered to let us stay where the bus drivers sleep… in the luggage compartment under the bus. It was actually pretty cosy minus the fact that we were locked under a bus for 10 hours and only could get out when someone remembered to get us some fresh air.

Eventually we made it to La Paz, Maya hopping on one foot the whole way, and went straight to the airport. Spent hours trying to get Maya the first flight home until we realized it wasnt until 6 am the next morning. Hung out at the airport all day, got drunk at dinner, and said goodbye to Maya.

So where does that leave me, you might ask. Well, due to my lonely bank account and being without fellow travler, I´ve decided to cut my trip short. Im still in La Paz, going to explore the city and nearby Lake Titicaca, and then flying to Bogota Colombia to spend my last days in South America.

So this means Ill be back in DC on May 27th. Ten short days from now…

3 years ago

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The Road

Oh hey there. Writing from Cordoba, Argentina. Back in my home country after a short jaunt to Chile. According to the news, Swine Flu just reared its ugly head in Argentina. Luckly we´re bouncing out in about a week.

Below you´ll find some highlights of my trip so far:

Maya won a game of Bingo on our bus to Santiago. Her prize, a bottle of wine. Sadly, said bottle broke in her pack a few days later.

Showed up in Chile and asked someone the time. Misunderstood 12 for 2 and lived 2 hours ahead for a whole day. Only figured it out when our alarm went off at 8:30am and it was still completely dark outside.

While watching EVENT HORIZON at a cheap motel at 2 in the morning, noticed a small bug which looked like lice/crabs and freaked out. We understandlingly stripped, showered, and demanded new sheets.

Got sick and threw up in a cafe in Valparaiso.

Rented a bike and went on a tour of 2 vineyards, a olive oil factory, and a chocolate/liquor factory outside Mendoza. Got drunk and barely was able to bike back to town.

Until next time….

3 years ago

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