Travel
- Life Lessons
- ...
7 Reasons Why You Should Do that Thing You’ve Always Wanted to Do
You may have seen my post about things that are hard about van life. Admittedly, that was written during a time where I was still getting used to this lifestyle and was annoyed more often than not with the challenges. There was a day where I was texting a friend about how hard things were and thinking that I couldn’t do this and I remember saying to her, “I just need to climb a god damn mountain.” I was suffering through all of the planning and process of getting to where I wanted to be and hadn’t yet seen many of the rewards. The benefits were not outweighing the tribulations and I was questioning my decision to live a mobile life. But sure enough, as always, time always helps and slowly but surely, I began to feel comfortable living in a van. The benefits have been shining their little rays of sunshine in the most unexpected places. So in efforts to bring some more positivity to what I am doing, here are some of the best things about living on the road:
-
I really enjoy the silence
I have never gone such extended periods of time with such unpredictable cell service or WiFi. Of course I need to be around civilization for work, but on the nights and weekends, I never really know if I’ll have service where I am going, which limits communication, social media and even listening to music at times. This has proven to be a lovely surprise in many ways and I have grown to really enjoy the quietness of nature. Peace. Nothingness. If I close my eyes, all I can hear is the soft crunch of Simone’s paws on the gravel pathway and the gentle whistle of the wind behind me. As I walk, I begin to hear the buzz of a stream and as I move closer, the chorus turns into a roaring river, beating against the rocks without remorse. There is such power and force in nature and I truly appreciate being able to tap into the depth of it on my hikes. The sternness of the mountains speak to me. The squeak of the chipmunk delights me. I notice details that I wouldn’t otherwise because all of my senses are alert and ready for whatever beautiful surprise lies around the corner.
-
It is never boring
Whether that means I am getting kicked out of a parking lot in the middle of the night by the cops or because I stumble upon the most adorable little sustainable cabin along a river at the edge of the mountains, there is nothing boring about this lifestyle. Every moment is full of surprises and adventure and newness. Change is the norm. New experiences emerge every hour. As someone who thrives on adventure, this is a dream come true. I soak up the stories of the people I meet like a sponge, it’s like going to the cinema and watching a documentary about your favorite hero, except that every person you talk to is a brand new script. I glow at the sight of their weathered skin and bask in their kind and gentle hearts. I love watching people’s eyes as they tell a story, you can see so much about what they are feeling by looking at the expression in their smile lines. I can’t help but want to consume every single one of their words and memorize what they are telling me. It truly is a gift.
-
Every morning is different
If you know me at all, you know that I love mornings. I love the lighting. I love how refreshed I am at the beginning of the day. I love that when I jump out of bed, anything is possible. Anything my heart desires can be reality. There is nothing so pure and fresh and abundant and full of hope than the morning light. It breathes life into everything it touches. It inspires. It refreshes. I want the morning light to possess my entire body, run through my veins, light up my skin and warm into the depths of my soul with its goodness. I cannot accurately express what it does to me, it’s one of the most magical things I have ever experienced, and lucky me, it happens every day. Part of what I love about mornings is that each one is different. It doesn’t matter where you are, each one is unique, but the differences are even more exaggerated when you are in new places as well. To sit and sip my coffee on a deck with the Rockies hovering authoritatively over me or to open my eyes and see a bumbling stream joyously singing to me good morning… there are no words to express that satisfaction.
-
There is no pressure
One of the best things about being mobile is that there is no pressure to find the “best” place to visit. I have hardly researched anything at all on this trip because I would rather go where feels right and discover whatever that place has to offer. I have even stopped searching for coffee shops or stops along the road, because I would rather pull off and wander around a little town to see what I find. This has proven to be a good strategy because I have an aversion to touristy areas, so I often discover simple hidden treasures that are off the beaten path instead. I have still experienced some of the great beauty of the more populated places, but the ones that really dig deep and touch my heart are usually the quieter spots. I have no regrets about anywhere I have gone or not gone, because you know what? I can always go back. Time is on my side.
-
My free time is always spent outside
I have always loved nature. I grew up camping, playing sports, walking in the city, canoeing, hiking, traveling, etc. My parents took us all over the world as kids and we got to discover everything from the rain forests of Australia to the ski slopes of Korea to the cobble stone streets of London. Thinking back, the things that I remember the most are the outdoor activities. I am not sure if that is just because that was what we mostly did as a family or if I have a selective memory, but either way, nature has always been a force that has an incredible power to move me. Even to the point of tears. I remember when I was twelve years old, we were in Australia as a family, it was the middle of the night and we had gone out to watch the turtles hatch on the beach and run towards the ocean. To this day, I couldn’t tell you a thing about the turtles. But I do remember staring into the sky for what felt like an eternity and getting lost and even dizzy by the beauty of the stars. I had never before in my life seen such a thick layer of stars, sparking, dazzling, mesmerizing. I remember being so in awe that it brought tears to my eyes. I will never forget that moment. That moment solidified that I wanted to be an astronomer when I grew up. (which obviously turned out… lol). I couldn’t imagine a better life than to stare in the stars, study them, learn from them, analyze them, and maybe even go to space one day. There is no doubt in my mind that I am at my best when I am outdoors and I am so grateful that this lifestyle allows for me to do that.
-
I forget to look in a mirror
It has been incredibly liberating to not give two shits about what I look like for the last three months. I put on whatever outfit is at the top of my drawer. I don’t wear makeup. I’ll wash my face if I’m feeling fancy, but hey now… let’s not get too crazy. It’s amazing that I am still able to brush my teeth twice a day. I have embraced the fact that on most days I look like a homeless hippy who doesn’t own a hairbrush and you know what? I am totally ok with that. I am MORE than ok with that. It is freeing and beautiful and has opened up a whole new way of thinking for me. I used to always say that if someone didn’t find me beautiful, it didn’t matter because there were plenty of other people who did. But I was also so careful about my appearance before. I did dozens of different things to make myself look a little bit “better” than what I looked like naturally. But this new life is a whole new level of that mentality. Sometimes I don’t shower for a week. Sometimes I have broccoli stuck in my teeth and don’t realize it for 48 hours. Sometimes I forget to shave. Most days my hair is tangled and I struggle just to put it in a ponytail. I am not polished. I am not pulled together. I am disheveled, but I am so happy. I find it so beautiful. And I love this new me. It takes away the vanity and creates an environment where I can truly focus on what brings me joy instead.
-
Freedom
This is sort of a no-brainer, but the freedom has been incredible. I get to wake up every morning and not know where I will go next. Every weekend is like opening the greatest present of your life and it never disappoints. I have no events that I need to attend. No activities. No appointments. Outside of work responsibilities and making sure my pets are alive, I can literally go anywhere or do anything. This could mean staying in bed for a week because I have a fever. But it could also mean waking up one morning and deciding to drive 6 hours to another state. It is such a thrill. There is so much to be seen and I love the feeling of being called in a giving direction and just being able to go. I love that I am on this adventures. Challenges and all, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
- Life Lessons
- ...
The Spiders and the Tub
I made it to a perfect little cabin at the edge of the foothills in Colorado. I unpacked my things from the car, got the kids into the room and started to run the water into the Jacuzzi tub that welcomed me. Once the water was a few inches up, I climbed in and hugged my knees, feeling the warmth rise around me.
As I turned my head, I noticed a tiny little spider trying to climb up the side of the tub. I watched it. Its tiny legs struggled to grasp the ceramic walls. It didn’t take long before another spider climbed out of the jet, a larger one, and began accompanying the smaller spider up the side of the tub. I imagined that it was a mother and a child. The mother trying to encourage the child to carry on, don’t get discouraged, we can make it to the top. As I watched the two spiders, I found myself rooting for them. I wanted them to get out, feel the accomplishment of their feat, and live a long and prosperous life.
But then, suddenly, the larger spider crawled back into the Jacuzzi jet, and sure enough, brought another tiny spider out to climb up the giant wall. As she was trying to get herself out of the jet, the water had rose higher than she anticipated and her back legs got stuck in the water. I froze. I didn’t know what to do. She was struggling to climb with only her front legs and it wasn’t going well. The water continued to rise. I almost started to tear up watching her. She fought hard and eventually her back legs started to gain traction again. The three spiders continued up the side of the tub.
Then, completely out of nowhere, the larger spider fell straight into the tub. All hope was lost. I cringed at the site of the two little ones climbing alone. And then the two smaller spiders fell also. I was shocked and appalled. Then, suddenly, an even larger spider, double the size of any of the others, floated out of a jet from the opposite side of the tub. With a moment’s notice, my introspective and pensive moment turned into a scream and before I knew it, I was standing on the edge of the tub, covered in soap, staring into a tub full of dead spiders.
Needless to say, I finished washing my hair in the sink.
So You Wanna Live in a Van?
When I tell people that I sold all of my possessions and am going to be traveling the west for a while the most common response I get is, “Wow, I am so jealous.” I know that those people have good intentions. It’s encouraging to know that people support what I am doing. And many of you reading this probably said that very thing to me.
First of all, you don’t need to be jealous. There is a path for your life that will make your heart sing. And it will be unique. It will include all of the awful, painful heart breaks as well as the beauty. I was recently asked the question if I would choose one person’s life to live, would I choose my own? I thought about it long and hard. I thought about it for days. And I finally concluded that, yes. I would choose my life over anyone else’s. I created my life into what I what I want it to be. I didn’t get to choose all of the circumstances that affected me, and hell, there are a lot of them that I would gladly do without, but in the end, I do get to choose what I want my life to look like. So no, don’t be jealous. Create the life that you are in love with.
Second of all, living on the road is sure as hell not easy. I get frustrated at times when I hear over and over that people are jealous, because there are moments where I just want to shake them and say, do you even know what it’s like?? There’s a reason that not a lot of people do this. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to be whiny. I love this trip and I wouldn’t take it back. But in efforts to ease your mind just a little bit, let me tell you some of what it’s been like to live out of a van for the past several months:
-
You wake up every morning grateful that everyone is alive
The first few months in the van I was living in Minnesota in my brother’s backyard. Yes, it was April. Yes, it was 20 degrees some nights. Amelie learned pretty quickly to crawl into my sleeping bag to stay warm, which of course I welcomed, since it was like adding a little tiny heater to my sleeping bag. Simone, on the other hand, is slightly too big. There were nights where I would wake up and feel her shivering and not know what to do. She doesn’t really like blankets, so I didn’t know how to help her stay warm. I am not kidding you when I say that every morning I wake up and look around at my pets and feel an incredible amount of gratefulness that, yes, we made it another day.
-
Nothing goes as planned
NOTHING. Ok, that is a little dramatic, but it often feels like that. Even on the days where you wake up with the best laid out plan that you thought you could have ever created, it will most likely all go to shit. You have to be prepared for the unexpected at every moment. Including losing solar power and having your entire fridge full of food rot. Or the weather changes and all of a sudden your plan of keeping the pets in the van goes out the window because you are paranoid they might die in the heat. Expect the unexpected.
-
Sometimes you pee in a bucket
There’s not really a lot more that I need to say to explain this. When you are in a parking lot and can’t find an open bathroom nearby (or maybe you are just really lazy), you pee in a bucket.
-
You “shower” in a Starbucks bathroom
Wake up in the morning, find the nearest Starbucks, grab my cosmetics kit and spending a solid 10 minutes in the bathroom freshening up. Brushing my teeth, washing my face, putting on makeup (if I am feeling extra snazzy), etc. Maybe I get weird looks or maybe I am just imagining it because I feel like people should be giving me weird looks.
-
If you forget to lock your car, your whole life is gone
As someone who has lost their house keys more times than I would like to admit, or locked herself out of her car too many times to count, I am constantly paranoid that I will forget to lock the van and someone will steal my entire life out of it. It’s a reality. It could happen. My whole existence is in one tiny 100 sq. feet space.
-
It’s more expensive than you think
I spent less on the van initially than I thought I would. But the amount that I’ve sunk into converting the van has easily doubled what I was planning on and I am not done yet. On top of that, there are expenses that you just don’t think about as much, like park fees, buying a lot of bottled water, eating out because you are too exhausted to spend 1.5 hours cooking, paying for a place to crash when you need it, etc. So far, it’s not much cheaper than how I was living before, but maybe it will even out. knock on wood
-
People are thrilled for you or they judge you
I get two kinds of reactions when I tell people about van life. Either they are ecstatic for me (which is about 20% of the time) or they look at me very confused, which prompts a long explanation of how I got here. It gets tiring to feel like you have to explain your choices to everyone.
-
Everything takes longer
This weekend I was camping in Rocky Mountain National Park and I got up early (5:45am) to make breakfast and get out on the trails early. I wasn’t allowed to take Simone with me on the trails, so I wanted to hike early in the day before it got hot in the van. I got out my propane stove, ground and brewed my coffee, cooked breakfast, ate and cleaned up. Those tasks took me 1.5 hours. What would have normally taken me about 20 minutes in “normal” life took me almost five times as long. That’s part of the sacrifice.
-
You always feel like you’re mooching
Whether you are staying with friends, at an Air BnB or camping, there is something about being around people all the time that makes you hyper aware of how your life is affecting everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being with people and wouldn’t want it any other way, but the feeling of always taking other people’s generosity weighs on me at times. I like to feel like I am giving back as much as I am receiving, so it’s tough to strike that balance.
-
Sleeping is hard: lights, traffic, cows, etc.
The other night I slept in Oakley, Kansas and barely got a minute of shut eye because of the cows. The COWS. Who knew that being in the middle of nowhere would be the spot that I lost the most sleep because the cows were mooing all night. You just never know…
-
Say goodbye to Amazon Prime
Yes, I had to cancel Amazon Prime. I have nowhere to ship to. As someone who does not like shopping in the first place, giving up my online alternative has not been easy.
-
You can’t decorate
This may sound superficial, but it’s really hard not feeling like I can have a tidy, well-groomed space where all of my things feel like “me.” No matter how much stuff I get rid of, the van still feels messy and I am constantly shuffling things around to find what I am looking for. No longer are the days where you pull a pan off the shelf to cook with. Now you have to open the back door, open the cabinet door, move a few containers, shuffle some other cooking items, and maybe you can find the pan… but is your stove set up? Where’s the propane? I can’t find the cooking utensils. I don’t even have cooking oil. Put it all back, let’s go to the store…
-
Having a routine is next to impossible
As much as I love adventure and new experiences, there are aspects of my life that thrive in routine. I wake up, make my coffee the same way every morning, eat my breakfast the same way every morning, work for several hours, eat the same lunch, continue working, drink my afternoon coffee and snack, finish working, run, and then have my evening to cook, run errands or visit friends. It is really hard to keep this up when every day is unpredictable. If I get out of my routine, it definitely takes a toll on mental sanity.
-
Every day is an unknown
Even if I have a place lined up for the next day, you never really know what lies ahead. That unknown brings with it a certain level of stress. What if I get to my campground and they don’t have any camp sites left? What if they don’t allow dogs? What if I get kicked out of the parking lot I’m parked at? What if I get a flat tire on the way there? I am generally not a worrier, but I have a whole new understanding of stress with van life.
This is not meant to be a pity-party, but I definitely have been learning the realities of this life style the past few months. But hey. Life is just one big learning lesson, ammiright??
Step 3: Sound Proofing + Insulation
Nothing was as bad as scraping insulation glue, however… if there is anything I learned through this process, it is that manual labor is hard. During no training season have I eaten so much, slept so much or been as exhausted as when I was working on this van.
Sound proofing material is expensive, but having installed this during the rainy season, there was an immediate noticeable difference once it was in. Definitely worth it.
Next was insulation. I taped this in with Gorilla tape and it went up fairly easily.
Step 2: Cleaning the Van
You know someone really loves you when they scrape insulation glue for three days with you.
You also know someone really loves you when they grid the hell out of rusted seat belt locks.
And… you know that you love your dream when you spend countless hours in strange positions to get to the next step.
Might not look like a lot to you, but this is a solid 40 hours, 3 person cleaning job.
Step 1: Gutting the Van
So I woke up one Saturday morning and decided to rip all of this out of my new van…
It was in really good condition when I got it, so there was something sad about pulling it all apart.
Fortunately, I had the Gandalf to help me.
Also fortunately, I have a brother who enjoys destroying stuff.
So we did.
This is what I was left with. Yuck.
What the Hell are You Doing Anyway?
You know those projects that you get yourself into where you have no idea the intensity or level of effort that you are committing to?
So there was this one time I bought a van… her name is Gertrude.
When I first starting talking about the idea of turning a van into a tiny house and traveling around the country, my friends patiently nodded their heads and smiled. “Just another one of Lara’s crazy ideas that surely will fade away” …. “Just let her talk about it for a while and it will pass.” But once I made up my mind to take the plunge, everything happened really fast. My lease was up, I knew I could stay with family in Minnesota and I could use my brother’s shop to build it out. Before I could blink, I was saying good bye to some of the most important people in my life, my community, my home.
I cried only about half the way to Minnesota. Indy has a special place in my heart. And even though I don’t know if I’ll move back there or not, I do know that this is the end of one chapter of Indianapolis. I was also stressed because I wasn’t used to driving a conversion van and Amelie meowed incessantly for the first hour and then spent the rest of the 10 hours to Minneapolis desperately trying to climb down by my feet while I was driving. I had just spent the last few weeks in a whirl wind of selling everything I owned and trying to pawn the rest of my stuff off on friends. I spent my days working and every other moment trying to pack and visit friends (and by visit I mean convince them to bring me food and talk to me while I pack). I said good bye to some very important people in my life. I was given some very thoughtful gifts and notes. It was a hard trip leaving Indy.
I had only pulled the trigger on buying a van the day before my trip to Minnesota. In an ideal world, I would have gotten it checked out by a mechanic before hitting the road, but in typical Lara fashion, I went with my gut and just left. It was crazy to look at my stuff crammed into that tiny van and realize that was my life. Almost everything I owned was in this vehicle. Even the sentimental things like my artwork that I was going to leave with my family was with me. My pets. My clothes. Kitchen stuff. Books. Everything that I needed to live was there.
And the funny this is, I still felt like it was too much. Packing up that van made me want to get rid of another half of it. Ha.
I didn’t have a plan for what was going to happen once I got to Minnesota. I was texting my family on the way up trying to figure out who I was going to stay with. My sister volunteered to take Simone, I could crash on any one of my sibling’s couches, but since everyone either had a cat of their own or allergies, I wasn’t able to find a spot to leave Amelie. So about half way there, I decided that we would all just stay in the van while I built it out. I could move the stuff in and out when I needed to work on it. I didn’t want us to all be split up anyway. We were a family and all three of us would be happier if we were together.
So we came up with the plan of parking the van in my brother’s fenced in back yard and I would have access to their house. I don’t think he realized what he was committing to when I pulled in that night. But it’s family, right? You don’t get a choice in these things, right?? It actually worked out perfectly because Simone (and Amelie) could run around the yard and we were relatively safe parked in a fenced in yard.
It quickly became second nature for my brother and sister-in-law to explain to their friends that Nate’s sister lives in a van in their backyard. Totally normal, right? My nephews very quickly started calling me “crazy aunt Lara.” And it’s become the running family joke when something bad happens someone will say, “Well hey, it could be worse. At least you’re not living in a van, right??”
All jokes aside, it’s been absolutely wonderful to be here with my family. Everyone has been supportive, helpful, gotten their hands dirty, kept me company, fed me and most importantly, I’ve just been able to spend really quality time with some of my favorite people. I wouldn’t trade the time I have with them right now for anything.
And let’s also not forget that Amelie is able to run free as a wild baby panther. So he’s pretty stoked to be here also.
I will be continuing to write about the build out of Gertrude and eventually blogging about my travels once I am finally on the road. I definitely enjoy the comments so feel free to chime in or ask questions!
5 Backpacking Tips
I am so grateful for this trip to Guatemala, it’s truly been an experience of a lifetime. It all came together in an add round-about way on short notice, but I am convinced that I was destined to go on at this exact point in my life. Everything fell into place perfectly. I have not had such a long period of time dedicated to one trip and was able to do it all on a tight budget. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything that I wanted to do or have any regrets about the experience. Every moment was beautiful.
There have been so many thoughts mulling through my head the last few weeks. Traveling alone with limited access to technology is such a pleasant way to take a break from the world. There were several days where I was stuck on a bus for hours with just a book and a sketchbook. Or others where I was climbing a volcano with next to nothing. It’s truly enlightening and forces you to dig deep into your own psyche. It brought me a lot of perspective on life. I can’t say that it necessarily brought a lot of clarity, but it’s a beautiful exercise to wrestle with your own mind. It’s somewhere between a dance and a struggle and if nothing else, it for damn sure is entertaining.
I learned a lot this trip. This is the first time that I was truly a backpacker and although I did a ton of research beforehand, I learned a lot along the way as well. I thought it might be interesting to give some of my insights from this trip and maybe someone else along the way will benefit from them.
#1. Pack Strategically
I used almost everything I packed. I kept it very minimal, but there are a lot of things that I did actually need, so I had to be thoughtful. I was going to temperatures from 30-80 degrees, so it was tricky to be minimal and also prepared. Here’s the list of what I brought with me.
- CLOTHES: 4 tank tops (2 moisture-wicking ones), 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of pants (both warm running pants), 3 pairs of shorts, 8 underwear, 3 bras, 1 long sleeved shirt (moisture-wicking), 3 sweatshirts, 1 rain jacket, 1 PJs, 8 pairs of socks, 1 pair of wool socks, flip flops, tennis shoes, hiking boots, 1 swimsuit, 1 pair of gloves and 2 warm headbands.
- COSMETICS: shampoo/conditioner, face wash, body wash, razor, face moisturizer, sunscreen, hair ties, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, chapstick, tissues, hand sanitizer, mini hair straitening iron, and DEET.
- MEDICAL: athletic tape, bandaids, ibuprofen, pepto bismol and imodium.
- OTHER: Small towel, 2 bandanas, flashlight, pocket knife, 2 books, Nalgene, sunglasses, backpack, small blanket, 1 trash bag, 4 grocery bags, sketchbook, laptop, computer charger, cell phone/camera, battery pack for phone and phone charger.
First of all, there were a few things that I could’t have lived without:
- Good hiking boots were INCREDIBLY important – don’t skimp on this
- My backpack was awesome – investing into a good one was worth every penny
- REI’s biodegradable shampoo/conditioner is amazing. I think I used a quarter of the tiny 3 oz bottle my whole two-week trip.
- Pocket knife came in useful for avocados, papayas, camping and opening bottles of wine J
- Blanket – I am SO glad that I had a blanket. There were many cold moments where I needed it, including my overnight at the Miami airport.
- Water bottle – I saved a ton of money by filling up my water bottle at whatever hostel, hotel or restaurant I was at instead of buying bottled water
Secondly, there were a few other things that I realized about my packing:
- I didn’t use bug spray or the medical supplies at all
- I almost ran out of sunscreen – 3 oz wasn’t really enough for two weeks
- I had thought about bringing hiking sandals as well, but it was so dusty that I am glad I just brought boots
- I did run out of books – I brought 2, but wish I had at least 4
- Surprisingly, I didn’t really use my phone battery charger. When you’re on airplane mode most of the time, you don’t really run out of a charge.
- 2 bandanas was a good idea – one helped keep my head warm while hiking and the other covered my face from the dust
- It may just because I am really dry, but I was so glad to have plenty of lotion
- I know it’s girly, but I was actually glad that I brought my mini flat iron to straighten my hair. Some days you just want to feel pretty!
Overall, there was nothing that I missed or had felt like I completely forgotten. In fact, I probably could have cut out 2 or 3 of the clothing items and still been ok. I only had to do laundry once and there were a few things that I am not sure I wore. I did have to rent a big down coat from OX Expeditions for my hike up Acatenango, but I am glad that I didn’t drag a coat with me.
#2. Take Shuttles Over Chicken Buses
I know that a lot of backpackers are on a budget so they opt to take what they call “chicken buses” (meaning they cram as many people as possible into a repainted school bus) instead of shuttles. Truth be told, the shuttles that I took ranged from 1-5 hour trips and usually cost around $10-$15 for the ride. So it’s still not very expensive and it was worth it to have my own seat where I didn’t have to hold my backpack for 5 hours. No matter what, the trip will be bumpy and slow, so you mind as well chip in the few extra bucks to make it a little bit more comfortable.
I would also recommend to take a private car when you get in from the airport, especially if you are traveling alone. Airports are a prime spot to target tourists, so this is one area where it’s worth it to splurge the $40-$50 for a car to Antigua. I was picked up by Adrenalina Tours, right on time, they had a sign with my name on it and we made it to Antigua in 45 minutes. It was so easy, they dropped my right at my door and made sure that I got in ok before leaving. It was worth it to me to spend $45 to make it to my door safely, especially since I had no idea where I was going and did not speak the language.
#3. Don’t Stay in a Hotel
There are a lot of choices for where to stay, especially when traveling solo. It depends on what you are looking for as to where you might want to stay; I was looking for somewhere quiet with a private room. I didn’t care quite as much if I had a private bathroom as long as there was a hot shower. Although I love the community aspect of meeting other travelers, I opted not to stay in hostels because I was worried it would be party town and I wouldn’t get any sleep. For this reason, Air BnB was a great solution for me. The first place I stayed was a home in Antigua that had three other bedrooms, which housed other travelers and cost me $22/night. I met a Canadian woman studying Spanish, 2 travel bloggers, a couple from Virginia on vacation, a retired gentleman who comes to this same spot every year and of course my hosts, who was a lovely couple in their 70s and their three dogs. They were incredibly gracious hosts and made me breakfast every morning. I also got some great tips of what to do and where to go from other travelers and vice versa.
When I got to San Pedro on Lake Atitlan, I had decided to get a hotel as my “treat” at the end of the trip. This was a mistake. I paid more for my room here and had less service. My water was broken for about a day and a half, so I couldn’t even brush my teeth, let alone flush the toilet or shower during that time. Breakfast was included, but it was underwhelming. They also didn’t come to clean my room once and since I had eaten dinner in my room several nights, it started to smell. It was not worth the extra money in the slightest and if I were to do it over again, I would have chosen somewhere cheaper. The hotel certainly did not live up to the Guatemalan hospitality that I had experienced in a home.
I am sure there are nicer hotels in San Pedro than what I got, so if you really don’t want to do Air BnB or a hostel, you can probably pay extra and get a better spot than what I did.
The last night I was in Guatemala City before my early morning flight, which was also an Air BnB room in someone’s home. Again, the hospitality was impeccable and my host and his puppy Tesha greeted me at the door when I arrived. I hadn’t eaten dinner, so he made me a tortilla with cheese and even drove me to the airport in the morning. It’s so refreshing to be treated like a person and have someone take an interest in your life. He and I chatted for a while (he spoke in Spanish and I responded in English and somehow we understood each other) and I learned that he is an avid hiker as well and loves to play softball. He’s from Guatemala City and has lived there his whole life, but also used to travel for work to California a lot. He told me I needed to do more exploring through California. I might take him up on that idea.
#4. Eat Cheaply, Spend on the Adventures
I had a tight budget for this trip, so I learned pretty quickly where to find the cheap street food. I also had a small bakery across the street from me in Antigua where I could get a pastry filled with vegetables and cheese for about $3. This served as many lunches and dinners for me during my stay, but I cannot stress enough how worth it is to eat cheaply and spend your money on the adventures. I don’t feel like I missed out by avoiding sit-down restaurants. I wouldn’t have remembered that meal anyway, whereas climbing Acatenango is something that will stick with me for a lifetime. I spent between $5-$20/day on food and drinks and hiking with a guide ranged from $70-$150 per trip. Tips for eating cheaply: buy snacks for the road, eat where the locals eat, buy produce to have in your room (I had to eat avocados and papaya at least once a day…), avoid the gringo restaurants and fill your water bottle at the place you are staying instead of buying bottled water. I did gets alcoholic drinks as well, but would buy the local beer from a grocery store rather than drink at a restaurant. A 16oz can of Gallo was about $1.50 from the store. Go for the experiences, friends! It’s worth it.
#5. Stay Safe – Make Friends!
Safety was a big concern for many of my loved ones as I ventured into a country that I had never been to, don’t speak the language and has a reputation for being slightly dangerous, especially in the big cities. I am not a fearful person or a worrier, so it was challenging to take these concerns seriously, however, there are a few street smart things that you can do to make sure you are safe.
First, stay where the people are. This is something that I taught myself early on in life growing up in Beijing. If you find yourself on a street without a lot of people or are walking home in the dark, find a street where the people are. The more people, the less likely that something will happen to you.
Secondly, try not to carry a purse. I have yet to understand why women need to carry around ten pounds of stuff with them at all times, but try to avoid carrying a bag all together. Carrying a purse makes you a target because it’s easy to snatch off of you and run away with, whereas having a few things in your pockets is much harder to get at. Pretty much everywhere I went (expect for my hikes), I only brought a small amount of cash, my phone and the key to my place. That’s all I needed. And if I had happened to be mugged, I would have only lost a few bucks and my phone, which are both replaceable.
Lastly, the best way to ensure that you are safe when you are traveling is to make friends with everyone you interact with. Talk to other travelers. Talk to your host family or the hotel staff. Smile a lot. Start building trust. You might be surprised at how easy it is to form allies all around you just by being friendly. Not only did I make friends with a lot of the other foreigners who were there traveling, but I also made friends with some of the locals just but stumbling through my rough Spanish and asking them a few questions about themselves. I know that an unknown country can be scary, but in my experience, no matter where I’ve traveled across the world, I’ve found that the local people I interact with are kind and have good intentions if you give them the chance.