Plazas, Fountains, and Statues, Oh My!

Today's location: Cordoba, Argentina
Today's weather: sunny, 82 degrees

I slept until noon. I guess I was tired. By 1 PM I was walking all about town. I saw most of the sites listed on the map from the hostel and it was beautiful all day. I spent a good couple of hours reading in a little park built in celebration of the bicentennial. It had colored rings representing each year. Many of them had graffiti on them. One had "one direction" painted on it-does that really count at graffiti?

I strolled all over the city and took a few moments at each plaza to soak it all it. I stopped at a few bookstores along the way where I would spend a ridiculous amount of time just trying to read the back covers. I even observed some jugglers on unicycles at one of the plazas. For lunch I ate at a pizza joint in the Patio Olmos (a mall), serenaded by Shania Twain's 1997 album.

                                   

                                

Plazas, fountains, and statues, oh my!

Low points of the day include but are not limited to:
1) When I realized I had bird poop on my arm and had no idea how long it had been there.
2) When I saw of copy of 50 Shades of Gray in Spanish. Apparently, like a smile, this translates into other languages.

I returned to the hostel about 8 PM after walking an extra mile in the wrong direction. The hostel owner's brother was working the desk. Just like the owner, he grew up in Ohio and happily spoke to me in English to give my brain a break.

Training for the reception duties starts tomorrow morning!

Without Further Delay...

Today's location: Cordoba, Argentina
Today's weather: high of 75, light rain
Today's read: Best Coach Ever about John Wooden, really quick read.

At last I have arrived! If I had to choose one word to describe the trek down here yesterday, it would be delayed. 3/4 of the legs of my trip were delayed starting with my bus shuttle to the airport. The bus shuttle arrived 40 minutes late. Fortunately, I had plenty of time before my flight so I wasn't in any hurry. I fell asleep almost instantly on the bus only to be awoken by a thunderous bang. The door enclosing the bottom compartment of the bus where our luggage was stored had inexplicably flung open and a few unlucky pieces landed on the shoulder of the road (we weren't on the freeway yet). We all to had to march outside the bus to claim our luggage to ensure that all the pieces had been recovered. I was definitely the only person on the bus who found this fiasco remotely humorous.

Our bus arrived even later due to the "incident" but it didn't matter because my flight to Miami was delayed as well. Turns out, by the time my flight landed in Miami, I had exactly one hour and 45 minutes to snag my suitcase at baggage claim (American Airlines couldn't check my bag all the way since my international flight was with a different airline), recheck my suitcase at the LAN desk and go through security all over again for my international flight. Sure, a tight timetable but manageable.

At the LAN check-in desk I presented my passport and receipt of reciprocity payment which is required for Argentina. When the LAN representative told me that my reciprocity receipt was invalid, I was beyond confused. Huh? What does that mean? Without any clue what was going on and with no recommendations on how to proceed, I decided to go to the LAN office and see if I could reprint my reciprocity receipt as a preliminary course of action. The woman there ushered me into a back office where I reprinted the barcode sheet from Supervisor Gomez's desk. I dashed back upstairs still confused and with my concern escalating, mostly because all these conversations in the Miami airport were in Spanish and that if this reprint didn't work, I actually didn't have a plan B and doubted that anyone was going to help me further. Yes, I realize I'm going to South America where they speak Spanish but I wasn't prepared for the immersion portion just yet! I give the reprinted sheet to the rep hoping that this barcode is somehow more clear but seriously thinking how I was going to get home from Miami today when this all hits the fan.

Miraculously, the barcode scanned and I was back in the game! I still don't know what the deal was here but  I didn't ask any further questions. I was given my boarding passes and booked it towards the security check point. When I left the check-in desk, it was 12:17 AM and my flight leaves at 1:00 AM. Of course, this flight is on time. Fortunately, the airport isn't too busy at this hour of the night so I was weaving through the security line faster than an alpine skier. So now I am that person running through the airport, working up a good musk only to plop down next to a complete stranger for 5 whole hours. Oh well. I made it.

Another low point was when I dropped my neck pillow in the bathroom in the Lima airport. Ick.

After this, it was smooth sailing. The flights were delayed a few minutes but I still made the right connections. The taxi from the airport in Cordoba was about 35 minutes and cost around US$15. Traffic was crazy and my driver even crazier. We love tapped another cab for sure but he claimed they were friends so it's fine. I even made a friend in the customs line in Cordoba, a girl from New Mexico who is here for 2 months to work at her church's mission. The mission has a day care and community dump (?). I told her I'd have a good amount of free time while I'm here and I'd love to volunteer if possible I gave her my email and we'll see.

A little extra turbulence over the Andes

2nd largest city in Argentina

Once I arrived at the hostel about 7pm on Thursday, one of the other workers, who is from Brazil, gave me the grand tour and showed me to my room. Apparently, they don't need me until Monday so I'm free to whatever my little heart desires until then. Let me gather all my friends here and plan something. Oh wait...

Packing Queen

Today's location: Still in New London, WI.
Today's weather: Cloudy, high of 19 degrees (possible heat wave after 50+ days below zero).

Today is the day I pack my suitcase. Today I decide what I am going to be wearing day in and day out for possibly the next year of my life. Depressing. When I was thinking this whole crazy idea, I am the first to admit that what clothes I would pack was one of my first considerations. Yes, to me the idea of wearing the same thing just seems boring, and if you've traveled with me before, you know that there are few certainties in life aside from death, taxes, and that I will overpack. So for those of you that were skeptical that I could pack just one suitcase, you have a point.

 

Spoiler alert: It all fits.


So what's all in there?

I've got: 1 black leather jacket, 1 waterproof, hooded jacket, 1 black sweatshirt, 1 black sweater, 1 green dress, 5 long sleeved or 3/4 sleeved shirts, three short sleeved shirts, 2 tank tops.

Then, I have: 1 pair athletic shorts, 1 pair navy shorts, 1 pair green bermuda shorts, 1 pair black sweatpants, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair black leggings, 1 pair khaki capris, 1 black skirt.

4 pairs of shoes and 2 cosmetic bags.

And a smattering of other items: 2 scarves, 1 bag of chargers/converters/adapters, 1 #lightload ultra absorbent/fast drying towel, #cocoon sleep sheet, umbrella, swim suit, extra purse, two hats, first aid kit, 12 pairs of underwear and socks, laundry detergent sheets, gloves, 6 granola bars, curling iron, 3 pairs earrings, 3 necklaces, (only) 3 watches.

And, of course, some light reading material: #lonelyplanet #southamericaonashoestring, Spanish/English dictionary, Bible (this is the year I'm  going to read the whole thing), a journal, and couple of other books to read for pleasure that I plan on ditching as soon as I'm done reading them. 

And lastly, two things that I suspect will prove to be pretty darn important: 1) dry shampoo 2) corkscrew/bottle-opener. Can you imagine me picking up a bottle of wine, exhausted after a long and frustrating day, unable to formulate a sentence in English let alone Spanish, only to discover that I don't have a corkscrew? #despair. 

 T-1 day until take-off. 

P.S. Still waiting for a meltdown. Although yesterday I was pretty down when I realized I'd be missing #Marchmadness but I don't think that really counts as a meltdown exactly.

Last Days

Today's location: New London, Wisconsin (a.k.a. New Dublin in March)
Today's weather: Sunny, high of 0 degrees (No, that is not a typo.)

Spending some time in my hometown as part of my tour of home before the big trip. The past week has been all about "lasts" in preparation for leaving on March 5th. Some lasts include but not limited to: last time driving Cosmo, my car, last time at my church in San Diego, last time eating brunch at Snooze, and using up my last yoga groupon.

One highlight of preparing for this whole experience was packing up everything I own. I say "highlight" because this was actually a good opportunity to weed out a lot of crap that I have been accumulating. Why do I have so much stuff? But seriously, it's just "stuff" and I have so much of it. Don't get me wrong, as far as stuff goes, mine is nice stuff but again, it's just stuff. And if the zombie apocalypse strikes tonight, my extensive wardrobe is only going to slow me down. Maybe life in South America will prove to be much simpler and I will find contentment in the little things and learn to crave less "stuff." Doubtful.

Anything I haven't worn or used in the last year had to go. I donated of 10+ bags of "stuff." Then, I packed everything I'm going to need for the next year in a backpack (more to come on its contents). Finally, I put everything that was left in storage. It was a humbling experience to pack pretty much all of my worldly possessions (except for my car) in a 5 X 10 ft storage unit. On one hand, maybe I'm not quite as materialistic as I think. On the other hand, 26 years of life and this is all I have to show for it?!

The purge was good. And then I rested.

 


People have been asking if I'm getting excited/nervous. Honestly, it doesn't seem like anything is happening. All of these changes, like packing, have gradually unfolded so I've been able to transition to the idea slowly. However, my last day of work proved to be more emotional than I thought. I wasn't sad (because I know this experience is just what the doctor ordered) but rather, I was overwhelmed by the people and things that affect my life in positive way. Already this experience is putting life in perspective.

My last night in San Diego was marked by an epic 'Merica send off in Encinitas where I finally took the price tag off a pair of American flag leggings that had been collecting dust in my dresser. (If I held on to these leggings, can you imagine the random stuff I donated?) When asked what I'll miss most about the US, I replied, "Mexican food." Huh. The usual shenanigans ensued, I drank a "dirty American," talked to the dj, etc.

Stay classy, San Diego!

Some friends and co-workers think I'm never coming back from South America. They think I'll find my Juan Pablo down there, run off into the Amazon, never to return. But knowing myself, or at least I think I do, I fully expect that after a year of living out of a suitcase, doing odd jobs, always meeting new people but never knowing them, I'll welcome the opportunity to just go home, unpack, and find regularity in life again. But who knows.

 For now, I'll brave the bitter Wisconsin cold as I say "see you later" to a few more people.

Countdown to lift off: 5 days.

Consider Yourselves Briefed

I am about to embark on a South American Adventure in a matter of days and I'm still waiting for a meltdown. Many of the details of my trip have just come together in the last couple of months and even weeks, but in many ways, I've been training for an experience like this for some time now.

Backstory

Where I'm coming from...I am originally from exotic Wisconsin, a land flowing with cheese and Miller Light. I went to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis which is even colder than my hometown. After graduating in 2009 and surviving almost two-decades of brutal, kick-me-when-I'm-down Midwest winters, I knew I now had the mental toughness to make it just about anywhere but had lost the desire to shovel snow ever again. I had family in San Diego so I packed up my Toyota Camry and headed west in hopes of escaping diphtheria and building a life in the promised land: San Diego. I acclimated quickly to San Diego and now call North County San Diego home.

Where I was at...I enjoy traveling and always want more. Among other places, I've been to Germany, Switzerland, France, Nicaragua, Turkey, etc. I've talked about dropping everything and traveling for an extended period of time but, like most people, have never been able to pull the trigger. Why South America? I took Spanish in college but never studied abroad and always regretted it. My parents lived in Peru before they had children so I feel like it's fitting that I go there too to make the Johnson-family travels come full circle. At work I could get by with my current level of Spanish but know the next step to really improving my espanol is immersion. There are so many places I want to see in South America and around the world and, with only two weeks of vacation from work every year for the rest of my life, I would need to be Methuselah to see it all. And as my last, catch-all rationalization, insert stereotypical phrase here: if I don't do it now, I'll never do it; youth is wasted on the young; etc.

Where I'm going...I really started to seriously think about a long-term South America trip when I met with an acquaintance who has traveled extensively in South America, 18 months in total. Okay, you caught me. We dated briefly. Anyways, he recommended workaway.org and helpx.com, two websites where travelers can do light work in exchange for room and board. I perused host options and finally signed up for workaway, 25 Euros for a 2 year membership. I emailed several hosts all over South America. Many hosts only know their job needs a few weeks in advance but I got a quick response from a hostel in Cordoba, Argentina, where I'd work as a receptionist 20 hours a week. With an opportunity like this, I knew the whole idea was possible and I was all in. After all, I had already committed to 25 Euros and wasted an entire Sunday afternoon trying on backpacks at REI, so I better go for it.

Let me save you all those clicks of a laborious Google maps search. 

How I'm getting there...First step was obviously an excel spreadsheet with a budget and the sum function as often as possible. Looking back on my budget, while I saved hard and worked even harder, I am among few twenty-somethings blessed with being debt-free, without school, car, or home loans, making this whole adventure possible. After that, other logistics seemed to fall into place. My apartment lease was up so I moved in with my cousin rather than renewing. I had been looking for flights to Cordoba and they were consistently between $1000-$1300 until one afternoon when I witnessed a little miracle, a flight for under $700! #Buynow The bright side of being a mild hypochondriac (oxymoron?) is that I already have a travel first aid kit. And with a mother like mine, vaccinations, payment on death forms, and an affordable travelers' insurance policy with a helicopter-me-back-to-my-homeland-when-I-am-dying benefit were items at the top of my to-do list.

And, yes, I most definitely have a to-do list. So now I can cross "blog" off the to-do list. I wanted to do a blog mostly because I'm lazy. Rather than email personalized accounts of my adventures to my friends and family, here's a blog to keep everyone equally abreast of my whereabouts. Feel free to live vicariously through my travels, laugh at my inevitable misfortunes, and provide my last noted location to the appropriate consulate when needed. In any event, feel free to follow my travels in South America, as I see it.