After trying to explain to a new friend what we were going to do the next couple of months, he quickly nodded his head and shouted "Love Truck!".

This past week has been filled with multiple trips to Chile's version of Home Depot (on steroids), Sodimac. We've been super productive which makes us that much closer to heading south.

We spent Sunday in "Eden" (our friend's beautiful childhood house) building out the back of our van. Scarleta enjoyed the shade of the almond tree as we rigged up our bed frame with the drill and some borrowed tools. We also made curtains for the front and back windows. It was a full day push and the van is almost ready for the road south. Take a look!

Aside from trips to the store and putting our energy into making our adventure furgón ready for travel, we've encountered so many friendly and helpful people. Alfredo and Alejandra, who own Autowerk body shop, made sure that Scarleta was fit for the road. Victor, a retired captain of the Chilean Navy, helped us through the insurance process and told great stories of submarines & political history over an awesome pizza dinner. Ivo, the owner of La Cumbre climbing shop (reminiscent of Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder) has trekked over lots of Chile and is psyched about our travels.

We'll not post often, but enjoy the scenery, the amazing country we're about to explore, and the adventures ahead. Hasta pronto!

Say hello to Scarleta: our new (to us) adventure furgón! She is a Mitsubishi L300 which is very common in Chile and also supposed to be easy to fix and very reliable. She has super low kilometers which is a huge plus! For all these reasons, we couldn't let her pass by. 

Scarleta is a work in progress; right now she is just bare bones but that will change with time and some work. We're counting on her to deliver us to many beautiful sights and funky places. Stay tuned....

Inspection in progress. Thank you Alfredo!

A friend texted saying, "Hope you are handling all the details with ease." Contemplating her words, I realized what Kirk and I had accomplished over several weeks was pretty big. Packing up a home and moving to another country could be considered a daunting task. But, I think we handled it well despite some colorful discussions about what makes the final cut in the luggage. 

We've both been looking forward to this adventure that has been several years in the making. There have been moments of freak outs and second guessing, but more prevalent are the feelings of excitement and possibility. The last few weeks prior to departure comprised lots of travel to see family and time spent with friends in Boulder. Lots of good conversations, several pints (and a keg!) of beer, letting go and welcoming anew.

Details have been checked off our lists and as we settle in to our friend's place here in Santiago, for the time being, more details unfold. But, we're managing this different pace and style of life. The adventure has begun.

At DIA, thanks to V, with all our luggage.

Goodbye Colorado Rockies.

Our room at our friends Wolf and Ana's place in Santiago.