Visiting Uruguay Teaches Self-Indulgence
Uruguay marked the start of an adventure, but also the end of another. It saw me leave some wonderful friends to go meet up with some old ones. It took me from the hectic world of Bolivia into a much more urban setting of Montevideo. I went from hostels and strangers to apartments and families, from English as a primary language to Spanish (with the Uruguayan accent that I have yet to fully get used to), and from dinner at a reasonable hour to dinner becoming a midnight snack.
Though I have little to say about the country itself, it is in no way reflective of my time there. Both the city and the coast are beautiful, vibrant, and relaxing. The lack of stories and adventures comes more from my attitude. Instead of going crazy and becoming the typical embarrassing tourist who stops right in the middle of a crowded sidewalk to take a photo or gawk at a sight (I don’t know if you can tell how I feel about these types of tourists), I stayed with my friends and their families, living rather than visiting. Though I may not have seen what the other tourists saw, I still managed to really love my time there. After the extraordinary (and touristy) sights of Bolivia, I needed the break.
Though I did still manage to take one or two photos.
And if I’ve learnt anything traveling so far, it’s that you need to listen to your body. Take a break when you want. Have a lazy day, week, or even month. It’s better to keep yourself sane than to see and do everything. If you’re missing home, splurging on comfort food (or candy and ice cream in my case), watching a shitty movie or TV series that you’d feel embarrassed to admit you love (Grey’s Anatomy… I just can’t stop), and having a chat or a good cry, or both, with a friend from home over Skype can do wonders. Sometimes you need to throw the budget out the window and eat a pint of ice cream without feeling guilt. You need to ignore your plan and stay put to do nothing for an extra week. Or maybe you need to step out of your comfort zone and walk into a new situation. Something like a child’s birthday party with an entire family, all of whom speak Spanish. Or maybe you need to busy yourself by picking up a new skill, like playing a bright yellow ukelele.
Uruguay was all of this and more for me. It was a transition site, a home stay, a reunion, a renewal. It saw me laugh, cry, relax, stress, try to understand Spanish, and learn. It saw me at a traveler’s low, and at a high. It was exactly what I needed it to be. And there’s no way it would have been all that I needed without the generosity, hospitality, and overall wonderful nature of my lovely Uruguayan friends, and their equally lovely friends and families.
