And off we go on this year’s trip! We’ve been so excited for this!

The journey starts in the Southern States, where we’ll spend a few days in New Orleans before renting a car and driving around Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, finishing up in Orlando. I find the USA especially fun! I’ve enjoyed the people, the culture, and the way of life ever since I was an exchange student in California almost 20 years ago. 🙂 And even though we’ve been back several times since, we’ve never been to the Southern States before.

After a little road trip in the South, we’re flying to Peru, where Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu are on the itinerary. Then we’ll finish in Rio de Janeiro before heading back home. Our goal is to see all seven of the New Wonders of the World, and after this trip, there will only be one left!

The flight went very smoothly, except for a little incident in Amsterdam where I was “lucky” enough to be selected for an additional security check. Something unusual almost always seems to happen when we’re flying—things that might not be so funny in the moment but often make for a good story afterward! Strangely enough, I’ve never lost my luggage, which is probably the most common issue people face on these kinds of trips.

Anyway, during the second security check, the electronic equipment I had with me triggered an alarm, which led to further inspections. To make a long story short, I ended up spending quite a bit of time in security while the other 290 passengers boarded the plane, and I started to get a bit nervous about whether I’d make it on board. But after several security officers got involved, they eventually apologized for the inconvenience, and I was allowed to board. It’s great that they’re thorough with security, though!

The flight across the Atlantic went very smoothly, with a great selection of movies and games, and delicious food made the trip a breeze! 🙂

We had a layover in Detroit and then flew from there to New Orleans. It felt great to finally arrive! We landed around six in the evening, so we still had the whole evening ahead of us. We went out for dinner and checked out the vibe on Bourbon Street!