When Jill urged me to visit Cabo Polonio, I realized I would need to do this on my final full day in Uruguay before heading out to my final destination of this world tour: Santiago, Chile. Just one problem. I scheduled an integration call with my therapist for 3pm and Cabo Polonio was a solid 1 hour drive through dirt roads. Even calling it a drive is generous. Given the size of the pot holes, it was more like up and down hill mogul skiing in my rental car (not a Jeep, Truck or SUV — just a midsized sedan). Avis had no idea what I was doing with this rental!

All of this effort would be well worth it for this:

*Baby sea lion out for some gentle play in the wave without a care*

When I looked up the time it would take, Google and Apple Maps agreed I would need 50 minutes to get to where I needed to go. Always giving myself extra buffer, I got up at 5:30am so that I could leave at 6:15am and arrive well in advance of the 7:40am first bus opportunity (see the winter schedule below):

*Notice that it’s critical I make the 7:40 to be back on the 11am return!*

Working backwards, I would need to leave on the 11am return shuttle as the 2pm would cut into my call with my therapist. If I missed the 7:40, I’d miss the whole experience as the 10:30am is the same shuttle taking people back on the 11am which I would need to catch. (You see where this is going, don’t you?)

I left a little later than I planned (6:25am), but with only 50 minutes to drive there, 7:15 is still more than a half hour early, right? So why the hell do both Google and Apple Maps tell me it will now take 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there? WTF!?! My buffer is officially gone and now it’s questionable if I’m going to make it.

My confidence further deteriorates as I begin my car mogul ride.

*The detail here does not do the road justice. Imagine boulder dips!*

I was already running late, so to stop and take a picture of the giant moguls I was navigating with my car would have been a bad idea. But there was NO WAY to make up the time GPS was telling me it was going to take. I would arrive between 7:35 and 7:40am. Right when the shuttle was about to depart. What’s worse, I took two wrong turns! Talk about managing stress. The first one was pulling off the paved road. It was dark and I missed it, but GPS rerouted and only cost me 2 minutes. But every minute counts.

When I finally arrived, it was 7:35. I had 5 minutes, but it wasn’t clear where to park my car. I went down the road the shuttle takes and the nice guard (thank GOD he spoke English) redirected me back to where I first arrived and didn’t think it was the right place. As I parked my car, the other driver yelled? Are you trying to make the 7:40? If so, you need to RUN! He asked in Spanish, but I got the gist with, “Vamos!!!”

I did run and I made it. There were only 4 other passengers. I took slow and deep breaths to calm my nervous system and was grateful I made the 7:40 and could have the day I had hoped for. And then I got to watch the sun rise on my way to this beach town.

*Just in time for the sun to greet me as I ride the dune buggy at 7:40am*

The longer I’m on the buggy, the more grateful I am. The roads to this town are completely in sand. We drive for a good 25 minutes, so to walk this route would be at least an hour and maybe more like 90 minutes. I’m glad I’m fresh when we arrive so I can spend the next 3 hours doing nothing but walking around and admiring the beach and animal life.

*Friendly cat runs over to greet me as soon as I exit the buggy*

I can imagine what it must be like here in the summer months. I’m wearing my sweater, jacket and wool cap I borrowed from Danny. Just three months earlier (in March), I would be in a t-shirt, swim trunks and eager to jump into the warm ocean. Today I won’t be doing any swimming; just admiring the sea lions who brave the cold waters and bark for dominance when sunning themselves on the rocks.

*At 8am, the sun is still warming up the place and highlighting ocean*

So many places to look, I almost miss the baby sea lion playing in the shallow water. My gaze is going from the big sky with dappled clouds to the smell of the ocean air to the sounds of the waves crashing in a low consistent drum. I’m taking in the thousands of shells pushed to the edge of the houses here and the stark contrasts of colors all around me. After watching the sea lion play in the water, I’m drawn to the lighthouse in the distance. I go to check it out; but slowly as there’s so much beauty to take in on the short walk to get there.

*In front: lighthouse. To the left: ocean . To the right: green fields. Wow.*

As I get closer to the lighthouse, I hear the sea lions barking at each other and am drawn to them. At first, they dot the rocks so perfectly that I almost miss them. Yes, they are large – bigger than many dogs – and yet they blend into the rocks. So many sea lions. It’s difficult to take it all in. I zoom in and out. Sometimes watching an individual sea lion. Other times watching the whole herd. The waves crash and water jets up to the sky as sea lions adjust their position on the rocks. I’m mesmerized.

I took many, many videos, but this is a good (and relatively short at under a minute) sample of what I was experiencing:

As I continue to explore this beach town, I forget that I’m allowed to climb to the top of the lighthouse. Oh well, something for the next time I visit this place. I’m caught up in all the beauty that surrounds me. It’s clear many artists live in community here. There are paintings on buildings, cute designs of houses, and even the benches have been painted bright colors.

I marvel at how it all works together to create something really special. I’m so glad that I got up at 5:30am to be here. Totally worth it. I’m deeply grateful that I made the 7:40am shuttle and that I get to spend 3 hours walking around exploring before returning back to my space to have my 3pm zoom video call. All is right in the world as I make my way around this beach town.

*One example of many, many murals on the side of buildings here.*

And then I do something I haven’t done since I was much, much younger. I go MICRO. I begin to examine the shells under my feet. My God, they are beautiful. Vibrant purple (reminds me of my daughter, Violet), orange, reds and blacks. The shells here are unlike anything I’ve seen before. I’m used to the washed out / bleached white, but these shells are works of art in and of themselves. Yes, the muscles and clams previously living inside are dead, but the beauty of their shells are catching my eyes at every step.

I pick one up and examine it. It’s too beautiful to put back. I begin collecting these shells. Each one more beautiful than the last. Before I know it, I have collected quite a bounty of shells.

*I have no idea how well I can transport them, but I feel called to them*

And so I wrap up my time here and take a few last pictures of the ocean in all its beauty:

*I can’t seem to get enough of this view. Everywhere I look. Love it!*

And soon enough, the 3 hours is up and it’s time to catch my ride back at 11am. The buggy is right on time and I catch a few more pictures on our adventure back to where my car is parked. Even the ride home is enjoyable. I take in all the sand roads, the deep tracks, and trees that I couldn’t quite make out with the sun barely peaking above the horizon. Now it’s near mid-day and I see everything clearly on my ride back.

*I almost asked to ride on top, but wondered if it would be too cold*

I made it back for my integration therapy session and it was amazing. I did some much-needed inner child work and appreciate the expert guidance throughout my session. There’s certainly more to do, but this was a good start to the full integration I seek.

For my last night in Uruguay, my friends Mechthild and Danny invited me to their home for one final home cooked meal. Seriously, these two have adopted me as their own and I’m incredibly lucky to have them both in my life. Mechthild is an incredible chef and vegetarian. So that means each meal is both delicious and healthy. My body craves this kind of healthy food and I realize I need to learn to cook more like her.

*This is only the appetizers! What? This could be the whole meal. It’s not.*

Danny is an avid reader like me and shares a book of poetry he enjoys called Grooks (by Piet Hein). I turn to a page at random and read (outloud) a poem called Simply Assisting God. There are no accidents. I came here to deepen my connection with my higher power and this is precisely what’s been happening. This poem helps solidify the path I’ve been on:

*Beautiful. What shall I do with the unmoulded clay in my hands? Hmm.*

I take this opportunity to secure my banana hat picture from Uruguay. I love that I get to share this moment with my new extended family members. What a wonderful way to complete this time in Uruguay.

*Bananas for my deep heart-felt connection with my family here*

Danny has one more addition and goes to grab his fuzzy nose to add it to this group picture. He doesn’t tell me why, but it’s clear from Mechthild that this is Danny’s version of the banana hat. All good!

*Danny adds his fuzzy clown nose to the picture. Perfect!*

And if that wasn’t already enough (and it totally was), both Danny and Mechthild insist on putting their jackets on to take me to my car for my final send off. I say it’s not necessary, but they say it’s a Uruguayan tradition; that they’d be “bad hosts” and never hear the end of it from their community if it ever came out they hugged me at the door.

Fine with me. What they didn’t tell me was they they would literally sing me off their property. After two long embracing hugs with each of them, I got in my car and began to drive off. I heard them singing to me. I rolled down my window so that could hear them better and thank them for this one final generous act of kindness.

Thank you, Jill. When you suggested that I spend time in La Paloma, I had no idea what was in store for me. I never imagined that this time in Uruguay would end up being my peak experience — right at the tail end of my journey … in the dead of winter, no less.

This week, I have been humbled.

I have witnessed and experienced a level hospitality that I will spend the rest of my remaining time I have on this earth to live up to. Or, as Dr. Maya Angelou's philosophy says, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." Amen. That’s my promise. I’m committed to doing better and being a better host now that I’ve experienced what’s possible from friends of friends who I now consider part of my family — in just 5 days. Epic!

Exploring Cabo Polonio, Uruguay (June 18, 2026)

Caballos en La Pedrera, Uruguay (June 17, 2026)