I have arrived!

Wow. So I’m finally here! I was and am looking forward to the challenges this adventure will bring, but so far my maximum stress level has been with preparing to come and not actually being here. My plane ticket was a three-day hassle, my immunizations were completely by the seat of my pants, I was sick the entire week I was getting ready, I had to cram a month and a half of preparations into five days, and my ride to Portland (the airport) fell through last minute!

My good friend Ben ended up shuttling me to Portland Friday eve where I stayed with my friends Garrett and Maria. Maria travelled alone in Europe, so she had lots of great advice to offer.

I didn’t check any baggage (I highly recommend this method to all international travellers), but because I didn’t, I had no choice but to carry on my tweezers, finger nail clippers, matches, safety pins, etc. Surprisingly enough, I made it through the TSA screening unscathed. They didn’t take a thing! Maybe they’re finally realizing that you can’t hijack a plane with a stick pin.

My plane rides were awesome; I snagged window seats both times. The Florida coastline looks like a carnival at night! We were flying over the Andes as the sun came up this morning; it was so gorgeous! Oh – and the clouds! Shortly after sunrise, we flew into some clouds that were SO cool. Giant, billowy thunder heads made it look like we were flying through some kind of surreal mountain range hecho de nubes (made of clouds).

So, after nearly 10,000 miles in the air, I arrived in Buenos Aires @ 9:30 a.m. local time. I hooked up with another woman on the airplane and she and I shared a taxi into the city. So far all I’ve done is shower and try to sleep my way into this time zone. Tonight should bring, at the very least, my very first Argentine steak dinner (for $6!) and maybe some Tango dancing.

That’s all for now! Besos y abrazos!