Well, we counted it up.... 66 days until we leave the country! It seems crazy that we've been talking about this adventure for four years now, and it's finally so close. Granted, the details have changed a bit from when we were carefree 18 year olds, dreaming of a horseback journey across the continent, but I couldn't be happier with the direction its taken.
I can't even remember the first conversation Renae and I had about the trip. Where were we? Who said it first? I think it's just been a part of us as long as we've been friends, embedded in our friendship from the day we sat by each other at freshman orientation. From that moment we knew we'd be friends, just like we've both always known that we have the need to explore the huge world in front of us, in hopes of making a difference and finding a greater purpose. So throw that in with a couple Spanish classes, a viewing of the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, and a few epic conversations about life, and what you get is a South American dream. And so the idea was born: we would buy horses, make our way all the way through North America until we reached the southern tip of South America, stopping whenever we found a worthy cause. We would sell everything we had, stop and work along the way when we ran out of money, and narrowly escape many potentially fatal situations, just like Ernesto and Alberto. We would go without any semblance of a plan, open to anything and everything. Like I said, the details have obviously changed a bit, but I think it's for the better. I would also like to point out that at some point during that same year we also aspired to be cross-country truck drivers and recluses in the woods of Minnesota (which, you never know, we still might do some day).
Four years later we've grown, we've changed, we've learned so, so much. We've definitely gotten more mature, and more realistic, even though our freshman selves vowed we never would. College has been absolutely amazing, full of new people and new experiences. There have been ups and downs for both of us, but what has always remained is that drive to explore, to change the world... our South American Dream! Over time we've made the realizations that horses probably aren't the most convenient way to travel, and it's probably pretty dangerous to head down there without contacting anyone or telling anyone where we'll be. So the design has changed but the underlying spirit remains the same. Trip planning this summer has been more work than I ever imagined, and I think I've sent out more emails in the last month than in the rest of my life put together. But 66 days from now it will all be worth it. My best friend and I will be living out our dreams. I can't even tell you how excited I am! It's all starting to feel so real...
P.S. I have to give a shout out to everyone who's shown the love in the last couple weeks, I've been receiving letters in the mail, and they never fail to make my day. The financial help is obviously wonderful, but I love reading the messages people send my way even more. Everyone's faith in me and in my ability to make a difference in the world reinforces my excitement and my faith in myself, every single time. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I love you all!
Jenna Flynn :)
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