Curitiba was an interesting city and an unplanned stop. Coming from Ilha del Mel, Johanna and I tried to get a bus ticket to Paraty, but there were all full for 3 days!! So we had to stay in Curitiba and make the most of it, which I certainly believe we did! While in Curitiba, I couch surfed for the first time. We stayed with 5 boys and one French girl that had couch surfed with the boys and then ended up moving in with them. It was a blast and completely free! Couch surfing is where you arrange to sleep on some one's couch through a safe website. There are references by real people and you can talk to the person before you stay with them to make sure you feel comfortable. With the boys we stayed with in Curitiba, Johanna had already stayed with them so I totally felt fine with them.
Curitiba is well know for its architecture. One of the boys, Dako, took me out on his motorcycle to see the sites, which was awesome! We saw this funky museum, which looked like an eye on a stick, that was designed by the famous Oscar Niemeyer who designed Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. We also visited the Botanical Gardens which are beautifully perched on a lagoon.
All of the boys in the house were from the more central part of Brazil and so they all had country draws which was so funny to me! They sounded like they were singing the whole time. I loved it!
One night, Johanna, Sophie (the French girl) and I went to a club to watch live music. It was really fun to see a young up-and-coming Brazilian band perform! The music they played was a mix of Portuguese speaking original and classic songs, the Beatles and Red Hot Chili Peppers. They were really good! I couldn't believe they didn't speak English by the way they sang it! Such a weird phenomenon. The crowd went wild for every song, Brazilian or American the same which was cool to see. I just wondered if they understood the lyrics!
One night we did get a chance to drink and party with the boys as well. I showed them a couple drinking games from the states and they LOVED them!
Overall, Curitiba was an unexpected, time travel event, where were were arrested in place, yet reminded of carefree college summers years ago. It was sweet and very homey.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Ilha do Mel
After Iguaçu, I went to an incredibly small island called Ilha do Mel in the state of Paraná to meet up with Johanna. The island is beautiful and sweet, making it a simple treasure and is likely where it got its name. There are no cars allowed on the island and you can hear the waves from just about everywhere. I stayed there for almost a week which was really nice and relaxing.
On Ilha do Mel, I stayed over Easter weekend which created a crazy contrast. Easter is a huge holiday in Brazil and is second only to Carnival for the biggest celebration. Ilha do Mel is a very popular Easter destination for Brazilians and travelers alike. When first on the island the beaches were nearly yours alone and the hostels and pousadas were close to empty. But come Thursday night before Easter, there were thousands of people there. The whole island changed. The chilled out beach bum bars turned into night clubs with popular Brazilian DJs and people spilling into the sand paths that lead to amazing latenight local food. There were bonfires and people partying until dawn. Since the island has such a calling for Easter weekend, accommodations doubled. I ended up borrowing a tent from a local and camped for the weekend to cut costs, which I believe was well worth it!
I got very sunburned on Ilha do Mel. My skin hurt for 4 days! But it did get better and it did turn into a tan that I am very proud of! Haha
On Ilha do Mel, I stayed over Easter weekend which created a crazy contrast. Easter is a huge holiday in Brazil and is second only to Carnival for the biggest celebration. Ilha do Mel is a very popular Easter destination for Brazilians and travelers alike. When first on the island the beaches were nearly yours alone and the hostels and pousadas were close to empty. But come Thursday night before Easter, there were thousands of people there. The whole island changed. The chilled out beach bum bars turned into night clubs with popular Brazilian DJs and people spilling into the sand paths that lead to amazing latenight local food. There were bonfires and people partying until dawn. Since the island has such a calling for Easter weekend, accommodations doubled. I ended up borrowing a tent from a local and camped for the weekend to cut costs, which I believe was well worth it!
I got very sunburned on Ilha do Mel. My skin hurt for 4 days! But it did get better and it did turn into a tan that I am very proud of! Haha
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Foz do Iguaçu
Wow. The power of Foz do Iguaçu is just phenomenal. It is the single most overwhelming site of mother nature I have ever seen. The pictures fail to capture this extraordinary wonder. The falls, much like Niagra Falls, are a natural border between two countries: Brazil and Argentina; the difference being Iguaçu has 3 times the water volume and covers a greater distance. Each side has its perks and to get a full view of the falls, most people do a day per side. I stayed on the Brazilian side in a hostel called Katerina. While there, I was asked if I wanted to work. I obliged and worked for the night as a server and a bartender! It was really fun and I learned how to make the famous Brazilian drink called Caiparinha! It was funny because everyone I served asked me a ton of questions concerning the area. Instead of giving them advice, I would have to point them in the direction of another employee, which would often inspire the question of how long I myself had been there. It was so funny for me to see their expressions when I would say I arrived that day. They were always shocked and curious. It was pretty fun.
The most unexpected perk of the falls was all of the wildlife. I saw rainforest racoons, butterflies, birds, monkeys, lizards, huge fish and a toucan!! I have always wanted to see a toucan! I loved it!
The most unexpected perk of the falls was all of the wildlife. I saw rainforest racoons, butterflies, birds, monkeys, lizards, huge fish and a toucan!! I have always wanted to see a toucan! I loved it!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bonito
From São Paulo I took an overnight bus to Campo Grande (in Portuguese, you pronounce your d's like g's). What a crazy trip that was! I had to take the local bus to the metro to go to the big bus station. Along the way, I would somehow get someone to understand what I was trying to do and then they turned into my personal escort. The most extreme was this very sweet man. He showed me his wedding ring for assurance. He took me to the station I was told I needed only to find out I needed a different one instead. Then he paid for both of our fare to get back on the metro to get to the correct station. He did not leave my side until I was sitting at the correct platform for my bus to Campo Grande. I could not believe it. The whole ordeal took over an hour. I was incredibly humbled my his generosity. I am certainly going to be nicer to foreigners from now on! Mind you, he only spoke Portuguese. I still can't believe it. But I got on the bus and have done just fine since then. I think I need to stay out of big cities for a while. They are quite confusing.
One thing I have been very unhappy with is my lonely planet book! For Central America and Italy it was wonderful and very helpful. But for this trip it is not. It has the tiniest blurb about each city and NO maps! That is the main point I have it and it lacking so many! There is much room for improvement in my opinion.
Anyways, my looong bus ride was quite hard. The first of many, I'm sure, but still hard. It also was raining all day. But I still got great views of the countryside on my way to Bonito. There were pastures forever. It is flat in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and it looked like the land had no end. With red soil, white cows with humps on their backs and green green fields; it was mesmerizing. An occasional side road would appear with a small overhang alluding to a farm or home and I would look down the road and see no sign of said civilization.
Finally, I got to Bonito and got a bed for the night. It was still rainy so I just relaxed for the evening. I was invited to make dinner with 3 Israelis which was lovely. We made schnitzel, mashed potatoes and an awesome salad! Oh I had been craving a good salad! And for dessert we had pineapple. Then we played pool and relayed travel advice.
I went on an excursion to Gruto Azul, which was very pretty. It was a massive cave with many varieties of butterflies at it's mouth. Then you descend into the cave to get close to the crystal blue water. I can't wait to put up the pictures! Afterwards, I went around the small town checking out the shops with my new friend, Johana. She is from Puerto Rico and is the best connection I have made so far in Brazil. We went to an herb shop and tried this great new tea! It is called Tereré and is served cold. It is similar to Maté but with no added caffeine. Very refreshing. We went out to dinner and our friend Jim from London joined us. It was a great group and I felt the most comfortable yet with them. We had a dish called "Table of Fish" in Portuguese, which included a soup, salad, rice, stew, and 3 different kinds of local river fish. It was all very good and we had a lot of leftovers. Then the three of us went to the one bar in town and played drinking games. It was really fun. And two of the hostel employees joined us late in the evening.
Bonito is exactly what it's name means: beautiful. It is certainly a small country town but it is so quaint! It is really close to the Pantanal which is known for it's amazing wildlife and it spills a bot into Bonito. But in general it is slow and sweet. Easily can spend extra days there. It reminded me a bit of Davis with all the biking around town and everyone knowing your name.
I went on another excursion while in Bonito called Rio do Prata. We were taken to a famous river in the area that is called "clear eyes" in Portuguese and boy was it that! It was the clearest water I have ever seen. We saw some great big river fish and tons of monkeys in the trees. It was a true rainforest/jungle experience. I would look into the water and see Durados and other large fish or small cooorful ones by the dozens and then look outside the water and see amazing birds, large canopy, blue sky, hear the insects and see the adorable monkeys. I love monkeys! They are so cute. Caymans and alligators are also native to the area but I didn't see any. At only point, I swam through a school of big fish where there must have been at least 50 in number. I just floated tiward them. The fish would get really close and then dodge out of the way at the last second. There were also large underwater springs that bubbled vigorously. We later have a giant Brazilian lunch. I don't like the desserts here. They are too sweet. But I'm sure some of you laugh when you read that because I think most things are either too sweet, too salty or not spicy enough, which is very accurate for most of the cuisine I have had in Brazil so far.
At Rio do Prata I met a very sweet Israeli. He was also traveling alone so we did errands and made dinner together that night. A couple of the hostel employees seemed to like me and demanded we celebrate my last night. So we went out in Bonito to all three of the bars it holds. It was a sweet town and I have very good memories already.
One thing I have been very unhappy with is my lonely planet book! For Central America and Italy it was wonderful and very helpful. But for this trip it is not. It has the tiniest blurb about each city and NO maps! That is the main point I have it and it lacking so many! There is much room for improvement in my opinion.
Anyways, my looong bus ride was quite hard. The first of many, I'm sure, but still hard. It also was raining all day. But I still got great views of the countryside on my way to Bonito. There were pastures forever. It is flat in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and it looked like the land had no end. With red soil, white cows with humps on their backs and green green fields; it was mesmerizing. An occasional side road would appear with a small overhang alluding to a farm or home and I would look down the road and see no sign of said civilization.
Finally, I got to Bonito and got a bed for the night. It was still rainy so I just relaxed for the evening. I was invited to make dinner with 3 Israelis which was lovely. We made schnitzel, mashed potatoes and an awesome salad! Oh I had been craving a good salad! And for dessert we had pineapple. Then we played pool and relayed travel advice.
I went on an excursion to Gruto Azul, which was very pretty. It was a massive cave with many varieties of butterflies at it's mouth. Then you descend into the cave to get close to the crystal blue water. I can't wait to put up the pictures! Afterwards, I went around the small town checking out the shops with my new friend, Johana. She is from Puerto Rico and is the best connection I have made so far in Brazil. We went to an herb shop and tried this great new tea! It is called Tereré and is served cold. It is similar to Maté but with no added caffeine. Very refreshing. We went out to dinner and our friend Jim from London joined us. It was a great group and I felt the most comfortable yet with them. We had a dish called "Table of Fish" in Portuguese, which included a soup, salad, rice, stew, and 3 different kinds of local river fish. It was all very good and we had a lot of leftovers. Then the three of us went to the one bar in town and played drinking games. It was really fun. And two of the hostel employees joined us late in the evening.
Bonito is exactly what it's name means: beautiful. It is certainly a small country town but it is so quaint! It is really close to the Pantanal which is known for it's amazing wildlife and it spills a bot into Bonito. But in general it is slow and sweet. Easily can spend extra days there. It reminded me a bit of Davis with all the biking around town and everyone knowing your name.
I went on another excursion while in Bonito called Rio do Prata. We were taken to a famous river in the area that is called "clear eyes" in Portuguese and boy was it that! It was the clearest water I have ever seen. We saw some great big river fish and tons of monkeys in the trees. It was a true rainforest/jungle experience. I would look into the water and see Durados and other large fish or small cooorful ones by the dozens and then look outside the water and see amazing birds, large canopy, blue sky, hear the insects and see the adorable monkeys. I love monkeys! They are so cute. Caymans and alligators are also native to the area but I didn't see any. At only point, I swam through a school of big fish where there must have been at least 50 in number. I just floated tiward them. The fish would get really close and then dodge out of the way at the last second. There were also large underwater springs that bubbled vigorously. We later have a giant Brazilian lunch. I don't like the desserts here. They are too sweet. But I'm sure some of you laugh when you read that because I think most things are either too sweet, too salty or not spicy enough, which is very accurate for most of the cuisine I have had in Brazil so far.
At Rio do Prata I met a very sweet Israeli. He was also traveling alone so we did errands and made dinner together that night. A couple of the hostel employees seemed to like me and demanded we celebrate my last night. So we went out in Bonito to all three of the bars it holds. It was a sweet town and I have very good memories already.
Monday, April 11, 2011
São Paulo and Ubatuba
Açai! Açai! Açai!
Açai is a breakfast dish that is like a thick smoothie specifically with the açai fruit. Açai is pronounced a-sa-ee. It it similar to an enlarged blueberry but different. You can get it with one other fruit mixed in (my favorite is banana) and you can ask for extra banana slices, granola or honey to put on top. It is sooo good and is known to give you energy. I love it!
The people of Brazil have been very kind. People have helped me a lot already and are guenuinely interested in me and where I come from.
I visited my friend Piero in São Paulo. I met Piero in college when I was working at an international extension where people from all over the world would come to learn English, which is what Piero was doing there. I stayed one day at Piero's house and hung out with his mom, cousin and 2 young brothers. Their maid made us lunch which was 2 different kinds of gnocchi and a small salad. We drank wine with lunch and had really small coffees afterwards for dessert. Since there is a large divide in Brazil between the rich and the poor, most people have maids that cook and clean for them. In Brazil, they don't eat much for breakfast, maybe a coffee, but then they have a large lunch and a small dinner. Everything happens later though.
Piero invited me to go to his beach house with him and a couple friends. His beach house is located in a city called Ubatuba, but the particular area we stayed in is called Promirim. Ubatuba has over 200 beaches, Promirim being one of them. It was beautiful! Nice beach with a small bar, which served açai, beer and other things and played perfect beach music. We also visited a beautiful lookout point where you could view the beach, many surrounding islands, and prominent moutains from overhead. Very pretty view. Then we visited a waterfall that pooled for swimming. There was a ropeswing too!
At night, at the beach house we went to the beach to listen to the waves. It was so beautiful, with the full moon and crashing white waves. There was a lightning storm a mile or two away which was crazy to watch. I had never seen so many lightning bolts and it was lighting up the sky violet.
I spent another day in São Paulo which was lovely. Perfect weather and we had a great lunch of Spanish seafood rice, salad, BBQ chicken, baked potatoes and this Greek inspired topping that had yogurt, cucumbers and rosemary in it, oh and of course wine! I spent most of the day planning and reading. I also took a walk around the neighborhood.
A funny story from the beach house is they had me imitate every english speaking nation. I did quite well and they thought it was hilarious!
Açai is a breakfast dish that is like a thick smoothie specifically with the açai fruit. Açai is pronounced a-sa-ee. It it similar to an enlarged blueberry but different. You can get it with one other fruit mixed in (my favorite is banana) and you can ask for extra banana slices, granola or honey to put on top. It is sooo good and is known to give you energy. I love it!
The people of Brazil have been very kind. People have helped me a lot already and are guenuinely interested in me and where I come from.
I visited my friend Piero in São Paulo. I met Piero in college when I was working at an international extension where people from all over the world would come to learn English, which is what Piero was doing there. I stayed one day at Piero's house and hung out with his mom, cousin and 2 young brothers. Their maid made us lunch which was 2 different kinds of gnocchi and a small salad. We drank wine with lunch and had really small coffees afterwards for dessert. Since there is a large divide in Brazil between the rich and the poor, most people have maids that cook and clean for them. In Brazil, they don't eat much for breakfast, maybe a coffee, but then they have a large lunch and a small dinner. Everything happens later though.
Piero invited me to go to his beach house with him and a couple friends. His beach house is located in a city called Ubatuba, but the particular area we stayed in is called Promirim. Ubatuba has over 200 beaches, Promirim being one of them. It was beautiful! Nice beach with a small bar, which served açai, beer and other things and played perfect beach music. We also visited a beautiful lookout point where you could view the beach, many surrounding islands, and prominent moutains from overhead. Very pretty view. Then we visited a waterfall that pooled for swimming. There was a ropeswing too!
At night, at the beach house we went to the beach to listen to the waves. It was so beautiful, with the full moon and crashing white waves. There was a lightning storm a mile or two away which was crazy to watch. I had never seen so many lightning bolts and it was lighting up the sky violet.
I spent another day in São Paulo which was lovely. Perfect weather and we had a great lunch of Spanish seafood rice, salad, BBQ chicken, baked potatoes and this Greek inspired topping that had yogurt, cucumbers and rosemary in it, oh and of course wine! I spent most of the day planning and reading. I also took a walk around the neighborhood.
A funny story from the beach house is they had me imitate every english speaking nation. I did quite well and they thought it was hilarious!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Rio de Janeiro
I arrived in Brazil in such a haze! I left sunny San Francisco to arrive in rainy Rio, but it is still hot and muggy which I love! On the way to Rio's city center from the airport, I met two British girls who were very laid back. We got a hostel and toured the city together in my hungover jetlagged state. Then I met this great Norwegian girl and Israeli boy. We visited the giant Jesus Christ statue that is perched on top of the tallest peak overlooking all of Rio, and went to the beach.
Rio is a fantastic city. On the streets, everyone is happy and helpful and why wouldn't they be?? Rio was settled by the Portuguese who created a city out of a rainforest on the beach. I don't think I could imagine a cooler scenario. The people of Rio are incredibly diverse and BEAUTIFUL! All the women are unique and gorgeous with their Afro-crazy curls or euro straight beachsunned locks. They are all vuluptuous and in skimpy colorful bikinis. The men are constantly running or doing pullups, it's like Venice beach all over the place!
The city's culture is very unique. There are illegally built neighborhoods called favelas everywhere. A favela starts by one man building a house in open space and now they have grown into fully functioning cities. They reroute electricity, dont pay taxes and the police do not go there. It is incredibly cheap to live there but very dangerous. The movie City of God depicts life in a favela and in Obama's most recent trip to Brazil he visited that very favela. There is a great divide between the rich and the poor in Rio which contributed to the need for the favelas. In the past few years, the government has been trying to regain control over the favelas and has had much success. When I visited one of the peaceful favelas I was impressed by the colorful life. In Rio, the rich occupy the flats and the favelas take over the hills. I found this interesting because it is the opposite in the States.
From the favelas, an emerging new type of funk music is spilling into the streets all over Rio. It has heavy beats and dirty lyrics, but is great to dance to. When discussing this with Alex, my Brazilian friend I met in Amsterdam, he said it was comparable to hip hop. I'd have to agree with him about that.
Brazil's economy has boomed in the past 2 years since they found oil off the coast and the cost of living has skyrocketed, which has only furthered the need for the favelas.
There was a shooting at a local high school when i was there which was icredibly sad. They say Brazil is very dangerous but this is a new kind of violence that has shocked the nation.
So far the language barrier has been tough. I have been using my broken Spanish way more than I thought I would in Brazil. They will understand but still respond in Portuguese. It usual takes me repeating what I think they said in Spanish and then getting approval of my translation.
One of my favorite things I have done so far was a night out with Alex. He toured me through the city, showing me all of the landmarks, and then took me to dinner at a real nice samba club in Lapa, Rio. We ate traditional Brazilian food and watched live samba. Alex said one couples dancing were clearly professional. Samba is very quick but still very romantic. I think I would be terrible at it! Very fancy footwork.
I also enjoyed a food market where I tried lots of new fruits I have never seen before! Some were really weird! I have also enjoyed coconut water on the beach. Very refreshing!
I stayed in a hostel in Copacabana called Stone of a Beach. In the hostel, I made many of my meals. One night I was cooking beets to have for dinner and everyone thought I was so weird! They couldn't get over the fact that I was eating them by themselves and not in a salad or dish. But we all know I love beets so it wasn't weird to me!
I went to a couple bars in Ipanema, which is mentioned in a song I love from Astrad Gilberto called "The Girl From Ipanema" that I can't seem to get out of my head now :)
Overall, my time in Rio was great. It's been a difficult transition from my comfortable California living but Rio has been so kind. Even the street vendors are sweet! They come up to you to sell but really just want to chat and enjoy the beach. It has been great.
Rio is a fantastic city. On the streets, everyone is happy and helpful and why wouldn't they be?? Rio was settled by the Portuguese who created a city out of a rainforest on the beach. I don't think I could imagine a cooler scenario. The people of Rio are incredibly diverse and BEAUTIFUL! All the women are unique and gorgeous with their Afro-crazy curls or euro straight beachsunned locks. They are all vuluptuous and in skimpy colorful bikinis. The men are constantly running or doing pullups, it's like Venice beach all over the place!
The city's culture is very unique. There are illegally built neighborhoods called favelas everywhere. A favela starts by one man building a house in open space and now they have grown into fully functioning cities. They reroute electricity, dont pay taxes and the police do not go there. It is incredibly cheap to live there but very dangerous. The movie City of God depicts life in a favela and in Obama's most recent trip to Brazil he visited that very favela. There is a great divide between the rich and the poor in Rio which contributed to the need for the favelas. In the past few years, the government has been trying to regain control over the favelas and has had much success. When I visited one of the peaceful favelas I was impressed by the colorful life. In Rio, the rich occupy the flats and the favelas take over the hills. I found this interesting because it is the opposite in the States.
From the favelas, an emerging new type of funk music is spilling into the streets all over Rio. It has heavy beats and dirty lyrics, but is great to dance to. When discussing this with Alex, my Brazilian friend I met in Amsterdam, he said it was comparable to hip hop. I'd have to agree with him about that.
Brazil's economy has boomed in the past 2 years since they found oil off the coast and the cost of living has skyrocketed, which has only furthered the need for the favelas.
There was a shooting at a local high school when i was there which was icredibly sad. They say Brazil is very dangerous but this is a new kind of violence that has shocked the nation.
So far the language barrier has been tough. I have been using my broken Spanish way more than I thought I would in Brazil. They will understand but still respond in Portuguese. It usual takes me repeating what I think they said in Spanish and then getting approval of my translation.
One of my favorite things I have done so far was a night out with Alex. He toured me through the city, showing me all of the landmarks, and then took me to dinner at a real nice samba club in Lapa, Rio. We ate traditional Brazilian food and watched live samba. Alex said one couples dancing were clearly professional. Samba is very quick but still very romantic. I think I would be terrible at it! Very fancy footwork.
I also enjoyed a food market where I tried lots of new fruits I have never seen before! Some were really weird! I have also enjoyed coconut water on the beach. Very refreshing!
I stayed in a hostel in Copacabana called Stone of a Beach. In the hostel, I made many of my meals. One night I was cooking beets to have for dinner and everyone thought I was so weird! They couldn't get over the fact that I was eating them by themselves and not in a salad or dish. But we all know I love beets so it wasn't weird to me!
I went to a couple bars in Ipanema, which is mentioned in a song I love from Astrad Gilberto called "The Girl From Ipanema" that I can't seem to get out of my head now :)
Overall, my time in Rio was great. It's been a difficult transition from my comfortable California living but Rio has been so kind. Even the street vendors are sweet! They come up to you to sell but really just want to chat and enjoy the beach. It has been great.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Time To Get To Living...
Hello Everyone!
This is my first post! It is 6 days before I leave and I am getting very anxious. I am trying to prepare the best I can, but I feel like I am caught in between 2 realities right now. One being my life here in the States and the other being this new chapter that I am about to embark on in distance soil. The unknown has always been a challenge for me. I sometimes make up outcomes and believe them true, until otherwise proven just so I can pretend like I know and quiet down my mind. As a result, I want to immerse myself in the unknown, find its beauty and conquer that fear. I have many hopes for this journey, but the biggest of all is to come back safely. Life certainly catches up to you now doesn’t it? Well, I think it’s time to get to living it…
Here is the skeleton plan for the next year:
I leave on April 3rd for Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. I plan on meeting up with my friend Alex who lives there. Alex and I met in Amsterdam on holiday and he has visited me in the Bay Area since. Now it is my turn. It is his birthday on April 5th and I hope to go out with him to celebrate. After that I plan on taking a 6-7 hour bus ride to São Paulo, Brazil to visit another friend of mine, Piero. Piero has graciously offered to take me to his beach house that is 3 hours away from his city. I am very excited for this first week in Brazil, and I think it will be a great transition for me. From that point, my time opens up and I have a very basic itinerary. I hope to be in Colombia in May, Peru in June, Bolivia in July, and Argentina in August. Sheva (one of my best friends from college) is meeting up with me in Peru. She has to take her nursing exams before she can leave the States so her flight may change, but as of yet, she is flying to meet me in Lima, Peru for my birthday on June 1st! What a great birthday present! I hope it works out. We have planned on traveling together from Peru to Argentina. After Argentina, I have a week layover in Chile and then fly to Hungary to visit Emese and meet up with my mom and sister. Emese lived with our family as a foreign exchange student for over a year when I was nine. Five years later she visited our family again and brought her whole family with her. Now it has been another five plus years and she has requested us to finally visit her! She is getting married this year and possibly will be getting her first home and we want to celebrate with her. So my mom, sister and I plan on spending September in Hungary. From that point my location becomes very undecided. I have made plans with my best friend, Monica, to travel with her in Southeast Asia, but she is not available to do so until January of 2012. This gives me 3 months of freedom to be in limbo anywhere in the world. It is cheaper to fly directly from Europe to Southeast Asia so I may choose that route or I may be in a serious need to touch home. I just don’t know yet.
So that is where I am at mentally for the next year. I have been planning this for so long that I can barely comprehend it is actually happening. It felt like it would always be in the future. But it is here now and I am ready. Wish me luck!
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