When I woke to fog, I questioned whether I would see Chile the next morning as scheduled. This trip started with my commuter flight in Redding, CA, last Monday (Jan. 11), which was to get me to L.A. in time to catch a noon flight to Santiago. Fog isn’t a huge issue in Redding - after all, we’re not coastal - so why now?

Arriving at the airport, we saw the airline staff was checking in bags and I thought, “Cool… we’re ON!” The lobby was filling up with people flying to LAX and staying or connecting to all regions of the world from there.

I saw Scott Putnam and Carole and Ron Reynolds - we were all waiting with hope for the plane to arrive from Arcata on the coast. We were told it would be late, but about the time it was supposed to arrive we were finally told, “The plane cannot land. The flight is canceled.”

That lobby full of people started moving. Scott drove to Sacramento and caught a flight out of there. Several of us needed to talk to the ticket agents to see what our options are. Carole, Ron and I had to decide whether to return at 4 p.m., to fly to LA for the night, then fly out from there 24 hours later, or to come back in the morning and try again from Redding. We decided to come back at 4 p.m.

After a few hours at home to get some things done, I returned to the airport at 4. The fun of people was about to begin as I enjoyed getting to know the Reynolds better — I mean, “Papa and Gaga,” as their dear 2- and 3-y.o. grandsons call them. Their grandsons insisted they would wait in “Papa and Gaga’s” car until they returned in two weeks from their Mexican vacation. The picture of that was just too endearing.

We made it to LAX, collected our bags, and wished each other well as we drifted off in the night to our respective hotels uneventfully. I was on my own and had three alarms to get me up - I was not going to miss this flight!

Catching the hotel shuttle to the airport in the morning, I met Jen and Michelle. They were from Tasmania on their way to NYC to surprise Jen’s son who was flying in from London to celebrate his 30^th birthday. I would think he will be shocked and awed!

Checking in, I met Luis Castro, a very helpful Passenger Safety Assistant originally from Columbia. I found him to be professional and helpful — and what a smile! I shared with him that I speak no Spanish, and he shared that he spoke little English when he arrived in the U.S. for this job. He said, “You will learn” and flashed this wonderful smile that felt very reassuring.

With some time on my hands, I walked around LAX to stretch my legs before the 13-hour flight, and a fellow with a machine gun caught my eye! I asked if I could take his picture and he agreed - if I would be in the photo with him. His name is Rudolfo Bojorquez, part of the LAXPD Emergency Services Unit. I told him I truly hope he never has to use that gun and he said he prays every day he does not ever have to. I asked if there was increased security on this day and he said there was not.

Then I ventured through security and was ahead of several young guys going to Singapore to fix a ship. They are divers from San Diego who travel around the U.S. and the world doing what they do and obviously were jazzed about their work.

Boarding the plane, I was delighted to see several empty seats, which allowed me to sit in a window seat from LAX to Lima, Peru. I stretched out with the seat next to me empty and watched a couple of good movies and enjoyed some good food and Chilean wine. I was on my way!

The plane spent 45 minutes in Lima. I got off the plane to be able to say I’ve been in Peru! Here, I met a young gal named Jennifer Jordan who used to be a pharmaceutical rep and covered a few Redding doctors’ offices (including Jed Freeman, who I know) as she worked out of Sacramento. She spoke perfect Spanish, which was helpful as I tagged along with her for that half hour “in Peru.” I loved learning of her adventurous spirit. She’d long had a burning desire to move to a Latino country and said it was a bit tough to do, as society questions leaving a good job to go to the unknown. She knew that this was something she was born to do. I understand that as I’ve got two sons who are “adventurers” themselves.

Back on the plane for the final leg, I was moved back to my assigned seat (18H) in the middle of the plane since we picked up several folks going from Lima to Santiago. My disappointment was that I would not see the Andes upon landing in Santiago.

Arriving at 6 a.m., I got through paying $131US for my visa and then customs and immigration in no time. There were two men I talked to in the lines I was in. They were both from the States and will be working on a ship as the captain and an oceanographer - the ship will be doing research in the Antarctica over the next 50 days or so.

Very few spoke English at the airport and I wondered where I would meet my driver, Patricio, who was picking me up from Vina del Mar. I found someone who could point me to the door where the drivers would be. I was early, so did not expect to see him, but there he was, holding a sign: “Mary Lascelles.” I had arrived!

Patricio speaks some English and we made our way for the next two hours northwest along Route 6A where I would meet up with my childhood friend, Lanita/Lana, who is here on a Fulbright Scholarship. The Andes were fading behind us as we made our way to the coastal community of ConCon.

Lanita warned me of a couple of things: few spoke English in the resort where I would be staying, and I would stand out for my blond hair. Both were immediately apparent. Lanita had said there would be a key at the desk for me. I was accompanied to my room by a young gal who carried my bags on a cart. Along the way, we ran into the only English-speaking staff member - his name is also Patricio so I will refer to him as JP (Jr. Patricio) - and he was extremely helpful to me. With Lanita working each day at Catolica University, I felt I had a built-in advocate in JP.

I was given the name Anna Maria and by Wednesday was ready to dive into my Chilean adventure. But first on the agenda? A siesta. Stay tuned…

Click here to read more in Mary’s Journey to Chile series.

Mary Lascelles, a k a Relo-Mary, is a Palo Cedro, Calif., resident who owns a concierge relocation service, movinglinks4you.com, operating across the United States and Canada to assist people with every aspect of their selling, buying and moving needs. She can be reached at 530.515.6299.

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