Reise Review

Eyes open!

Our long journey opened our eyes to many things. We developed an interest in various things. The encounters we had with people were very intense and helpful in understanding Latin America and the world in general. In addition, there is the history of various cities and countries. In discussions, we also learned a lot about politics and the economy. If something was unclear or we wanted to learn more about a topic, we could easily look it up on the internet. We are happy to be able to live in the present time. In addition to the negative aspects of today's technology, there are also countless positive things. How nice it is to stay in touch with family and friends so easily. We also appreciated being able to read the newspaper from home online.

In any case, we will take the increased interest in everything home.

60+15 and much more

Why did we undertake such a long journey in the first place? Our home is so beautiful and our work brings us joy. Everything is associated with effort. The organizational hassle of subletting an apartment, finding a substitute in the job, explaining the handover, and changing addresses at various institutions. The effort for the relatively immense return we finally had was minuscule. The backpack filled with experiences that we could fill through our journey is big and was used in all weather conditions. We traveled with a backpack "60 + 15", but it would not be enough for the experiences we had. You feel like you have gained a lot of life experience through the filled backpack. The countless encounters with people from all social strata and countries enriched us. Once people were stupid, poor, rich, aggressive, absorbed, friendly, funny, intelligent, interested in history, well-read, extinguished, and much more. Here we could write down countless other descriptions. However, these words could probably also be found on the internet by entering "personal description". The clue of the encounters was that the diversity of people expanded our horizons and general perception of people. So our backpack is filled on the one hand with encounters with people, on the other hand with many nature experiences and finally with our togetherness. The whole mixture of culture, nature, and love results in a packed backpack that cannot be sold. It is not sellable because it is unique and very personal. We will tell you about it - and that for a whole lifetime. However, one central question is whether this backpack brings us anything for everyday life at all. At the same time, we wonder whether this question is so crucial. If it were answered with "no", the journey itself would be worth it anyway. But there is another thought about it. If the journey were so beautiful for someone and could not be surpassed by further life, everyday life would always be in the shadow. The longing for being on the move would be too great and happiness might be difficult to find. The constant search for happiness is probably quite exhausting. It is notoriously not easy to find it when you try to search for it. We also believe that the above-mentioned central question would not have the same answer for everyone. In our case, however, we are pretty convinced that we can make positive use of the packed backpack of our big journey. We will certainly be happy to pack the backpack for our future travel plans. However, we know where we feel at home and are always happy to come back to our family, friends, cuisine, and everything else we missed and learned to appreciate again during our time outside Switzerland. The anticipation of so many things in our homeland, as well as our work, are probably the best conditions for an energetic re-entry into everyday life. At home, we open the backpack and look back on a beautiful, unforgettable time that will shape us for a lifetime.

Highlights of our journey:

• Two-day hike to Acatenango with Mama; Active volcano Fuego, Guatemala

• Snorkeling trip to Caye Caulker, Belize

• Lobster-BBQ on the beach, Caye Caulker, Belize

• Zipline in the jungle of La Fortuna (with Izzy and Carlos from Australia), Costa Rica

• Surfing in Santa Catalina, Panama

• Ice cream in Casco Viejo, Panama City

• Five-day sailing trip from Panama to Colombia (via San Blas Islands)

• Cartagena, Colombia

• Bucaramanga with Chrigel, Colombia

• Picnic and downhill in Salento, Colombia

• Coffee and cake at "Jesus Martin", Salento, Colombia

• Galapagos, Ecuador

• Visit to the mine in Potosí, Bolivia

• Observatory in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

• Wild camping spot in a dried-up riverbed near Uspallata, Argentina

• Antigua Residencia, Maipú in Mendoza, Argentina

• BBQ, San Rafael

• Villa Pehuenia, Northern Patagonia

• Private beach at the Mapuches, Argentina

• Nude bathing and washing in cold lakes, Argentina

• Two-day hike to Lanín, Argentina

• National park "Los Alerces", Argentina

• El Chaltén, Argentina

• Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

• Christmas in Calafate, Argentina

• Torres del Paine, Chile

• Relaxed Uruguay

• Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina

• Togetherness and love

Life is like a pizza. Just as you top it, it tastes. En guete!