The Finale

If there was anything that I would plan a bit differently about my trip, I would have loved to have more time

Marcia and I in front of the Oasis

to stay in Huacachina. Perhaps it was just the dearly missed heat, sun, and oxygen levels, but this place is so cool! Huacachina is a only a few miles outside of the bigger town of Ica, but has a completely different feel. It's plopped right down in the middle of giant sand dunes, of which I find their impressiveness comes from their vastness rather than their size. The town is built around an oasis in the middle of the dunes, which they actually now pump ground water into to keep the water level up. Ha - tourism can really ruin everything, huh?

So, logically, the only things to do in such in a place are booze with 20 year old drunk Australians at the hostel or romp in the sand dunes. First thing in the morning, Marcia and were piling into a

Sand Boards and Dune Buggies 

sand buggy and roller coastering our way to the top of the dunes. SO MUCH FUN! Which is saying something a for a girl who grew up with Cedar Point. We parked at the top of a large sand dune, got the sand boards out of the back, and strapped in. How does this work? I've never been snowboarding before, but I would imagine these two activities are remarkably similar. Thankfully, I got the hang of it pretty fast. When you eat it on a sand board, it's quite a bit more painful than snow and probably even pavement. With sand in literally every place sand could be, I was finally making it down to the bottoms of the dunes without falling. A lot of folks just used the sand boards as sleds, going down the dunes on their stomachs. It looked a bit unpleasant to get that much sand in the face! Hope they packed dental floss...The heat and sand warranted a much deserved afternoon by the pool at the hostel, as we rode out our last hours of summer weather before catching our bus back to Lima.

Being back in Lima made me a bit nostalgic. Marcia and I walked through Parque Kennedy and I reflected back to over 3 months ago when I made my first footprints in South America here. I remember trepidation, I remember being worried about if my luggage was ever going to arrive, I remember struggles with Spanish. I remember a high - of pure freedom, joy, power that I had 100 days of an open book to write for myself and just myself. The last time I set foot in the same park was when I returned to South America after my victorious battle with Leptospirosis. I felt confident and comfortable with navigating the South America ropes, yet with a heavy dose of caution after SA's harsh reminder it will go big, or go home. I felt so humbled, lucky and oh so grateful that I was back in SA - a reality that could have been so quickly taken away from me if I didn't have the world's greatest friends and family. I felt empowered - yes! - that I came back determined to end SA on a better note than when I last left. So much unfinished business!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! What a trip. I'm still your same old Katie, so don't fret when I say that this still was a life changing journey. I learned so so so much during my travels, and my learning won't stop even though I'm now back in the States. My perspective and values have been re-calibrated, challenged, and tested. I've been through some rather interesting adventures (and misadventures) with love in both relationships and friendships alike. My feelings towards my family have changed and developed in profound ways during my travels, which is something that I wasn't necessarily expecting to take on. Traveling with Marcia was incredible; her wisdom and spirit were inspiring and humbling. Being the person who you want to be and become is a full time, never ending job. There is so much more I want to say, and I prefer to talk to you (yes, you!) over a beer or tea or a hike about it all.

So I guess this is it: dun dun dun the final post on my blog! For your safety and comfort, we ask that you please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. Well, the South America chapter that is. My next steps almost feel like a continuation of my travels, just in the US this time. I'll be in and out Cleveland until the first week of August, and then it's off to my much anticipated trip back west. I'll be rompin' in the Bay Area with dear friends for a bit, and then up to Portland on August 13th. GET READY PDX!!!! I miss Portland and my friends there more than I ever thought I would, and I'm quite anxious to get back. Yes, even to pop in a visit at my old job I was so stoked to leave! But SA taught me quite a few lessons in patience, and I know it'll be well worth the wait. Come mid-September I'll be starting my Biophysics PhD at UC Davis. I couldn't be more ready.

So while I've mastered goodbyes during the past 3 months as a backpacker, I still don't really now how one ends a blog. Wait, what's that you say, Bob? "Goodbye's too good a word, babe so I'll just say fare thee well" (Don't Think Twice, It's All Right). Ahhhh, well put. So without further ado...

Fare thee well, team! 

adventure on