For my college graduation trip, I spent two weeks island hopping in the Caribbean. Last year in Argentina, I met the Lacksen sisters who were on a six-month graduation trip through Latin America. Their trip put my graduation trip to shame. They are the perfect example of many of the tips I shared in my How to Find the Time to Travel post. The girls tells us about their travel budgets, highlights and how the trip affected their relationship!
Sisters Elizabeth and Katherine Lacksen started their epic graduation trip in Mexico City.
Name: Katherine Lacksen (age 25) & Elizabeth Lacksen (age 23)
Hometown: Sparta, GA
Country count: Katherine – 17 countries; Elizabeth – 20 countries
Instagram: @klacksen & @elacksen
1. How did you start traveling?
EL – Our parents taught us the love of and importance of traveling at a young age. We grew up in a rural part of Georgia. Almost every summer, the whole family – Mom, Dad, Katherine, our two younger brothers and I – would pack up the van or truck with camping gear and leave the Southeast for at least two weeks to escape the hot, humid summers. We rarely went to touristy places, but enjoyed exploring remote state and national parks.
2. Tell us about your graduation trip.
EL – Katherine and I had been dreaming of taking a “big” sister trip for a few years. It wasn’t possible during university due to other commitments and responsibilities. However, when I visited Katherine in Australia over my last Christmas break, we realized we might have window of time for a longer adventure. Katherine was finishing a research project in Darwin, Australia, and I was graduating around the same time. Neither of us had definite next steps. And, a trip sounded WAY better than applications and interviews! I graduated ahead of schedule and considered this a deserved trip for graduating early. We traveled in Central America (Mexico and Panama – three weeks) and South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil) together for about five months. We have both always loved hiking and backpacking so our main goal was to spend time in Patagonia. We built the rest of the trip to meet up with family and family friends that lived in South America.
KL – Patagonia was a top priority so we just grabbed an atlas and kind of went from there in terms of where we wanted to visit. When our aunt and uncle heard about our travel plans, they invited us to visit them in Panama, which was definitely a highlight. We would later connect with a few of their friends in Brazil. We try to be flexible as much as possible, and I believe that the combination of having time and that flexible, adaptable mindset really made our overall trip. It gave us the chance to say yes to a four-day road trip with new friends around the Seven Lakes’ Route near Bariloche, Argentina and a can-do attitude to go for the ‘Q’ instead of the traditional ‘W’ hike in Torres del Paine National Park.
Katherine adds a wish to the famous wall of wish ribbons at the Bonfim church in Salvador, Brazil.
3. Why do you think it’s important to travel after graduation?
EL – Travel awakened me to the kindness and generosity of people. While I’m grateful to be surrounded by friends and family that love me at home, it is an extraordinary experience to be in a foreign country where you do not speak the language or know anyone and receive help from a stranger.
KL – I believe traveling is important for so many reasons. It’s an opportunity to explore new places and appreciate the familiar you left behind, to be bold and take risks, to learn and to teach, to have conversations with people you otherwise never would, to make a new friend every day, to push boundaries and challenge your comfort zone, to slow down at sunset and to sprint after the bus you’re late for, to play cards on rooftops until sunrise, to realize what you miss and what you don’t, to laugh and to cry, to savor and to enjoy each moment.
Elizabeth, right, volunteered in Peru in exchange for discount accommodation to help stretch her savings.
4. How did you fund your travels? Did you have a daily/weekly budget?
KL – We had a budget for the overall trip, but not for daily/weekly increments. [They budgeted $10,000 USD each for the trip but spend significantly less. Check out this post for my Latin America trip budget.] In general, we could predict our hiking expenses fairly well because of posted camping fees. Even when we weren’t hiking and camping, we ate many “grocery store” meals and made sure to keep our canvas food bag stocked with the basics – wraps, peanut butter, cheese, avocado, and granola bars. Our savings from not eating out as much allowed us to splurge on bigger expenses such as glacier treks in southern Argentina and snorkeling in the Pantanal of Brazil.
EL – We’d been throwing around the idea of taking a long trip for about six months before we officially committed which for us was purchasing plane tickets. We bought the tickets in October and departed in January. After graduation in May, I worked two part-time jobs up until the day we left to fund the trip. Graduation gifts were also helpful! I didn’t have a daily budget, but we had goals for how much to spend on hostels depending on the country. We always looked for places that provided breakfast and tried to take overnight buses when possible to save time and money. In Peru, I volunteered at a women’s empowerment center and stayed at the same hostel for one month. I worked out a deal with the owner so that my rate was lower for every week that I stayed. He went on vacation for a few days and let me stay for free since I was checking in/out other guests and feeding his pet rabbit!
A spontaneous decision to visit Río Cochamó with some new friends ended up being one of the highlights of their trip.
5. Share one of your travel highlights.
KL – About halfway through the trip, we were forced to make alternative plans when we arrived in Puerto Montt, Chile aboard the Navimag Ferry. We had been planning to spend some time on Chiloé Island, but upon arrival we found out that people were being evacuated due to wildfires. We had befriended two guys during the previous three-day journey through the Patagonia fjords. They were headed to an area called Río Cochamó and we decided to join them. The spectacular valley has been called the Chilean Yosemite and has not yet been overwhelmed by tourism compared to other places we explored further south in Patagonia. On our last night, we pulled our sleeping bags and mats out of the tent and for a few hours just laid in the middle of the grassy field watching the star lit night sky above us that illuminated the granite domes surrounding the valley. That night sky reminded me that beautiful things don’t ask for attention. However, their beauty is truly multiplied when they are shared.
The Lacksen sisters stopped in El Chaltén, Argentina to hike to Fitz Roy.
6. What was your greatest struggle on the trip and how did you overcome it?
KL – We like to keep our travel plans very fluid. We know that that having this flexibility is what allows us to most enjoy our time and allows the freedom to navigate the trip as it happens. I like to think of it as paddling down a river. You know your end destination, but are open to the forks in the river and surprise rapids that come along. Having the right travel partners is the key to making this work. Thankfully, Elizabeth and our friend Jill, who came along for part of the trip, were on board. Sometimes, there was disagreement when we came to those critical decision moments during our trip, but I believe our communication and willingness to listen and hear each other was key.
EL – My greatest struggle is to remember that sometimes it’s necessary to slow down to enjoy. I would sometimes get too excited trying to make sure we could fit in everything and miss actually being there. Although their love of “slow mornings” was extremely frustrating, Katherine and Jill were great at being fully present wherever we were. They reminded me to sit and take it in.
The Lacksen sisters celebrate their hike to Glacier Grey on the “Q” circuit in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
7. How did your trip affect your relationship with your sister?
KL – I associate travel with growth, so for me it’s natural that our relationship also grew as a result of this trip. It takes a certain level of teamwork as well as patience to travel together for four months sharing tent space and almost every meal together. It’s reassuring to know that someone is there that has your back, but more importantly someone that can share the laughs and memories. I’m amazed by how much we still laugh and talk about parts of this trip as though it happened yesterday. It’s really special to continue to share that with my sister especially compared to any of the solo trips that I have taken.
EL – Katherine and I have been close our whole lives and always had similar interests. During our five months traveling, we definitely learned many ways that we are different. While this did create conflict at times, we also learned to utilize each other’s different strengths. Katherine is awesome at connecting with people – whether we broke our stove or ran out of cooking fuel, she always made friends who would help us out!
The sisters, along with their friend Jill, braved the cold to hike to the famous towers in Torres del Paine at sunrise.
8. What advice would you have for aspiring travelers? Any tips for overcoming fear?
EL – The second week into our trip, my Uncle Jack (who graciously hosted us in Panama) taught us ‘The Rule’ that guided the rest of our trip. #1: It is always better to ask forgiveness than permission. We developed the second rule on our own. #2: Never make decisions when hungry. Some of our most tense moments on the trip were when someone was “hungry.” I would also advise anyone traveling to not try to do it all. You can’t do everything. Reminding yourself of that is important during your travels.
KL – Just book your ticket and go. Don’t wait for the perfect timing or the perfect trip. They don’t exist. Instead, pack your sense of adventure. Keep your eyes and ears open. Slow down. Don’t get caught up in the rush or feel like you should see it all and do it all because you can’t. There will always be more.
9. What is your next adventure?
KL – Hopefully, Finland! I can’t wait to explore the forests and lakes, Nordic skiing. Plus, on our dad’s side [of the family], there is some Finnish heritage!
EL – Faroe Islands! Kat — since they are so close maybe we could meet up? 😉
10. Name three things you always pack for a trip.
KL – Leica D-Lux 6 camera, leather journal, and Sea To Summit dry sack (to protect the camera and passport!)
EL – Rain jacket, running shoes, Chacos (They are heavy [shoes], but I love them. They’ve been to five continents with me!)
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COMING UP:
TRAVEL TUESDAY INTERVIEW:
Meet a Couple who Quit Their Jobs to Travel for a Year
In the next Travel Tuesday Interview, I talk with Marita Jansons and Matt Butt. The couple quit their jobs as a teacher and lawyer to spend a year traveling across the world!
