A New Hope

I struggled for about 10-15 seconds deciding what to title my first blog post ever. The struggle was short-lived however, as I remembered that November is coming up which means NaNoWriMo is upon us. For those of you who have yet to attempt to crank out a novel in one (usually rainy) month, feel free to link to the page and you'll understand my need to not be stopped by a title for the blog post as the name for the blog itself has already stalled me for months now! Justin Rothboeck gets full credit for the sheer genius of literary word-splicing that is the title of this-a-here blog. Thank you Justin! To make a long story short, I went with an easy title, threw in a Star Wars reference for good measure, and plowed ahead!!

Welcome to McLotorcycle Diaries!! My name is McLean and this blog is my 23rd attempt to start a journal, but the 1st time I've tried to share it with just about anybody who cares to pick it up! This is an interesting format for me because it directly addresses a block that I have experienced in attempting to document the experiences of my life thus far. I always imagined that someone would be reading my diary Journal (if not posthumously, then in direct violation of my wishes Elizabeth!), and so I was always wondering/censoring with an imagined audience in mind. (which of course begged the question - do I slip random insults of my sister in here so that she feels both ashamed and in awe of my clairvoyance when she reads this?) With this blog however, I can instead congratulate her in front of the whole world on her appointment as the new District Attorney in Multnomah County. (which is worth at least 50 Parent Points)

For the most part however, this blog will be an opportunity for me to share the stories, pictures, thoughts, and cool idiosyncratic expressions that I learn in Spanish as I travel around South America in 2010! I hope that this will be a great resource that will help me to stay connected to the people in my life (something that I have been accused of struggling with in the past), share insights about the world and myself with y'all as well as with myself, and to continue to learn what makes me come alive!

I may also use it to kvetch.

For now, I will say that the ball is rolling...and it's rolling south; I have applied for my passport which should be coming soon. Interestingly enough, for those of you who don't know, I have recently grown my first substantial beard, and though it has yet to be named, it did make the cut for my passport photo. I hope it doesn't cause too many problems for me as I intend to shave it before heading south. Though I am thrilled to join the ranks of the great beards of this world, frankly, it's going to be summer when I get down there, and the surprisingly efficient evaporative cooling that the beard affords me is no match for the itchiness and increased hygienic needs that ultimately tip the scales in favor of a

baby-faced McLean

heading to South America.

So, besides applying for my passport, and contemplating my beard, I have also begun to plan the skeleton of my trip. I should say right here up front, that my travels are going to be unplanned in large part. I am trusting to serendipity and street smarts to guide me on much of my travels. That's not to say that I am not planning on being careful or smart, I'm just really looking forward to creating each day as it comes!

Having said that, I will say that thus far, my itinerary looks something like this:

January 17, 3:10 pm - Depart Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on a flight headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina (ONE-WAY).

January 18-20ish - Couchsurf and check out Buenos Aires

January 20ish - Resist the urge to go across the bay to Montevideo and instead grab a bike or a bus south and work my way down the coast for a couple of days to Mar del Plata.

January 25ish - Head Overland to the Lakes District (San Carlos de Bariloche) which has world-renowned skiing in the winter and beautiful vistas all year-round. It actually was a haven for western outlaws of the past, and even though I won't be bringing

Pancho Villa II "Scourge of the West"

I figured, if it's good enough for

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

(1st and 3rd gentlemen seated in the front row),

then it'll be great for my springboard into Patagonia.


January 25ish - February 12ish - Is it irony that I spent SO MUCH money at Patagonia so that I could spend so little money camping in Patagonia??

Mid-February - ¡Carnaval! Probably in Oruro, Bolivia; I hear that there is a week-long water fight there, and anyone who knows me knows how I need to face my fear of water balloon fights.

February - Summerish - get out there!! I want to see Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, maybe Brazil. I have friends in both Peru and Chile and an uncanny ability to be super-friendly with total strangers. (the secret is asking questions - seriously, it won't take you all the way, but it'll get you started!) I plan to WWOOF, CouchSurf, and find work with organizations focusing on positive youth development, as well as opportunities to teach English.

Though the trip may extend beyond "Summerish", those plans have yet to percolate out as actionable ideas.


As January 17th approaches, my plans will continue to take form. Until then, I would LOVE to have any input or ideas from any of y'all on places to go, things to see, and experiences to have. As this blog develops as well, I will likely be opening up my travels even further to fate and letting you, yes YOU, help to decide if I go North, South, East, or West. (in a highly structured poll of course with multiple reasonable choices listed for you to choose from)

Thanks so much for visiting, and reading all the way to here. I'm so thrilled to be taking this adventure, and so grateful that I can, in some ways, bring you all with me. Having said that, if you have the time and the will, to find yourself heading south of 7-8 borders depending on your route let's find each other and share a cool tropical drink on some beach, mountain cabin, or jungle hut somewhere - yes, a tropical drink either way.













Looking forward to it!!




Also, the Spanish word of the day is: Hispanohablantes - "Spanish Speakers"