The distance between Puerto Natales at the bottom of South America and Chicago is 6,528.82 miles. I am making this journey by 3 flights: Puerto Natales to Santiago, Santiago to Miami, and Miami to Chicago. And there is a 11 hours layover in Santiago. I would arrive at SCL at 1pm and I would not leave for MIA until 11:59pm (i.e. practically midnight) of the same day. It is all good. I cannot wait to be home, get to sleep in my own bed, get to see Shelby, get to see Abby, get to see and touch my records. It is always a good feeling to have someone and something to come home to, I think. This was a trip in the making for two years. I thought I needed something so extreme to bring me back to life from the Covid hell, so I booked the Antarctica trip. I actually don't need it afterward, but I am glad I did it. Scott was a motivation as well, I told I would go to Antarctica to fulfill our dreams to visit all 7 continents for the both of us, I am glad I have made it, I try to be man of my words.
And now I can finish the other dreams: visit all the countries in South America, visit all the states in the US, learn to speak fluent spanish and whatever else that comes to the mind of this boy. Like while I was flying to King George Island, looking over those untouched land, I also started thinking about going to Norway and navigate to the northernmost land. That may make a good contrast. Like Shelby said, I better finish this one before thinking of another adventure.
The first flight from Puerto Natales to Santiago was one of the scariest takeoffs ever, it was so windy, our flight was constantly shaking as we ascended, and as we passed the cloud line, we got knocked off course, my heart literally skipped a beat. That made me think of how beauties are often hidden in the most hostile places. Antarctica is one, Torres del Paine is another. Just to get to those places is a challenge in itself. The layover in Santiago went by slowly, there was not much to do in that airport. The custom did take me an hour and a half, like when I arrived. I made it, it is another packed flight. All the flights I have been on in this trip are all packed. Before we landed in Miami, I saw some of the most beautiful dawn scenery. Unfortunately, I did not have a window seat to take pictures. The Miami to Chicago flight was also full because of the whole Southwest's complete meltdown, all the empties were filled by frustrated people from Southwest's cancelled flights. Meanwhile, I am just glad to be home.
