We Have Liftoff!

Just a note: I'm writing this on Sunday, 14, July, in order to catch everyone up on all that happened in the past four (only four??) days.

Thursday, 11 July

I wanted my parents to kind of hang around with me for a little bit at the Indy airport and I think they were happy to do so.  We sat and chatted for maybe 45 minutes before I decided it was time to go through security at which point I knew I would not see them in person for another five months.  But did it really hit me then?  No.  The whole time I was counting down to the day--months before, the week before, the night before, even the day of the flight!--it didn't feel real.  When I left my parents at the security check point it was the same.  I think maybe it was God's way of easing me into it rather than freaking out for the past four months.  I'm grateful for that.

My plane tickets

My flight left Indy at 12:40pm and I got into New York JFK at 2:55pm.  I had a five-hour layover at JFK and that was not a good thing.  Not because I was bored but because it gave my mind time to wander.  I tried to stave off the thoughts of home but they just began to flood.  Finally I called my parents and expressed my concerns.  I told them how I was worried because in my life I'm not looking to do great and exciting things--that's not what I'm about--my life is my family and my friends, the people that I love.  I said if someone I loved were with me I would be fine to go.  But my parents gave me the strength I needed by telling me I'm strong and I've wanted this for a long time.  And for some reason, just hearing them say that if I don't like it in Argentina there's always the option to come home early.  I told my mom that I hate the idea of wasting everything we've put into this trip (the money, the time, the preparations, etc.) and she said that even if I don't stay the whole time, I still went on a trip to Argentina.  Looking at it as a trip of any length and knowing I had the option to come home really helped to push me to go on to my next leg, Santiago, Chile.  So thank you Mom and Dad.  I love you guys.  After the call to my parents, I grabbed a bite to eat then called my best friend, Lindsay Whitehead.  She furthered my courage to continue my trip and when I hung up the phone I knew I was doing the right thing by going on.

It was not long after I hung up from the call with Lindsay that a mother, father, and very young daughter sat next to me to await the 8:00pm flight to Santiago.  I heard the father say something about "when we get to Argentina" and that urged me to ask where they were going.  The father is from Buenos Aires and they were going to stay with his family for a while.  I told him I was going to study in Cordoba for five months and that led us to a nice conversation in which he told me of different places to go (which I regrettably do not remember) and different customs there.  They are a very nice family and when I saw them in the airport in Chile I waved a 'thank you' to them as we parted ways.  About fifteen minutes before we started boarding for the flight to Chile, I overheard three girls talking about studying abroad.  They were sitting near me so I figured they were going to be on my same flight so I asked them.  And sure enough they are in the same study abroad program as I!  Pretty soon here came two more girls in the same boat.  On the plane, I sat next to two of the girls, one was just a seat away, and a boy right behind us told us he was in the program, too!  Meeting those students was a great boost for my confidence in the trip and I thank God for placing us in the right place at the right time.

Random tidbit: I remember thinking something that might seem very silly to anyone else but to me it was something kinda big:  I remember as the plane to Chile was pulling out of the terminal I thought 'I've taken my last breath of United Statesian air.'

The flight to Chile went well--only a few minutes of turbulence that frightened me a bit.  It seemed to go rather quickly, too.  I didn't sleep a lot but I watched a movie (Identity Theif) and two TV shows (Modern Family and Just for Laughs).  The flight didn't seem like the eleven hours it was.

Random tidbit: When I got to Chile I needed to get a boarding pass for my flight to Argentina.  I went to the counter and wanted to tell the man, "Necesito un bileto para Argentina," (I need a ticked for Argentina) however I told the man "Necesito un botalla para Argentina," (I need a bottle for Argentina).  My first mistake in the language granted me a kind smile and a short chuckle from the man when I corrected myself before he directed me to my location.

Abrazos,
Jessica