First planned travel

The last time my dad and I took a good long trip together, I was probably so young and naive I don’t hardly remember the experience (a trip to North Carolina I believe?). More recently, we’ve managed camping and backpacking trips for 3-5 days here in Montana. However, nothing quite prepared us (together) for our upcoming trip abroad. Traveling a handful of hours to a trail head in Montana doesn’t really equate to travel to a new continent.

I hadn’t even given him the full details when my dad committed to taking an 11-day trip with me to Ecuador. It was his first time leaving the boundaries of North America and my first venture to South America. In addition, neither of us had ever experienced “planned” travel like we did through Adventure Life.

So, the first thing you have to do when you’re traveling with your dad is appreciate the small moments - my favorite being my arrival to the Atlanta airport. He was waiting patiently in Terminal C, where our trip began. I was coming from terminal E and, following the many clearly marked signs, found my way. Along the way, I found other directions too - text messages from Dad, directing me step-by-step through the Atlanta airport until I found his smiling face. Thanks, Dad. I wouldn’t have made it through Atlanta without you.