Recuperating

For the past two weeks, I have slowly degraded my health with stress and sleep-deprivation. This is important to keep in mind in order to understand my soreness and incapacity to move nor carry my luggage. So, yesterday was the initial day of testing the waters of travel that I will be continuing for over six months. I received a bad omen. Practically sleep walking through the morning, I packed up all my belongings left in my beloved city of Portland in hopes to catch an 8:35am shuttle downtown where I would catch the light rail headed for the airport for my 10:45 flight. Not only did I find out quickly did I have far too much belongings, but I couldn't motivate myself to walk out the door. Unable to pick up all my belongs in order to walk out the door, I ended up missing the bus which began a chain reaction of unplanned events that would obstruct my leaving home. I called for a taxi and received assistance from Tessa to bring everything outside, where it promptly began raining horizontally to reach me under the canopy of Templeton. But after about a twenty minute wait, now approximately 9:10am, I was able to tag along with a new friend. And when I arrived at 9:50am completely relieved that I had arrived, I saw to with my partially burred eyes a line of eternity extending out from the southwest airlines kiosk. I estimated probably 250-300 people lined up in front of me. My heart started racing and my sweat glands started working overdrive as I was wearing four layers and two jackets. At this point, convinced I was going to miss my flight, I sought the words to explain my frustration and worry. But by some miracle, I made it through this particular line and the subsequent baggage line with ten minutes to spare before expected departure. I used the best trick in the book for the security checkpoint that I learned from Sean's uncle, which is using my southwest rapid rewards card to get me into the VIP line. Without that, I think I might still be under the Portland rain. So fortunate me, with the second to last ticket printed out on the entire flight, slipped into the plane just minutes before the doors shut. I was thoroughly exhausted, unable to sleep in the middle seat, I dragged myself out with a dry mouth, stuffy nose, and swollen lymph nodes consequently inhibiting breathing, swallowing, and unfortunately deep sleep. So this morning, after many early awakenings, I would like to claim having nearly recovered my help, but not so nearly my emotions for Ecuador. Everyone whom I will not see for six or more months on my trip will be greatly missed.