Leaving for Brazil
Ready for Brazil! My “plans” are 5 weeks in Brazil with Orla, my Irish friend, 4 weeks in Bolivia with Stephanie, an old travel partner from Canada, and 4 weeks in Peru with Corey, my old CEO and his daughter Chelsea. These are more plans than I have ever had going traveling. Usually I have a ticket and a lonely planet and that’s it. It makes me mildly apprehensive to have appointments to meet different people in different places at specific times. I’m sure the fun of traveling with friends will outweigh the hassle of planning around it.
And the end of my trip will be complete freedom like I am used to. I’ll be free to move about the continent in any crazy manner I want.
“Packing” is a whirlwind. While everyone else is out celebrating political victories and warm weather, I’m delivering my car to treasure island, deciding which tank top to bring and searching for nylon pants that didn’t make my crotch look miles long. I think I need to start producing attractive women’s travel-hiking pants. There is a huge gap in the market waiting to be filled.
Rucksack on my back, cell phone in hand, i board BART for SFO and my flight to Rio. Orla and i have spoken a few times and we have loose plans. There might be a driver form the hostel waiting for me, or Orla might be there, or I might take a cab. I like loose plans. I’ll figure it out when I get there.
After the frenzy of good byes, shopping, and packing, I’m looking forward to a long relaxing plane journey. Whatever i forgot is forgotten. Whatever i have i have and will hopefully have for the next 6 months. I will soon forget stress and worries and sink into my alter ego – dana, the American traveler from sf. actually dana will be dropped and i will soon become ‘that tall American girl ‘. Travelers meet too many people to remember names. we generally don’t even bother to ask them. we simply label people by their country of origin and an easily recognized trait like hairstyle, height, or weight. The short funny Frenchman, the bald American, the Canadian with dark curly hair, the dutch girl with pink shirt on. Life on the road is complicated so we have to simplify whatever we can. eliminating names is a clear win in simplifying interactions with strangers.
