Back for a Flash!

This is where I have gotten to live and love and learn for the last few weeks!!


Volcan Osorno

Buenos dias desde Oxford, MISSISSIPPI!! That's right, I am baaaaaaaaack. But only for a short while. I got in on Friday morning and will be here for just under 2 weeks before heading back down south to continue my journey. The original plan had me traveling Nov 5-June 30, but I have taken a little "break" to pop in to visit with my mom and attend my dad's wedding - sure to be the party of the century!!

I had a fan-freakin-tastic time traveling with Joe. Really, I could not have asked for a more delightful traveling companion. I even so much as wallowed in the gringoness of the whole journey - speaking English, visiting all the touristy sites (that is when we were actually in touristy places), taking a million photos of everything in sight, and bumping down the road with Joe's rolling suitcase. It was GREAT! The two of us are working on a joint blog entry documenting our journey together (to be titled "All Empanadas ALL THE TIME - Notes on how all of our wildest dreams just KEPT coming true"), so look forward to reading that once Joe finishes up some school work he put off while galavanting around the most amazing place on earth with yours truly!!


Joe and Claudio enjoying a "Completo" in Pucon - Ummm....YUM?!


Soaking in a Natural Hot Spring outside of Pucon, Chile

I dont know how to sum up the last two weeks of my life, or properly explain my feelings regarding my return to los estados. It is so weird to think about how quickly one can go from such different environments and how quickly one can adapt to any given environment. One week ago I was in Osorno, Chile eating fresh bread bought from the corner bakery and fresh fruit bought from the street market in a humble, but bustling town. Then a 4 and a half hour bus ride with breathtaking views of the Andes mountains blanketed in the yellows, oranges, and reds of Fall (AND los volcanes - woohoo! Joe FINALLY got to see them:)!) as we climbed up and then down winding roads took us from Chile into Argentina back to the clean, manicured, Swiss chalet town of Bariloche to visit with Rosario. Then a 2 hour plane ride whisked us to the big, busy, bustling, over-crowded city of Buenos Aires where we wiled away many hours in the fantastic cafes they have on nearly every street corner and walked for hours and hours hitting all the great sites where Evita (and Madonna) stood. (I could not decide who Joe loved more - Evita or Madonna - but either way we stood where they stood, sang our own rendition of "Dont Cry for Me, Argentina," took dramatic photos, and altogether made great touristy fools of ourselves laughing and loving every moment!) And then hopped aboard a US-bound plane to return to the land of Fried Chicken, Sweet Tea, Southern Accents, Stop Signs, Giant SUVs, Bathrooms with Toilet Paper, Stoves that light with the flip of a switch (i.e. no lighter or match required!), and Spring blooms.

And how do I feel? Well, quite good. I am happy to be here. I was truly giddy to run into the waiting arms of my father at the Jackson airport. Yes, I know I am nearly 25 years old, and I know I was only gone 5 months, but gosh darnit, I wanted to act like a 5 year old child and have one of those moments that only ever seem to happen on movies...call me cheesy! I was also super excited to eat a huge MUFFIN at Broad Street Bakery as soon as I got home. Oh, how I have missed muffins and have made a point to eat at least one (or two, or five) each day since I have been home. Dont get me wrong. There is no way to properly explain my delight over the panaderia's in Argentina and Chile and the delicious sweets that one can buy for super cheap there, but nothing compares to the warm, moist, sweet muffins we make here in los estados unidos. Other things that I have enjoyed include: abundance of bathrooms WITH toilet paper, Stonyfield and Oikos greek yogurt, Barbaras Peanut Butter Puffins, hummus from Keifer's, Susan's and mom's home-cooking, throwing tennis balls for my smelly, slobbery, dumb, but unbelievably happy dog, waking up early to exercise with dad (and now mom), catching up with friends in Jackson, and chatting on the phone with Annelle and Jarratt and Rene and Molly. Things I dont much like and could stand to continue to do without for awhile include: driving, doctor's bills, cell phones. I am so happy to be here right now, but am glad my journey isnt over yet.

For now, I am enjoying catching up with my mom in Oxford. I will spend a few days here before returning to Jackson for the wedding festivities. The WHOLE fam is coming, and I kid you not when I say this is sure to be the party of the century. Both my dad and Susan are very social people, know a TON of people, and love to have a good time. So essentially this wedding is a fantastic reason to throw a REALLY BIG PARTY - WOOHOO! The band is called something like Sammy and the Soul Shakers - and no doubt there will be lots of soul shaking going on. VIVA!