I am about to embark on what I think will be the adventure of my lifetime (up until this point, that is) and plan to share it with you! My name is Melanie and I am a 24-year-old female from Boston, Mass., and I am going backpacking in South America for approximately four months.

Map of South America

Where am I going?

I plan on visiting six countries in four months. The route begins in Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday, September 17, and finishes around January 20, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Luckily, I was able to purchase flexible tickets from STA Travel. This gives me the flexibility I may need towards the end of my trip—either finishing early, or more likely choosing to spend some more time away! In all, I am planning to visit Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

Who am I traveling with?

I am traveling with some people that I met on travbuddy.com. What I’ve found most useful on this Web site has been the “meeting travel buddies” feature. Teja, from Slovenia, and I booked our four months of traveling together, so we plan to be together every step of the way. Then there’s Nadja, from Slovenia, who will be traveling with us for the first two months. And finally, we have Tom who will be traveling with us for the first month.

What am I doing?

I am backpacking throughout the different countries. I plan to see the sights, observe, meet new people, and make new memories. The main objective is to designate a few months of my life to the sole purpose of traveling, seeing the world, and having all of the wonderful experiences that come along with it. I will be volunteering at Santa Martha Rescue Centre with my fellow travel buddies for approximately two weeks. Teja and I also hope to volunteer with children at some point during our travels if we can fit it in. Other than that—the goal is to see some of the world!

What have I had to do to prepare?

In a nutshell: break the news to family members (eek!), quit my jobs, save lots of money, buy lots of things (such as a backpack, sleeping bag, travel towel, hiking boots, rain coat, etc.), get vaccines (Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, Typhoid), get medications (like for Malaria, Altitude Sickness, Traveler’s Diarrhea), get Travel Insurance (through STA Travel, amazing insurance plan) and spend months previous to the trip spreading my message/plans to friends/family.

What have I learned and what do I hope to learn?

Even deciding to do a trip like this has taught me a lot. I have learned that there is a large fear of the unknown out there and many of us let it shape our lives and prohibit us from taking chances in life. I’ve learned that many people wish/dream of doing a trip like this, but fear and “real life” responsibilities/obligations get in the way.

I hope to have new experiences, see new and cool things, meet new and cool people, try some different foods, stay safe while having fun, leave the “rat race” for a little while, gain some perspective on life, and take some time to learn and grow in a positive way. I also hope I can come back with amazing experiences that I will be able to share with people and hopefully inspire or influence them in some ways. Simply, I hope to have the adventure of a lifetime!

See you in South America…!

Melanie is a 24-year-old college graduate who is traveling in South America before starting a career in criminal justice.  Her favorite quote is from musician Jack Johnson, “Don’t let your dreams be dreams.”