A home for my words.

I’d chosen to digital nomad from Buenos Aires, Argentina for two months. Mainly because I needed a place with strong wifi that was compatible with the Eastern Standard Time hours I worked back then. That and I was looking forward to spending Christmas vacation in Patagonia!

If you’re looking into staying in Patagonia in December, just know a few things:

• Lodging and dining in Patagonia is expensive, equally so during this time of year
• You will likely have to book a reservation if you’re hoping to visit a restaurant for Christmas dinner. Those reservations may come with high ticket prices, but some offer entertainment such as tango dancers. The only non-ticketed restaurant was a local brewery.
• While it will be summer in Buenos Aires, Patagonia will still be chilly

A Sad, but Truthful Aside

I want to note something that has to do with the reality of travel and/or digital nomading: there will be lows as well as highs… I began Christmas day in tears because I was being hard on myself for mixing up my pick up location. I had to rely on the kindness of others and the efficiency of my tour company in scooping me up and get me on the correct bus. I know it’s not a big deal at the end of the day, but because I am so much of a planner I’m often not quick to forgive myself when I make mistakes like that (I’m working on it). I just feel the need to admit this. At this point, we all know that pictures are highlight reels and they often omit these moments. I don’t think it’s meant to deceive. (People get clowned for crying on the internet all the time!) That and so many other reasons make it normal to focus on what went well.

On That Note

Patagonia was stunning. Every town, trail, and glacier were pure beauty. And getting to hike a glacier on Christmas day was definitely the highlight. The tour I did gave a shot of liquor at the end to warm you up before loading you back on the bus. You can look into booking it for yourself here.

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

On another day, I did one of those overland trucks that cuts down on the time it takes to drive into Chile. I was prepared for how bumpy it would be and I felt like it was a worthwhile excursion. It’s wild how every corner of a place can be filled with so much beauty. If you’re looking to do the same and head into Chile for a day, you can find where I booked that specific excursion here. The following are images from Patagonia on the Chilean side.

Honorable Mention

At some point, I have to write about my time as a digital nomad in Buenos Aires. For now I’ll just say that I lucked out and got to be in Buenos Aires when Argentina won the World Cup. I think it was literally the next day that I was heading to a Spanish class and saw this artist creating a piece to celebrate the home team’s win: