In 2006, my husband and I left the US to travel around South America looking for a place to settle down. Starting in Ecuador, we landed in Quito planning to travel south along the Andes hitting the main cities before heading down to Peru. You know the saying about how Man plans and God laughs? Yeah, well. God laughed. Actually, it was more like God burped.

In mid April of 2009, I came to Buenos Aires to study song and dance. I came here for the tango and to complete my novel. I came here ready and eager to begin a new life with my cat Dusk, my constant companion. This was not my first trip to Buenos Aires – it was my ninth trip here. But this time, I planned on staying for half a year or more.

Every year for the past few decades, I’ve left my home in the US, and looked for a place to become a human being again, at least temporarily. Yes, there are some things you cannot get away from anymore. Every city has them. Too many cell phones, McDonald’s, dogs and dog shit, overflowing trash and cars that don’t care about people walking. But I try to get away from home.

After being in South America for just over a month, I was yet to experience any of the crazy fiascos that you so often hear of when travelling in the region. As I saw it, I had yet to earn my traveller’s stripes. But that changed on my tour of Lake Titicaca.