The adventure begins. After a short hop from Juneau to Seattle, I took off from SeaTac under a cloud deck, breaking through into the sun and a view of the upper 8,000 feet of snow- and ice-clad Mount Rainier. Passing through Houston, the adventurous part of this trip from my Both Ears home base in Juneau, Alaska, began; I am now in Granada, Nicaragua, for the night.

After clearing through the Managua airport Passport Control and then Customs, it had been dark for more than two hours. I walked outside and met a wall of heat (90°F) and thick, heavy, humid air. Instantly hot and sticky. I was in the tropics, for sure.

Until now, I have never been further south in North America than Ensenada, Mexico. Tonight I am in a tropical climate…about 30°F warmer than Juneau. Shorts, T-shirt, and sandals are all the clothing I need, and even that feels like too much.

The top of Mount Rainier, in passing.