Ditch the Bucket List

I love the idea of bucket lists, I really do. Anytime I see one of those posts listing the “30 Things To Do Before Turning 30” or “10 Places to Visit Before You Die” I’m tempted to make my own. I am nothing if not goal oriented, and I’m confident that if I made a list I would strategically allocate vacation days and funds until I had carefully curated Instagram posts documenting each and every item. It would be fun. I would see lots of places I had always wanted to visit. But what about all those places I hadn’t yet dreamed of?

You see, the problem with bucket lists is that they don’t leave room for spontaneity or unexpected detours in our lives. They don’t factor in the many google image searches I’ve done that eventually led to flight purchases. They don’t take into account the fact that my dream of living and working in Europe, accidentally led me to Chile.

Falling for San Carlos de Bariloche

The highlight of our recent 9 day road trip to the Patagonian Lakes District was a 4 day stay in San Carlos de Bariloche. This small Argentine town is set in one of the most picturesque landscapes I’ve seen, surrounded by mountains and a network of long, beautiful finger lakes. Our stay near the Llao Llao Peninsula was nothing short of enchanting.

Road Trip! Santiago to the Patagonian Lake District

After 9 months living in and exploring Chile, we finally ventured south. When we found out we were moving to Santiago, one of the places we were most excited to explore was Patagonia. This extremely remote area in the southern tip of South America is considered one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.

Easter in Mendoza – Drinking wine and making friends

Mendoza was one of the first places we added to our list of travel destinations when we found out we would be living in Santiago.  The mid-sized Argentine city is driving distance from Santiago, and is well known as one of the world´s most important and interesting wine regions.  In addition to a seemingly endless supply of incredible wineries, the region is also home to great food as well as an abundance of outdoor activities, from rafting to rappelling.  

Day Hike – Cerro Penitentes (Argentina)

Over Easter, we made our first trip across the border into Argentina (for tips on making the drive, head over here and for more info on our weekend in Mendoza, check out this post).  The drive itself is beautiful, but I highly recommend taking the time to get out of the car and into the mountains.