Colombia. 

First things first. Gotta get the name right. Note the cOLOmbia rather than cOLUmbia like the outdoor gear company, or Washington DC (district of columbia). Ok, now that we have that out of the way we can continue uninterrupted with our discussion of Colombia, and it’s a great place to talk about.

After leaving the incredible wildlife of the Galapagos in Ecuador, I was on my way to Medellin via a quick stop in the capital of Bogota. You might recognize the name Medellin if you’ve seen the hit Netflix show Narcos or ever watched any documentaries on drugs and the infamous Pablo Escobar. It certainly holds an indelible image of danger which sits well with many who enjoy hit shows and documentaries. But it also gives Colombia a bit of a bad reputation, and that’s something that the country is trying very hard to change. And for good reason! Colombia is a shell of what it was 25 years ago and that’s a good thing. Tourism is taking hold of many cities and I was able to see some of that firsthand.

In arriving in Medellin, I was also reunited with my wonderful girlfriend Nessie. I arrived there before her so naturally I rounded up the first hundred people I could find and got them to shout and clap as she came through the arrivals gate. Only kidding, they were already there looking for their own loved ones. We would be staying at her uncle’s home and he kindly came and picked us both up at the airport. He had a wife and one daughter who were waiting at home and had food ready for us. That was a big change. I had gotten used to hotels and hostels where you had to get everything done yourself and suddenly I was being asked if I wanted food, drinks, and anything else I wanted. It was a great experience of Colombian hospitality and it wasn’t close to ending.  Their home was beautiful with a Christmas tree and wreaths, bells, and other decorations dotted around the house. It was also impeccably clean.

We spent a few nights in Medellin including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The first few days were fine enough visiting different tourist spots within and on the outskirts of the city. But the best part was taking a drive through the “pueblos” or small towns just outside the city.  They each had beautiful squares lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. There were loads of street vendors littering the blocks and people everywhere appreciating the lights and festivities put on for Christmas. But they weren’t congested with people. Instead there were just enough to make it feel like the places to be. I ate pan de bono (sweet bread), empanadas, and plenty of blackberry juice. I also had this amazing dessert that was a type of pastry filled with a jelly that came in endless varieties. I tried the blackberry and maracuya (passion fruit) and was stuffed in the most heavenly way. It was the type of day I tend to appreciate much more now at 26 than I did back in my early 20s and earlier.

It is an unfortunate case that many times when you begin to feel comfort in a place, that is the precise moment when you must leave. And so it was that the next morning me and Nessie took an early bus to the smaller city built into the Andean mountains called Manizales. I loved the weather there, it was chilly and generally drier. I think I craved the cooler weather because my biological clock was telling me that winter had come back home. In any case, we were picked up by one of Vanessa’s cousins after a rather nauseating bus ride through the winding mountain roads. We went to their grandmothers house and met some other cousins that day. Their grandmother is something incredible. She is in her mid 80s but could walk up hills and move around the house faster than I think I even could!  A very strong woman, but incredibly young at heart. A beautiful duality.

Well look at that, I’ve gone and become carried away with myself on Colombia. There hasn’t been much excitement yet in this amazing country but don’t you run away just yet! There’s more excitement than any of us can handle coming up in a later installment of Colombia.  Until then!

Wild Galapagos part two

Beyond the vastly different lifestyle the Galapagos afforded me, I also saw so much great wildlife and incredible views. On weekends, all of the volunteers would share a taxi to the main city on the island, Puerto Baquerizo. You don’t need to go far to see plenty of moaning and groaning sea lions. It’s quite an orchestra really. They’re everywhere and they can take over beaches and boardwalks. Less frequent but still not difficult to spot are marine iguanas. These ones were really amazing to see for me because I had an iguana named Greeny when I was a kid!  Before you make fun of my lack of creativity in pet names, just recall that I’m an accountant. Though these guys are trying to change that perception.

Anyway, back to the wildlife. There is a small rocky bluff of an island just off the western coast of the island where I was staying. The name of this bluff is Kicker Rock, though it’s known as Leon Dormido (sleeping lion, which it resembles) to locals. But that’s not the special part of this rock. It’s the marine life just below and around it. I did a snorkeling trip there and swam 30 feet above hammer head and Galapagos sharks!  Also, there were sea turtles, more sea lions, marine iguanas, and many fish. But I think the best part of that excursion was the part we didn’t pay for. As we were beginning to leave the rock, a HUGE pod of dolphins started swimming past us. We followed them and they ended up jumping out of the water all around us. It was an amazing experience to be among those incredibly smart and gorgeous animals.

As my trip began to come to a close, I said goodbye to my fellow volunteers whom I’d been living so closely with for so long. To finish things up, I decided to take an overnight trip to the next island, Santa Cruz. But here’s the twist. My largest bag holding most of my clothes and a few other things was left in the first island right on the pier. I realized as I arrived in Santa Cruz that my bag wasn’t there and put it together. I began to freak out in my mind a bit, but then I thought about it. I had my passport, laptop, phone, and all other valuables. I would be seeing my girlfriend, Nessie, in just a few days and I could ask her to get me additional clothes for me before she left. The biggest issue would be getting a new bag, which would merely set my budget back a bit. Not life altering. So I made a decision. I was going to forget about this for 24 hours until I returned to the island and enjoy Santa Cruz as much as possible. So I did just that.

I saw the Charles Darwin research station where lots of exhibits of current projects were on display. The islands are working very hard to become totally self sustaining, not an easy task. I also saw lava tunnels, giant tortoises (a few of which were trying to show off baby-making skills), and a beautiful beach know as one of the nicest in all of Ecuador. It was a great time. Thankfully, when I returned to San Cristobal there was a police officer waiting for me. No no, not because I was caught breaking any laws. They had found my bag and searched it for security reasons and found out I was returning on the boat that morning, so they brought me to the station and gave me a bag. But not before taking a picture to memorialize the moment they got to interact with a real life gringo!

And so I made my way back to mainland Ecuador in Quito for a quick one night reunion with the wonderful family that housed me on my way into the islands. Ecuador was a beautiful place with kind people and incredible wildlife. I didn’t get to see very much of the mainland but I cannot complain about any of the experiences I had there. I could only bask in them and look forward to more great times in Colombia!  Stay tuned for the next post on what I consider my favorite stop on the trip!

Wild Galapagos

For a continent that enjoys moving at a leisurely pace, things sure have been moving quickly!  It’s been over 2 months since I ventured out of my north New Jerseyan hole and into the vastness of South America.  It’s been a great ride, but that’s expected when you stop working and don’t stop visiting new places and meeting new people for any length of time.  Unfortunately, the result of this is that I’ve been enjoying everything so much that I haven’t been posting very much about it!  So I’m catching up here with Ecuador and all of the amazing animals and people that I’ve met.

Ecuador started with some pangs of homesickness.  I had just recently surpassed my longest trek away from home of 2 weeks and was leaving the people that I had met in Peru for this new country.  But I had lots to look forward to!  And I would soon figure that out.  I arrived in Quito, the capital on a Sunday afternoon and was picked up by the kind women running the homestay for volunteers in the Galapagos.  I was given lunch and immediately invited to go out with their family as they were taking their grandmother to some shops.  It seemed like a normal enough thing to do with people I just met, so I tagged along.  I got a nice taste of the holidays that I was missing with some Christmas trees and plenty of holiday shoppers.

I couldn’t have asked for kinder hosts in my very short stay in Quito.  The next morning, in my comfort of their beds, I nearly overslept my flight!  I arrived at the airport not more than 1 1/2 hours before my flight would take off but thankfully it was a light day in the capital’s airport and I made it very easily.  Before I knew it, I was touching down in the Galapagos Islands.  This archipelago was previously named the Enchanted Isles and I find that name very fitting.  There is a surprising history behind these islands, including authoritarian communities that have repeatedly come and gone, pirates, and of course an inspiration to the magnificent Charles Darwin.  These all go without yet mentioning the incredible wildlife that calls these islands home, many of which are found nowhere else on earth.  But enough with the history lesson.

I arrived at the airport and was picked up by a kind islander man who drove me to the nature reserve where I would be volunteering for the next 3 weeks.  I was both excited as well as nervous.  I would be living, working, and spending free time with these people and had no idea who they were.  I had plenty of thoughts running through my head as the trees and people and sights raced past the window of the pickup truck that carried me.  Thankfully, I had no reason to be worried and the kindness of these people was quickly evident.  I wasted no time getting to work as I started pulling together old barbed wire to recycle and reuse later within the first hour of being there.

Life in this nature reserve included basic beds with mosquito nets (but private rooms!), simple bathrooms, and lots and lots of tuna.  Food was all included as part of the deal and many meals included tuna with pasta or rice and other delicious food.  Those meals were everything for me.  Working outdoors from 8-12 in the morning then 2-5 in the afternoon meant that food wasn’t just something to do 3 times a day, it was sustenance to make it through each leg of the day.  It might sound a bit silly, but it was enjoyable to really feel like I needed the food I was eating.  And it made the food taste even better to be so hungry.  Anyway, I’m getting a bit carried away with simple food talk so I’ll digress from this little  episode.

You might be curious as to what type of work I was doing for three weeks in the jungle of the Galapagos.  Most of the work was repeated at different points in my stay and included planting different vegetables in the organic garden, maintaining the trails surrounding the volunteer camp, building a new fence to keep pesky cows out of the property (and from eating the plants there), and most notoriously, cutting down blackberry bushes.  More affectionately known by the Spanish name, mora, cutting those blackberry bushes was no easy task.  This work usually meant getting plenty of mosquito bites, getting scratched by the thorny branches, and sweating…a lot.  But I loved it.  Mainly because I got to use a machete but also because I just loved the feeling of working outdoors.  It’s been a welcome change to being in cold offices for long hours the past 4 years.

Since this post is getting a bit long, I’m going to cut myself off but check in for the second half of the Galapagos in the next post.  There’s a twist there you don’t want to miss!

Goals

Well, being that its New Year’s Eve, I think this is a better time than ever to talk about goals, especially because they’ve been on my mind for some time now.

Goals are a hot topic. They are the reason for success both individually and as a human race. Without goals, our determination and direction in life would probably wane. There are a few things that go a long way in being able to achieve goals and I’d like to share some tidbits I’ve found come to find as quite useful.
1. Sit down and write a list of goals. Start with short term goals and work your way out in time (1, 3, 5 years). Isolate it down to 1-3 bigger goals and a few smaller ones so that you can appropriately focus on them.

2. Research your goal. Has anyone else ever done this before or is there a community that has a common goal with you? Social pressure can work in your favor.

3. Visualize your goal being achieved. This doesn’t just need to be in your mind. For example, if your goal is to travel throughout South America for 6 months, travel there for a shorter period of time and give yourself a tease of the benefits of achieving the goal.

4. Remember that it doesn’t matter what others think of your goal. Don’t be distracted by dogma. If it is your goal, it is you who will enjoy the fruits of your hard work when you achieve it.

5. Map out steps over time that will allow you to see the progress you make. If you are saving money for a big goal, track your savings and progress to the final total.
These are some of the tools that I used to reach goals and will continue to use. Everyone is different but this may serve as a good starting point for you. Remember that the only person who is stopping you from achieving anything is you, despite how easy it may be to blame others for shortfalls. Hold yourself accountable and you will find yourself to be a much stronger person and your goals will find themselves much more frequently completed. Best of luck and I welcome any suggestions on good tips for checking off goals!  Good luck to all and enjoy the last hours of 2016!

Peru

It’s been an incredibly fast 2 weeks here in Peru. Starting things off, I spent a few days to acclimatize to the elevation in Cusco (roughly 11,700 feet). Me and a good buddy explored many of the great things that this fascinating city has to offer. 
It is the oldest continually inhabited city in the americas and certainly has its charms. From the cobblestone streets to the beautiful churches to the insistent street vendors, there’s something beautiful about this place. Just don’t climb any stairs too quickly or you’ll find yourself gasping for air.
But of course the biggest reason for this city being so popular today is because of the tourist attractions including Machu Picchu. We decided to take the more difficult route of the Inca Trail for 4 days to see this world wonder, and I’d strongly suggest this route as opposed to the cheaper but less rewarding train option. Being able to learn about Incan methods and ways of life as we best know them was an amazing experience as much as climbing massive Andean mountain passes and trekking through heavy rain in the cloud forest. 
The best part about the hiking was the challenge. There is no feeling quite like pushing yourself and both figuratively as well as literally climbing the mountain. If you’ve ever seen the move the shawshank redemption (and if you haven’t I’d strongly recommend it), the moment when Tim Robbins reaches his arms up in exclamation in the rain, summiting a mountain is much like that, with perhaps a less favorable camera angle and lighting. We can’t all be Hollywood famous actors/actresses. 
Of course, when you do these sorts of things, bonding with the people you go through these experiences with is quite inevitable. But that is my favorite part! Being able to share experiences, even with people you’ve never known who live half a world away (quite literally!) is something you can’t really buy and it’s why I love traveling. Whether it’s a simple experience like sharing some beers or climbing a mountain, nothing can replace the feeling of sharing it with others. 
The next stop in Peru included only more of this as I took a bus to Arequipa. The backdrop of this amazing city is a set of 3 volcanos surrounding the city to the north. I took a walking tour to get to know this fascinating city a bit better and then booked a 3 day tour through the colca canyon. This canyon is apparently the 2nd deepest in the world and is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon! I would need to be convinced that the view was as gorgeous as the Grand Canyon was, but the view was awe inspiring nonetheless. 
In descending the canyon, we learned that local people would hike up to the top for over 3000 feet of climbing and then trek the many miles to Cuzco through mountains and passes. And this was all for the sake of trading and selling goods. This was some time ago in history but showed me just how hard people had to work in a day and age that is not too far from our own today. 
When we finally reached the bottom several hours later, it was a great feeling. Although climbing down doesn’t have the same metaphorical meaning as climbing up, it is still challenging and rewarding. Particularly when there is a beautiful oasis waiting for you. I must say, swinging in a hammock as the sun sets over canyon walls bending back and forth with a pool ebbing back and forth just beside you is a wonderful sight to see. I’m quite thankful for this because the next day was an even greater challenge to climb over 3,500 feet with a 20+ pound backpack to carry.
We woke up at 5:00am to be able to make this hike up with no sun beating down on us. Starting out I was feeling great and taking each step vigorously. But towards the last third of the hike, my legs became tired and I was moving very slowly. Thankfully, I bumped into a new friend who was having a tough time as well and our conversation carried us the last stretch up to the top of the canyon where our groups were waiting for us. It was once again a great feeling to make it to the top and we took some nice pictures to celebrate. The rest of the trip would be much more relaxed as we took a bus from breakfast to some lookout points of the canyon and then to a hot spring where we recovered from the heavy morning hike. After that, it was one last viewpoint at over 15,000 feet above sea level looking at volcanos in every direction before our final descent back to the city of Arequipa. 

It was an amazing time in Peru having seen the beautiful cities of Cusco and Arequipa as well as countless Incan ruins and other picturesque views. There were challenging days and easier days all making for a well rounded experience of seeing a small sliver of what Peru has to offer. I’m glad that I was able to see these things but wish I could have seen even more. I’ve made a list of tips for traveling to Peru which can be found here. It’s a beautiful country and one that I’d urge any of you to choose to visit someday!

Realization

For those of you who have not worked in the professional services industry before, realization is the profitability of projects that a company is engaged to perform.  In more personal terms, realization is the point at which you are fully aware that something has become a fact or when you achieve something desired or anticipated.  Of course, you all knew that already, but I say that for a reason.  That reason is what my recent posts have been leading up to, which is this trip to South America.  Today, one of my goals will come to a realization point as I am flying to Peru and will not return from this southern continent until May 2017.  This trip is the realization of a long awaiting dream and as you can imagine, there are plenty of mixed emotions.  Anxiousness and pure excitement are just a few.

Just one week separates me from the day I quit my job but it also feels as thought it were just yesterday.  Stopping my life to make a trip like this hasn’t been easy, but it’s been much more manageable thanks to some special people in my life, including my girlfriend, family, and some close friends.  I’ve had some great moments with people I consider important in my life in the last week and it’s a fortunate feeling to have seen most of them.  To the rest I could not have one final hoorah with, I’m certain that these 6 months will pass ever so quickly!  But don’t forget that I will miss you all very much.  When I step on that plane in a few short hours, I know that it will be the beginning of something great and I appreciate all of those who have been a part of my story along the way.

Keep up for more tips and tricks on traveling abroad!

Taka

 

Quitting

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when a moment of eye-popping clarity comes about.  When it comes to my desire to travel, I could tell you that it was when I went to Haiti in 2012 to care for the most beautiful children.  I could also tell you it was when my parents came to the US to make a new life and sprouted the idea that home isn’t always just one place.  But perhaps more than any other reason, this idea to quit my job and travel started several years ago when I visited Thailand.  That was my first trip unassisted in a country that I did not know the language of.  It opened my eyes in ways that nothing else in this world could.

In a way, this idea to travel is a result of all these things and many more.  After all, quitting your job to travel isn’t the quickest and easiest decision to make, I can attest to that.  But then again, the best things in life are usually not easy and that theory is very applicable here.

While I was on that fateful trip in Thailand 2 years ago, a thought that was built up by my upbringing and by that trip to Haiti started to permeate my mind and I decided at that moment that someday I would quit my job.  While I wanted that day to be as soon as possible, I knew that it would take some time and planning to make it happen.  To be exact, it would take 2 years.

During those 2 years, I have savored the process of saving, positioning myself, and planning for this trip, and while most of this process is enjoyable and exciting, there is always that elephant in the room.  He’s just sitting way too close to you invading your space, but at some point you just need to face him.  That elephant I’m referring to is the prospect of quitting.  In my case, I work(ed) as a CPA in a public accounting firm.  I’d been there for over 4 years having started right out of school as a hungry staff accountant.  I’ve formed relationships with people throughout the firm whom I take great pride in calling my extended family.  While I am very thankful for these people, this also made the idea of quitting even more difficult.  How could I leave these people that I’d figuratively AND literally lived with for so long?  After all, I’d seen them more often than my own family during those years.

I knew that it would take some finesse to start down the path of my dreams while keeping strong relationships with these people.  I started by having a conversation with some of my closer co-workers while also keeping things hush so that rumors wouldn’t spread.  I spoke to them about the idea of traveling and what it would mean for my future career.  While I’m certain that many of them were disappointed, I felt that talking early and honestly helped make a smoother transition.

One of the difficult things to manage at this time was gossip.  It’s something that I can’t control so I didn’t concern myself with this too much, but I did want to be the first one to talk to 2 particular partners in charge of my office.  To do this, it took quite a bit of self-control to not blurt out my dream that had been building for 2 years to everyone in sight!  But I kindly asked each of the people that I spoke with to not go around talking about my plans, at least not until I had told those partners.  I’m once again very thankful to have good people that I work with because there were no leaks of my plans.

Admittedly, as much as it has been exciting to plan out this trip, the prospect of telling people that have employed me for 4 years that I will longer be working with them is still intimidating. When it finally came time to talk to those partners, something rather interesting happened.  Instead of fear and intimidation wrapping my mind, I instead had great clarity in what I was doing and where I was going.  That made it very easy to talk to each of them about my plans without fear of consequence.  Of course, I really had no reason to think that there would be a significant consequence to me reaching for my dreams, even if it did make their lives temporarily difficult.

I think that is the most important thing to consider, that people will never really be upset at one another for reaching for their dreams, as long as you do it professionally and properly.  And if you do find yourself in the position of trying to convince your boss of why you are choosing your dream over working endless hours, then I think it is quite clear where you should and shouldn’t be.  Thankfully, I have had the great fortune to work in a great environment and one in which I hope to be welcomed back to in the future.

It may not always be the best time or easiest time to quit, but when it comes to reaching for your dream, reach all day.  There’s no other way to find happiness that can truly match that of arriving at your goal.  But don’t let that moment of arrival come without setting your sights on the next mountain to climb!

More on that next mountain coming soon.  Til next time! 🙂

Turning a New Leaf

Hey all!

I have a big announcement!  Some big changes are coming, and they’ve been approaching quietly for some time.  Starting in just a few short weeks, I’m going to be traveling for 6 months throughout South America!  Ever since I had the amazing trip to Thailand in 2014, it’s been my unwavering dream to travel for an extended period of time.  I wasn’t sure when or where, but those details are now coming into focus.

On November 11, me and a buddy of mine will take off for Peru to start the trip by scaling the Inca Trail on the way to Machu Picchu!  Throughout the rest of this trip I’ll be going through Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile seeing mountains, rivers, beaches, and hopefully much much more.  The planning has been long and arduous, but certainly worthwhile.  It’s also been much easier with the support of many great people in my life including my family and friends.  And of course, the loving support of my girlfriend.  It wasn’t an easy decision but I am very thankful for her willingness to help me see through my dream to travel.

A big part of this planning has been notifying my coworkers. Maybe it’s corny, but they’ve come to be something of a second family to me.  Handling this announcement as well as possible with them has been very important to me and I appreciate all the patience they’ve all shown.

I’ll sorely miss all the people in my life during this trip but I know that we’ll be seeing each other sooner than we can imagine.  But with every new chapter, new challenges and experiences await and I’m looking forward to all that the road ahead has to offer!

While I’m away, follow my page to keep up with my travels and to get the latest tips on how to travel richly on a cheap budget!  You’ll be thankful you did!

Til next time 🙂

Taka

I’m Baaack

Hey all!  It’s been quite a while since I last posted.  I’ve been so busy taking over the world that I completely forgot to keep you all in the loop with life happenings! But I think this is a great time to get back since there are some big things happening that I’ll be sharing with you very soon!  But for now, I’ll just bore you with some stories of beautiful Yosemite National Park.

I visited this grand display of natural beauty a few short weeks ago with my brother and a few good friends.  For any of those who have never gone backpacking, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.  But for those who enjoy getting away from the normal day to day routine it’s an amazing experience.  In the first part of this trip, we started through Rafferty Creek after camping out at Tuolomne Meadows the first night.  While we only stayed one night, I’d strongly suggest staying a while longer either in the meadows or in Yosemite Valley to acclimate to the elevation.  As I’ll mention, it was a strenuous adjustment coming from the easy elevation in northern NJ where I’m from.

That first day was definitely a challenge with over 2000 feet in climb, but each of us made it through with frequent breaks.  Those breaks proved to be incredibly important and newcomers to the sport should definitely be cautious by taking necessary breaks.

The most incredible things the first day were the feeling of crossing 10 miles of rough and unforgiving terrain and getting to our first campsite, then relaxing at the campsite and taking in the beauty.  We camped at the top of a massive rock overlooking Emeric Lake and the valley on the other side that night.  It was one of the most amazing views I’d ever seen, and even with the headache and nausea from being at 8,000 feet, I still was amazed and in awe of my surroundings.  I think we all were.

The first day was also the first time I ever at a dehydrated meal.  I have to say, I was very happily impressed!  It certainly wasn’t home cooking but we had some great meal choices with pad thai and a chicken and rice meal.  Even with the cold and the wind, it wasn’t hard getting rest that first night with all the great experiences from a fun filled first day in Yosemite.

While the first day was a challenge, just wait til you hear about the next few days! Also, stay tuned for some big news this weekend.  You don’t want to miss it!

Til next time!

Yosemite – California, USA

First Step – Thailand

Hi all!

It’s been a while, hope you’ve all had a great holiday and new year!  I’d like to continue this time in our conversation about Thailand.  More specifically, I want to talk about first steps, fear, and reaching goals.  When I think about my fears, I tend to stop thinking about my fears shortly thereafter by avoiding the topic.  This is the same way I handled the thought of traveling alone, avoiding the thought.

I’ve had the desire to travel alone but never had enough motivation or passion to take the next step.  Why?  Because it was different and I didn’t know what the first step was.  I was afraid of the unknown.  This fear is the source of countless cases of procrastination, failed goals, and frightened children (and some particularly brave adults) worrying about what monsters are under their bed.

The best way to handle this is actually the simplest way, take one step.  Think about this example.  If you want to wake up earlier in the morning what do you do?  First set your alarm, second don’t hit snooze.  So what did I do to get past the fear of traveling?  Take the first step, buy a nonrefundable ticket.  I didn’t have any plans but I definitely made them after buying the ticket.

The point is it really can take just one step to make a huge difference in others and our own lives.  So take a chance, buy that ticket, and shine a flashlight on those pesky monsters under the bed once and for all.

Stay happy!

Taka