Anyone else suffering from a serious case of wanderlust? After a few months of dreaming of a much-needed vacation {and saving all the vacation days I could!}, I’m so excited to be heading out to South America for the first time in mid-November!

I’ve been lucky enough to go to Mexico with my family a handful of times, but it’s fun to be traveling a little farther south to Patagonia, Chile and Argentina with Tom. We’ve both had some pretty crazy last few months, so we’re both ready for a big adventure and spend a little time outside of Chicago for a few weeks. We’re planning to fly into Santiago Chile, spend some time in Punta Arenas {no joke, there are PENGUINS!}, and then head up to Puerto Natales for a few days before hitting up the big park in Patagonia. We’re planning on hiking, exploring the glaciers, horseback riding, and drinking quite a bit of Chilean wine 😉 Besides the all-day hiking trips, I’m hoping for a pretty relaxing vacation – filled with lots of pictures to share with you all too!To finish up our trip, we’re planning on spending a few days in Buenos Aires after a week in the wilderness to enjoy some time back in civilization. I’ve always wanted to go to Buenos Aires, so I’m excited to spend a few days with Tom checking out coffee shops, eating a steak {for some reason people are really into the steak in Buenos Aires}, checking out the colorful streets, and roaming around the streets and checking out all the neighborhoods – which is always my favorite way to travel.

I’ve heard so many great things about the city and I’m excited to experience it for myself – if you have any tips about Patagonia or B.A., I’d love to know! We’ve tried to plan the best we can over the last few crazy weeks, but ant advice or tips from friends who’ve already been would be much appreciated! And since I’m already a little excited for our trip {okay, a lot excited…} I already picked up a few goodies to upgrade my travel style – I couldn’t help myself 😉 I fell in love with this Vera Bradley travel clutch {perfect for boarding passes, all my essential cards, etc.} and this passport case that’s not only Insta-worthy, but is also perfect for protecting and keeping my passport handy in my epically large backpack I’ll be carrying around South America {with some ridiculously large hiking boots, haha}.

I can’t wait to fill you in on my trip, and I hope I capture some pretty amazing photos to recap so you can plan your next adventure too! Have any trips coming up before the end of the year? I’d love to know what you’re planning too! xx