Chi Town

Well, Chicago is lovely as usual. And I suppose the megabus was everything I thought it would be. It really was a nice bus - I mean, it's got outlets at each pair of seats and free wifi. What bus doesn't need that?:) But we did also leave two hours late, which really isn't too bad except that shortly after we got to the corner of 3rd Street and Chicago Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, I took two Tylenol PM. My timing would have been absolutely perfect had we gotten on the bus right away. But instead I more or less passed out from sleepiness right in the middle of the mob waiting for the bus on the street corner. The delay was good prep for the pace of life that's ahead of us... but the sleepiness was just a ridiculous challenge. Two cups of coffee later and I'm still tired.

We wandered down to Lou Mitchell's this morning for a classic American breakfast. Then we made it seamlessly from Union Station to the train to O'Hare and we'll leave shortly after an airport lunch - layover in Miami and then on to Quito. It hasn't really entirely felt real yet. Perhaps it will when we wake up tomorrow morning in our hostel? Or when we get into the throws of new foods and self-portraits in Quito? Tough to say, but I sure the heck am in for the journey either way. The plan will become clearer once we arrive and start talking with people, but we'll spend a couple days in and near Quito, then head to Cotopaxi, the second tallest mountain/volcano in Ecuador, and then we'll go a bit further south for some more mountain fun. Just took the first of a series if pills for altitude sickness - I have zero concept of my likelihood to get sick, but no altitude's gonna keep me down now!:)

On a side note, I realized as we walked the streets of Chicago today that I think my backpack might be lighter now than it has been on the Superior Hiking Trail. Note to self - pack better for the SHT.

Anyway, enough typing on my phone. Until Ecuador...