#96: spontaneous facetimes, hostel family dinner & tranquila!
sent from jamie's iphone with love
jamie:
Hey guys. I’m Jamie. Long time reader and bestie of Joss’. Our teen years of bonding took place on a small square of pavement (Mon-Fri 12-1pm) in suburban Sydney, then grew over three glorious years of living together and now continue internationally (hating) via the internet.
As a self-described non-creative, writing freaks me out a lot. So despite wanting to contribute to this newsletter for a long time I’ve been extremely avoidant in doing so. However - I’m! Over! It! After travelling through Latin America for the three past months, I’ve decided to lean into the #growth that travelling seems to have facilitated. Coming to you from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala - hope you enjoy xoxo
ultimate mega babe bestie on the mic so shut up and listen!!!!!!
this is the online bit:
★ Spontaneous Facetimes ★
I miss my friends sooo much. Not in an aww sad way but more like a the-moment-we-hug-again-is-going-to-be-so-special kinda way. I get it when people go travelling and want to disappear in the other side of the world, but I’m so the opposite. I wanna stay connected!
Nothing makes me feel loved like a spontaneous call from a friend, even better if its a FaceTime. I exchange three messages with Mia and suddenly she’s requesting to call and its perfect. Even if the timing doesn’t work seeing her face for a min or two is so spesh. The other day someone reminded me of the olden days where you’d have to pay per minute or wait for the post, yikes! Ily the internet.
★ My Kindle ★
Did I sense an eye roll? Hear me out. Obviously nothing will ever compare to a physical book, but as far as traveling compromises go, e-readers are seriously epic. I’ve never been one to religiously carry a book on me, but now I never leave home (the dorm) without one. I have new-found patience when the bus is 3 hours delayed knowing I have multiple books at my fingertips. Also, sleeping in a hammock without light? Space in bag rapidly declining (see below) ? Kindle’s got my back.
P.S. Joss and I share a very similar taste in fiction, of which we call the genre, so fortunately most of my recent reads are inspired by this newsletter. E.g. Milk Fed, Big Swiss (horny, gay, awesome). However recently I decided to have an original thought for once and read Trent Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror. My heart! So broken yet so warmed. Didn’t want it to end - highly recommend.
★ Me Gusta, Andy Montañez ★
Shazammed this song in a salsa club in Cartagena after a local told me I danced like a Latina. Flirting? Sure. Will I take the compliment regardless? Absolutely.
this is the irl bit:
☆ Hostel Family Dinner ☆
On this trip I’ve stayed in some pretty incredible hostels - I’m talking permaculture farms with private beaches or rivers, places equipped with yoga studios and saunas, and always loads of cosy hammocks. While all these features obviously make a hostel extremely appealing, nothing draws me to a place like the offering of a family dinner.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many like-minded people while travelling and majority of these connections have originated from a communal dinner. It’s when I’m sitting at the table one night and I think to myself, damn it feels like we all live together, that I realise the family dinner provided what I didn’t know I needed - a sense of community I’d been craving since being away from home.
☆ Op-Shopping ☆
Picture this: it’s 11am and I’m in a dark, cramped local market in Colombia. It’s 35 degrees - sweat is dripping, horns blaring, people yelling, fish stinking. It’s the most offensive assault on the senses I’ve ever experienced. What’s going to make me continue browsing? Cheap second hand clothes.
The op-shops in Latin America have some kind of hold over me like no other. I’m constantly riddled with the fear I’m going to miss the cutest/sexiest/most gorgeous item I’ve ever laid my eyes on, and as Rach grins and rolls her eyes, I’m drawn into the store like a magnet. Maybe it’s because op-shopping wasn’t something I had expected in this part of the world, or maybe it’s the refreshing relief of not having to sift through endless amounts of anko junk like Sydney.
I love how unpredictable the stores are here, a disguised set of racks in the back of a souvenir shop or inside a families house. Existing purely offline, its word of mouth only or be lucky enough to stumble across one. It feels like a game and I looove to play.
☆ Tranquila! ☆
Tranquilo/a (masc/fem) is my favourite word in Spanish. Directly translating to mean calm or peaceful but more often used as an expression of reassurance or comfort. Permanently cemented in my brain as the phrase locals will yell at me if I try to do something unassisted or too fast - Tranquila chica tranquila! The smooth drawl of the word is so perfectly juxtaposed to being told to relax.
Mainly though, I feel tranquila so accruately encapsulates the whole vibe of Latin America, nothing ever done at pace. Chatting to someone in my dorm this morning and they’re explaining how they’re spending more time at the hostel because its so tranquila. Urgh I just love the sound of it.
besosssss xxx
Jamie fucking lee bell