How my holiday changed my life

My holiday changed my life. I learnt a lot about the person I am and the person I have potential to be. It taught me to live life, no holds barred.

You see, all my life I've thought I was a city girl. I live in the suburbs, I've always hated the suburbs. My favorite pastime on the weekends was to take the train into Melbourne CBD, walk down Swanston Street and step into a Starbucks to order a) a Grande Mocha or b) a Grande Mocha Frappaccino (depending on the weather). Then I'd walk towards Bourke Street Mall. Shopping in the city, whether at the mall or at the quirky stores down Flinders Lane made my weekend. I enjoyed soaking it all up, the tall buildings, the interesting cafes, the buskers, all of it. I could have simply stood amidst the hustle and bustle of the crossing at Flinders Street Station and have had a massive grin for hours at end. ( I never really did that last bit).

Anyway, coming back to my holiday and the reason it changed my life etc. I realised I enjoyed climbing uphill a glacier more than a shopping spree. I preferred walking on mountain slopes in knee-deep ice to a visit to a bag/ shoe store. I struggled, I grumbled, but when I made it to the top I felt this deep sense of accomplishment which definitely superseded any bargain I have ever picked up. People who know me have been shocked by this disclosure (I have a weakness for bags and shoes). Also, I have been known to hate strenuous physical activity.

I had never been camping as I'd never thought of myself to be someone to rough it out. My first time camping was in Antarctica on the ice. I climbed up this slope where the view was something beyond imagination. It was an out of body experience, I felt that I wasn't there even though I was. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I took a video of the view that night, and even though a video will never do justice to the sight I had witnessed, that video takes me to my happy place.

The fact that I love the outdoors was re-iterated once again in Iguazu. The walk to the falls in Argentina was pretty strenuous. I was surprised by how pumped up I was even while I watched other members of my travel group struggle. What can I say about Iguazu? It's strange how the waterfall compares from the Argentinian and the Brazilian side. In Argentina, to me it seemed raw, forceful, powerful. It was the epitome of masculinity. The walk to the falls in Brazil was a breeze, no effort whatsoever. The view was absolutely breathtaking, so picturesque. It was femininity to the absolute core. The falls here seemed open, vulnerable, strong. It stripped me of every vestige of emotion I had been holding onto. I felt at peace.

I remember studying about the Amazon Rainforest in school. I had never imagined I'd be experiencing walking through this vast, dense jungle firsthand. Daily activities involved boat trips before sunrise and after sunset in search of birds, fish and wildlife. But my favorite part of the day was at 10 a.m. when we'd set foot into the forest. We had no trails to follow, we completely relied on local guides. The 2 hour walk through the jungle was the highlight of my day.

I did shop on my holiday. I visited beaches, drank cocktails, discovered art and history. But my soul belonged in the outdoors. I have never thought of any country as home. Perhaps The Great Outdoors is where I belong, that may be my true home.