Money! I write it with an exclamation point because its an ever-present, omnimous cloud that hangs over my every cost-dependent decision I have to make. Like Winnie the Pooh, I want to scream “Go away Rain Cloud!” but my luck, like Winnie’s voice, isn’t great enough. Money is a budget traveller’s friend and foe. A friend because it helped you get to the place you are now. It helped you experience new foods and new things. A foe because it often commences a battle to decide between what could be great memories and the reality of your bank account. A warning light is triggered in my brain whenever I pull out my wallet that reminds me, “You do realize you’re unemployed, right?”

Dang. That IS right.

I faced a big money battle yesterday when I was trying to decide whether to pay a very large amount to cross the Andes into Bariloche, Argentina by boat. Many people told me a it’s an absolutely beautiful ride, but almost 7 times more expensive than a (albeit lackluster) bus ride around the lakes. So what to do?

Let me share a previous experience. I traveled to Israel about 3 years ago. I had a wonderful guide named Muhammed, whom we called Mike. One day I was in a store and I saw an olive wood statue of a Biblical character that I really wanted. (I’m not one for souvenirs, but this was a really cool statue.) The price was a little much, and I was agonizing over whether or not I should buy it. I asked Mike what he thought, and he told me something that has stuck with me. He said that money is replaceable. You can always put it back in the bank. However, special moments and special things like that statue are not. And he was right. I’ve never missed that $150, and I’ve enjoyed looking at my statue ever since.

I forgot this, and I had to have another friend named Mike remind me. (Thanks, Mike!)

So I paid the money for the boat rides, and it was beautiful. Was it worth the price? I hope so. It may sting a little when I see my credit card bill next month (actually, I think it will sting a lot), but I can only hope I will look back on those pictures with the same feeling i get when I look at my statue.

But I do know this: I’ll see a lot more Benjamins cross my path in the future than opportunities to cross the Andes like I did.

I’ll worry about the rest of life later.