When you hear the word “Patagonia,” the first thing that comes to mind is probably the warm, over-priced fleece jacket that the kid sitting next to you in class is wearing. Up until a few months ago, Patagonia was merely that to me – a sportswear brand. But, after taking a trip to the actual region earlier this year, Patagonia now carries much more meaning.
While I was in between jobs a few months back, after surfing what I like to call the “economic wave,” I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to challenge myself and do something completely out of my comfort zone.
When I learned about an Outward Bound (outwardbound.org) backpacking trip in northern Patagonia, I knew that was the trip for me. So I packed my bags, said goodbye to friends and family (because really, who knows if you’ll come back alive after taking off to go hiking in one of the most unexplored regions in the world), and began my (very) long journey to Bariloche, Argentina- the gateway to Patagonia.
Over the course of my two weeks in Patagonia, I had some of the most exciting, intense experiences of my life. Emotionally and physically, each day was filled with new obstacles to overcome and personal reflections to face. During the first week, myself and the other eleven people on the trip hiked about nine hours a day with 50-lbs. backpacks on, taking long siestas for lunch and shelter from the strong Argentinean sun. We learned to ration food and deal with the very uncomfortable reality of “food stress,” or, the emotional and behavioral ramifications of having a very limited supply of food. We also learned how to navigate our way through completely foreign terrain, manage our time as a group (because our health and safety depended on it), and stay (relatively) clean without any showers or even soap. After hiking countless hours through streams, up mountains, across landslides, and around valleys, I have to tell you- I was fairly exhausted.
Everyone in the group got a much needed break from physical activity – and from one another!- in the form of what Outward bound calls a “solo”. Solo is a day spent in complete solitude, with no people, books, music, or much food for twenty-four hours. While this may sound like torture, it was one of the best parts of the trip for me. This was probably the first time I went without the luxuries (or distractions…it depends on how you look at it) of music, the Internet, television, a book, or another person. Think about it- how often do you spend 24 consecutive hours completely alone without other people or gadgets to keep you entertained? It is almost impossible to do in today’s world, but if you ever have the opportunity, you should take it. I promise you won’t regret it.
After the solo experience, we spent the final week of the trip living in a small village called Cuyin Manzano. The purpose was to participate in several service projects to help the community. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the people of this village positively impacted my life more than I impacted theirs. It was great to help build fences and work on the construction of their community center. But, the service projects were not nearly as memorable or gratifying as learning how to make homemade bread in a stone oven, or how to weave a scarf, or conversing with the native Argentineans who welcomed us into their community.
One of the greatest challenges of this trip was trying to understand and adjust to a completely different way of life without judgment or resentment. Interestingly, the more you travel, the more you come to realize how similar people all over the world are- despite the perceived outward differences that often keep us from understanding and loving one another better. This realization alone made my trip to Argentina completely worthwhile.
My last night in Patagonia was spent in a small cavern on the top of a mountain, looking out at a breathtaking full moon. As I drifted to sleep, I could not help myself from thinking, “I’ve looked up at this very moon so many times, yet tonight, it looks completely different.” But that, I realized, was the reason I traveled to Patagonia in the first place. Not to see a new moon, but
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