2 Days Til Departure

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.- Mark Twain

Hello everyone, thanks for reading. As most of you know, I will be leaving on Thursday, January 7th, for a 2 month backpacking trip, starting in Lima, that will cover large portions of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Beginning on January 14th, I will be accompanied for a month by two of my best college friends, Lauren Alvarado and Nina Khosravi. I know I speak for the girls when I say that we are incredibly anxious to get on the road. When I say 'the road', I do mean this literally. Aside from our flights into and out of South America, the vast majority of our transportation within and between the countries will be buses, varying significantly in quality and comfort, and sometimes exceeding 12-15 hours in duration (not accounting for delays). The time in between bus trips will be spent experiencing one of the most culturally and ecologically rich regions that our planet has to offer. We will visit popular tourist destinations, as well as more remote locations off the beaten path. We will remain flexible and open to changes in itinerary, always remembering that the recommendations of locals and fellow travelers is often infinitely more valuable than that of guide books. Without real world responsibility and the the burden of a set "plan", we are sure to experience a brand of freedom that only an adventure such as this can afford. Every step we take will be unfamiliar and exciting. This relentless exposure to new experiences results in an incurable condition known to the common world as the travel bug. Lauren and I caught it while studying abroad in Prague in the Spring of 2008, a time during which we both experienced unprecedented personal growth. Nina, despite limited travel experience, was born with an undeniable need to understand herself and the world around her. Needless to say, we each have extraordinarily high expectations for this trip, and I am certain it will not disappoint.

I will update this blog as frequently as possible with updates on our adventure and the lessons learned from the road. I am hoping to find time for two entries per week, as well as any that Nina and Lauren choose to write themselves. For those of you who choose to follow our trip, thank you for your interest. I will make sure that our story does not disappoint.