I was feeling a little excited about my return home but I think this was largely subdued by tiredness and the desire to just get back after 3 flights, 20+ hours and some interesting customs experiences.

Arriving back in London, I didn't really have any kind of surreal feelings. It all seemed too familiar but I think the reality of my experiences may not truly be absorbed for some time yet. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and after having experienced something like this, I realised (even though deep down I probably always knew) that it wasn't as challenging as I thought it might be and that I could probably do it again without too much trouble.

There were experiences and places that were not quite how I imagined them to be and others that were exactly how I pictured them. I tried to embrace every experience with a positive outlook and was astounded by the natural beauty of the continent. In fact, this would probably be the most lasting impression that remains with me and if I had to sum up my trip, this would be the major theme. South America is all about the outdoors yet I never expected it to be in the way it was. Sure, I knew there were a lot of amazing landscapes to experience but I never expected it to play such a prominent role in my experiences. Nor did I expect to enjoy and appreciate it so much. I had said before that I never really considered myself an 'outdoors' person but if there was anything that had changed in me during my time travelling, this would have to be it. I enjoyed the spectacular surrounds and the adrenaline rush of adventure activities more than I imagined and think that this may be something I will continue to enjoy.

In the 4 months I have been on the road I have seen, experienced and enjoyed a diversity of activities, sights, people and places. From the tropical regions of northern Colombia to the spectacular glaciers in southern Argentina and every possible landscape you could imagine in between. The people were fantastic, welcoming and helpful in pretty much every place that I visited and in many places I was made to feel like I was at home.

Learning some Spanish before my trip was definitely an advantage. If there was one recommendation I would make before embarking on such a journey, it would be to really embrace learning the language for at least 6 months as it makes all the difference. You could probably survive without it but you would be very frustrated at times with not being able to communicate. I had very basic Spanish skills but on occasions, it was enough to share a joke or a moment with a local and it's these experiences that I will remember fondly. Travel for me has always been primarily more about trying to understand and interact with the local culture (even if this means just people watching in a city). Although this was very difficult sometimes due to language barriers, it was very rewarding when it did happen. This also played a huge part in me feeling a sense of achievement when travelling alone and the realization that I could actually do it. Getting to a place that was not well connected, asking for what I wanted, understanding the responses, absorbing the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere and feeling content with this accomplishment that a few months ago seemed very daunting.

So its time to pack away the Karrimor backpack and dust off the Zara holdall. I had a fantastic time abroad and would definitely consider doing it again at the right time but know that I still do like the city life for the time being. It feels good to be back in London and I'm looking forward to seeing friends again (not even the ordinary summer weather is enough to put me off).

Thank you to everyone who has been reading about my travels and posted more comments than I expected. It really made a difference knowing that people where enjoying the read or looking at the photos.

Adios!!