Keagan’s World

And just like that Ive got a month left in my temporary home of Buenos Aires.

Wild man.

There’s this weird duality I’ve realized with traveling that it goes by in a blink of an eye, but at the same time you feel like you’ve lived 20 lives over. It sounds so contradictory but it’s really not. Time flies when you’re having fun: we all know this. But also when you’re having such a meaningful enrichment of experience, it doesn’t seem real that everything is happening so quickly. It’s just like the thing I wrote about how obscenely fast you grow close to people while traveling. It feels like you’re known your friend for years when really you just ran into each other for the first time at La Bomba last Monday.

Anyways, I just got done roadtripping through the most stunning natural landscape I have ever witnessed with some pretty spectacular amigos. And when you do something earth shattering like that, you start reflecting a LOT. And seeing as I’m at the midway point (for now) of my journey, I thought it’d be cool to share some first-time traveler lessons I’ve learned due to my own blunders.

1. (Almost) Never book ahead unless you absolutely have to

Anything.

Flights? 1-2 weeks ahead… max

Buses/trains? Day of.

Hostels? 2-3 days before

Everyone who’s been doing this for any stretch of time will tell you the same.

This may be a surprise for most of you, and the biggest fear of your life for some. However, the essence of traveling like this is meant to be spontaneous. When you get somewhere, you’re going to meet people. People who know what the cool things are to do. People who have made the mistakes already so you yourself don’t need to. People who may become your friends and perfect companions to continue traveling with. But if you’ve already booked everything, none of that matters because you’re stuck. Furthermore, unlike in the United States, you don’t get better prices by booking travel earlier. So the biggest advantage of booking early is moot.

I got lucky.

All of my flights and hostels I had booked were refundable. That whole itinerary I wrote up in my first of second post? No longer exists.

The only thing still on my plans is Torres Del Paine right after Argentina because I had to book that far in advance, there’s no other dates available, and Patagonia is sick.

It’s liberating.

There’s so much excitement in the unknown of what I’m going to do. I love it.

2. TAKE BREAKS AND CHILL

I wrote about this a bit before with the idea of carpe dieming with care but it’s still so relevant. I struggle so much with this more than anything. It’s so easy to get caught up on the fact that time is finite so you need to be filling every waking moment with something “worthwhile”. Like this past week, I spent Thursday afternoon laying in my bed, watching Griselda (fire series btw), and doing nothing of substance ahead of my trip to Salta.

And I didn’t feel guilty (*gasps in unhealthy obsessed with productivity Keagan*)

The best part? It made the trip in Salta 100000x better. Validation that will hopefully convince me to do it more.

Take breaks.

Don’t feel guilty.

3 days of cool stuff while feeling 100% is so much better than 4 days of cool stuff at 30% energy. Taking lazy days ends up enhancing the whole trip because you’re maximizing your joy during the time you actually are exploring.

Thats why tomorrow, I will be doing nothing the moment my classes end. Because I’m exhausted.

3. Don’t fall for Sunk Cost Fallacy

The greatest thing Econ DeHaan taught me back in high school.

Similar rationale to the point above – don’t follow through on something you don’t want to do anymore just cause you previously committed to it in some way.

I went out to a techno club a few weeks ago that I had bought a ticket to while a group of my other friends went out to hit different bars/clubs. At the time, I knew I’d rather go explore instead of jam to techno, but because I had already paid for my ticket I didn’t want to waste it. And guess what? I didn’t really enjoy it. Crazy how when you do something you don’t want to do put you already paid for, you still don’t end up enjoying yourself.

Its never going to be worth it.

That’s why I cancelled my plans for the Inca Trail despite already sinking $200 to save my reservation. By eating that $200 and doing the lesser-known trail that has more natural scenery, still ends at Machu Picchu, and may allow me to hike with friends, I’m still going to end up saving $300 + do something I will likely enjoy more.

4. Longer is better and less is more

Arguably the hugest takeaway I’ve had so far. Everyone’s been telling me it since I showed up to Buenos Aires, but it really wasn’t until I spent time gazing onto the province of Salta last weekend that it really hit me: time is the key.

Time let’s actually meet people. Time let’s you relax and enjoy life at your own place. Time eliminates stress of constant planning. Time let’s you be in the moment.

Time let’s you actually get to know a place AND yourself.

If you’re busy trying to cram everything in a tight itinerary, you can’t pause to enjoy the inevitably spectacular moments, relationships, and experiences you will come across. You miss out on the ability to stay agile and go with the flow just like over-planning.

I would have killed to spend another 4-5 days exploring Jujuy before Salta with Jacob, Phil, Barb, and Margo, but I couldn’t because I had pre-committed myself to 13 straight weeks of Spanish classes. Genuinely the biggest mistake I’ve made thus far. Not the taking 13 weeks of classes part. The part where I fixed my schedule and left 4-5 days for my trips around the country. It’s just simply not enough.

That’s the other reason I cancelled all my flights for later – I was doing way too freaking much.

Doing the W-trek, Inca Trail, Easter Island, Caribbean, Medellin all in one month would just dilutes the experience with stress and tight schedules. One thing goes not as planned (like a landslide closing down the road to the Atacama @Jacob @Phil) and you’re screwed. Get rid of the time constraints and just live life.

Time is the world’s greatest gift so enjoy every damn second of it.

5. Handle fernet with care

I dare say this is self-explanatory if you know what fernet is but if not, it’s the most popular Argentinian liquor that is traditionally mixed with Coke. It’s like if rum and coke tasted good.

One cup of “Fernet y Coca” can take a night from “let’s chill” to a sunrise on the river while hunting for a daybreak Choripan. Just ask Cafayate…

6. Tell your mates you love em

Yeah alright a little sappy, emo note inspired by another round of goodbyes but seriously. You never know the next time you’ll see someone because it’s chaotic. Traveling is a lot of improvisation and nothing in life is guaranteed. Plus, everyone loves knowing they’re loved. So tell your friends what they mean to you. If you admire something about someone, tell em. Your relationships will flourish like nothing you ever seen AND you’ll make your friend’s day.

Zero, literally zero, downside.

---

Can’t wait to upload some stories and photos from my Salta trip for y’all cause it’s crazy… but for now, that’s all. Please shoot me a text too and let’s catch up btw. I forget to do so myself, but I love spending a few minutes chatting with y’all 🙂