Official Travel Confirmation of my flights to South America
It’s official: I have booked my flights to South America! I leave in just over two weeks, and I think I’m actually more nervous than excited. Well, I’m not too sure. I have moments when I cannot wait for the adventures to come, and then I have major moments of fear and nerves when I wonder if I can do this on my own. And major concerns about running out of money or having to skip out on things I really want to do because I can’t afford them (I’m looking at you Easter Island!). But hey, money is money, and you only live once right? And that’s also why I own multiple credit cards….
You’d think after spending all this time traveling, it would get easier each new trip, but it doesn’t. The unknown is still the unknown no matter how many countries you’ve been to. Traveling is always easier with a friend or someone to look out for you, as traveling on your own you have to be that much more aware of your surroundings and it can be exhausting. Also throw in the fact that I don’t know any Spanish further than “¿Dónde está la estación de autobuses?” and, well, you see why I’m a little worried? (That also means I won’t understand what they tell me when they direct me to the bus station… Because I don’t actually know Spanish!).
Booking my flights was a bit of a stress-fest. I tried to use my bank credit card points I’ve been collecting over the years (thank-you university tuition!) and their flight was almost $400 more than the one I wanted from a different website. After multiple phone calls and a credit card that was maxed out (not a good thing BEFORE I go on my trip), I managed to get a credit for my 60,000 points on my visa and booked the cheaper fare. With leaving booking till last minute, I always run the risk of losing out on seats and great fare prices, something that’s bitten me in the butt before so it was a teensy bit stressful. And then I thought I’d have an adrenaline/excitement/fear heart attack when I clicked the “purchase” button and the whole thing actually went through. Cue immediate phone call to my mom!
But, either way my flights are booked (four in one day to get me down to Ecuador! Going to be some tight layovers) and I will be getting on that airplane regardless of how twisted my stomach is in nervous knots. And tears. Because I ALWAYS cry at the airport before I leave. My poor dad and brothers…
Next up, I’ll let you know how the packing goes. Six months with climates ranging from hot and toasty beaches to Amazon rainforests, and from mountains with glaciers and ice to rainy seasons and cool temperatures. This could be interesting…
