On Thursday, October 19th, we left Buenos Aires to go on our Educational Field Trip in Salta and Jujuy, Argentina. Buenos Aires is on the eastern coast of Argentina while Salta and Jujuy are on the northwest border near Bolivia. We took a two hour flight to get there, and I must admit, I was not excited to be traveling.
Leaving Buenos Aires again?
Really?
In the month and a half that I have been here in South America, we have had two big travel breaks and one long weekend. This means that every two to three weeks, I am leaving the city to go to another place. The idea of being able to see new beauties, experience a new culture, and try new food is beautiful. It is my dream to have this lifestyle, but I never thought about how emotionally draining the process can be. Right when I am about to get comfortable in one location, it is time to leave again. There is no time to get emotionally attached to one place.
Maybe that is the problem… I want to have emotional attachments to places that I visit..
But I do not think that it is such a bad thing. A huge part of who I am is being empathetic towards other people. Wherever I go, I want to understand everything: why do Argentines drink Mate? What do Argentines take pride in? How do the natives of Argentina feel about their history? Why?
I want to learn and understand… Everything…
But doing so is emotionally draining. I get so caught up in the pain, happiness, and other emotions that other people feel that I forget how they technically should not matter to me. Yes, in a general perspective, it is a good habit to always try to understand other people, but I have to learn to draw a line between understanding and getting emotionally attached.
Being an understanding person is a characteristic that helps a person grow works toward a better self. Being emotionally attached, however, can be dangerous. It can put a person in a dark place, and that is what I want to avoid.
Right now, I am embracing the discomfort of being constantly on the move. I know for a fact that I will look back at my experiences and not regret a single decision to see and experience a new culture. Aside from the idea that traveling can be emotionally draining, I can confidently say that I am happy to be abroad. At times, I question whether I am living in a dream, but I am not. This is my reality, and I sure am fortunate and grateful to be where I am.