Lifestyles

Traveling all around South America has really opened my eyes to all the different people I encounter everyday. Though I would want to have opportunities to talk to people more than I actually do, the conversations I am able to have with locals all mean something to me. From those I have had, my eyes have really been opened to all the different lifestyles people live here. I know for sure that I’m out of my Southern California bubble when I see all the people along the streets selling fruit, sweeping the sidewalks in front of their homes, or walking their family home from the supermercado. There’s something about their lives that just grabs my attention: they don’t necessarily live comfortably, they seem happy for the most part, and they’re just content with the little that they have. I think about Luís, the 62-year old bus driver that lives in the middle of Torres Del Paine National Park with his wife and 30-year old son, who is happier driving tourists around the National Park everyday over his old career as a police officer in Puerto Natales, Chile. Or Paola, a single woman who runs a hostel out of her own home in Chile because she just enjoys helping strangers. Or Felipe and Tatiana, a Columbian couple that have been married for 8 years who prefer to travel the world instead of having their own family. Or maybe even Jeff, an American that moved to Bariloche to work in a hostel just because he was sick of the States. And finally Elias, a single man from South Africa who moved to Argentina for the “women”, and feels that the only things that make him feel satisfied at the end of the day are eating, drinking a pint of beer, and having a woman by his side. So many people come to mind when I consider all of the different lifestyles they live. For the most part, it’s their choice. They do what makes them happy. I’m not considering forming my own lifestyle after them, but it really makes me think about what makes me happy and how I want to eventually live my life, what I want to do with my time, what I want to value. I’m still naive, and I’m grateful for all the different people I come in contact with because they’re constantly teaching me about what they expect out of life and what more there is to this idea of “life”.

Also, while taking some of the most beautiful shots I’ve ever taken today, I realized how many computer backgrounds I have on my camera right now. In other words, a lot of my shots are all of God’s beauty in His creation (and not much else). That’s great and all, but I’m gonna change things up a bit. So I decided for myself today, that I’m gonna start taking pictures with people I meet instead of all the amazing scenery I’m seeing. I figure that will be a lot more productive. Well, I guess it would just be smart to do both. Anyway, moral of this post is that it’s all about the people. Thanks for those words, Kacie.