Flying solo to the Atacama desert

Today I flew alone to Calama and then bused to San Pedro Atacama, the famous desert in Chile. I almost didn't come because I had a wave of fear.  What would happen, traveling alone, what if I get lost? But everything I want is on the other side of fear so I booked the trip. I'm so glad to God that I did. Getting here was a long process and the town seemed much more rugged than I thought it would be, but now I like it. I'm super glad to see something that I've read about in person.  And since I missed visiting the Valle de la Luna in Argentina,  I'm glad to visit it here (by the way Chilean and Argentinian Valle de Lunas are two different valleys and have very different looking scenery).



It's been a very long day so here are a few quick thoughts:

When I get old I still want to travel and do active things.  About half of our tour in the Atacama desert today was over 55 and they were traveling like they're in their young 20s, going to multiple countries, going up super high mountains, packing their itineraries  with other active tours. That is so how I want to be when I grow up.  Most of them were married couples which makes it even better. I so want to travel with my 60+ husband across the world. That's where I want to be in life.

On our tour in the Valle de la Luna

The sunset today rocked. We were in the mountains, I was eating an empananda- and a veggie one at that- and it was just a perfect moment. I sat on the edge of the mountain next to a group 20somethings. They were talking and I was sitting, taking it all in. It was perfect.  Watching the sunset over the mountains was gorgeous. It was a very tranquil and beautiful moment.

I think the guy that runs the hostel were I'm staying lives here with his family I think his family lives on the property in an area with a door that says private. What could be his little daughter 2 or 3 years old, came out in the courtyard from this area, talking to him while she held her teddy bear.  The moment was cute, but the fact that his family lives here seemed a little bit sad to me. Maybe it's not, maybe this is a good situation for a family here in SP Atacama. I don't know. It was just a moment that I noticed,

And I don't feel like showering tonight so I'm waiting for the morning. Yes this is lazy, but I'm on vacation. Looking forward to checking out the mountain lakes tomorrow!