Departure

Travel vaccines. Check.
PCR Covid tests. Check.
Proof of health insurance and vaccinations. Check.
Argentina pre-entry paperwork. Check.

All systems were a go to depart on our big adventure. After a final champagne toast hosted by our loving neighbors, we were off to the airport.

Photo credit: Whitney F.

Jon obsessed with getting the departure and immigration paperwork organized to ensure our entry into Argentina went smoothly. The moment we were able to pass check-in and our travel document review, we breathed a sigh of relief. With fully loaded packs, the kids breathed a sigh of relief as they discovered a system for taking a short rest.

On our way to security, we came across a mural that we had passed many times before. This time, we stopped to view it. A quote on the mural expressed our wanderlust and desire to come home with a new perspective.

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
- Albert Bond Lambert

Our only connection was through Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. This airport has a beautiful collection of circular mosaics throughout the terminal. It brought back fond memories from our trip to Thailand in 2019. During that trip the children were literally running circles around us and these mosaics. We laughed as we realized maybe not all that much has changed!

The flight from DFW left in the evening and was an overnight flight with us landing in Buenos Aires the next morning. “Did we eat anything today?” The grandparents had fed the kids, but in the rush to button things up at the house, other than our champagne toast, we had forgotten to eat anything all day. By a stroke of luck, the airline delayed our flight by an hour. Jon always expressed how nice it was to relax in airport lounges between flights and our flight delay granted us the opportunity to test out the new Capital One lounge at DFW.

Good food served in individual covered dishes, comfy chairs, and strong wi-fi, afforded us a good charge before embarking on our 10.5 hour transcontinental flight. All of this came free with our credit card. The research for travel perks was already paying off.

We endured the flight without a hitch. Landing in Buenos Aires was desirably uneventful. At last! Our first steps on foreign soil.

There was little wait at the Argentinian Immigration queue and we were able to breeze right through the process. Getting our first stamps in our fresh passports was a milestone.

Exhausted but excited! Now how do we get to our AirBnb? Uber doesn't seem to work from the airport. Our cellphones are slower than expected. Let’s keep it simple and hire an airport taxi. Family of 5, you’re going to need 2 taxis.

We have landed safely, but it may take some time to find our footing.