We passed this field leaving Cuenca, insanely beautiful

What  a stick!

No seriously, there is  no depression  like a monday  depression , mine is usually so severe that  it take me at least until Tuesday before I can do  any thing about  it. especially when its cold , like today  I start to  think of places I’ve been and places I would like to  go  but be prepared , traveling   like any  other  drug  is  addictive , generally speaking though  you  can show the pictures of your vacations  to friends  and co workers {yeah}

Any ways  was thinking of  what exactly it is that  makes  life on vacation  so desirable , and the  return so  …. depressing , now to clarify I’m not talking about  like a spa getaway , the answer would be obvious , no , what I’m  asking is how can  you  spend  three months  going from hostel to  hostel, getting wet, getting muddy, spending hours on buses that  smell of wet dog and goat ….  and say “gee I really miss that”. I Think maybe  some times the  lessons  we  learn  in traveling are  very simple , but the effects are  profound:  we learn what  we can handle, we  learn  whats  important i.e. food , water, shelter, friends, family, faith {not  necessarily in that order}  and not  to be over looked you  learn who you can travel  with .  What I mean  is  you  can  go  on a very  expensive trip  with your  best friends and  have everything go according to plan  and  live with a mild anxiety the  whole  time , worried that  everyone is having a good  time and that  everyone is  doing what they like , or some times you can  just  go, get lost , have everything go wrong , and have  the best time  of  your life : know who  you can travel  with, if  your  unduly  anxious over  one person  or  one  group  of friends  that’s ok, but consider  giving  gift cards  instead  of group ventures.

Mark  Twain, once  said something to the effect  that a great  deal of the worlds problems could be solved if  people  traveled more  freely than they  gave  their  opinions (ok I don’t know if  he said that last part  but I’m sure he would agree, he  would) in any  case I’ve  come up with a few ideas  for the before and after aspects of  traveling to  minimize the monday  blues

rocky and willie 30 hrs on the bus to Lima , Peru 13 hrs to go

1. know  who to travel with: (this  may not be your usual group of friends) try to  think of the people  your most comfortable with just as yourself,  ask are they  irritable , high maintenance , rude  with   service personale? can they  cope  with stress  what is their physical  stamina?  do they take responsibility for their own actions. may seem like little  things  but  little  things  can wear thin in  a foreign place  traveling  with  the same  faces  for x amount of days

llama sirloin skewers, Aguascalientes, Peru

2.  Try  to decide  ahead  of time  what  the  ultimate goal  of your vacation  is : if its relaxation  get a massage and take a nap first  thing make  no apologies, food? go  for it,  plenty  of  restaurants offer a variety  of food   sight  seeing? please note 46 pictures   of the same beach may only appeal to  you personally  unless  your like, ansel adams

—- TRY  THIS: when  taking  pictures  of vacation think of it as having a  beginning middle and end , so in theory  your photos should  tell a story highlighting  what  you saw , who was there, where you stayed  what  you ate … be creative  think  of it  like  looking  into a really cool coffee book versus … a slide show  of 46 pictures  of the  beach.

diana, toya, danny, jess, & josie Brooklyn to L.A.: new friends

3. if you meet people you  really  click  with , don’t be shy ask  for their email or  Skype accounts,  then put that  info on your e-mail asap, this lowers  the risk  of loosing that info  and ! ups the  number  of  fun friends  in your  close and intimate circle of really,  really awesome  foreign friends that  can  help you leave the country if  the need should arise.

entrance to the sun temple. Machu Pichu,Peru

4. as your photo library develops  keep  track  of  the times places, and why these  pics are important to you,* and  as a reminder  if you’re storing photos online  or on a computer back them up with a program like carbonite = you need pics to prove you  were there.

5. when you   get  home  find  the  pictures  that  ,for  you , were the most  iconic of the  trip, place them around  your  office ,  reading corner or bed room . Take the pictures  that  were most iconic  of  where you went and use  them like  your favorite seasoning in decorating, these little everyday reminders will keep  you in a good mood and  motivated to do  it again.

Oven roasted CUY (G. PIG), pan roasted potatoes and arabic salad

6. If  you love to cook , or   try new things in general, and you learned a  skill, or  how to make  a certain dish on your  trip  share it with loved ones

7. and  when all else fails  save your pennies  and go  back,  or set a new  course because nothing  really beats the real  thing .

BCT & Friends traveling Lima, Cuzco, Aguascalientes, Machu Picchu Peru

—–phojones