Ethan in River

Yup, that’s me. You’re probably wondering why I’m standing in the middle of a river holding onto my shorts, smiling from ear to ear. Well, to get the full story, you’ll have to read on.

In my first two months of traveling, nothing really went wrong. I had some close calls - nearly missing my connecting flight in Munich, struggling to find the first Airbnb I stayed at, a hidden key not in the indicated hiding place in Porto - but those hiccups worked themselves out smoothly. But, I’m not naïve enough to assume that everything is going to go perfectly during 10 months of travel, and sure enough, this week has been a veritable comedy of errors.

Error #1 - A Missed Bus

My original plan to get to Estepona from Lisbon was to take a bus to Seville, then rent a car for the week. My bus was scheduled to leave at 7:30 AM, so I set an alarm for 5:30 AM the morning of, only to wake up that morning at 7:05. Confused and stressed, I first thought that I had simply slept through the alarm, only to realize that I actually set my typical weekday school alarm, which doesn’t sound over the weekend (for good reason). The bus trip was Saturday morning, and I was, unsurprisingly, not able to make it.

So, I called an audible and moved my rental car pickup location from Seville to Lisbon and changed the reservation to a one-way. This incurred a steep extra fee, making this error the most expensive of the bunch by a wide margin. But, I ended up loving the 6-hour drive from Lisbon to Estepona - farmlands, mountains, beautiful scenery all around.

Error #2 - A Rogue Wave

I went diving on Wednesday of this week through the Estepona Dive Center. The first dive went well, though the visibility was truly awful, as some poor weather had disturbed the typically tranquil reefs, kicking up clouds of substrate that rolled and swirled in the surge - imagine shaking a snowglobe. Still, I saw some octopus, a lot of fish, and some beautiful anemones and corals.

On the second dive, though, the visibility was even worse, and after a glance down to my dive watch that couldn’t have lasted more than 10 seconds, I looked up to realize that I was separated from the group (I would later learn that I wasn’t even the only one to get separated - that’s what happens in <1 meter visibility). I followed the standard protocol for getting separated: Search for one minute, looking for fins, bubbles, or any other signs of divers, and surface if you don’t find anyone. After I surfaced, I committed my error. I removed my dive mask to get a better look around me just as a rogue wave hit me in the back of my head, tearing the mask from my hands and into the depths. I’d had that mask since I got certified to dive, and I loved it. But now, it joins Poseidon’s bounty in the depths. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and everyone who was lost was quickly found, and we made our sad, slow journey back to shore.

In case you’re curious: The proper way to remove your dive mask is to pull it down so that it hangs around your neck. It was one of the very first things I learned in my Open Water certification course, and now I know why.

Error #3 - Gravity

In Estepona, I feel very lucky to be staying with Rachel and Alex, who have been the most gracious hosts anyone could ask for. They’ve brought me out to dinner and drinks, trusted me to walk their adorable dog Rosie, and introduced me to their friends around the area.

Rosie Rosie

Group Dinner Enjoying digestifs (on the house!)

They’ve really made Estepona feel like home, to borrow a theme from a previous post. They also offered me many recommendations for activities around Andalucía, including a one-of-a-kind hike in Benahavis. The hike goes into the Río Guadalmina, a canyon river that cuts through white limestone, creating a gorgeous, snaking path. Not by the river, mind you, but into it. Rachel had told me to bring one of my dry bags (again, see a previous post), but I totally forgot.

Rocky River Path

View From Waterfall

Calling this a hike is a misnomer. It’s a splash, a wade, and even a swim. My solution to this was unconventional, but surprisingly effective (until it wasn’t). I took off my shorts (which held my phone, wallet, keys, etc.) and completed the river portion of the hike in my underwear, holding my shorts aloft through all the swims. At one point, I needed to slide down a sheer rock on my backside, and as I crouched down, the hand holding my shorts rotated just enough so that my pockets emptied, and gravity sent my phone and wallet tumbling down into the river below. I want it known that I caught my rental car keys with my foot, and I did not panic. Oh, and my wallet essentially exploded open - spilling cash and cards every which way. I slid down into the water and gathered my things. To my complete shock, my phone was still fully operational. I didn’t lose a single card, coin, or bill. It was all soaked, of course, but it was all intact and functional. So, while it was a dumb, careless, silly mistake, it could have been a lot worse.

River Path Not Pictured: Several Soggy Credit Cards

This week has been otherwise fantastic. And, it’s been a good reminder that perfection isn’t the goal here. Everyone has at least one nightmare travel story, and though they can be rough to go through, they also end up being the best stories later down the road. Nobody wants to hear about a perfect vacation, just as I’m sure you wouldn’t want to read this blog if it only showcased the best of the best. That would be dishonest of me - travel is messy, complicated, and things go wrong. We can’t control all that, but we can control how we think about those things and choose to focus on what’s going right. So, even with a soaked wallet and a lost dive mask, I’ve kept smiling, because man, what an adventure!