Wanderlust

"Wanderlust" is a word that's bandied about often, particularly in the fog-chasing, open-road-travelling, coffee-drinking world of Instagram photographers. To the extent that I poke fun of it all, I do so only out of jealousy, really. Because, man, do you ever just get hit by a travel bug in that nebulous, visceral way? It's a yearning so strong that it makes you almost ache with the desire to just. go. 

This past week, Passion Passport held an Instagram contest in commemoration of Pay Pal's 15th anniversary. They asked users to share their favorite travel memories from the past 15 years for a chance to win some sweet prizes. And since I have no means or time right now to satiate my sense of wanderlust, I settled for a good ol' walk down memory lane and the chance to live vicariously through my former self. I delved into hundreds of slides I shot from a trip 10 years ago and here's the contest entry I came up with: 

[Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile | February, 2004] // After college graduation, I moved back in with my parents, worked two jobs, and saved up money to travel. Less than a year later, my now-husband and I set off for two months in South America. We traveled through Peru, Argentina, and Chile (where I had spent a semester living two years prior). Ten years and two kids later, we fondly remember this epic adventure where we backpacked, camped, took 19-hour bus rides, met people from all over the globe, and saw some of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. One of these unforgettable sights was the three granite Torres del Paine in the southernmost part of Chile. We hiked all morning to reach this spot and arrived to find the iconic rock spires completely engulfed in fog. I vividly remember fighting back tears, I was so disappointed. Other dismayed hikers turned around to begin the long trek back. Andrew convinced me that we should stay and at least eat the lunch we had brought. We had the place to ourselves as we sat on a huge boulder at the base of the turquoise pool of glacial water and ate. And, as if rewarding us for staying, the fog parted for a mere two minutes and we got our own private viewing party of these stunning formations. // Thank you, @passionpassport, for prompting me to get out the slides I shot during the trip and relive some amazing memories. #PPtravelmemories // #fromritasarchives // 📷 Minolta X-7A 35mm camera, Fujifilm Velvia

I didn't win the contest, but I found the whole experience to be highly rewarding. Receiving an honorable mention wasn't too shabby either.