South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford appeared before reporters on Wednesday afternoon to admit the rumors were true; he ditched his security detail and flew to Argentina to have an extramarital affair with a "dear, dear friend."

As a result, Sanford said he let down his family and the people of South Carolina when he secretly escaped after a long legislative session had ended. After days out of contact with family and staff, rumors began to circulate as to the location of South Carolina's executive. Before he left, Sanford told staffers he was going to take a hiking trip to the Appalachian Mountains. But that story quickly unraveled after he was unreachable.

According to a local newspaper, The State, the governor arrived Wednesday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia after a seven-day visit to Argentina. He told the newspaper that he decided to go to Buenos Aires "alone" after originally considering an Appalachian trip.

"But I said 'no' I wanted to do something exotic," Sanford said.

"I don't know how this thing got blown out of proportion," the governor told the paper, adding that he has taken such trips for years to "recharge."

State Sen. Jake Knotts on Saturday had expressed concerns "about succession of power," but Sanford's office on Monday said the governor "is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session, and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside. We are not going to discuss the specifics of his travel arrangements or his security arrangements."

Sanford told the press conference that he was stepping down as Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association.