I am at a loss to describe to you the past week (has it only been a week?) of my life.

Most journeys travel in one direction: a line. That line may meander through forest and vale, ocean and mountaintop, but we can all agree that a journey has a beginning, it has an end, and it has a direction in between. I feel like this road I am on does not move like that. We have had specific paths that can be measured by specific times (cumulative 47 hours on buses so far), but the experience is different. It's almost radial. Or, here. Imagine an upside-down pyramid that contains what you can see of the world. Your feet start wedged at the point, but as time goes on you rise upwards, and can see and feel more space and existence and reality around you. That is how I feel.

Today and yesterday were very profound days, even though all we did was ride buses and shop. We left the wonderful country of Chile and entered the unknown, dangerous dream of Bolivia. Over the course of the ten hour bus rideto La Paz from Arica, I experienced the spectrum of emotions from fear (imminent death - Bolivia is rated the world's most dangerous roads - to something much stronger but deeper and without source) to isolation (thank you bus full of Bolivians who don't mind staring, and White Chicks coming on the TV) to awe to relief to happiness to excitement to nervousness to doubt to nostalgia to hope to that sense of the future taunting just ahead of you.

Chile is somewhat like the States. They have capitalism, social classes, malls, small towns, etc. Bolivia is not like the States. We passed what looked like former cities, abandoned now with vicuñas roaming the streets and canvas ceilings on homes. Spiritual traditions are very strong, and almost everything has to do with luck or health. I love the old ladies with their tiered skirts and shawls, the little bowl hats perched up high. I love the children with tobaggons and runny noses, with eyes much wiser than you ever expect. Bolivia is poor, but the people help the people. We met many people today, and every single one of them was simple in their interactions, their words, their acceptance of life. I love this city built on hills, with people crowding the streets as old striped buses honk their crammed way down twisting streets. I love the little corners of buildings with small prayer flags to Pachamama and llama fetuses for their offerings. It offers much chance for reflection.

I guess I should go back and fill you in on what we've been doing. Short itinerary:

• Thursday: board a bus at 3:30 in the afternoon. Head north.


• Friday: arrive in San Pedro, north Chile, at 5:00 (yes, 26 hours). Manuever the crowd of owners to find an amazing hostel called La Florida. Make it a home, go out to dinner at a family owned restaurant and have delicious food under an amazing sky.


• Saturday: Tour of the alpine lakes - La Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos (we saw flamingos!) which are amazing salt flats, then to lagunas incredibly higher than I was acclimated for but whose beauty made up for it, the small town of Toconao for a delicious lunch. Proceed to celebrate your vacation freedom and have too much fun going out with the Belgians and Frenchies.


• Sunday: get up somewhat early to bike out to Valle de la Muerte for some tranquil reflection and awe, attempt sandboarding, and generally have a great time. Spend the afternoon at Valle de la Luna and La Cordillera de la Sal (80% salt). Watch the sunset sitting on top of a dune - see colors you never knew existed.


• Monday: get up at 3:30 to go to Los Geisers de Tatio - freeze while walking through and around beautiful steaming geysers, then watch the sun rise blue and incredible over the Andes. Swim in natural thermals. Goodbye dinner with the wonderful Frenchie Suzanne, then catch a 10 hour bus to Arica.


• Tuesday: break your plans to stay in Arica for a day and jump on a 12 hour bus to La Paz, Bolivia. Meet a Dutchman who sells you a guidebook for Bolivia and Peru, the first you have seen. Yay! Now we can start to plan what we'll do in Bolivia! Incredibly awkward and amazing bus ride... arrive in La Paz and have the incredible luck of finding the hostel La Austria, meeting a great guy named Freddy who points you in the direction of Angelo Colonial, deeeelicious food. Sleep.


• Wednesday, today: explore La Paz. Meet amazing people. Buy amazing things. Eat delicious food. Relax.

I have seen incredible landscapes! We've spent much more money than we planned on... but I think it was worth it. We had to have that initial tourist splurge, and now we've all agreed it will be better just to wander around and relax, since it is vacation, and get to know the places we go. We much prefer to go our own way and create our own plans anyways.

I really have no idea how to go about relating my adventures.

First of all, we've met a lot of really cool people. In San Pedro we met the Frenchies Damien, Julian and Suzanne who provided good company and laughter for the days and the nights. There were the Belgians, Steign and Lisa, who had been traveling for five months already and shared lots of wisdom. There was Juan, the tour guide, who definitely provided laughter, cariños, llama meat and the opportunity to learn a lot about northern Chile. Then of course there are all the randoms you meet and chat with and never really get their names. The old guys on the bus, the Patagonia trek leader, the surfer, the guy with dreadlocks who rented us bikes, the ladies in the stores, everyone. Freddy was coincidental, and coincidental again and you just have to wonder how much of what goes on everyday is by chance.

Today we went to an old Aymaran fortune teller who reads fortunes in coca leaves. It sounds hokey to a lot of you, but in this point in my life I have many questions, many choices, many changes. After only saying my name, this man touched on every one of them. This was the most profound thing that happened to me today. Days and weeks and even months of thinking and changing and adapting and critiquing all came together. I still have questions, obviously, but the falling of coca leaves, one side dark one side light, made so many things become clear. I don't know if it was the altitude, the hookah, or simply existing here, but for the rest of the day I had this incredibly clear and spreading sense of living in a time that was not now, that many of these things that were on my mind were actually part of my present. I was in two places at once.

The cafe is kicking us out. Where will I be next time I right? I don't even know where I'll be in two days... we'll see where the wind blows.