GOING SOUTH ...almost.

I got up at 3:30 this morning, and showed up at PDX ready to board a flight to Santiago, Chile. When I scanned my passport, however, my travel information didn't pop up. The lady at the front desk looked confused. She scurried to consult her supervisor, and after much hushed conversation around a computer, the solemn supervisor approached me.

"I hate to tell you this," she said, "but your flight doesn't exist."

I didn't know this was allowed. Hell, I didn't even know this was possible. Flights aren't like fairies--they don't go away if people stop believing in them... do they?

After sitting dejectedly by the baggage drop-off station listening to terrible terrible tinny classical music for four eons, and after almost crying to the nice Southern man who was the spokesperson for Avianca airlines, I was put on a different flight that supposedly does exist. It leaves tomorrow. Ostensibly.

And then I will be in Chile. I'm meeting my college-friend Nathaniel there, and then together we will conquer the entire continent of South America. And by "conquer" I mean "meander through," "get lost in," and "harvest the vegetables of." Our plans now are almost laughably vague (see the map I've included with this post). We're planning of traversing Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia, but I think that this is the sort of journey that evolves.

So check back soon! I know that my posting has been meager lately, but now I'm having a proclaimed adventure and will strive to be a reliable bloggist.

On that note, onward and southward I fly!!!! Hopefully.