Sunday-Funday Update

As I try to wrap up my travel portion of this blog (of South America, I will travel more, more, more!!!! in the future though), I am going to try to post a bit here-and-there about me and what I'm up to in my current life, and I will warn all readers that it could be a big bore! But here we go....

Today is the last day of my 45 day "diet", "cleanse" thing that I'm doing. I started doing this because of all of the weight that I put on in South America. I don't actually know how much it was, but I could see it in my body. Blah! While you're traveling, it is so hard to watch what you eat because you want to get the whole "experience"...or whatever. Plus, I wasn't riding my bike like I always do at home. SO anyway! Tomorrow I can introduce more fats and more veggies! My feelings towards this? So mixed. I want to keep going because I have lost 25 pounds already, however I'm so anxious to be able to eat eggs and cheese and salmon and eggplant, and all of these yummy things! (AND I'm excited to be able to crack open a bottle of red and just relaaaaaax!)
Through this cleanse, as I like to call it (because I hate the idea of "dieting", especially with how America is with dieting), I have found myself with huge amounts of energy! Giving up starchy foods has been amazing on my sense of clarity and ability to stay awake all day long, without feeling worn out. Additionally. cutting out sugar has been greatly beneficial to this state of mind! Once you just knock it out for a while, you really realize how much it wears you down and puts on those pounds, fast! AND my skin has been pretty amazing through all of this as well. Its pretty crazy how simplifying your diet can work wonders on your body and overall health.

All of this leads me to thinking of ways that I can keep all of this weight off, and lose more. It's an addiction, I gotta say! And here I go with another list (I love lists!) of rules to live by when trying to stay healthy and keep unwanted pounds off!

1. Gluten-free! I plan to try to stick to the no-wheat diet because I feel like my allergies aren't nearly as bad when I'm gluten free. This also includes beer, obviously. I am such a microbrewery freak, and with my constantly dad brewing beer, and visits to my sister in Oregon (micro brew capital!), it's so difficult to say no to that delicious chocolate stout. Aside from allergies, I think this is the underlying issue for a lot of people's weight gain... I just don't think that we are all cut out to process gluten.
2. Less Dairy. This one is a hard one for me and I think it actually has a lot do to with my allergic reactions as well. My sister has recently discovered that this is why she gets eczema type rashes, so I think it might be a reason why I break out too! Cheese is my weakness, though. I can't live without it. This was one of the reasons why I was anxious to get back to the states,... because of the extra-sharp cheddar! (sigh) But as I say this, I do have to admit that I am well stocked up in the cheese department. My refrigerator right now has a really nice assortment of cheeses such as; feta, Tilamook extra sharp, goat cheese with herbs, Gruyere, Jarlsburg and mozzarella. Sounds like I'm not managing this one too well... uh oh.
3. Walk, every single day! This one is a big one for me because I'm such an avid bike-rider, so I usually just hop on my two-wheeler and go where ever I'm headed. I have found that if you just walk for 60 minutes per day though, you get those joints moving and it feels great! Its difficult at first, just because an hour seems like such a long time, but once you make the time for this, you realize that it actually is a really important part of your daily routine. The protocol for this specific diet didn't allow any sort of running because of its impact on the body, but I do hope to start running this upcoming week!
   
4. Avoid Sugars! Especially super complex ones. Stevia is a great substitution, and there are other ways to get your "fix" as well, but for the most part, just stay away!
5. Eat Simple, Whole Foods. This rule is one that I've always tried to live by. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where you find produce, meat, cheese, etc. Avoid the center because that's where you find all of the processed, packaged food. Make things from scratch, even things like sauces, beans and salad dressing, because this way you know what's actually in it and you avoid consuming all of that corn starch, corn syrupy, gross stuff! Not to mention, it tastes better!!! Also, when you actually read the box of what you are buying, often times things are jam packed with guess what? Sugar! Thus, making us all sluggish and worn out! This includes canned foods and frozen foods. These foods don't have nearly the amount of nutritional value as fresh foods! I know it can be a bit more costly, and more time consuming because we all do know that yes, fresh veggies will go bad, but its totally worth it! Also, shop the bulk section as much as you can! Avoid any extra packaging :)
6. Drink Lemon Water in the Morning and at Night. (And Green tea in the am, too!)
7. Drink Water!!!!
8. Eat Dinner 3 and a half hours before you hit the hay.
9. Get some sun, for that precious Vitamin D that your body easily lacks.
10. Sleep at least 8 hours per night and try to stick to a regular sleep/eat schedule. I never realized how important it was to have a daily ritual when it comes to sleeping and eating habits until I did this diet. I wouldn't lose the regular weight amount whenever I didn't get enough sleep, which was appalling to me! So sleep well, and eat at regular times throughout the day. (Another thing that's hard when you're traveling, as well as when you're in school)

Alrighty, so there they are... 10 rules to live by when trying to maintain, or even lose weight.

I will leave you with a simple recipe on making my personal favorite salad dressing, a Balsamic Redux. Good on pretty much any salad, as well as on top of strawberries (with a bit of goat cheese or yogurt, if you wish)... for a tasty, healthy little dessert!

About 1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
3-5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Pepper + Salt to your taste

In a saucepan, heat the vinegar on medium heat until it starts to thicken. Add oil, salt and pepper and there you have it!

Easy, simple and delicious... no need to buy dressing at the grocery store, just make your own to the exact way you want them!

Migraines and the Lack of Oxygen

Bolivia... the shocker, in every way.
Bolivia remains to be one of my favorite places that I visited, even with all of it's enormous issues.

A few examples:

1. Sanitation. The sanitation in Bolivia is horrible. My stomach was continually uneasy, always carrying toilet paper (this is when you know you're not in Argentina anymore!), the food was always questionable and I always made sure that there was a bathroom near by. I must say though, I probably put my body through some wild things that could have easily been avoided here. Being a budget traveler, I didn't want to spend all of my money (and waste all the plastic!) on bottled water, so I always drank tap. This is probably what lead to my continual illnesses in Bolivia. On the contrary, I exposed my immune system to some gnarly stuff, making my body stronger! Additionally, I LOVED the juice stands. For around 25 US cents, you could get the most delicious juices, freshly made at the mercado with all kinds of fruits you've never even seen before! But this was also a possible cause of my intense illnesses. Once, sometimes twice, per week in Bolivia, I found myself hurled over the toilet, with chills, sweats, high fever,... you get the picture. The week after I left though, I was like a whole new gal! Full of energy, ready to hike, bike, run, swim, you name it! So yeah, the streets are dirty and the people are too, but its all the more charming this way, right? : )
2. Poverty. Bolivia is the shocker, again. People are poor and will rob you. Many of my friends were robbed here, however- though people are always saying that it is the most unsafe here as far as robberies, mugging, and other stuff... I almost found myself feeling worse in Peru and even more so in Ecuador, surprisingly enough. In Bolivia, they're almost never violent!
   
3. Altitude. Shocking. This part was a challenge for most. Coca leaf chewing is encouraged by locals. I didn't feel the altitude until I got to Potosi, which is where this entry is all about! You become so short of breath, get headaches, get wasted on a drop of booze and walking up one flight of stairs seems like such a challenge. Which leads to my next point...
4. You are always walking uphill, no matter where you are going. Simply put! All I have to say is this: after you leave the Andes, you have the tightest ass you've ever had, ever!
5. Drugs. Here, drugs are a bit of an issue. I will mention this later when I get to the post on La Paz, but in La Paz there is a prison which tourists can go visit for a large cost. This prison is unique in that it has drug manufacturers within its walls that will give you a tour so you can purchase however much cocaine you want. You can only imagine, this brings in a LOT of tourist. Additionally, this is an "open" prison and the prisoners can RENT an apartment within the walls of it. There are classes within the prison and shops as well. You can buy groceries, clothes, etc! Luxury, right? Book Recommendation: Marching Powder (This is a great, quick read all about the prison) More regarding this subject later!!!
   

So there you have it, a few things that make Bolivia a serious eye opener! A few more might include the insane imagery of the capital: La Paz; the world's most dangerous road; the cost of living (so cheap! about 10-15 dollars per day, sometimes less depending how much you wanted to indulge) and the sketchy, sketchy buses!

This all leads to my next point, which is what this whole entry is about... Potosi mines. Going into these mines is actually considered an UNESCO world heritage cultural experience. I would have liked it more if it hadn't been so over-crowded and taken over by tourists, but isn't that how it always is when you want to go to some of the cool spots?

Anyway, the miners were happy, which surprised me. Now, after the whole Chilean mine collapse and all of that, which happened while I was in Ecuador, I realize how dangerous and how scary that kind of occupation can really be! The most appalling thing though, was how these people were slaving away to simply provide silver for the WORLD. Most of this silver was not even kept in Bolivia, it was exported to guess who! Us! The United States! So, before I left to go into the mines and talk with the workers (with a guide... it was totally safe...sort of, besides the dynamite part I guess), I removed all of my precious silver, which is my weakness as I'm sure a lot of you know. My whole family wears silver religiously, and here I am... a little blonde, white girl seeing where it all comes from! This experience made me think twice before purchasing my next silver item. I'm not going to be silver-free now, but seeing all of the work that goes into a vanity, such as a bracelet or a pair of earrings is really quite fascinating and upsetting as well.

These miners are anywhere from ages 10 to 80, but most of them don't live past say, 45 or 50. In Potosi, the average age of death is around 50. But... if you are young and worried about the future of your family, you're going to go out there and risk your life for the betterment of their future, right? I guess. Gosh, its just that I can't see anyone in my family going out and taking one for the team like that. The age of death is so young because these men who work in the mines are continually drinking 90proof alcohol, chewing coca, smoking cigarettes and breathing in tons of dust! I would love to see their alveoli under a microscope, I bet they are extremely over-polluted.

Being inside of the mine was pretty frightening. Even in level 1 I was scared and we went down a total of 4 levels! Down ladders, through tunnels, it was pretty surreal actually- mostly because it reminded me of Indiana Jones, except the fact that this was some one's life! Their real life! The company that took me down made me sign a contract saying that if I die or whatever may happen, I couldn't do anything about it...or I guess my family couldn't do anything about it. Why did I go? Man, I don't know. But as you go deeper into the mines, it gets hotter and hotter, and dustier and dustier, and you sort of feel like you might not be able to get enough oxygen in a few moments, and you get all claustrophobic and scared and sweaty and you're crawling around, barely able to move... and you wish you had told your mom that you loved her because you keep hearing these loud noises, which you later find out is dynamite blowing up not so far away, and you just wish you could see the sun again. Then, when you do see the sun, it looks more glorious than it ever has before! You are so thankful to be on top of the earth and walking around. And you're so thankful that you don't have to go back down into that dark, dark hole ever again.

This is the closest that I've ever been to Hell.

A few pictures...


"mike" assembling dynamite

the underground version of me

Sun setting, view from hostal terrace

I've never been so high, yet so low in one place.

Oh, the joys of packing!

Just 3 more days of American life! I am finally getting excited to leave, however it is hard in these transition states where you just feel like such a lost soul. At least I can say that I'm leaving everything behind for now with such a neutral view on everything, rather than running away from a list of bad experiences. Like I previously said, Flagstaff will always hold a special place in my heart.

These past few days I have been procrastinating to the extreme! Instead of cleaning, organizing, de-junking and packing... I have been doing collages, and listening to the Dixie Chicks on repeat (I know, I know). All I have to say though, is that the Dixie Chicks really hit home at a time like this when you aren't really sure what you're doing, if you made the right decision to just up-and-leave, or you're not really sure what the next step will be (more education? travel? work??). I finally understand why my sister identifies so well with their music (ha, ha!). Its that lack of stability and the absence of normal comfort levels. Aside from that, I feel as though I have been procrastinating well- nothing beats collages from old Arizona Highways and glitter (perhaps I will post a few pictures of them soon)! Crafting time makes me miss Ysabel and our boring, boring days (well, not to us!) of crafting... no one wanted to hang out because we only wanted to stay home and craft for 72 hours straight! I am missing my closest Flagstaff friends and I haven't even been gone for a week!

I am already starting to feel slightly uncomfortable blogging again because its all about me me ME!

Onward, though...

Packing: such a tedious thing to do. I hope to pack light so that I can buy whatever the hell I want and be able to take anything back with me! However, while backpacking for THREE MONTHS its really hard to get a grasp on what I will really need. At some point, the seasons will change and there will be completely different necessities. For now, I am thinking I will just pack items that I will need immediately and then buy whatever I need later.

This is probably why I just starting packing today. It's just stressful!

In addition to packing, I finally booked my hostel for the first couple of nights in Buenos Aires. So exciting! I've also been corresponding with many farms through the WWOOF program and I can't wait to see where it takes me.

I think this is enough talk about me for now. Hopefully these posts will get a bit more exciting.

-A.

Moving On...

Even though this is the right time for me to pack up and leave Flagstaff, Arizona, I am starting to feel sad about it. I look forward to all of the opportunity the world has to offer me, but it is so hard to leave everything that I have built up here; my friendships, my work, the little children, my family here, the memories, etc. Not to mention, becoming an aunt and basically walking away from that! This past month has been difficult because I am not very good at goodbyes, I'm better at "see you later's", but I'm honestly not sure that I will ever move back here. I love Flagstaff, but I honestly feel as though this section of my life is complete and I'm ready for huge changes!
In about 3 weeks, I am flying to Buenos Aires all by my lonesome, and I am both anxious and nervous about the whole situation. Part of me really wants to travel alone to feel the insecurity of it all, to experience everything without any restrictions, any time limits... This trip is about me, as selfish as that sounds. I am traveling to complete this sort of "transition" to the next stage of my life... to wrap things up. I want to figure a few things out on my own and be able to simply think about me, and what I plan to do next. Though the insecurity is part of the whole game plan, it is also what makes me incredibly nervous about it all. I keep telling myself "I need this, I need this", just to keep the stress levels low as the date approaches where I jump on that plane and get thrown into a completely different atmosphere. I am nervous about meeting people, about understand another language, speaking another language, etc... I have faith that everything will work out well though, even if it is difficult at times!
So... though I have not updated my blog in forever, I hope to make posts more frequently to update friends, family and whoever really cares about my travels!
I am so excited for what these next few months have to offer and can't wait to share!