The Weight of Expectations
You can be disappointed only if you have expectations.
I´ve been thinking about that a lot in the last few days. I meet so many travelers who have been to places I´m heading to, so I always ask them what they thought of that place. And of course, I´m always reading the Lonely Planet guide too, which describes some drives as "spectacular" or towns as "places you can lose yourself in for a few days." I realize that I don´t know these people, their tastes, and their dislikes, but inevitably, what I hear and read creates certain expectations.
Before I left home, the part of the Lonely Planet guide that most captured my imagination was the Salta area of Northern Argentina, the Salt Flats of Uyuni in Bolivia, and the area around San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. I´m in Salta right now, and the next two are the next two stops on my trip.
I have a guilty confession-- I´ve been disappointed with the Salta area. Everyone I´ve talked to loved it. It was the favorite part of their trip, etc... I had read all of these wonderful things about the charming towns and stunning scenery. And well, it hasn´t lived up to my expectations. Of course, the city of Salta is lovely, one of my favorites so far, and I´ve driven through the surrounding area, which is beautiful. But I guess I was expecting to be wowed.
On the other hand, I just went to the MAAM in Salta today (the Antropological Museum of the High Mountains) where they have the mummies of children sacrificed in the Andes during Incan times. Everything I had heard was negative, so I wasn´t expecting much, but ended up really enjoying it! I was wowed by Parque Nacional Talampaya, which I hadn´t heard anything about and hadn´t even been planning on visiting. Or was I wowed because I hadn´t heard anything about it?
I´m starting to think that expectations are the enemy of happiness.
So is it possible to keep myself from having expectations?
I´ve been thinking about that a lot in the last few days. I meet so many travelers who have been to places I´m heading to, so I always ask them what they thought of that place. And of course, I´m always reading the Lonely Planet guide too, which describes some drives as "spectacular" or towns as "places you can lose yourself in for a few days." I realize that I don´t know these people, their tastes, and their dislikes, but inevitably, what I hear and read creates certain expectations.
Before I left home, the part of the Lonely Planet guide that most captured my imagination was the Salta area of Northern Argentina, the Salt Flats of Uyuni in Bolivia, and the area around San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. I´m in Salta right now, and the next two are the next two stops on my trip.
I have a guilty confession-- I´ve been disappointed with the Salta area. Everyone I´ve talked to loved it. It was the favorite part of their trip, etc... I had read all of these wonderful things about the charming towns and stunning scenery. And well, it hasn´t lived up to my expectations. Of course, the city of Salta is lovely, one of my favorites so far, and I´ve driven through the surrounding area, which is beautiful. But I guess I was expecting to be wowed.
On the other hand, I just went to the MAAM in Salta today (the Antropological Museum of the High Mountains) where they have the mummies of children sacrificed in the Andes during Incan times. Everything I had heard was negative, so I wasn´t expecting much, but ended up really enjoying it! I was wowed by Parque Nacional Talampaya, which I hadn´t heard anything about and hadn´t even been planning on visiting. Or was I wowed because I hadn´t heard anything about it?
I´m starting to think that expectations are the enemy of happiness.
So is it possible to keep myself from having expectations?
Pucara Ruins at Tilcara, Argentina (near Salta)
Hmmm. Looks pretty stunning to me, but your photos always do...
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