Today is Tuesday and currently I am waiting to eat breakfast in a relaxed Bogota cafe named "El Gato Gris" which is located along the upper boundaries of the bohemian neighborhood of La Candelaria. The restaurant is completely empty except for myself, the rustling of activity of various chefs in the eateries' kitchen, a soft hum of Latin rock music that is emanating from a hidden stereo system, and an ocean of thoughts that are racing through my mind like a violent race of chariots.
At this very moment a pulsing sensation of vertigo is screaming like a faded trombone through my body because I can sense a cavernous cliff that is about to be jumped towards a destination that for the previous 188 days has felt like a land of unrealistic imagination. In three hours I will pack my belongings, hail a taxi to the Bogota International Airport, and board a flight towards quite possibly the most exotically foreign location that I have witnessed since seven months ago: Home.
For the majority of the trip it was easy to keep emotions about leaving South America stored away in the dusty attic of my conscious but with the scheduled time of departure creeping steadily closer its hard not to think about all of the impending changes that are about to commence. Alterations in scenery, perspectives, and culture will become a very relevant face once my first plane lands in Florida later in the afternoon to officially mark a touch down on North American soil. Seven months ago there was fear of the "unknown" and the idea of sinking into an ocean of uncertainty mixed with danger. At this very moment there there is fear mixed with heavy curiosity about returning to what once was "the known" and to see how seven months of hiatus effects relationships with friends and family. Despite this particular riddle that life will unfold I'm sure things will be alright.
The weekend leading up to today's exodus consisted primarily of reunions with a handful of very close friends whom I had met during various beginning stages of the trip. Dancing, restaurants, wandering, reconnecting with wonderful people and the exchanging of stories made the climactic days in Bogota a fantastically satisfying means of finishing the trip down South. Being here reminded me how lucky I have been to meet everyone who has entered my life since the original arrival in Bogota on August 21st and how friendship is one of life's treasures that should never be taken for granted.
As each ticking instant in Bogota fades away into the whirlpool of time the moment to bid a final farewell is walking down the driveway of life and about to press it's finger on the doorbell. As I descend towards home this blog will follow a similar trajectory but unlike me it will be eagerly waiting at the airport for the next grand adventure. I can't say when the next blog entry will be but it's bags are already packed and ready to see another corner of this wonderfully mysterious world.
For everyone who has ever glanced over this blog I want to sincerely thank you for taking time out of your day to read it. You might have read every entry since the page's donning, a single paragraph, or possibly just this exact sentence. However much or little you have read it doesn't matter because having the opportunity to write to you has been an honor and knowing that I have been graced with such wonderful people to share this experience with has been more important to me than the journey itself. I've been extremely fortunate to have experienced South America but even more blessed to have great people like you who have shown support just by clicking on the page. Thank you for being who you are and I sincerely hope that this blog was something you enjoyed reading because it was something that I truly loved writing.
If anyone wants any information concerning various locations in South America or how to plan for such a trip I would love to help in any way possible so please feel free to contact me. This journey started out for me as a dream and merely a spark of an idea that kept igniting its way back into my life even after large quantities of doubt made it seem impossible to accomplish. I was very fortunate in achieving this personal quest and hopefully this blog will give you motivation to strive towards your personal odyssey or to provide some form of light towards something you are yearning for. One thing I've learned from this trip is that life is too short to not do what makes you happy and to not follow that fire that is burning bright inside your heart. Take good care of yourself and let's follow our next dreams together :)
Love,
Daniel Bond Catena
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