Pre-Departure

I've been home for over a month. I don't know how I ever survived! By January 1, I was ready to bolt out the door and into another continent. But while there have been some dull times, I've stayed really busy, for the most part. It's nothing like riding an elephant or hiking the himilayas, but for those of you who are interested, I've made a list of what I've been up to over the past month. I have...

-been a guest speaker at a staff meeting at Broughton High School (a weird reversal or roles...)
-been trained for Equine Therapy
-made a decorated, 4-tiered birthday cake for 90 people
-done yoga, religiously
-taken CPR and First Aid
-taught IB senior english for a day
-run 6 miles "barefoot"
-gotten my wisdom teeth out

...Which brings me to now. At this very moment, my room is divided. On one side, pictures from Nepal are spread all over the floor next to a photo album in the making, and my saree is hung, still "airing out" on the door. On the other side, my trekking gear is slowly accumulating in a "ready-to-pack" pile, right next to my Andes and Amazon reader and my Bolvia lonely planet. I could make a horrible metaphor about how my room is just like my heart, but I wont. Instead, I'll go back a few weeks and explain how everything got to be this way...

When I arrived home a few days before Christmas, I wasn't happy to be home and I wasn't looking forward to Bolivia. My mind didn't have room for anything else except Nepal. It was weeks before I even acknowledged that I was heading to Bolivia. I remember the first day I woke up and felt a little excited about heading somewhere new. I think the excitement may have been forced up by boredom, but nevertheless, it was there. I still miss Nepal (and my brothers) every day, I am getting more and more excited about experiencing something new. Cora is off having a blast in Argentina, and I want it to be my turn, too.

I am excited, but I am nervous, too. Not nervous about being independent and facing a new place, culture, and language- that is old news. I am nervous because in Bolivia, I will be traveling with a group, rather than alone as I was in Nepal. I am nervous about being sheltered and NOT being alone. Last spring, I thought I would be happy to have a group of friends to travel with, but now I am worried I might miss my freedom. To give you an idea: I had to sign a "rules" contract, I have course reading material, they gave my mom a "parent handbook", and the worst (OH! it is BAD!)...we have matching program t-shirts to wear in the airport. Obviously, I refuse to wear the t-shirt, but still, its the prinicpal of the matter.


I recently got an draft itineray, and I will be posting that sometime in the near future. Be on the lookout!