Truth and dare.

So, two months after coming home I log in again and try to finish off. I have to admit, it's been downright procrastination not having time to write the ceremonial end-story of this adventure for the last two months. And is that really weird? Somehow, I really don't want it to be finished. So by not having to 'end' it, by writing my last blogpost, I've been somehow trying to prolong my journey. Without any success, however. But tonight, with a glass of cold white wine and a silent house making me feel all wary and such, I decide to finish it. All good things come to an end, so I put myself to it and it's were new good things start as well!

Since Sucre, it has been going on and on in a speed-train tempo. I've been hanging out at a eco-farm where I learned some things that I was astounded of not knowing them already! How to burn your own coffee beans, for example, and how to build your own water irrigation system, just to mention some examples. Run by a former US citizen from German and Italion origin, this place is a world on it's own. It got me thinking on how far away I normally am from the products I eat and drink everyday. It got me thinking about how much pressure and information is thrown at us, day by day, in a civalisation that is constantly looking for more, new and bigger, and how much more fruitful living is when you take time for things that are important. In this case, that might be even literally, because this guy didn't have anything in his kitchen that wasn't coming from his own land. (except for maybe the rice and the chocolate) Fruit, bread, cheese, honey, wine, all came from his own crops through his own hands. As you can imagine, it made an impact on me and my behaviour, although I am still struggling to find what it really did then. I talk about it a lot, but for others it seems as such a for-from-my-bed show I don't know how to explain better. Maybe, if you ever go to Bolivia, you can visit this place and earn your bedbunk by learning to grow, build, harvest, cook and play chess. (Thanks Chris) search: gingers paradise bermejo and you'll find it. On top of all this nature-based experience, I managed to get three of my own songs recorded at the home-recording system in his house!:D Talk about - towards full life - ! (What the statue in front of the Maastricht University says)

So how did I get back to Buenos Aires?:) Well, quite expectedly, yet another hitchhike of about 1300 km did the trick. 4 young Argentinos were cruising back from the Iguazu fall to their home in Lujan and there they saw me standing at the side of a dirt-road (which was once not a dirt-road, and I left it behind a bit cleaner than I found it. That means: a lot of dirt in my clothers and backpack - probably in the washing machine of my mum right now;)) Unluckily, one of their friends had had a health related accident leaving just one spot in their pick-up truck coming back from northern-Argenine. Luckily, I was the one taking up that spot. It wasn't really the nicest of reasons to be picked up, but this youthful clique were open and welcoming - just as I expected it to be being back in Argentina. Some sort of less appropriate coming home maybe, but certainly very effective and another lesson in a little bit of argentine culture. Because, on top of being brought almost all the way back to where I would fly to NL, these people invited me over to their house! A house where I stayed for three days to, among other things, go see the parade on the national independence day. It was the perfect way to finish off before heading back to the big city and eventually, my plane.

And there I was walking though the airport poles, excited to see the warm smiles of important people welcoming me back. It was a moment I had previsioned so many times before in the ultimate last couple of months, it was like I relived it for the so manieth time. The emotions weren't milder because of it, but I could somehow sense that I had come back before.
And than, by the flick of an instant, you're back and all is 'normal' again. It's amazing how little it takes for the things to be seen just as they were when you went. I just soaked it up and I must say, I enjoyed it. Comparing it with coming back from central america 4 years ago, I didn't even expect things to be different this time, and that I must say, helped a lot to let go. I just stepped in and continued where I stopped almost half a year ago, so to say. With new energy, life-experience based wisedom (Although this is a bit awkard to say of myself, I think), and with a few more stories to tell my future grandchildren. Or maybe to you?;) I sometimes feel like I took a small piece of the peace and restfullness of the patagonian fields with me, and that I left a little of my childishness out there. But as with many things, that is an easy thing to say, but far more harder to display back home. And maybe that is what's the hardest thing in me writing my last blogpost in here. Living out the things one knows is a problem we all have to overcome. But it's also an unforgettable part of my memory, and I will carry it with me, whether I like it or not, onward in my life.

But I came back and that's that. Fact is that I am inspired by the lands of South-America, I am amazed by the people I've met, I am better with short term planning now:P, I am honoured and awestruck by the loving arms of friends, family and my girlfriend who were there all the time, I am confident in what I want and the ways of achieving it, I am thrilled by the feeling of freedom that's grown in my heart, I am happy to get back to work/studies and become a good doctor one day, I am grateful for you reading this and making me able to thereby share experience: I hope my journey has been yours as well, because that was what this whole blog was about in the first place.

When I quoted in the first journal of this trip about 7 months ago, 'the soul who sees beauty may sometimes walk alone' by Goethe, I didn't know what to expect, to be honest. I admit, it was just a line I found along many great thinkers quotes on the internet that struck and stayed. I picked it, and now, with all the stories in between, it somehow has evolved into a meaning of it's own. At least for me, then. :)

I can't make it anymore than this: Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

ps. January 2014 is due for my new South-America experience. The adventure goes on...For 9 nine weeks, I'll be an intern in a Colombian hospital (or field services) and I hope I can update you with some experiences on that as well!:)