Saying Goodbye

Machu Picchu, Peru

Cali, Colombia

Popayan, Colombia

Sailing from Panama to Colombia

Mancora, Peru

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

San Agustín, Colombia

Lake Titicaca, Peru

San Agustín, Colombia

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Guatape, Colombia

Otavalo, Ecuador

Salento, Colombia

Yesterday, in the La Paz bus station, Kerri and I said goodbye. We knew the day was coming, but I was still not prepared for it and still do not feel ready to be on my own; she’s my best friend, and there is nothing but laughter when we’re together, tears-pouring-down-your-face, I-can’t-breathe laughter.

When I first started planning my trip through Central and South America (nearly a year ago), I knew that the only person I wanted to come with me was Kerri. She joined me in Nicaragua at the end of June, and we travelled through Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and into Bolivia together. There were mountains and waterfalls, oceans and lakes, scuba diving and mountain biking and white-water rafting. There were crushes on boys and mosquito bites and tequila shots (sometimes all in the same night). There were huge cities and tiny towns, sharks and sea lions and monkeys and sloths. There were days spent at markets, days spent lying on the beach, days spent hiking, days spent wandering through new places, but always days that were happy and full.

Kerri went to the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to volunteer for a month, whereas I am going to continue travelling through Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina for the next nine weeks. Perhaps our paths will cross again on this continent, and I hope they do – there is nothing like finding a travel partner you get along with as well as we do.

We’ll see each other again, of course, but wow – I miss her already.

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