argentina Archives - Moving Peaces

Argentina Trip – Video

May 26, 2015May 26, 2015Samantha Gratton

Okay everybody, I think it’s high time we shared the video montage of our trip to Argentina. You know, that trip we got back from two months ago. (How has that time gone by so quickly?) At first we were stressed as we threw ourselves back into our daily and creative lives. Then it seemed like maybe I would post more photos after a quick post on Iguazu Falls. Instead, let’s get a better view. Without further adieu, here’s the video recap of our trip through Argentina in March 2015.

I think it’s quite clear, but in case you missed it–Argentina was amazing. My husband did an excellent job putting together a video that shares a glimpse of our time there. Of course there were several more moments and memories, but sometimes you just have to experience things firsthand and not bother with the camera.

We spent several days in Buenos Aires as we flew in and out from there and used it as our jumping off point to get to places like Iguazu Falls and Mendoza. Buenos Aires was the big city (that never sleeps)–the place where we walked until our feet were covered in blisters, saw a bunch of museums, tried to tango, experienced city life, attended an incredible drumming performance and met some amazing people in the various hostels we stayed at.

Iguazu Falls was a tiny town in the middle of the jungle where we mainly explored the trails and walkways near the falls but also stopped by a wildlife preserve to see some local animals. It took an additional flight to get there, which unfortunately was canceled and later rescheduled due to an airline strike that day. Thankfully, we got everything sorted out, and it was more than worth it. Iguazu Falls is quite possibly the most epic natural wonder either of us have or ever will see.

Mendoza was a medium-sized town near the Andes. We actually took an overnight 13-hour bus ride to get there and back from Buenos Aires. After a morning to get acclimated, I quickly decided it was my favorite city of the three. Set right next to the Andes mountains, it was a gorgeous area which we got to explore by horseback, kayak, raft and bike. It was a lot of activity but in the most restful and wonderful way.

Finally, we took a short day trip to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, which is just a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires. We were glad to get a quick view of the country, learn more about its history and dream about what life might be like there.

All in all, a great trip through a beautiful country. We were so grateful for the opportunity to go, the time together and the experiences we shared.

Iguazu Falls Photos

April 29, 2015May 26, 2015Samantha Gratton

Okay, we’ve been back for over a month now. It’s high time we shared some photos, don’t you think? We obviously took more than a few pictures, so I had no idea how to narrow them down. Lucky for you, I have a blog and can just make plenty of posts.

For those of you who hadn’t heard, we took a two week trip to Argentina back in March. Then we got back and were inundated with everyday life immediately. Sometimes it’s crazy to think we even went at all, but then we look at the pictures and remember how epic it was.

Let’s start with pictures from Iguazu Falls (also known as Cataratas del Iguazo). Not the first place we went, but definitely the first thing we talk about. It was so breathtaking that for two straight days all we could do was look around in awe, beaming like crazy people.

The ridiculous thing is, the pictures don’t even come close to doing it justice.

Iguazu Falls is basically in the middle of the jungle, in the middle of nowhere in northern Argentina. You can either take a super long bus ride or another flight from Buenos Aires. Given our short amount of time (and a long bus ride scheduled later on) we went with the flight. Unfortunately for us, the day we were supposed to fly out there ended up being an airline strike. After a little bit of stress and a lot of rescheduling, we ended up at Iguazu Falls two days later. It was worth it.

It seems a lot of people aren’t aware of Iguazu Falls. In fact, many people had not even heard of it when I said it was a big reason for choosing to visit Argentina. In case you were thinking it was some small local waterfall, you’d be wrong. (For reference, it’s more than double the width of Niagra Falls.)

We spent two days hiking around the falls with all of its incredible walkways. Lush greens, beautiful rainbows and more butterflies than we could have imagined were everywhere.

We even went on a boat. You see that one? Headed straight toward the falls? Yep…it looks teeny but has probably about 40 people on it. And yes, it did go straight to the falls and we did indeed get soaked.

Then we found more water and got soaked again. Because why not? (Oh yeah, and it was 95 degrees outside)

Within the first week of our trip, we saw Iguazu Falls and couldn’t help but feel like nothing else would ever be able to top it.

Update: While I had good intentions of posting more photos from the trip, my awesome husband created a video which seems to cover it.

The Big News

January 14, 2015Samantha Gratton

2015–this year’s going to be a big one. It will bring change and challenge, questions and joy. I mean it. As much as I haven’t quite figured out all of this year’s goals, I know it will be a big one in our lives. We’ll be coming up on five years of marriage and will have been in North Carolina longer than Iowa in our married life. Change is inevitable in our jobs, as it is with our friendships and families.

Were you expecting something else? Oh, yeah.

It seems like half the people I know are buying houses or having babies. It makes sense, I suppose. It’s the “next step” and I am so, SO excited for all of them. They will all be wonderful parents and homeowners, families and neighbors. I really mean it, too. We’re fortunate to be friends with some amazing people, and I am thrilled for their next steps and adventures.

Our news?

Well, we love each other a lot. So, we decided it was finally time.

We’re going to…

ARGENTINA!

We’ve been wanting to take a trip outside the country for awhile now and have been saving all of our pennies (read: all money from birthdays & Christmases, tax refunds and freelance gigs) for years. So, we finally bought the tickets, and we will be visiting this beautiful country for two weeks this spring!

At first you might say, “Aren’t you looking for a job?” and then question, “Is this really the best timing?”

You are not alone. I had all of these questions and more. But then we thought about a few key things and decided this was the best timing. Things have not all gone according to my plan this past year, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t brought some incredible opportunities along the way. We have been wanting to take a trip to explore the world a little, just the two of us, since we got married. There was always been something else keeping us, whether it was time or money or other logistics (oh I don’t know, like moving halfway across the country).

When you don’t have a job, you suddenly find yourself with a lot more time. As far as money, well, that’s something we’ve been saving for this specific purpose for years now. This last year without a full-time job has been tough and we’ve had to make certain financial sacrifices. But thankfully, we have been debt-free for a few years now and try to maintain a very frugal lifestyle. It’s a bit of a risk because of course we’re hoping that I have a job soon, but one thing I’ve realized this past year is that we don’t know what’s next. When the hubby asked for the time and it was approved, we decided to just jump at the chance and hope for the best with whatever else is to come this year.

Okay, so why two weeks in Argentina?

Why not? Alright, I know that’s not the answer you were looking for. To some, this seems like a lavish trip and to others in might seem like a small vacation, no big deal. Sure, I wish we could go for a month or more, but the reality is this is still more time than most people get to take all at once. I was able to study abroad twice when I was in college and knew then that it was not something everyone got to do or an opportunity that would present itself again. I feel similarly about this. Of course there are people who travel all over the world and have these awesome experiences, but to us, this is a big deal. This is something we’ve been dreaming about for a while. We see it as an opportunity to explore a different culture, see some different scenery and really invest in our marriage through a unique experience.

As to the location itself, we’ve heard a lot of good things and think it looks like a beautiful part of the world to see. It gives us a chance to brush up on some of that high school Spanish, see an epic waterfall and explore a continent neither of us have ever been to. We’re still figuring out what else might be in store during our time there but are also open to just finding out a bit while we get there.

That said, we’d love to hear any tips or suggestions should you know the area! We’re really excited about this, and I look forward to sharing about it more with you!