May 4: A Flight to Remember

Today we embarked on our journey.  We hailed the 28X Port Authority bus, and all 20 of us clambered onto it, much to the chagrin of the occupants.  After ensuring that our luggage was not a fire hazard, we set off to the airport.  We passed through security and made our way onto the plane to travel to the Dallas airport.  The flight was a relatively easy 3 hours, with little of import to describe.  Once in Dallas, we wandered the expansive terminals in wonder at just how classy the airport stores were.  A group of us finally settled on TGI Fridays to have a last meal before our flight to Santiago.  Our waitress was very hospitable, and we were able to gain a glimpse of the idea of “southern hospitality”.  After spending our remaining time playing cards and laughing at the messages sent over the intercoms, we boarded our plane to Chile.  We were all placed in relatively separate areas, and so each of us had interesting experiences talking to our neighbors.  I was seated next to a young medical student from Chile who was returning home from a month abroad at the University of Chicago.  We talked about our experiences and she gave me a lot of advice about what to expect in Chile.  She was very eager to show me her pesos, the Chilean currency, and she laughed when she saw that I was reading Sherlock Holmes because she was also a fan of the stories.  Now it’s late, and I hope to catch some rest, so I’m signing off in eager anticipation of tomorrow.