Something to be Shared
/“Your lower body is your root, your connection to the earth…feel the rhythm grounding you.”
Helena clapped her hands while stomping her feet to a beat that was unpracticed to this group of gringas. She began with teaching us about pulsing with the material world below, and eventually added arms that mesmerized us as they curled and unfurled energy into and out of wrists and fingers, gathering and giving from the spiritual realm, the counterpart to the earth underfoot.
This spontaneous Flamenco class came towards the end of our ten days in Argentina. As we were sinking (and synching) day by day into the pace of this lodge, tucked into the folds of the Rio Azul and the lower slopes of Andean peaks, our exhales were beginning to extend. Less needed to be accomplished each day. And the dance became a reflection of what is possible when we let go of the rush, the striving, the doing, and the reaching for goals. What emerged was a collective exchange in which we inhaled… and we exhaled. We found structure in the feet and freedom in the arms. We took turns in the center allowing ourselves to feel the music and be seen as whole women, then slipped back out to the edge, holding each other sweetly in circle.
In the same way, this group of six women, all in the stage of life that is inching toward elderhood, participated in an adventure that was a dance between being seen for their unique bright selves, and feeling intimately connected to a group sharing not only this adventure but also the experiences of being women who have lived such very full lives. Mothers, wives, grandmothers, business owners, professionals, educators, these accomplished women also carry within them their previous selves as girls, students, young adventurers, single women, and every stage and iteration of life up to this point.
When traveling with family members, I have found, it can be easy for women to orient to the needs of the group, to stay in the role of mother and partner, and somehow be seen as that, and that alone. By the end of this adventure I wanted to give the gift to their children of seeing these women as I was: with girlfriends, free from family expectations, with their inner 34 year old dancing Flamenco, their inner 12 year old plunging into the frigid waters, their 22 year old tasting local beer, and their knowing wise selves finding beauty at every step along the way.
We hiked, kayaked, practiced yoga and mindfulness, learned about native birds and plants, tasted, swam, danced, sang, and soaked up the rich experiences of Northern Patagonia together. And yet it was more than each of these elements that bonded our group by the end.
It was the way we gazed at the Southern Cross constellation in a deep night sky before piling into a truck, some squished in the seats, others on top of luggage in the back, and bumped our way across a river and up a rocky dirt road with whispers as we felt ourselves departing from a magical place.
It was the moment of pause, after reading a poem that gave permission to stop gripping and pushing, and the eye contact that was made between us, laying on yoga mats, with knowing tears feeling our shared truths.
It was the impromptu water ballet performed on the edge of a cold, blue, vast lake with giggles and impressive synchronized movements, and the launch of beautiful bodies into the depths from the back of the boat, cheers coming from the group for the bravery it took to swim in water that takes the breath away.
It was the gasps of delight with each new view, flower, bird, each bite of food prepared with love, each generosity extended by our hosts….
with each discovery of something to be shared.
It was in this space between us that a feeling of the trip was formed, and will remain with me always.
Kay, Barrie, Jeanne, Marie, Krys, and Alice
Much gratitude to the many who welcomed this special group and gave so generously of their care and attention:
Marisa, Paul, Sylvia, Patro, Nestor, Helena, Mark, Custodio, Nicolas and many more.
And in parting, I offer a message an old friend sent after following this adventure on Instagram:
“You know it makes me so happy to see this journey with your amigas. It makes me think of moms - my mom is an adventure mom, your mom must have been an adventure mom, if she was anything like you. I think it’s such important, even holy work you’ve chosen. To be there for these women-probably mothers/grandmothers, certainly nurturing - on an experience that surely was a highlight of their life. They probably spent most of their lives prioritizing other people; you gave them a chance to be themselves and be with each other and on an expedition no less. I know it’s the kind of thing my mom cherishes and to think that you have found a way to make a living and also serve and build and grow and support these precious people. I’m sure it was poignant and powerful and fun. Much admiration. Thanks for bringing us along through the photos.
I suspect that by simply sharing this experience you’ve been having with the people who follow you on IG you’ve opened up an empathy window and furthered the appreciation. I can’t be the only one to watch them and feel this way.”