December 26 marked six months on the road for us. It’s hard to believe because in some ways it feels like we’re just getting started with the big drive.
We talked about the anniversary over breakfast on Boxing Day, but today, New Year’s Day, is probably closer to halfway. The kids are over their initial shock and have settled in, and the yelling about missing friends is less frequent. The discussion about being halfway done has forced some reflection and anxiety: I think I was more worried about the first half of the trip (shipping the car and living without it), but the rest of the family seems more worried about the upcoming half and figuring out camping in South America. Getting back into camping has uncovered some rustiness in our skills: the long voyage of the MSC Tavvashi has forced us to relearn somethings, and oh, now it’s all in Spanish.
Our Christmas break was spent at an Airbnb in the town of General Juan Madariaga near the Atlantic coast. We were about a twenty minute drive from the beach and we drove over there almost every day to either go to the beach or walk among the dunes and forests.
We celebrated Christmas with cookies and tried to get close to our usual traditions, but I think the kids felt that it wasn’t quite a “real” Christmas. Culturally I think Christmas at home is a bright line before the long slog through winter and consequently it is a big deal; here it marks the start of summer so it doesn’t have the same urgency I feel it has at home. It is probably also the case that the economic crisis is dampening celebrations as well.
We’re now starting the big drive down to Tierra del Fuego and the bottom of South America. The plan is to drive down the Atlantic coast and back up along the Argentine side of the Andes before crossing into Chile. We think that’s going to be the next two months, and now you’re as caught up on our plans as we are.
The kids will be off their Christmas break tomorrow and they’ve been warned that they have a long backlog of things to blog about.
2 Responses
What a way to ring in 2024! And it’s summer to boot! Keep us posted about temperatures as you travel further south. And photos of the local terrain are interesting, too! Where/how are you finding your campsites? Are there organized campgrounds, or are you just finding a spot and parking?
Safe travels!
❤️❤️ Thank you for taking us along on your travels!