Uruguay 2017

I nearly missed my flight from São Paulo to Montevideo in late December 2016 after the Brazilian city was flooded by heavy rains and traffic came to a stand-still (and, full disclosure, I had my phone set to the wrong time zone). I was the last person to board the plane that night and was still sweating from running through the airport as we flew over the never-ending sprawl of a city that’s home to 22 million people.

I made it to the Uruguayan capital and was immediately whisked away to Araminda, a small beach town on the coast of Río de la Plata near the Atlantic Ocean, where my friends and family welcomed me and showed me what an Uruguayan summer is all about: BBQ, fun, loved ones, and the beach. During the month I spent there, we also went camping in Santa Teresa, where we set up in a grove in the forest near the ocean, visited Punta del Diablo and Punta del Este, and witnessed heavy storms and cinematic sunsets in Montevideo.

And even though I was freezing half the time (Uruguay and I disagree on what “summer” and “hot” mean), I loved my time in the southern cone of the South American continent and would love to go back. Actually, I had so much fun, I didn’t give photography much time or energy.

So even though these aren’t my best photos, they’re tied to some of the best memories of my 20s. Gracias, Uruguay.