Couples, Couples Everywhere

While I was backpacking in Patagonia, one of my many notes that I wrote in my journal, typed on my iPhone, and saved in WordPress drafts said simply “couples.” There was nothing else to the note because I didn’t need to type anything else to remind me of exactly what my thoughts were on the subject.
When you travel alone you’re a lot more observant in general, but especially of other travelers. My big takeaway in terms of fellow travelers: they’re all couples. Don’t get me wrong, there are families, there are groups, there are other solo travelers, but seriously, really, they’re all couples. When I took buses, when I checked in to hostels, when I hiked, when I camped, when I backpacked, when I went on tours, it was always me and a butt load of couples. Sometimes it got a little old being the only person who was in a pair of seats by themselves or who didn’t have someone to take their picture (it’s cool, I became a selfie queen), but for the most part they were alright.
The best kind were the older couples, by far. They were always the nicest, always making a point to say hello to me and ask about my life and where I was traveling. There was an American couple from Iowa (or Ohio? or Idaho? I think Iowa…) that had been all over the world together. I met them on the ferry from mainland Chile to Tierra del Fuego, on my way to Ushuaia. People will tell you surprising things when you’ve just met them and it’s almost certain that you’ll never see them again in your life. The husband of the Iowan couple told me that Friday the 13th is a lucky day for the two of them because they met at a party, their first date was a week later, on Friday the 13th, and they were engaged three weeks later. Those kind of stories are fascinating to me, because now, when I hear that story from a cute old couple traveling the world together, my reaction is “aw, man, so cute.” But if a friend of mine told me they were engaged to someone they met three weeks ago I would drag their ass out back and tell them they were nuts. Is the difference just time, just something generational? I wonder. My favorite couple, also older, was an American man and woman that I met on my penguin trip in Ushuaia. I forget their details a little bit by now, but they were both from the US and had lived there until they moved to Peru, where one of them taught for years. When they moved back to the US, they kept their house in Peru and after they both retired in the US they said “why not?” and moved back down south, from which they were traveling around South America. They were hilarious and witty and a pleasure to talk to. Also, in a weird “the world is so small” moment, he was also born in Albuquerque, New Mexico!
What was truly remarkable was how unyieldingly unfriendly young couples were. One would think that upon seeing a person very similar in age traveling by themselves (me), they would say hi, make small talk, or at the very least shoot a warm smile my way. Ohhh no. There were even young couples that I ran in to multiple times! A young guy and girl from Canada (so no language barrier) were in the same hostel as me in El Chaltén, on the same bus as me from El Chaltén to El Calafate, hiked the W the same exact 5 days as me in Torres del Paine, and were on the same bus as me from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales (!!! so many opportunities to interact like normal humans). We made eye contact approximately a million times and I wore the same obnoxiously bright pink shirt practically every day, so there is absolutely no way they did not notice me, but they never said a word. Now, I realize that I obviously could have been the one to speak up, but this is my blog, so I get to complain about what I want. Anyway. I was really not a big fan of young couples by the end of my time in Patagonia. Suffice it to say that the trip made me make a mental note to reach out to solo travelers if I am ever traveling as part of a (~shudder~) couple. Lesson learned.

• backpacking
• couples
• patagonia
• solo travel
• travel