6 months later

A jew, an irishman and a travelling tattoo artist go to Sao Paulo. At least, that´s where I found myself six months after leaving California for Guatemala.

Miguel, the irishman, and I met in Guatemala and we reconnected months later in Buenos Aires. After rain and cold and snow in Argentina, we decided to head for the sun. We picked up a travelling buddy, Michel Luna, a tattoo artist from Peru. We immediately regretted our choice in travel partner when we went to the airport the next day. Next to our two backpacks, Michel had one large suitcase, a rolling suitcase, a large backpack, four large cases of CDs, another small backpack and a case for his tattoo materials (9 bags!!). After a day carrying around his CDs (no, he didn´t know about iTunes), my giggles got the best of me when the airline lost our bags. But I really started to laugh when Michel pulled a taser out in the subway, for protection of course, from the bag he carried on the plane. A taser. Really?!

Needless to say, we ditched Michel in Sao Paulo and since then Miguel and I have found our travel groove in Brazil.

Brazil, a country that was not high on my list, has been an amazing surprise. Alive with spirit and music and dance and culture, I have completely fallen in love. People are really friendly and open, and Miguel and I have spent much more time with locals than with travellers.

If you could just see where I am now...after four days in Sao Paulo, we headed to Rio, then further north to Fortaleza. Yesterday, we took a seven hour bus ride and then a one hour buggy ride to get to Jericoacoara. Jeri is a small town in the sand dunes; no cars, no banks, no roads. Just beaches and dunes. It´s perfect. It´s just where I want to be. I need to be still for a moment. I need to think.

It is amazing how lucky I am to be here...as I type, I can see the sand dunes and the ocean. People will start walking up the dune for sunset soon, and then gather to watch Capoeria (Afro-Brazilian dance) on the beach. People gather around drink stalls in the sand, where you can get a caipirinha for $1.50. Afterwards, it will be time for a meal of fish, rice and beans; all fresh, all for $2.50.

The overwhelming part is not that it is so easy and so cheap to find a small piece of paradise; the overwhelming part is that it took only one choice to be here. I won the lottery when I decided to travel. I won it all when I realized that you can be the richest person in the world, or the poorest, and still be exactly where you want to be.

It´s a powerful gift that I do not take lightly. It comes with the obligation of responsible travel. Six months later and I have doubts. I am tired of the same old travel conversations (Where ya from, how long are you travelling for...), and the lack of substance (one might say the vapidity) that can come from sightseeing and boozey nights out. I am not travelling to check things off a list, or drink my way around the world. I am seeing beautiful places, drinking with new and interesting people, but I am giving absolutely nothing back.

I realize that it´s extravagant in its selfishness.

I am the first person to preach the benefits of travelling, and yet 6 months later, I am questionning my own ability to make good from all this. There is a time for travel and relaxation (which I sorely needed and that I appreciatively take for myself), however, as the rest of my time travelling starts to take shape, so do my goals and intentions for the next 10 months. It´s time to give back to say thank you for all that has been given to me.