Leaving On a Jet Plane

So today is the day I start my Central and South American journey. It is 4am on the East coast and I can't sleep! I was supposed to meet Meaghan K. in Miami this morning and fly to San Jose, Costa Rica, but unfortunately, she has been weathered-out of Seattle. She is a quick and industrious sort so she managed to reschedule her flight...out of Dallas instead of Miami. That means we travel alone! Well, not the start I expected to my journey, but I have a feeling I am going to have to learn to be very flexible in the next few months...

I am planning on being in Central and South America until May 15th. First stop is San Jose, Costa Rica and then on the Coastal Challenge race! If you want to follow the race, there is a Facebook page. You can also try blog.leadaventuremedia.com/live. It is a 6 day stage race and about 80 miles or so over the mountains and through the jungles of Costa Rica. It sounded fun when I signed up! I'm feeling a bit nervous now...

Next stop is Playa Gigante, Nicaragua. Meaghan and I plan to bus it from La Cruz or Liberia, Costa Rica to Rivas, Nicaragua where her cousin will pick us up and take us to surf camp in Nicaragua! Should be a great time.

Then on to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina (with a day in Chile) with the Dragoman tour group out of the U.K. Their website is www.dragoman.com. I am taking one of their "Overland" trips. There is a fun video on the site showing "overlanding." Check it out if you are interested.

Next, I am meeting Karl in Buenos Aires and we plan to explore Argentina for a few weeks. No itinerary!

Finally, I will volunteer with Global Vision International in the Galapagos Islands for my final five weeks in South America.

I hope to learn Spanish, see amazing sights, meet new and interesting people, experience new cultures and at least begin to fulfill my humanitarian duty. I am sure that I will also learn patience, flexibility and get a dose of humility whether I want to or not...

Cheers,

Kelly