Ready to rejoin the world

The first glimpse of an island one thousand kilometres off the coast of Ecuador felt like confirming the existence of Atlantis. I’d heard the legends, seen the documentaries, but nothing prepared me for the reality of seeing these influential islands in person. I was only mildly embarrassed as I felt my nose scrunch up and a few escaped tears soak into my mask. Everyone had their face glued to a window anyway. Here they were: the Galápagos Islands.

Committing to going was an adventure in itself. For two and a half years, I’d been living in pandemic mode, riddled with anxiety, guilt, and stagnation. Life on pause, don’t get sick, keep everyone safe. I worried that I’d never feel ready to dive back into life, and I knew I had to force myself a little. I tracked this trip for months, waiting for a price drop, waiting to feel confident. I took little steps to get ready - applying for a new travel rewards credit card, researching insurance and flights, watching documentaries and reading articles all about the best way to explore the islands. Unlike some other past jaunts, the Galápagos are not a budget-friendly destination. I wanted to do it right. Eventually, last minute deals came about and suddenly the luxury boat was almost the same price as the cheapest one I’d been eyeing.

The day Ecuador dropped the random testing requirements, a few little “signs” added up to me allowing myself to imagine confirmation from the universe. I booked.

Next day, I get an email that the East Island trip is full. Want to join the West a week later? SURE don’t give me a chance to interpret that as a sign. One month til takeoff.

November was a spiral of anxiety, convinced I would get COVID and have to cancel. I was also wrapping up a huge project at work and trying to get everything done before leaving ready to submit the report a few days after I returned. It was slight chaos. Add in a birthday I had no interest in celebrating and some preliminary Christmas shopping and I was a bit of a mess. While imperfect, I repeated the mantra "Do not rob yourself of excitement". The anticipation of an adventure is half the fun. One day, I thought of the stars I'll see and I felt it - true elation.

Somehow the departure arrived, and inflated by the love and support of my friends and family, I made it to Quito and took a deep breath. South America! It’s actually happening! I straddled the equator in the Andes, explored the first city designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visited a caldera-dwelling community, met my fellow travellers, watched Ecuador play in the World Cup, and felt sluggishly altitude sick. But our 4:30 am mustering to head to the airport had me buzzing with excitement. I’d read every book I could get my hands on, watch every documentary available and two early pandemic webinars put on by G Adventures touring the islands virtually. I was beyond ready (and excited).

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