Challenging my comfort zone self, while travelling the world

I had immediately understood why people had so strongly recommended me Iruya, one of the last outposts of the original indigenous Argentinian culture, left untouched by the immigration fluxes that would forever change the human panorama of the country. Mountains whose bright colours were simply due to water evaporation and consequent chemical reactions surrounded this village that buzzed with life even during a rainy night. Not a crazy night life, but that nice hanging around and sitting on a doorstep that can only be found in countryside areas of the so-called civilized world.
The plan for the next day was hiking to San Isidro, which I knew nothing about. “You better go with someone else” was the advice that still echoed in my head, even after I had successfully overcome all stereotypes and fears usually connected to a girl travelling solo around South America. I arranged to meet two girls so that we could hike together, weather permitting (”there is a river to cross, don’t venture if it’s raining”)! After a good night of sleep and a different-time-zone-related accident I rushed to the main square only to find out that I and a few locals, stray dogs included, were the only ones to be awake that early.
Despite being unbelievably on time, there was no sign of the two girls. The weather was good enough for me, so I just decided to go ahead, eventhough I didn’t have much of a clue about where to go. Once more I was hoping for the best in this new challenge of comfort zone me and her mindset, at least my host knew where I would go! After only a few strides my magical Northern Argentina experience started: with a boy and 3 loaded donkeys.
They were his pets, with names and full stories behind them, and they were the basic condition for his mum’s business. There she was: probably young enough to be my age, but signed by lots of outdoor life and some old-style beauty care. She ran San Isidro’s main supermarket, and spent on average 3 days a week going back and forth to the “big city” to restock…perspectives uh? And off we went, me and my special chaperones, along (and across) the river and towards the by-now-promised-land aka San Isidro. We only rarely talked, and at first I nearly felt as a burden, so unexperienced and unfit, but I could feel my happiness rising as I felt I had taken one more step out of my comfort zone. And it was just thanks to my “daring” that I had gained another unforgettable experience, one more story to tell.