Postales Del Sur

Water, wheels and a wedding

2011-05-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

We were both really excited to be back in familiar territory when we crossed from Belize into Mexico. I think in some ways we wondered if the reason we liked Mexico so much a few years ago was because it was at the very beginning of our trip and we would have been excited about traveling anywhere. But this doubt was put to rest when we reconnected with friendly welcoming locals, beautifully diverse landscapes, flavorful food and mouth-watering pastry shops.

We spent our first few days in Tulum, a town on the western coast of the Yucatan that was built up around a fortress of Mayan ruins of the same name. One of the highlights of our time there was renting bikes to get ourselves around. The wheels wobbled from side to side with every rotation and I wasn't sure if I was going to still have both pedals by the time we returned the single speed cruisers, but it was an awesome way to get around a conveniently flat town with wide shoulders and even some multi-use paths. One of our rides took us to Gran Cenote, an incredible fresh water aqua pool in a stalactite-filled cave that opened up to beams of sunlight streaming down. Sea life was not the focus of this snorkeling trip, but swimming through the geological formations was unlike anything we had ever experienced.

The next morning we woke up well before sunrise, put on our headlamps and biked along the deserted highway to the ocean side of the Tulum ruins. We walked along the beach until we found a comfortable outcropping of rocks where we could sit, enjoy some Mexican breakfast rolls and attempt to watch the sunrise. The sky certainly got lighter, but there were too many clouds for a clear sunrise. Because we got such an early start to the day, we avoided the hordes of tour groups that surfaced later in the day and were first in line to enter the famous ruins situated on rocky cliffs overlooking the aqua sea below. Although the craftsmanship and size of these ruins were not as impressive as Chichanitza or Tikal, the backdrop of crashing waves below certainly added to the majesty.

From our backpacker accommodations in Tulum, we left bright and early for Playa del Carmen where we would be living in style for the next three days at the all-inclusive resort that our good friends Erik and Katie had selected as the location for their wedding. It took a little while for us to get used to our beautiful air-conditioned room, people waiting on us, and eating and drinking whenever and wherever we wanted. But we managed. Although devoid of any local culture, it was a wonderful couple of days of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Erik and Katie have already heard this a number of times, but we were so excited to discover how cool all of their friends and family are. On any given morning after walking a few steps down the beach, we would find a group familiar face, pull up some lounge chairs, strike up a conversation and enjoy the day. Along with playing in the waves and getting drinks from the swim-up pool bar, we enjoyed learning to sail a four-person catamaran, a night of karaoke, a bonfire on the beach, and of course a beautiful wedding that so perfectly represented our two dear friends. It was a wonderful end to an amazing month of travel.

From one hammock to another

2011-05-25T10:15:00.001-06:00

After a week of studying, we decided that lounging around in a hammock and swimming in a crystal clear fresh water lake sounded perfect. Casa del Mundo, a beautiful terraced hotel that is built into a steep rocky cliff overlooking Lago Atitlan was a place we thoroughly enjoyed on our trip three years ago, and we decided we had to go back. It was almost just as we had remembered except for the minor detail that the lake had recently risen 10 feet and many of the terraces are now underwater. We've heard a few theories for this rise, but the most likely one has to do with the previous two years producing unusually high rainfall which also collects more sediment and since there are no overland rivers flowing out, the sediment has been clogging the underground exits. At least the sunken terraces made for some interesting snorkeling.

At Casa del Mundo we enjoyed waking up early every morning to do yoga and go for a relaxing swim when the water was the most calm before breakfast. Every night a delicious set four-course dinner was served at large community tables where it was easy to get to know other guests and chat until the candles at the table had burned all the way down.

From Lago Atitlan, we spent one night in Antigua during semana santa before setting out on our longest travel day of the trip. Unfortunately we didn't realize that Good Friday was the most difficult day of the year to catch public transportation when we decided that would be our big travel day to get all the way to a small island in Belize. The next 20 hours were filled with chicken buses, several taxis, a shuttle bus, a night bus with reclining seats, an air-conditioned van that was owned by a generous man who offered to take us where we were heading for the same price as the bus would have been, and a launcha (motor boat) that was only running because the owner was driving his own family over to the island for the Easter holiday. We finally arrived on Tobacco Caye and checked into our rustic, but awesome white-washed private cabin with a porch overlooking the water. Because the tiny 200 yard long island sits on top of the barrier reef, we were able to snorkel right from the dock each day to see amazing coral formations, tropical fish of every color and size and some majestic eagle rays.

Although we enjoyed our time on the island, we quickly realized that Belize didn't resonate with us the same way most other Central American countries had. We noticed the culture felt more aggressive overall and less welcoming than other indigenous Central American cultures and we found that English with a heavy island accent (their official language) was actually harder to understand than the Spanish we had become accustom to. So after a handful of days in Belize it was time to continue our trip north.

Back to school

2011-05-25T10:10:00.001-06:00

The second part of our time in Xela was filled with a week of classes at the very friendly Utatlán Spanish School and a homestay with a wonderful local Guatemalan family. Arturo, Dora and their children welcomed us into their home with open arms. While sharing three meals a day, we became familiar with their progressive ways of thinking, their sincere interest in getting to know more about us (along with their eagerness to correct any misspoken Spanish), and their caring nature toward one another. Dora let us use the kitchen to prepare a meal for a pot luck at our school one night, and Jon was thrilled to discover the family had a guitar in the house that they graciously let him take to class so his teacher could help him learn a few Spanish songs.

During the week we had five hours of one-on-one Spanish classes and a few hours of homework (that we typically did with a beer or coffee in hand) each day, but we still found time to fit in some extracurricular activities. One afternoon we visited Fuentes Georginas which are amazingly relaxing hot springs set in a high-altitude jungle that is continually encompassed in waves of fog. We also caught a professional fútball game where we quickly learned that the fans cheer and ignite homemade fireworks regardless of the actual activity in the game. It was quite a scene - and did I mention how big the beers were? One of our last adventures in Xela was a bike trip accompanied by the owner of our school to El Baul, a very steep hill that overlooks the whole city. It was a perfect view to take in before bidding farewell to Xela.

Gaining a new perspective

2011-05-25T10:05:00.001-06:00

From Antigua, we headed to Quetzeltenango by way of some proper chicken buses. If you think it's a mouthful to say the name of Guatemala's second largest city, rest assured, most people call it Xela (pronounced Shay-la) for short. Our first few nights in town, we had the opportunity to meet up with our buddies Dave and Julie from Colorado who were a month into a year-long trip similar to what we did a few years ago. The conversations we enjoyed with them over a few beers reminded us just how much we learned in the year we were away from home.

When we think back on that trip, it's easy for us to only remember what things were like by the end of the year - the personal growth we had both made and our ability to communicate in Spanish. We realized in talking to Dave and Julie, that if we can stretch our memories and remember back to the beginning of that year, there were some real challenges too. In hindsight, these difficult and confronting events were absolutely necessary. They were the catalyst that made us realize we even wanted to create change.

One of the most obvious shifts was in our ability to roll with life's surprises and disappointments. During our month of travel this April, there were a few things we tried to plan out ahead of time in an attempt to control the outcome. It's funny how we have the illusion of being in control - but in reality, we can only do so much and then life just kind of happens around that. We have learned in the last few years that every situation provides us with the choice to fight what is, attempt to change it, or accept it. Instead of holding on more tightly to the things that are out of our control, it seems that loosening our grip helps create a more fluid experience.

I think these ideas continued to sink in as we headed into the wilderness and up to the summit of Tajumulco - the highest point in Central America. Accompanied by our Spanish-speaking guide, we hiked up steep paths though pine forests to a base camp of about 13,000 feet where we spent the night. The next morning we woke up at 4am, left the warmth of our sleeping bags and hiked to Tajumulco's 13,845 foot summit to watch a most spectacular sunrise. It was incredible to know that on a particular day in history, we were the first people at highest point in Central America. The sunrise was amazing to watch as little by little more light crept into view. The clouds that seemed so far below continued to change shape and color. It was a magical hour to watch the transformation of night to day.

First stop: Antigua

2011-05-25T10:00:00.003-06:00

As soon as we landed in Guatemala we welcomed the sensation of exercising our traveling legs and spanish skills once again. Our first stop was Antigua - a gorgeous colonial city that seamlessly combines beautifully colored houses and flower-filled balconies with cathedral ruins that allude to what the city must have been like hundreds of years ago. Our first order of business was lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Rainbow Cafe, immediately followed by a visit to Yogen Fruiz, which offers a perfect combination of frozen yogurt and fruit. I think we had a cone in our hands at least once a day trying to get our fill for the next few years.

Our first few relatively calm days were a sharp contrast to the time we spent in Antigua during semana santa (holy week), just a week and a half later. In many Central American cities, the entire week before Easter is filled with festivals, parades, floats, and beautifully created alfombras (decorative carpets made of flower petals and colored wood chips). Antigua is at the heart of it all which made for some great parades, people watching and exploring, but a small dose of the crowded streets was about all we could take before moving on.

From Antigua, we were able to hike nearby Pacaya, an active volcano that still has smoke rising from its summit and some sauna-like caves a little further down. Unfortunately it's not currently as active as it was three years ago, so we'll have to save seeing hot lava for another time.

Settling in

2009-08-03T15:50:00.002-06:00

Megan:
Well, five months ago we were on our way to Chile getting ready to head back to the States, and that's kind of the last most of you have heard from us. Let me apologize for the lack of follow-up. I suppose sleeping late and reveling in just hanging out at home hasn't made for very inspirational subject matter. Although it has typically been our exotic physical experiences that have inspired many of our blog writings, it's often the internal journeys that end up being more rewarding to share. While these past five months have not been as action-packed as the journey that preceded it, the experience has been rich with new challenges, and new learning.

Because of the economic state we walked into when we came home, we did not end up seamlessly returning to our previous jobs a month after our return as we had originally anticipated. Instead we were blessed with several months to settle back in, to focus on retaining many of the valuable lessons we learned on the trip, and to blend some of our new found perspective with our old ways of thinking. One of the most important skills we learned during our year abroad was how to roll with whatever situation presented itself, no matter how different it was from what we were expecting. These past five months have been a wonderful opportunity to continue practicing that.

Instead of frantically searching for jobs in one of the most grim economies either of us has ever seen, we have found ourselves reveling in the unexpected free time, and basking in the warmth of family, close friends, and home. Jon has immensely enjoyed getting back on his bike including a 200 mile, 4-day trip through western Colorado with his dad. We also had a wonderful visit with my mom at the beginning of July when she was in Boulder and helped to celebrate my 30th birthday.

Even with our heightened appreciation of free time, we have both stumbled into work opportunities that we feel pretty excited about. Jon has recently accepted a design position with an international firm, and I have decided to take a different route than the traditional graphic design positions I've had in the past - I have been designing and producing handmade greeting cards. Although this endeavor is still in it's early stages, it has been quite rewarding to watch the process evolve, knowing that whatever it becomes will be determined almost completely by my own actions and decisions. If you are interested in seeing what I've been working on, feel free to check out my website (mhellerdesigns.com).

To celebrate one of our last weeks of uninterrupted free time before Jon started work last week, we recently took a trip to western Colorado for a little backpacking, and a taste of the wine culture on the western slope. For three days and two nights we enjoyed exploring the tranquil flowered valleys of the West Elk Wilderness area. We were shocked that over our entire time in the backcountry we did not see a single other person - only a few elk, some massive cows, lots of birds and a bunch of mosquitos that we could have done without. It felt wonderful to be outside again, carrying everything we needed on our backs. As we were hiking over mountain passes and through aspen groves I found myself thinking about what moments I would like to capture to be included in the blog - something I hadn't thought about since we had been home. It felt great to be inspired again in that way.

Once we were finished exploring the backcountry we indulged in a lovely bed & breakfast in the town of Paonia where we enjoyed a much needed shower and a delicious dinner that was not prepared over a camping stove. The next morning we were treated to an amazing community brunch around large tables in the perfectly shaded garden at the B&B (which doubles as an organic farm). Jon and I really enjoyed getting to know the other young couples at our table as we shared a sensational meal made completely of ingredients from the B&B and a handful of other local farms. Later that afternoon we rode our bikes between several different wineries and enjoyed some very low-key tastings. None of the wineries in this region are more than 15 years old, which probably accounted for the very comfortable small-scale charm that we encountered with each visit. Aside from the fact that everyone we met spoke English, the whole week bore a striking resemblance to many of our experiences in Central and South America.

We feel so grateful to have experienced all that we have over the past 18 months. Thank you all for the support you have given - it has meant the world to us.

Coming home

2009-02-19T10:35:00.003-07:00

Megan:
Since leaving the fantastic city of Buenos Aires, Jon and I have been experiencing some amazing places and letting the reality of our new homeward-bound situation sink in. It really feels like we have been making the most of our last month.

Our first stop after leaving the capital of Argentina was Córdoba where we found some charming pedestrian streets and continued enjoying the tango culture despite the city's noise and grit. From there we headed north to the small flower-lined town of La Cumbre where we checked into a quaint little bed and breakfast and quickly became friends with three other travelers, Robyn, Ryan, and Pieter. This small town's claim to fame is that it was home to the 1994 World Paragliding Cup. We decided that we wanted to get in on the action, and extended our stay here by several days to wait out the strong winds in hopes of giving this exhilarating sport a try. After passing a few lazy afternoons getting to know our new friends, we finally got a call the third morning informing us that the winds were perfect and it was time.

What an incredible feeling to run as fast as you can toward the edge of a cliff until the wind fills your glider and you are swept upward. Jon and I both really enjoyed the experience, and with our instructors doing all the work we could sit back, relax, enjoy the dropping stomach sensation and watch a rainbow that seemed to have appeared just for us. After about 30 minutes, we landed next to a beautiful river and spent the rest of the day swimming, basking in the sun and drinking a few too many beers with our buddies.

Our next and last destination in Argentina was the famous wine region around Mendoza. In this delightful city, we enjoyed the numerous plazas, wide streets filled to the brim with shady outdoor cafe tables, fabulous gourmet food and of course, vino. We rented bikes one afternoon, to cruise around and visit a number of wineries, a liquor and chocolate manufacturer, a specialty organic food farm, and an olive orchard. This provided us with a fun, but surface level sampling of many of the region's offerings. Something Jon and I had never done before our time in Menzoda was pay for a flight of wine at a high-end tasting room. This was a really fun and informative experience - we were each given 6 generous tastings (for a total of 12 wines between the two of us), and we had our own personal guide throughout the evening who facilitated an incredibly detailed explanation and discussion of each wine.

Despite all of these amazing experiences that still fill the majority of our time abroad, as the end of a year long journey creeps closer, our heads seem to be filled more and more with thoughts of home. I think when we were planning this trip, we naively thought that we could leave the country for a year and then slip right back into the lives that we had grown to love once we were finished traveling. We knew that our mind-sets would have shifted slightly, but I think we forgot to take into consideration that all of the people and things at home would also have an entire year to change and evolve.

In about a week, we will reenter a reality that has gone through a number of obvious changes. We'll be coming home to a depressed economy, fragile job market and a new president, not to mention the multitude of more subtle shifts that have occurred since we've been away. Instead of picking back up where we left off, Jon and I are facing the very real possibility of having to drastically change our jobs and as a result, our living situation, our routine and our lifestyle. We do not know how long it will take to sort out the next phase of our careers, when we will begin searching for our next home, or how we are going to ground ourselves in the meantime.

I never thought that coming home could feel more scary and unknown than traveling through a foreign country. Over the past year, exploring unknown lands, speaking a foreign language and switching beds every few nights have become our way of life - that's what has become familiar. I have come to know what to expect from this. In contrast, I no longer know what to expect from home. For whatever reason though, we have decided that although going home brings with it an infinite number of uncertainties and will probably bring up an equal number of insecurities and personal confrontations, it is time. I suppose it is a combination of the desire to settle down, to reconnect with the wonderful friends and family who are waiting with open arms, and on some level we feel ready to take on these new challenges.

The textures of Buenos Aires

2009-02-02T17:52:00.002-07:00

Jonathan:
It wasn't long after we got used to the idea of being on our own again that it occurred to us, somewhere in all the excitement of family time we had forgotten to notice that the last leg of our trip had somehow crept up on us. It was silently waiting for us in the same place it had always been, but suddenly the end of February seemed a little too close to be comfortable.

My initial reaction was to panic and try to somehow quantify our experiences. I felt my head spin into a frenzy of doubt about whether we would have anything to show for this year once the next six weeks had passed. Had we really changed at all or would we just go back to our lives, slip back into our routines, and helplessly watch our year's experiences fade into a collection of paper-thin memories?

I spent one long grumpy evening in our apartment complaining to Megan about how I didn't feel any different, and I must have missed something somewhere. Well, obviously some things don't change as quickly as others. The next day I had to smile at myself. No matter how many times this comes up, it always seems to take some effort for me to step back and remind myself that nothing is wrong.

The truth is that it's hard to imagine that even a single moment of this trip has managed to slip by unnoticed or unappreciated. I can't count the number of times Megan and I have found ourselves staring at each other across a table somewhere with uncontrollable grins on our faces, just basking in the freedom that this year has been for us - A full year's worth of experiences bursting with an unfathomable quantity of unforgettable adventures, fulfilling relationships, and challenging moments of growth and clarity.

You can't do something like this and not come back changed.

In a lot of ways it feels subtle though. Sometimes it's hard to notice that the colors are slowly shifting when you've been staring at them the whole time. The growth we've experienced on this trip is not something we can quantify or list out (as much as I would love to). No, instead this year has just become a part of us - the same us we've always been, constantly growing, constantly changing, constantly adapting to new situations and new ideas. We'll come home just as we are, knowing that everything we see and everything we experience is slightly tinted by the lense of wisdom this year has provided.

We spent our last two weeks in Buenos Aires soaking in the rich textures of that amazing city - not trying to justify anything or make the most of any particular experience - just basking in it. When the end of the month rolled around and we packed up our things, checked out of our apartment, and hit the road again we both realized this was the first time on this trip that we were leaving a city without feeling quite ready to move on.

With thoughtful smiles, we boarded a bus to head out to the central Argentine capital of Córdoba. From here we will spend the next several weeks enjoying the journey west through wine country toward Santiago where, on the 26th of February, we will catch our flight home.

The warmth of family

2009-01-27T10:08:00.002-07:00

Jonathan:
After wrapping up our visit to Patagonia and seeing Molly and Andy off, Megan and I had exactly 2.5 days to enjoy our privacy in Buenos Aires before my mom & dad arrived for a visit of their own. Knowing that my parents would be spending the better part of the month with us in Buenos Aires, and thinking it would be nice to have a space of our own, Megan and I had made arrangements to rent an apartment during our brief visit to the city back in November. Since the place was big enough for four, we ended up moving in the day before Molly and Andy left, and all of us enjoyed a nice quiet celebration of our final hours together in our new apartment.

It's hard to describe what it feels like to have a space of your own again after spending the better part of a year sleeping in hotel rooms and spending every minute in what is essentially someone else's space. Suddenly we had our own private niche in the middle of this howling city where we could quietly do whatever we wanted. We had a kitchen that was just sitting there waiting to be used; a fridge that we could fill to the brim with whatever we wanted (including what ended up being an alarming quantity of beer); a closet where we could unload our backpacks and leave anything we wanted out in the open... It was amazing!

We spent the weekend before my parents arrived basking in the warm glow of privacy that neither of us had expected would feel so good. We spent new year´s eve at home together, quietly sipping wine and watching the city's fireworks from our terrace.

The apartment itself turned out to be a hip and spacious brick loft located in a very nice neighborhood in central Buenos Aires called Palermo. By the time my parents joined us, we were still reveling in the luxury of our plush new surroundings. We spent our first several days together exploring the vast expanse of gorgeous parks that surrounded us in upper Palermo, and just enjoying some time together in our nice air-conditioned home. We didn't get out much at all, and it was hard to keep Megan and me out of the kitchen - every meal was an opportunity to break out one of our favorites from home, and share some good home-cooked food with the folks.

The following Monday we all made our way downtown to start yet another round of Spanish classes. My parents have always been interested in learning the language, and since there's nothing quite like learning it on location, we thought it would be a fun way to spend part of our time together. That whole first week, we all plugged away together - spending our mornings studying hard at school, and our afternoons and evenings huddled around the table doing homework together.

Feeling thoroughly fried after just five days of intense studies, we all decided it would be better to spend the rest of my parents time exploring Buenos Aires, the area around the city, and having a little fun. After spending a few free days checking out the city, and catching an authentic Tango show in the theater district, we headed out on an overnight bus north to the province of Misiones to take in the magnificent Iguazú Falls - one of the largest series of waterfalls in the world. We spent 2 full days exploring the vast network of walkways that wind in and out of the 300-some falls, providing humbling up-close experiences of the falls' sheer force, and some absolutely breathtaking panoramas.

Upon returning to the city, we headed out on a day trip across the Rio Plata to pay a brief visit to Uruguay, and the beautiful cobbled town of Colonia. We enjoyed a very pleasant day exploring its shady flowered streets, and playing on the sandy beaches of the riverbank. Our final few days together with my parents were spent exploring still more of the richly varied parts of Buenos Aires, and enjoying each other's laughter and company over card games at home.

After bidding my parents farewell, and seeing them off in a cab on their way to the airport, Megan and I solemnly walked back into what turned out to feel like a very quiet and cold apartment. The same place that just two weeks before had felt so exciting and filled with potential, now seemed sterile and empty. We've spent the better part of this last year surrounded by new faces, strange places, and the only thing familiar or constant we've had has been each other. In all of the excitement of spending the past 6 weeks with family, it hadn't really occurred to either of us just how wonderful and different it had been to be with people we love. It was such a blessing to spend that time surrounded by the warmth of our family in the midst of a journey so far from home.

That night we couldn't help but break down crying as we thought about how fortunate we feel to have our family, our wonderful friends, and what a tremendous joy it will be to come home.

Lakes District

2009-01-26T09:52:00.004-07:00

Megan:
After our time in the south, we took our longest bus ride of the year (28 hours) to the Lakes District of Patagonia. We spent a few days in El Bolson, an incredibly charming little town known for its microbreweries, chocolate and ice cream - could you ask for anything more? From there, we set out on our final backpacking trip with Molly and Andy. These three days were filled with a variety of climates, some of the most poorly constructed trails we've ever seen (these people don't believe in switchbacks), unbelievably rickety bridges, glacier-fed crystal clear swimming holes, and some spectacular scenery. Jon and I decided to take a different approach on this portion of the trip and instead of bringing our tent, we stayed in small artfully crafted log-cabins along the way - each complete with hand-made furniture, playful kittens and a cozy wood burning fire. These welcoming refugios ended up being one of the highlights.

We finished our trek in the wilderness on December 24th, just in time to spend Christmas day back at our quaint, family run hostel in El Bolson. The four of us enjoyed cooking some delicious meals together in their well-outfitted kitchen, and even found time to enjoy a picnic in a nearby park where, in the heat of the southern hemisphere sun, it was difficult to remember what holiday it was.

From there, we enjoyed a few days in San Carlos de Bariloche - the capital of the Lakes District. It only took a few minutes of gazing out at the amazing blue lakes that surround this town to understand where this region's name came from. We spent some time in the town wandering through the beautiful Bavarian architecture-lined streets, and felt like we had been transported to a ski village in the Alps. We also put on our hiking shoes one last time for an incredible day-hike to the top of Cerro Catedral where we were able to see an awesome panorama of multiple rows of mountain ranges fading into the distance.

It was bitter-sweet returning to Buenos Aires because although Jon and I were very much looking forward to having time to explore the incredible cultural capital of Latin America, it meant that our time with Molly and Andy was coming to an end. Not only did our time with them make us forget just how far from home we were, but their passion for natural beauty was contagious. Jon and I pushed ourselves to do longer and more intense treks than we ever would have done on our own, and it allowed us to experience Patagonia on a whole different level. Thank you both so much for everything you shared with us this past month.

Fitz Roy

2009-01-02T10:41:00.003-07:00

Jonathan:
After our glorious 6 days on the "W," we crossed the border back into Argentina and headed back through the all too familiar El Calafate on our way north to the top side of Glaciers National Park and the magnificent Cerro Fitz Roy - a stunning tower of jagged rock that juts up out of the plains at the head of the Patagonian cordillera.

We had heard that Fitz Roy itself was almost always shrouded in clouds and could be difficult to see. In fact we had heard stories from people who had spent weeks in the area and never caught a glimpse of the peak. But for some reason the night we arrived, as we crested the surrounding hills and began our decent into the picturesque Chaltén river valley, we were graced with a crystal clear panorama of a spectacular and dramatic range of peaks. Fitz Roy was almost perfectly framed by deep blue sky and a few fiery clouds that were still catching some light from the setting sun.

We spent our first couple of days in Chaltén gearing up for yet another back country trip, and visiting the rangers' station to familiarize ourselves with the park. Initially we had thought that after our aggressive and somewhat grueling time in Torres del Paine, we would take it easy and do a quick 2-3 day trip around Fitz Roy - just enough to make it to a few lookout points and get a good sense for the peaks. Well, somewhere in the planning process that idea got lost and we ended up planning another 5 day adventure that would take us deep into the gnarled valleys of this beautiful range.

Our all-to-recent trip into Torres was the first time Megan and I had used our packs in the back country. The majority of the trip we've carted them between bus stations and hotels and not much in between, so we were pleased to find out that our backpacks actually work as backpacks. Regardless, we were still nursing sore shoulders and hips from our last adventure when we strapped 'em on and headed into the wild yet again.

Our first day on the trail we were blessed with more gorgeously crisp views of Fitz Roy. After we set up our tents at our first campsite, Andy and I made a quick trip straight up the seemingly vertical valley wall to the official mirador for a better view the peak, its massive glaciers, and the crystal blue lagunas that sparkle on either side. Doing our best to not lose our footing in the thunderous gusts of wind, we got our first taste of the powerful presence of Fitz Roy... At some point earlier that day, Andy had mentioned that for him, mountains seem alive somehow - showing emotions, and changing moods from one day to the next. I knew exactly what he meant at the time; I grew up around mountains. But Fitz Roy... I've never seen anything like it.

Awe stricken in its shadow, we watched as the rock face stared down at us, drawing swarms of wispy clouds out of thin air around it, leaving us with only brief glimpses of its jagged summit. Thick storm clouds crashed around its base like waves from the ice fields beyond, doubling over on themselves, and reeling back into the grey valleys where they had started. The peak felt massive and fierce, truly awesome.

We spent the remaining four days winding our way through the lush old growth forest, giant boulder fields, dramatic canyons, and expansive river valleys of the park, always in the shadows of the dramatic rock towers and frigid glaciers of the surrounding peaks. With only a few exceptions, we found that we had most of the trails and campsites to ourselves - A sharp contrast to our recent experience on the overcrowded "W" where we were rarely out of earshot from other hikers, and almost never slept more then 4 or 5 feet from the next tent.

Our last day on the trail, we had planned to get up early and hike to a nearby mirador for a glimpse of Cerro Torre at sunrise, the smaller but equally impressive counterpart to Fitz Roy. Unfortunately that day we found out the hard way that these mountains are seen when they want to be seen... Cerro Torre was so thick in clouds we could barely even see the trail that led to the lookout. So we happily slept in a little, packed up camp, and made our way back down to Chaltén where we would spend the night, and head out on an early morning bus back to good ol' El Calafate.

Our third and final time through that cookie-cutter town, we ended up only having about 4 hours to kill before we boarded a night bus for the grueling 28 hour trip up to the Lakes District. It was enough time to stock up on snacks, water, and a little wine to help pass the time on the long trip north.

Torres del Paine

2008-12-29T07:12:00.002-07:00

Megan:
After a few days together in Buenos Aires, Molly, Andy, Jon and I flew down south to the small town of El Calafate which would become our transportation hub throughout our time in Southern Patagonia. Except for excellent ice cream, we found little of interest in this town overrun with tour operators and overpriced restaurants.

We did however end up renting a car for a day trip to nearby Glacier National Park to view the Perito Moreno Glacier which was absolutely incredible. Said to be one of the most active and exciting glaciers on earth, the deep blue hued Perito Moreno advances up to two meters per day. We were able to witness its 60-meter high ice-peaks break off and crash into the frigid waters below creating small tidal waves and leaving icebergs floating for miles around - quite a spectacular site.

From there we crossed the border into Chile and spent a day in the small town of Puerto Natales where we were able to stock up on food and supplies to prepare for our first backpacking trip in Torres del Paine National Park.

I have to admit I had some apprehension about all of the trekking we were planning to do in Patagonia. We had mapped out three separate treks of about 4-5 days each with large packs, tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and enough food for the entire trek. I felt as though the whole month before Molly and Andy arrived I was filled with self-doubt. I was under the impression that everyone else was more prepared for this kind of activity than I was - stronger, more experienced, and maybe more importantly, more mentally prepared. Once we got out on the trail, I was very pleased to discover that almost all of this self-doubt was in my head (as these kinds of things typically are), and that not only could I keep up, but I was able to enjoy almost every minute of it (with a few really steep exceptions).

We spent 6 days trekking along the famous "W" trail where we were blessed with perfect weather (except for a few bouts of the strongest winds I have ever experienced) and spectacular panoramic views of enormous glaciers and snow-covered rocky peaks. During our 6-8 hours of hiking a day we encountered a multitude of glacial lakes, each one a slightly different shade of blue or green than the one before it; watched icebergs lazily float by; witnessed the day's first light illuminate the Torres del Paine (the rock towers for which the park is named); and enjoyed some great conversations.

Jon and I suspected that our time with Molly and Andy would go pretty smoothly, but we have still been pleasantly surprised with just how enjoyable planning the trip and spending large amounts of time together has been. I don't think I've spent this much time with my sister since I was in high school - it's been fantastic. And since Jon and I were packing up our lives at home right around the time Andy and Molly started dating, this month in Patagonia has been our first real chance to get to know him - and what a pleasure it's been.

Our time in Torres del Paine ended up being incredibly rewarding with spectacular natural beauty, meaningful conversations with old and new friends, and a surprising rediscovery of confidence.

A whirlwind update

2008-12-21T18:30:00.003-07:00

Megan:
As you may have noticed, it's been quite a while since our last update - this is mainly due to how much we have packed into the past month, but the inflated cost of internet shops lately hasn't helped to motivate us either. In short Jon and I spent the second half of November working our way south through Northern Chile and Argentina in time to meet up with my sister Molly and her boyfriend Andy in Buenos Aires on December 1st. Although a lot of that time was spent on buses, we managed to have some really wonderful experiences in various stops along the way.

Once we were able to get over the completely foreign-sounding Chilean accent, we realized how nice it was to be in a country that is much closer to first world standards. After leaving Peru, our first destination was Arica where we joined a tour to the small town of Putre and the nearby Lauca National Park. We have been making a point lately of doing tours completely in Spanish - a nice addition to just getting an informative explanation. The wildlife in this region of the Atacama Desert was fascinating. We saw llamas and three other related species (vicuñas, alpaccas and guanacos), a large rabbit-like rodent that has a long tail (viscacha), some huge ostrich-type birds (ñandús), an andean condor with a nine-foot wing span, and flamingos.

From there we made our way west to San Pedro de Atacama. Our first impression of San Pedro was that of an incredibly over-priced dusty town that had been stuck in the middle of the desert solely for tour operators and the tourists that supported them. Once we discovered that the next available bus didn't depart for another five days, we decided to give the town a chance and settled in. It took us a full two days to decide that this town had some nice things to offer. As it turns out the only tour we decided to do was fantastic. We began by exploring a geyser field at dawn - an incredible site to witness despite the unbelievable chill that rolls through at that time of day up at 14,000 ft. Once the sun began to shed its warmth, we were able to soak in a thermal pool fed by the geysers. After a number of short stops to become familiar with local flora and fauna, we went on an unexpected hike following a stream into a beautifully sculpted canyon.

After our five-days' wait, we happily crossed into Argentina and stayed at a charming little hostel in the town of Salta. The guys who ran this establishment had a knack and love for cooking and offered to make dinner for whoever was staying there that night. We thought they were making a simple meal of pasta and sauce, but this turned into a four-hour production of making pasta from scratch and a carefully simmering fresh vegetables, meat and spices into an artful sauce. Somewhere in this cooking process, I no longer felt like I had been traveling and without roots for 10 months - I felt like for at least one night, I had come home.

After this delicious home-cooked meal, we slipped away to the quaint town of Cafayate known for its small-scale vineyards and beautiful canyon lands. We spent our first day here attempting to stay hydrated in the heat of the desert red rock as we wandered through the phenomenal layered rock formations. Our second day we enjoyed touring and doing tastings at a few of the local wineries. Our favorite discovery was Torrontes - a crisp white wine exclusive to Argentina - luckily we still have another month in Argentina to continue enjoying this one. We also had the interesting opportunity to tour a local goat cheese factory where we actually ended up acting as translators for the rest of the tour group as we learned about everything from the goat's strictly regimented diet to the classical music they listen to during the milking process - fascinating.

After this whirlwind tour through the north of Chile and Argentina (and a 20-hour bus ride), we arrived in Buenos Aires with a few days to spare before Molly and Andy's arrival. Since we are planning to return and spend the month of January in this bustling cultural center, we spent the last few days of November researching Spanish schools and getting an apartment lined up. While there we also enjoyed meeting up with numerous friends who we had met earlier in our travels and had a great spur of the moment visit from a friend of Jon's from high school.

We were delighted to see Molly and Andy when they arrived safely in Buenos Aires at the beginning of December and spent our first two days together showing them around the city and beginning to catch up. Since then, the four of us have headed south where we've been thoroughly enjoying the Patagonian wilderness. Tomorrow morning we are beginning our third backpacking trip this month, and as you may have guessed, we have a ton of photos and stories that we're looking forward to sharing in the days to come.

Wishing you all happy holidays!

The road ahead

2008-11-24T11:33:00.002-07:00

Jonathan:

Megan and I have both been surprised by the underlying tone of negativity our writings have had lately, and it's motivated us to step back for a day or two and reflect on why.

A few days ago we took a gorgeous road trip between the desert oasis of San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile, and the lush green valley's of Salta in northwest Argentina. For much of the journey I found myself staring out the window wondering why so much of the beauty we've encountered over the past several weeks had been so difficult to enjoy. I was trying to pinpoint the moment that things had shifted for us. What had happened that had caused us to switch so decisively from our spirit of tranquility, to feeling so victimized and targeted?

We had really been enjoying our time in Peru up until Cusco; the northern coast and the Cordillera Blanca had been amazing; and even the initial difficulties we experienced in Cusco hadn't been enough to kill our spirits. Two weeks into our time there we were enjoying ourselves well enough to change our plans and stay an extra week. We were planning a backpacking trip to nearby Ausangate, and... that's when my bag was stolen, from the very agency where we had been planning that trip. Yesterday it occurred to me that I never really let it sink in how difficult that was.

It's pretty normal for me to try to handle difficult situations rationally, but I don't usually do it to such an extent that I completely deprive myself of the emotional experience and the invaluable learning process that inevitably ensues. Regardless, in this case I think I did.

When the dust had settled after the bag was taken - the police reports had been filled out, the insurance claims had been filed, and we had given up hope that anyone would be able to find anything - I sat down to write about the experience. Knowing this blog has served as an excellent tool for processing the powerful and sometimes trying experiences that have defined this trip for the two of us, I fully intended to write about the intense frustration I was feeling in the midst of my tremendous sense of loss - my brand new camera that had just been delivered a few days before, eight months of notes and countless hours of effort I had poured into my Spanish notebooks, my travel journal... my drawings, my reflections, my cultural observations, my goals for when we return home... everything was lost for good. I intended to write about the sense of vulnerability we were feeling, and the distrust we seemed to have developed toward everyone around us, even those who were just trying to help. I titled the post "Reality Check," and I began to write.

To my surprise, I did not end up writing about my intense emotional experience at all. In fact, I didn't even mention the theft. Instead I wrote about how I thought Cusco wasn't such a good fit for the two of us this time around, and we probably just needed to move on. I changed the title to "Then and Now," and I asked Megan if she could casually mention in her post that I had happened to lose all of my most valued possessions. In the second blogging opportunity I had to process what I was going through, "Nine Months Deep," I ended up writing more about how hostile our experience in Peru had felt, and that maybe our trip had peaked and we were just starting to lose our capacity to enjoy ourselves down here. I think there is some genuine truth behind both posts, which is important to acknowledge, but in looking back I think they were both written in an effort to convince myself that the problem was some outside condition, something separate from us.

In my moment of clarity the other day, it occurred to me that a huge part of the negativity we've been experiencing these past few weeks is something we've been dragging around with us from place to place. Peru hadn't changed; we had. That kind of a shift in perception is not something that can be fixed by a simple change of scenery, but it certainly doesn't mean that we have lost our capacity to create meaningful experiences on this trip.

The incredible beauty that has surrounded us since we arrived in Argentina a few days ago has almost forced me to admit that I don't want to finish out these next three months by just going through the motions. I want to be here to experience everything that is waiting for us on the road ahead, and I want to do it with the sense of peace and openness that has already allowed this trip to become the journey of a lifetime.

Nine months deep

2008-11-19T18:14:00.001-07:00

Jonathan:
Since We left Cusco, moving on has felt like... well, moving on. We paid a brief visit to the small town of Puno, sandwiched between the Peruvian altiplano and the crystal blue waters of Lake Titicaca. Aside from some breathtaking vistas of the lake and some fantastic restaurant experiences, neither of us were enamoured with Puno itself. We did manage to take a few trips out into the lake on gruelingly slow collectivo water taxis (i.e. 34km = 4 hour journey). One trip was to visit a colony of floating man-made islands inhabited by the descendants of the Uros people, a pre-Inca tribe who began constructing their amazing floating reed homes centuries ago to escape their oppressive neighbors; and another trip was to spend a night with a local family on the remote island of Taquile.

Originally Titicaca was going to be our entry point into Bolivia, where we were planning on spending a significant chunk of time as we worked our way south to Buenos Aires where Megan's sister and her boyfriend will be meeting us in the beginning of December. But, a ridiculous new entry fee (special for US citizens, everyone else enters free), and an escalating political situation in southern Bolivia were enough to persuade us to save that visit for another trip. So instead of crossing the lake, we headed out toward the southern metropolis of Arequipa, the cosmopolitan capital of Peru. While the city remained as handsome and smart as we had remembered from our trip three years ago, our experience there was dampened by two annoying colds (one for each of us), and a strong desire to get the heck out of Peru. After a visit to a local clinic for some industrial strength cough syrup, antibiotics, and a few other drugs (we didn't ask), we bid farewell to Arequipa and Peru. Since then we've been slowly but surely working our way through northern Chile on our way down to Buenos Aires.

Soon after we left Cusco, it occurred to both of us that while the staggering natural beauty of Peru had been some of the most impressive we had experienced on our trip so far, our cultural experience had left us feeling a little bit... played. The vast majority of our personal experiences in Peru were rich with hospitality and cultural exchange. Most of the time we felt very welcome and well looked after, but more than in any other country our experience seemed riddled with little dishonest exchanges - misrepresented services, trick calculators to determine exchange rates, cut corners, theft! - a slew of seemingly shady deals. With the exception of my bag being stolen, no single event seemed exceedingly detrimental. We were cheated out of fifty cents here, a dollar there, we took a few bum tours... nothing epic. But unfortunately it was the dishonesty, not the hospitality that's stuck with us.

Again, we're not sure if it was Peru itself or simply the timing in our trip that drove our experience. For all we know this kind of stuff has been happening to us since we left home, and we've only recently been able to communicate well enough to know about it. Regardless, Peru holds the heavy responsibility of having apprised us of this unfortunate reality, and it holds a slightly tinged place in our hearts as a result.

The grand realization about the nature of our journey which we were hoping to stumble upon on our way south has not turned out to be quite what we expected. We were both hoping to emerge from this past month's doldrums with a renewed sense of direction, motivation, and enthusiasm for travel. Instead we've come to the awkward realization that maybe our trip has already peaked. It seems that for almost 9 months now our time has been filled to the brim with fantastic adventures, rich discoveries, rewarding relationships, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I'm not sure how long that can go on before "rich and rewarding" starts to feel normal. It's not that our experiences are becoming dull, it just seems that lately we're more impressed by feelings of solidity than we are by exhillerating new adventures. Maybe we've been trying too hard.

It's funny how similar this sounds to what I wrote about my experience at Lago Atitlan back in May - about not needing to try so hard to create meaningful experiences. The truth is it's exactly the same realization, it's just nine months deep this time.

Then and now

2008-11-11T09:58:00.002-07:00

Jonathan:
It's interesting to reflect on what I remember expecting from Cusco before we arrived four weeks ago. On the long twisting bus ride here, I remember our hearts were fluttering with fond memories of this quaint colonial town and the majestic andean landscape we had grown to adore on our previous trip to Peru three years ago. The rich connection we felt with this place back then, with its culture, its history, and the sheer beauty of the surrounding countryside, played a significant role in our decision to return to this part of the world on this year's epic journey.

In a way, I think my personal style of idealized memory-making may have doomed this return trip to be a little unfairly judged. The memories I had taken with me from our first visit to this part of the world had spent the past three years aging into a rich barrage of images, so enchantingly perfect that, this time around, the bustling reality of this tourist Mecca didn't stand a chance.

This city has undeniable charm. As I look around at the narrow cobbled streets lined by impeccable Inka masonry walls, and the richly textured Spanish architecture that towers above the city's Andean foundations, I can't help but let a touch of the warmth and admiration I once felt for this place swell to the surface. But there's no doubt that over the course of the past month, my sentiments toward this place have changed.

Although we've been here longer than any other city on our trip so far, we've struggled to feel settled here. I don't know how much of our experience has been due to the reality of the place, or simply its timing in our trip. In a lot of ways I think we were expecting Cusco to be able to replicate some portion of the enriching depth we've found in so many other corners of this continent. The reality is that this place already provided us with that experience three years ago, and it almost seems unfair to have expected it again.

Instead, our time here has been riddled with challenges, and it's left us feeling a bit raw. Cusco is seeming to be a place of transition for the two of us - a place of difficult learning, personal reflection, and shifts in self-perception. Once again we're feeling a dire need to step back and redefine what we're looking for and what this trip means for us, to try and shift our perspective just enough to shed some light on an opportunity we may not have recognized before.

Armed with optimism for the renewed sense of direction we hope to find in the weeks to come, we will be heading out tomorrow to the high-altitude town of Puno on the shores of lake Titicaca, for some nice cold mountain air, some rest, and hopefully a fresh start.

Missing passion

2008-11-11T09:42:00.002-07:00

Megan:
I have been trying to write about our time in Cusco for the past week and have encountered a lot of trouble making any kind of point. I feel like there were some real challenges as well as wonderful moments, but I think the reason for this block is that when I look back on our time there I don't feel any passion. We both felt relatively indifferent about our cumulative time in school, with our local family, and exploring the city - which is probably more closely tied to where we are in the process of this trip than our physical location.

Most of our past month was spent involved in a Spanish school - studying, living with a local family and getting to know some of the other students. We spent a good portion of our first week talking to the director of the school about things that didn't feel like a good fit for us. This began with the first 'family' we moved in with - we very quickly realized that this location was a 50 minute walk from school, it was really more of a small hotel complete with business cards, and all of the travelers ate at a separate (English speaking) table from the rest of the family. Obviously not our style.

Our second family resolved a number of the previous problems, but we still ended up feeling relatively indifferent about the experience. There were a few substantial conversations where we shared our thoughts on the upcoming presidential election or the conquering of the indigenous people in both of our countries centuries before, but we never really felt like part of the family as we had in previous home stays. We also found conversations around the table quickly turned to English since we shared the house with another couple traveling from the UK who had no prior experience with Spanish. We realized this was not an ideal situation when we found ourselves leaving the house so we could practice speaking a little Spanish on our own.

I found myself confronting the director of the school again regarding whether one of my teachers was really a good fit for me, and trying to get clear what my curriculum would be for the following two weeks since it was not yet apparent to me that there was in fact a plan in place. By the way, as proof that we are in fact learning, all of these conversations now take place in Spanish. After that meeting, things improved, but Jon and I had enough days of only half-understanding what we were being taught, that we were pretty ready when the last day of classes rolled around.

One of the most challenging events of our time in Cusco is that Jon's day bag was stolen. We were in a travel agency discussing the details of a possible upcoming high-altitude backpacking trip, and somehow a man off the street managed to swipe Jon's bag from beside his chair without us noticing. We both went through a range of emotions...disbelief (surely this didn't just happen to us - we're always so careful), anger, an awareness of our extreme vulnerability, complete acceptance (for whatever reason this is what was supposed to happen), and then sadness for all the 'things' that had been lost. We did manage to remain grateful throughout this roller coaster of emotions that we still had everything important - the two of us had not been placed in any danger - and the stuff (Jon's camera and even his travel journal of the past 8 months) could be replaced or at least absorbed into our memories.

Despite the above list of challenges, we were surrounded by some positive experiences too - like the social scene we found at our school. We quickly bonded with a great group of fellow travelers over a cup of tea at school or a pisco sour at night on the dance floor. It seems we had more nights out in Cusco than any other city on our trip. We also had the pleasure of meeting up with our good friends Mackenzie and Bradley from Boulder who were preparing to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - how wonderful after eight months to see familiar faces who required no explanation of who we were or where we came from. We enjoyed a few trips outside of the city also, like our fantastic weekend excursion to several Inca ruins in the nearby Sacred Valley. After seeing Machu Picchu three years ago, we weren't sure how impressive these sites would be, but once again we were astounded by the incredible craft and level of detail the Incas used in their architecture.

Overall, after four weeks in Cusco, we were both very ready to bid farewell to the city that initially made us fall in love with South America. Hopefully this change of scenery will bring with it the renewal of energy we are both desperately craving.

Si, lo hablo

2008-10-17T17:51:00.001-06:00

Jonathan:

I distinctly remember a conversation I had with a friend only a few weeks before we left on this trip in which I boldly stated that I was on the verge of being conversational in Spanish. I'm not really sure where I got that idea - Maybe it was my impressive ability to fluidly ask where the bathroom was, or my deep knowledge of Spanish numbers and colors that gave me my confidence. I can't be sure. Regardless, It took me less than three weeks of traveling through northern Mexico to discover the vast reality of complex grammar and idiomatic nuances that my 2 years of high school Spanish had somehow failed to touch on.

When we decided to enroll in classes in Guanajuato 6 months ago, I genuinely thought that two weeks of studying would be just the kick-start we would need to propel ourselves into a frenzy of high-octane learning on the street - I thought we'd be fluent in no time. Well, it turned out that two weeks were barely enough time for me to learn how to say "the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know" (Mientras más aprendo, más sé lo que no sé)... and I meant it.

When I look back on the roller coaster ride of confidence and self-doubt that both Megan and I have been through with learning Spanish over the past 7 months, I can't help but smile. Each school experience has propelled our grasp of the language to new levels of depth and complexity, while at the same time shedding light on overwhelming tracts of unexplored territory. It's been hard to measure our progress because with every milestone we reach, the finish line seems to slip further off into the distance. Days of confident in-depth conversation are almost always followed by days where we barely understand what we've just ordered.

I've heard that there are several tell-tale signs of being fluent in a new language - when you start thinking or dreaming in it, or when you start to understand jokes. Normally when people ask me if I speak Spanish, I respond with one of several rehearsed responses like, "well, I speak a little," or "we're still learning." These simple responses are usually enough to solicit an enthusiastic nod of approval and sometimes a comment or two that I can't quite catch.

Somewhere in the north of Peru however, I noticed a distinct change in myself. Lately when someone asks if I speak Spanish, for some reason I've simply been saying, "yes. I do." It's not something I started doing on purpose, but the shift in self-perception feels significant. I'm certainly not dreaming in Spanish yet, so I'm not sure where this milestone fits into the quest to be fluent. We will probably continue to have our ups and downs, good days and bad, but for the first time since we left home the horizon seems to be creeping closer.

After a couple of brief sightseeing stops in Lima and Nazca on our way south, we've just completed our first week of studying Spanish in Cusco, Peru. So far we've both been having a fabulous experience with the program, and our latest local "family." Our conversations are becoming more fluid each day, and I have no doubt that from here on it will only become more comfortable to say, "Si, lo hablo."

Such great heights

2008-10-03T16:53:00.006-06:00

Megan:
Almost all of our time since our last post has been filled exploring the natural beauty of the Peruvian Andes. About a week and a half ago, we arrived in Huaraz, Peru which has served as our base camp for exploring the stunning Parque Nacional Huascarán. After checking into one of the most beautiful and well-kept hotels of our trip, we set out to explore this high-altitude backpacker haven. We spent some time talking to a few tour companies and other travelers about various trails and decided to tackle the famous 4-day Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range. We were accompanied by our guide Marco, six other eager travelers with varying levels of wilderness experience, and four triumphant donkeys (Blanca, Carlos, Daniel and Pancho).

The scenery in the Cordillera Blanca was jaw-dropping to say the least. Our days were filled hiking through immense valleys of golden grasses, traversing rivers and climbing closer and closer to the glaciers that soar 20,000 ft above. This was the first time I had seen a glacier, and let me tell you, these magnificent towers of ice and rock created a very different feeling for me than any other mountain landscape I'd seen. The sheer contrast of jet-black rock with blueish-white ice and snow was breathtaking. We spent our second afternoon watching the lighting and clouds that surrounded the highest peak continually change. The scenery just kept getting more beautiful, until the sun lit up the clouds with the last of the day's warmth as it slipped behind the ridge and darkness took over.

Our highest pass of 15,500 ft was enveloped in clouds by the time we reached the top - creating a kind of unknown abyss on the opposite side of the ridge as we began to work our way down. Our next campsite at 14,000 ft. actually felt comfortable and sheltered after being face to face with the rugged glaciers above.

When we were not out experiencing the natural beauty of this area, we were enjoying the comforts of our hotel bed...not so much by choice, but more out of necessity. That's right, Jon and I took turns with a stomach bug, but luckily these latest episodes were relatively minor and well-timed - mine was before our trek and Jon's was after we returned. I am pleased to report that today we are both feeling 'normal,' so I think the worst of it is behind us.

It's a little difficult to say goodbye to such a beautiful mountain backdrop, but tomorrow night we'll be boarding a bus for Lima, the bustling capital of Peru. We're ready to see what this city has to offer, even though I expect it will be a pretty stark contrast to the rugged natural beauty we've come to love here.

Moving on

2008-09-22T17:21:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Our final days in Quito were a hectic mix of cramming in as much quality time with our Ecuadorian family as we could, and checking off the last few museums and sites around town we'd somehow managed to neglect throughout our time there. One of the highlights was an afternoon we spent exploring the museum & gallery of world renowned Ecuadorian painter and sculptor Guayasamín. We were fortunate enough to be accompanied by a thoughtful and articulate guide who provided fascinating insights into the haunting style, and politically charged subject matter of his work.

Our last afternoon was spent at home with our family making homemade humitas - a rich and flavorful Ecuadorian version of the tamale, and something Guadalupe (our "mom") had been promising to teach us to make since we arrived. We shucked corn, cranked grinders, laughed and played together, savoring the final few hours we had to enjoy each other's company. Megan's and my departure that night brought with it a heavy mix of tears, hugs, fond wishes, and heartfelt promises to stay in touch.

After a long trip on a rough night bus, our first stop was the southern Ecuadorian city of Cuenca. We enjoyed exploring the richly textured cobbled streets, and we did our best to readjust to finding restaurants and hotels again after almost six weeks of not having to fend for ourselves. The primary reason for our stop in Cuenca was to allow a trip into Las Cajas national park - a wildlife reserve that is home to some 2000 lakes and a surreal landscape of high Andean tundra.

From there we made brief two-day stop to bask in the lush greenery and supremely laid back warmth of Vilcabamba, before heading down across the border and onto the northern coast of Peru. We've spent our past few days in the northern coastal town of Trujillo, giving ourselves a break between long overnight bus rides and a little time to check out the pre-Inca ruins that abound in this part of the country.

It's been interesting to move on from Quito. We had been there for so long, I think in a lot of ways it was starting to feel like home. We had work, we had a schedule, we enjoyed nights at home with our family - we gained a real sense of familiarity with everything we were doing there, and it was comfortable. It was great to let ourselves dig in, but at the same time I think that sense or regularity left us with a lot of space for our thoughts wander onto the things we desperately miss about home. The things we usually rely on to help us ground ourselves and regenerate are tough to find down here - downtime and happy hours with friends, Saturday mornings at home making coffee and breakfast in our pajamas, my bike... We are elated to be doing what we are doing, and we feel a great sense of appreciation for the adventures and challenges that each new day brings, but it is starting to sink in that a year is a long time to be away from the people and places we hold closest to out hearts.

So, with a mix of fond recollections of our time in Quito and subtle sense of longing for the things we love about home, we are continuing to make our way south through the Andes. Our next stop is the mountain town of Huaraz which we plan to use as a base camp for exploring the dramatic glaciated peaks and jade valleys of the Peruvian Cordillera.

A month at the middle of the world

2008-09-10T08:31:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Somewhere in between the studying, volunteering and an amazing jaunt to the Galapagos, we did end up with a little bit of time to explore Quito, and get to know this town a little better.

One of the highlights was a stunningly beautiful day hike up to the top of Mount Pichincha--a 15,600ft peak that towers over downtown Quito. Accompanied by our Dutch friend Angelique, we set out on the trail from the top of a sightseeing gondola that connects the town center with a breathtaking mirador overlooking the sprawling city. We spent the day basking in the high-altitude sun, and trying to get our lungs to remember how to work at that elevation. Aside from a few exotic plants and some crazy volcanic rock formations, the trek felt just like home.

No time in Quito would be complete without a trip to the "Mitad del Mundo" (middle of the world) complex where the line of the equator streaks through the visitors center as a highlighted row of yellow bricks. There aren't too many metropolitan areas in the world where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere, so we were glad to have checked that off our list. Evidently the complex was built before modern GPS was available, and the line is about 200 meters south of where it should be. Fortunately there's another museum with the "real" line next door, so we made a point to visit both. The smaller museum had several experiments set up to exhibit the affects of the strange gravitational pull at the equator—a tub of water with a drain to demonstrate how the water spins clockwise on the southern side of the line, and counterclockwise just a few steps away; a place to practice balancing an egg, which I guess is supposed to be easy there (Megan did it but I didn't have the patience); and a few other tidbits of gravity trivia. A quick trip to Snopes.com and we found out that most of the experiments were fixed, but it made for a fun afternoon anyway.

Another highlight of our time here has been basking in the warmth and good company of our host family, la familia Enriquez Pazmiño, whom we have grown increasingly fond of throughout our extended time in this town. Their thoughtfulness and generosity have provided us with the sense of home that felt like it was sorely missing from so much of our transient time in Central America. Our evenings and meals with our family have been spent sharing stories, our thoughts about the world, and our hearts. The connection that we've made with these wonderful people is one that will surely last for years to come. We feel extremely fortunate and grateful to have gotten to know them, and we will look forward to staying in touch in the future.

After spending more time in Quito than anywhere else on our trip, I think we're both feeling ready to move on. We'll be departing tonight for Cuenca, a smaller town in southern Ecuador, where we are looking forward to some hiking in the nearby Parque National de Las Cajas.

The Galapagos Islands

2008-09-10T08:30:00.003-06:00

Megan:
Where to begin? I think Amazing would be a good start. It truly is a place unlike any other - a wildlife paradise. Jon and I decided that if we were going to take the financial plunge to visit the Galapagos Islands then we wanted to do it right - on and eight-day cruise with an impressive itinerary to the islands with some of the best wildlife. After visiting a number of travel agents, we decided the Nemo II would be our vessel of choice. And what a good choice it was - a beautiful 14 passenger catamaran sailboat complete with a sun deck, three gourmet meals a day, bedrooms you could stand up and walk around in, each with a private bathroom. This yacht was leaps and bounds beyond anything we could have imagined based on our other two boating experiences this year. And yet again, we were lucky to be paired with a great group of international travelers.

Most days we would begin with a delicious breakfast and a briefing on the day's activities from our knowledgeable guide, Mauricio. Our mornings would typically consist of a casual guided hike on whichever amazing island we had woken up at that day, followed by some snorkeling. After lunch (and usually a nap) the crew would navigate to our next destination and we would explore a new island and a new snorkeling site in the afternoon. I know...pretty tough life.

Most of the islands are uninhabited and all of them have evolved independently from the other each with their own unique variations of cactus, mangrove, iguana, tortoise, or whatever species happened to evolve there. It's no wonder Darwin used the islands to develop his theories on evolution - adaptation is everywhere you look. The park service and the Darwin Research Center has been working for decades to cleanse each island of the influences of humans, which in most cases mean irradicating any introduced plants and animals so that only the original endemic species remain. Due to the reasearch work and vigorous protection programs, the animals in the Galapagos have developed a level of comfort with the presence of humans. They have not been given any reason to fear us, so we were able to get incredibly close to them. From just inches away we were able to watch blue footed boobies engaged in courting rituals, magnificent frigates sitting on a nest of newly hatched chicks, iguanas basking in the sun, and baby sea lions crawling across the beach probably on one of their first solo adventures.

Although our time on land was fascinating and quite beautiful, I think the highlight of this trip for both Jon and I was our time in the water. Unlike the corral reefs we became familiar with in the Caribbean, all of the islands in the Galapagos are formed by volcanic activity so most of what we saw underwater were hardened lava formations. This created a more subtle backdrop for the spectacular animal activity we were able to witness. Swimming with playful sea lions was an unbelievable sensation. We made a game out of imitating each other twisting and turning or blowing bubbles while coasting through the water. The sea lions seemed to be just as excited as we were to have new underwater playmates. We also got to watch Humboldt penguins soar through the water and blue footed boobies (a unique bird that is famous in the Galapagos) powerfully dive into the water for their next fish dinner. Colorful fish, eagle rays and sting rays were abundant as were white and black tip sharks, Galapagos sharks, and Jon had to opportunity to swim with some menacing 3-meter hammerhead sharks as well.

We both feel so grateful to have been able to experience such a magnificent and unique part of the world.

Learning to give again

2008-09-10T08:02:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
It's hard to believe that we've been in Quito for over a month now, especially since we both feel like we've barely had time to get to know this city. Between studying Spanish, volunteering with local kids, two hour-long bus commutes every day, and few hours of homework each night we've found ourselves using every spare moment to either catch our breath or sleep.

After our first week of classes, which was the last time we wrote, we started a volunteer program with a local organization that cares for children whose parents are either in jail, or otherwise unable to care for the kids on their own. After completing a week's worth of paperwork and an extrememly organized orientation process with the program coordinater at our school, we arrived at the project on our first day almost assuming there would be name badges and t-shirts. I don't know what we expected really, but what we found was that the project site looked deserted, the office was locked, and there wasn't a kid in sight. After knocking on doors of the individual houses to see if we could find anyone who might be expecting us, we managed to find a group of about 6 kids who we were able to spend the next few hours with. For the rest of the morning we asked everyone we saw, including the janitor, if they knew what we were supposed to be doing. We ended up leaving our first day wondering the same thing I'm sure they were--- what the hell these two gringos from the States were doing there.

Despite the vigourous efforts of our project coordinator to encourage the project staff to pull it together, our whole first week seemed to follow that suit-- broken plans, missed connections, and a frustrating array of failed group project attempts. After only two days of pulling our hair out trying to work with the organization (or lack of), we began discussing our options for getting out. It wasn't until I was genuinely considering ditching the whole project without notice that I realized maybe my attitude was in need of an adjustment. I was supposed to be there for the kids-- doing whatever I could to support them, care for them, and help them in any way that I could. Instead I was so wrapped up in my own failed plans and expectations that I was missing the point. The kids didn't care how smoothly things were going or whether our "program" was following the appropriate schedule. They didn't care about the art projects or the poorly explained games. All they were looking for was a little affection from a grown-up-- something that has been sorely missing from the majority their time on this planet. I'm not sure what it was that got me feeling so rash, but I think after six months of struggling to take care of myself, I had forgotten how to give.

After that little realization sunk in, the rest of our time in the program ended up being much easier to handle, but not because everything was running smoothly. We still had the missed connections and awkward changes of plans to work around, but we were always there to be with the kids. The rest didn't seem to matter much. Somewhere in there we managed to pull off a day where we all made paper snowflakes, something the children had never seen before--the paper or the real ones; we taught them how to make smores, the only "traditional" American food we could think of; and on our last day we left each of them with their own smiling plastic flower souvenir which we had diligently crafted the night before with a little help from our host family and a hot glue gun.

Overall the process turned out to be an important and rewarding learning experience for us both. After such a long period of only looking out for ourselves, it was refreshing to learn how to give again. We are very much looking forward to the next opportunity we might have to find something we can offer, and some way to give a little bit of ourselves.

Our time at school was a wonderfully rewarding experience as well. Megan and I were both paired with fantastic teachers and were able to pick up right where we left off after finishing our classes in Antigua over three months before. We still seem to have good days and bad with our Spanish-- sometimes we are impressed by how fluidly we can communicate, and other times we feel frustrated that we still struggle to follow simple conversations-- we rely on the moments of feeling impressed with ourselves to stay in good spirits and motivated.

Ecuadorian Culture

2008-08-14T08:57:00.002-06:00

Megan:
We have been enrolled Spanish classes in Quito for only a few days, and Jon and I have already noticed a renewed enthusiasm in ourselves. We are looking forward to pouring ourselves into bettering our Spanish, and beginning next week, we will also be sharing some time with local kids who could use a little extra affection. We'll be volunteering for four hours in the morning at a home for underprivileged children, and then going to school for four hours in the afternoon. As we had hoped, I imagine this will keep us quite busy and engaged.

We also moved in with our local host family on Sunday. The mother, father and three kids have been a delight to be around, and they have provided us with a great venue to practice our Spanish. They have also been teaching us a bit about typical Ecuadorian cuisine. We began expanding that culinary knowledge last night in our first cooking class which our school offers each week. We have been very impressed by the organization and personal attention that the Simon Bolivar Spanish School has provided. Tuesday's school activity was salsa dancing. We attempted to shake our hips to the ever increasing speed of the Latin music, and I think we may have even made some progress by the end of the two hours.

Our first few days in Quito, we enjoyed exploring the city before we were committed to a schedule. Over the weekend, we stumbled upon a city-wide festival where performance stages were set up in various plazas around old town to celebrate Ecuador's Independence. We enjoyed seeing the huge crowds of locals dancing to different kinds of music in the streets, and found that we had a perfect view of one of the largest stages from the balcony of our hotel. We decided a bottle of wine would allow us to properly take advantage of our front row seats.

Due to the intense schedule that we have committed to for our three weeks in Quito, this will probably be one of the only blog updates for a while. I'm guessing we will make up for it the first week of September when we share our photos from the Galapagos Islands. That's right...we have booked our eight-day cruise to see some of the most amazing wildlife in the world. But for now we'll try not to let our imaginations wander too far into that aquatic paradise...after all we still have some substantial work to do before then.

Hasta la proxima vez, Colombia

2008-08-08T11:34:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
We haven't really mentioned our "Cities we could live in" list since we left Guanajuato about four months ago, mainly because Guanajuato has been by itself at the top of a big blank page since then. We've visited some amazing places on this trip-- cities rich in texture and culture, small towns filled to the brim with authenticity and charm, stunning vistas and breathtaking natural wonders. We have marveled at the beauty that has surrounded us since we left home, but very rarely have we been so taken by a new place that we feel like we could stay-- as if we've found some piece of ourselves there that makes us feel like we've always been connected. Guanajuato was like that for me four months ago. This past week as we were wandering through the narrow cobbled streets of colonial Bogotá, I couldn't help but smile as I felt that same sensation well up inside me again and again-- like I was home.

Perched on a high mountain plane at about 8600ft, and nestled up against a jagged mountain ridge that dramatically frames the city's edge, we couldn't help but notice the similarities between Bogotá and our own Boulder. On our way into town from the airport, we noticed that half of the city's main parkway was closed to vehicular traffic, and was packed with cyclists. Thinking it was some sort of race or a special event we asked our cab driver what was going on, and he casually mentioned that everyone likes to ride a bike on Sunday, so they close the freeway for it-- isn't that normal? To continue the parallel in a way that was almost eerie, within two hours of arriving in the city we had found our way to an annual vegetarian food festival that just happened to be held in the botanical gardens that day. If you weren't paying close attention, it could have easily passed for the Boulder farmers market or the Creek Festival-- tent after tent boasting impressive spreads, homemade bread, organic tapenades, gourmet honey and yoga supplies. Needless to say, we were enamoured from the start.

It only got better as we explored Bogotá's beautiful centro viejo (old town), stumbling upon gourmet cafes, handcrafted beer pubs, and pastry shops set around pigeon-filled plazas. It was beautiful. Everywhere we went we were met with smiles and warm greetings. Friendly strangers eager to help us find the right bus, or decode our cryptic Lonely Planet map. This was not the Colombia we expected. There were no hoards of machine gun toting soldiers patrolling the streets, no bomb-proof limos or shady drug lords. Instead we found beauty and smiling faces around every corner; parks full of families having picnics and flying kites; and the only camo fatigues we saw were stretched over busty mannequins in window displays.

In Colombia we found all the unspoiled charm we had been promised, and none of the chaos or danger we had feared. I'm sure its darker side is lurking out there somewhere, but we certainly didn't find it. It's doubtful that we'll ever choose to live there, but Colombia will always hold a special place in our hearts. I can't help but feel that we'll be back again someday.

Cartagena in all its beauty

2008-08-07T21:08:00.003-06:00

Megan:
I think we can safely say that Colombia has been the most pleasant surprise of our trip thus far. Cartagena, a history-rich town on the Caribbean Sea, is absolutely gorgeous. The historic center of town where we stayed for six days has narrow streets winding through charming and brightly-colored colonial buildings, parks, plazas and churches. Because Colombia has not experienced an overwhelming number of foreigners in its recent past, the people do not seem to be jaded by the idea of tourism. Instead they are very welcoming and quick to ask what we think of their country or where we are visiting from.

We enjoyed exploring Catagena on our own and meeting up with friends from our sailboat trip at museums, outdoor cafes or even just bumping into them around town. One afternoon was spent wandering though an old stone fortress, Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas, and its complex system of underground tunnels that were built to facilitate the supply and evacuation of the fort. Jon and I really enjoyed exploring the dark and sometimes spooky maze of tunnels. This castle, along with a thick stone wall that encompasses the city center, was built in the 1600's to protect the city from pirate invasions.

We also visited a small volcano, Volcán de Lodo El Totumo, 30 miles outside of the city where lukewarm mud bubbles out of the earth. This 'mud bath' is supposed to have therapeutic qualities - it very well may have been good for the skin, but I could not get past how weird the whole sensation was. There was no bottom to the pit of mud, and everyone was just suspended, neutrally buoyant, neither sinking nor floating. I have never felt anything like it - weightless and incredibly heavy all at the same time. And, let me tell you, it's tough to get clean after an experience like that... we are still finding surprise deposits of mud.

From Cartagena, we flew to Bogotá - our first flight since we arrived in Mexico over five months ago - surprisingly, this is the longest Jon has gone without taking a flight in the past six years. It's amazing how quickly you can get from one part of a country to the next when you aren't riding on a chicken bus. We will be posting our experiences and photos of the refreshing and stylish capital city of Bogotá soon, so stay tuned.

The sailboat Melody

2008-08-01T15:39:00.008-06:00

Jonathan:
After 6 days at sea aboard the sailboat '>Melody, it's really nice to be back on dry land. The sailing trip took us and 6 other passengers from Puerto Lindo in northern Panama though the San Blas Islands to Cartagena. For the most part the trip was great, but to be honest, getting tossed around by 10 foot waves in the open ocean for a few days definitely has its challenges. Those of us who weren't lying green-faced next to the rail spent most of our time trying to pin ourselves between various crates on the deck to keep from falling overboard, or attempting (sometimes unsuccessfully) to balance ourselves in the galley just long enough to make a sandwich or heat up some water for coffee. The only thing that seemed to help us forget the incessant rocking was that on two occasions we were joined by several dolphins who came to play in our wake.

Fortunately, we spent most of our 6-day trip cooling our heels in a very remote section of a chain of 300 small islands off the northern coast of Panama, a spot which our fearless Pepsi-fueled captain Mark lovingly refers to as the swimming pool. We spent 4 nights and 3 full days anchored in a reef cove surrounded by 4 or 5 islands, more coral reefs than we could count, and a vast expanse of crystal blue Caribbean sea. The majority of our time was spent in the water-- exploring the numerous coral fields and chasing the reef sharks and amazingly majestic eagle rays that seemed to abound in the area. When we were too tired to swim, we lounged around on the deck of the Melody, or on one of the beautifully green coconut islands within swimming distance of the boat. Like our sailing trip in Guatemala, the other travelers turned out to be great company. We all thoroughly enjoyed making fast friends and sharing travel stories.

Although quarters on the boat were a little tight for 9 people, all of us found ourselves almost constantly reassured that we had made the right decision by going with the Melody. We were fed extremely well (including a dinner which consisted of a giant thanksgiving-style butterball turkey, stuffing and potatoes), and on numerous occasions Mark went out of his way to make sure our trip was as comfortable and rewarding as it could be-- including staying an extra day in the islands at his expense to wait out some rough weather between us and Colombia. The few conversations we had with travelers from other boats along the way were filled with horrid tales of bad canned tuna, stale bread, rigid captains and rough nights at sea (all for the same price we paid).

Having arrived safe and thoroughly satisfied in Cartagena, we've enjoyed the past few days of basking in the sheer beauty and romance of this city's narrow cobbled streets and its breathtaking colonial charm. We'll be here through Sunday before we fly to Bogotá (the capital of Colombia) for a brief 3-day visit on our way to Quito, Ecuador where we're planning to spend a month studying Spanish and working on a community volunteer project.

Taking risks

2008-07-21T19:15:00.002-06:00

Megan:
Jon and I have been traveling through Panama for about a week and a half now and have been quite impressed by the variety of climate, landscape and culture. Boquete, a small town in the western state of Chiriquí, has made it on our list of trip highlights. This mountain town remains refreshingly cool during the day, has an impressive restaurant and coffee scene, and offers numerous lush hiking trails that are easy to navigate independently. We took advantage of this opportunity to do a few hikes on our own, crossing over rivers, back country roads, farmland and dense jungle. Our last day of hiking was along the Quetzal Trail, named after the infamous quetzal bird, which connects Boquete to the nearby town of Cerro Punta. We were amazed by the beauty that we saw along the way - misty low-lying clouds, brilliant green fields, a rainbow, and the crystal clear water of the Río Caldera. After hiking for 15km, we arrived in the sleepy town of Cerro Punta where we spent the night before embarking on what ended up being a very full day of travel to Panama City.

This capital city has been a great cultural outlet for both Jon and I. We spent yesterday afternoon at Casa Cor which is an annual architecture and interior design expo showcasing 50 rooms designed by different professionals throughout the country. We have also been enjoying art galleries, historic plazas and many eclectic restaurants. And of course, no trip to this city is complete without stopping by the Panama Canal. What an impressive operation to witness. We were both captivated by the scale of the ships passing through the Miraflores Locks and the detail that must be maintained for everything to run smoothly. We were also pleasantly surprised by the well designed museum filled with explanations, models and photos.

In just a few days, we will bidding farewell to Central America and getting rid of another bulky tour book. We are departing by sailboat for the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama where we will enjoy our last chance to snorkel in the Caribbean, and our final destination will be Caragena, Columbia. Although not originally in our itinerary, we decided to add Columbia to the trip after talking to traveler upon traveler who have recently passed through there and told us not to miss it. We've heard that the cities, the culture, and the people have an unspoiled friendliness, and a welcoming quality that is very unlike anywhere else in Latin America.

This has been a decision Jon and I have thought long and hard about since as US citizens we are told that Columbia is a risky country to be visiting. As we have been sharing this change in plans with family and friends, I have noticed how vulnerable I am to the influence of other people´s opinions. When someone questions this decision, it is easy for me to move into a place of self doubt. Jon and I have both become increasingly aware on this trip how easy it is to operate from a place of fear. It's been interesting to travel alongside people from Europe, Canada, Australia and the rest of the world who have come here without our American sense of paranoia about what might hurt us. They tend to take more risks when it comes to eating, talking to locals, exploring a new area and because of this, they often attract richer experiences. We have come to depend on using common sense and trusting our gut when a situation doesn't feel quite right, but we have also found that if we become too obsessed with what might hurt us, we do not remain open to really experience the places we are visiting.

Still, for the moment, I find myself feeling torn between my intuition and fear. This trip is teaching us both how to take risks; it's teaching us to trust ourselves, and I think our experience will be richer because of it.

What is culture anyway

2008-07-12T16:01:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Another country down. We've made our way across the border to the city of David in western Panama. After crossing what was undoubtedly the most poorly organized border facility we've seen, we arrived here yesterday feeling a little perplexed by the fact that we fled Costa Rica so suddenly.

Our departure was a bit of a spur of the moment decision, not based on much except that we both felt like leaving. We had originally planned to spend close to a month exploring the vastly diverse natural beauty that has made Costa Rica such a choice destination for so many travelers over the years. Instead, for some reason, after spending just over a week between two different cities we decided it was time to move on.

Costa Rica struck us both as a bit of an anomaly in Central America. Through numerous conversations in neighboring countries, we had been led to expect a sad cultural sell-out of a country where any traces of their rich native history had either been mowed over by steamrollers bearing the Ritz Carlton logo, or turned into a commercial spectacle of roadside "authenticity." It's true that the hoards of camera-toting tourists pouring off of buses in search gift shops, post cards and photo-ops have left their mark-- prices were the highest we had seen on our trip so far, and it was truly difficult to find someone who didn't respond to our Spanish questions in English-- but to be honest, we found it kind of refreshing. The amenities and infrastructure afforded by the millions of tourist dollars pouring in have made Costa Rica... well, comfortable. Taxi's say "taxi" on them, roads are maintained by uniformed workers, and instead of fending off desperate street vendors and beggars as we walked down the street, we were overhearing conversations about dating, movies and friends.

There may not be much left in terms of ties to rich traditions, but surrounded on all sides by nations that have ripped themselves apart with internal conflict and corruption, Costa Ricans have defined themselves by their ability to embrace the New. Throughout their history they've had an ability to roll with the punches, adapt, and redefine themselves. It seems to have left them with a richly cosmopolitan country full of comfort and opportunity, with enough spare time to focus on their families, their schools, and art. I'm not entirely sure what culture is, or what it means when someone tells you a place doesn't have it, but Costa Rica is definitely not lacking.

All that said, I can't really tell you why Megan and I were so ready to leave-- chalk it up to intuition I guess. It wasn't the right time for us to be there. As decided as we were that it was time to go, we are both left with a nagging feeling that we didn't give the country a chance to grow on us. I guess whatever opportunity there might be for us to find a connection with this place will have to wait until next time.

2008-07-12T16:00:00.000-06:00

Despite being brief, our time in Costa Rica did provide us with a few important reminders of things we like to do back home which have been sorely lacking from our trip:

During our time in La Fortuna, between the overpriced tours and miscellaneous adventures to nearby volcanoes and waterfalls, we managed to find some time to cook ourselves a few meals in our hostel's shared kitchen. A favorite activity of ours back home, we had not realized how much we missed cooking together until we were doing it again. After doing what we could with the few spices which had been left behind by other travelers, we were both almost giddy as we enjoyed the complex flavors and simple pleasures of our own home cooking. Needless to say, kitchen facilities have moved to the top of the list of what we now look for in a hotel.

A highlight of our time in San Jose was attending the opening reception for a new painting exhibit at the contemporary art and design museum. Megan stumbled into an invitation through a conversation with one of the organizers, and we were both thrilled to go. The exhibit was fabulous, and we both really enjoyed spending an evening surrounded by San Jose's creative elite. It was a pleasant reminder that, despite our dirty backpacks and weathered shoes, the art shows, gallery openings, and performances we so enjoy in our "real" lives are not necessarily things we need to go without.

29 and counting

2008-07-03T21:00:00.003-06:00

Megan:
After spending time in two of Nicaragua's more impressive cities, we found our way into some more remote lake regions of the southern part of the country. The first of these was the peaceful Laguna Apoyo just outside of Granada. The crystal clear water and floating dock were great for swimming and kayaking during the day and even better for swimming and stargazing at night.

From there we crossed the largest lake in Central America, Lago Nicaragua, to arrive at the twin volcano island of Ometepe. The larger of the two, Volcán Concepción, is still active, and Volcán Maderas has a misty crater lake nestled at the top. Our first full day on the island, we decided to tackle the rough and muddy 4,000ft hike up to the summit of Maderas. Surrounded by howler and white-faced monkeys, we passed through abundant cloud forests that kept our focus on the rich wildlife of the jungle.

After resting our legs for a few days, we decided it was time to make our way into Costa Rica. A rigorous day of traveling and border crossing would not seem like a very exciting way to spend my 29th birthday, but I now have a stamp from my birthday in my passport.

I woke up at 4:15am to the sound of Jon wishing me a happy birthday. We caught the first ferry of the day back to the mainland, and as we looked out over the peaceful water, we were able to catch our first glimpse of the peak of Volcán Concepción which had been enveloped in clouds all three days prior. We were met at the ferry dock by an accommodating taxi driver who drove us all the way to the border, conveniently eliminating two buses we thought we were going to have to take. We passed through immigration early enough to avoid the long lines that we had heard horror stories about, and got our first good currency exchange rate of the trip. We then discovered that there was in fact a direct bus from the border to our final destination of the day, eliminating another three buses we were expecting to take. The only catch...it didn't leave till 2pm, so we had six hours to kill at the little diner at the border. Jon took this opportunity to buy me a birthday present...a deck of Costa Rica playing cards (since I lost our previous deck last week).

After hanging out there long enough to outlast two shifts of waitresses, we took off on the five hour bus ride through Costa Rica. And it was beautiful...lush landscape, unfamiliar flowers and a little bit of rain to cool things down. As I stared out the bus window, I was amazed how happy I felt on my birthday this year. This was one of the least glamorous days we've had in four months, but that didn't seem to matter. Yesterday had a flow and ease to it and turned out to be quite a wonderful day.

We arrived in the small town of La Fortuna last night with enough time to go out to a very nice dinner. Jon somehow managed to inform the restaurant that it was my birthday, so our waiter brought out a dessert - complete with a candle, 'Feliz Cumpleaños' written in chocolate sauce on the plate, and the whole restaurant singing happy birthday.

...not a bad way to begin my 29th year. We'll see what the rest of the year brings.

Change of plans

2008-06-25T16:49:00.006-06:00

Megan:
As it turns out, sandboarding down the fine debris of an active a volcano requires a pretty different technique than snowboarding, but Jon and I managed to figure it out, and as you can see from the photos, we had a great time. During our hike up Volcán Cerro Negro, we had a very interesting conversation with our guide, Carlos, who has lived in León, Nicaragua all his life. He shed some light on the unstable political and economic situations in this country, and shared some disturbing recounts of the US involvement throughout their history. A serious issue here is the growing number of foreign owned businesses who do not reinvest back into the local community. This, along with other factors, has contributed to a tremendous lack of infrastructure in Nicaragua. Carlos' unique perspective on his own country gave us a lot to think about.

After saying goodbye to León, we arrived in Granada on Sunday prepared to do another week of Spanish classes while staying with a local family. Well, there has been a slight change of plans. At the end of our first day of classes on Monday, it was clear that the school wasn't a good fit for us. We didn't get a good vibe from the place or the people and Jon had some particularly bad experiences with a few of the teachers. They did a really poor job of explaining things, and if you know Jon at all, you can see how this may have been a deal breaker.

When we told the mother of our home stay family that we had decided to not continue with the program, she took it upon herself to tell us how wonderful the school was - most likely the best in all of Central America. Jon and I both feel pretty comfortable taking our chances on that one. This most recent living situation was a little odd too. While we were there, we only ate one out of five meals with the family - the other four consisted of Jon and I eating by ourselves in the quiet dining room. I think going through this process and being faced with a few confrontational conversations (some of which were in Spanish) has really been a good learning experience for both of us. It also feels good to move on.

We are now looking for a new school in a different part of Nicaragua which could begin as early as next week. In the meantime, since we were planning on being in classes anyway, we are taking advantage of the motivation we currently have to practice Spanish with each other and review old notes from our previous schools. It's amazing how much material we have from past classes that we never fully learned. I think Jon and I have spoken more Spanish with each other in the past few days than we did all last month. Here's hoping we can keep that up.

Two names on a list

2008-06-21T09:15:00.004-06:00

Jonathan:
It's funny, trying to notice changes in your perspective is a little bit like looking in a mirror every day to determine if you're getting taller. Each day feels pretty much the same, and progress seems dauntingly slow if apparent at all. So, you have to look for the milestones-- moments of distinct gratification when you suddenly realize you can do something you couldn't do before-- like being able to reach something on a top shelf, or unexpectedly bumping your head on a door you've been through a thousand times. My personal process has not been exactly comparable to hitting my head, but the idea is the same.

In this case, our milestones are revealing themselves to us through our reactions to the somewhat repetitive trials and tribulations that seem to be an inherent part of an adventure like this-- The rugby scrum of taxi drivers who maul us as we exit a bus terminal, trying to cement their next fair by ripping our backpacks from our hands and shoving them into a trunk before we can remember how to say "get your f*ing hands off my bag" in Spanish; or arriving at a hotel after 10 long hours on a sweaty chicken bus only to discover that our room's full-size bed touches three of the four walls, and the other wall is emanating a combination of dripping and scratching noises. Three months ago experiences like these were enough to send the two of us cowering into a corner, or at least into a swanky, overpriced, American-style hotel.

It seems that in the past month or so we've developed a tolerance for the not-so-plush aspects of this kind of travel, or at least a sense of humor about them. The bitter arguments with stubborn drivers about overpriced fairs have slowly been turning into friendly conversations about how rising gas prices are tough for all of us; and the weird hotel noises provide us with an opportunity to smile at each other through the darkness before drifting off to sleep.

It's interesting though, this new found comfort with the uncomfortable has left me with a bit of an empty feeling that has been tough to put my finger on. It's almost as if our preoccupation with the trials of travel itself was keeping me engaged. Now that we no longer have to work so hard to get what we need, moving from place to place feels like... well, just moving from place to place. In a way it echos the feelings we were having in Mazatlán a few months ago when we decided the "vacation feeling" was wearing off-- Just being in a different place wasn't really doing it for us anymore. Back then we decided we wanted to make a conscious effort to engage more with the places we were visiting, whatever that meant, and at the time I remember my dad saying, "you know, there's only so much snorkeling you can do." I think he was right. It has taken us just over three months of snorkeling, hiking, diving, caving, and sailing to realize that self-indulgent side of this trip just isn't going to be enough. I think we always knew that, but I'm glad we've taken time to be sure.

We've allowed ourselves to become just two more names on an endless list of travelers who signed up to do whatever it is travelers like us enjoy doing. It feels like it's time to start leaving those two spots for someone else, and once again set out to find new ways to engage-- to shift our focus from what we can get to what we might be able to give. That is, after we go snowboarding down the ashes of an active volcano in the morning... we've already booked that one.

The tourist's tour

2008-06-19T23:22:00.003-06:00

Jonathan:
After we moved on from Copán, the rest of our time in Honduras seemed to go by in a flash. We made our way north to the popular diving destination of Roatán where we were pleasantly greeted by my dad's former business partner, Don, who moved down to Roatán to pioneer their expat community about 15 years ago. Don was a tremendous host during our time there. Right off the boat we were treated to a thorough tour of the hard-to-reach corners of the island, and a fantastic lunch. His hotel recommendation was perfect, and our last night in town he took us out for Thai food and karaoke. We were tremendously grateful for Don's company and generosity.

Of course the main reason for our visit to Roatán was to wrap up our open water diving certification, and catch a glimpse of the island's more than famous barrier reef. The certification classes could not have gone more smoothly, a truly admirable accomplish for Megan in particular who had...let's say, mixed feelings about diving. In addition to the underwater course, we were treated to a fantastic array of chiseled reef canyons and exotic sea life-- enough to leave us both pretty excited to find more opportunities to dive on this trip. In addition to the diving we had our fill of Roatán's gringo amenities (and prices), like daily happy hours on the beach, umbrella-laden drinks called "monkey la las," and a tour of the southern coast of the island on a rented Vespa.

After making our way back to the mainland we worked our way south by way of Lago Yojoa in central Honduras. There happens to be a microbrewery there run by a guy from Oregon, whose raspberry ale was (in his own words) a welcome break from the "mosquito-piss" beers available in the rest of the country. The brewery's guest house was the base camp for our time at the lake, during which we were given a private tour of the brewery's medicinal plant garden where we sampled a number of tasty natural remedies (including a mouthful of termites, which are evidently a highly effective natural anti-histamine). We also enjoyed an early morning rowboat bird-watching tour run by a quirky British migrant named Malcom.

Our entire trip through Honduras was brightened by the company of our new friends Rose & Jochem, a Dutch couple who we met on our sailing trip in Belize. Our paths have been strikingly similar ever since we hit dry land. We have them to thank for the great beachside pictures of our diving course.

From the lake we broke for the border, and after two long days on the road we've made it to the lovely city of Leon in southwestern Nicaragua. At first glance this town (and country) seem like they are going to be a pleasure. We'll cool our heels here for a few days, and next week we are on our way further east to Granada for some more Spanish school, and another family home stay-- a nice break from the fast-paced, activity-driven, lifestyle that has us both feeling a little... well, like tourists.

Honduras... here we come, and there we go

2008-06-19T16:47:00.002-06:00

Megan:
Internet cafes must be getting harder to come by, because as we left Honduras and entered Nicaragua on a 'chicken bus' this morning, we realized that we had not yet written anything about our two weeks of adventures in the Banana Republic. Our first stop in Honduras was Copán Ruinas where we enjoyed the charming city center, visited a butterfly preserve and explored the intricately carved Mayan ruins for which this town is named. We wondered how impressive the ruins would seem after seeing Tikal only a week prior, but we were pleasantly surprised by the detail and high level of craft. After a few days in Copán, we set out for the well known reef island of Roatán off the northern coast of Honduras where Jon & I successfully completed our open water diving certification!

We have assembled a slide show from our time in Copán, and we have a lot of photos from the rest of our time in Honduras, but unfortunately our photo server has been down for a few days. We are looking forward to sharing these along with our latest thoughts and experiences soon.

Feet on solid ground

2008-06-06T14:15:00.002-06:00

Megan:
We just stepped foot back on land yesterday after six days of sailing from Rio Dulce, Guatemala up to the southern reef islands of Belize. After weathering about three days of a slow moving storm, we finally saw the sun - and what a glorious sight it was! The timing could not have been better because that was the day we set anchor at the most beautiful reef of the trip. I have never seen such interesting coral and beautifully colored fish. We were also able to swim with sea turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks, barracudas and a massive wall of jellyfish that were luckily not the stinging type. The sailboat was surrounded by crystal clear water and white sand on all sides which meant we could begin snorkeling right off the boat in all directions.

Those of you who know me well realize that I had a little apprehension going into this trip. The idea of snorkeling has always been pretty intimidating - I mean who knows what's lurking in that endless expanse of salty water. During the course of this trip I was able to relax and genuinely appreciate all of the beauty that this part of the Caribbean Sea had to offer. And it was truly spectacular.

Jon and I felt very lucky to have spent our time with such a great group of people on this trip. Eight other travelers from Holland, Denmark, Australia and England - each with their own perspective on life and different motives for being in Central America. We enjoyed sharing stories during meals (which were always quite impressive considering the size of the kitchen the crew was working with), playing an innovative homemade Dutch card game in the evenings, and splashing around in the water every time the boat stopped. We had assumed that the interesting cultural connections on this trip would be with local people, but we've been pleasantly surprised by how much we have gained by getting to know other travelers from around the world.

We spent our day yesterday waiting by roadsides and transferring from one bus to the next, making our way to Copán Ruinas in Honduras. This morning we experienced our first real shower in eight days - it's amazing how the simple things can make all the difference in the world.

...The rest of Guatemala

2008-05-30T12:07:00.003-06:00

Jonathan:
After two intense weeks studying Spanish in Antigua, we've spent our last week working our way north through Guatemala on our way to the small town of Rio Dulce where we are now. Without really intending to, within four days we managed to do just about every adventure activity Guatemala has to offer, and this country is an adventure's paradise.

Here are a few of the highlights: We went tubing down a crystal clear aqua-colored jungle river; we descended about 1km deep into a natural river cave with only candles to light our way (many times it was too deep to stand, so we had to swim while holding our candles above our heads); we ascended a rock wall to reach a high ledge above a deep pool, and we jumped off into the water below-- inside the cave; we slung ourselves about 20 meters out over a river on a gigantic rope swing, only to let go and fall into the river (sometimes gracefully, sometimes not); we went tubing again in a different river; we descended a waterfall on a rope ladder to explore a dramatic natural cavern behind the water; and we spent an afternoon swimming through a tranquil series of natural limestone pools. To cap off our action-packed days, we spent our evenings hanging out at our youth hostel with other travelers, drinking Moza (our favorite Guatemalan beer), and playing a giant Jenga game made out of 2x4s before going to bed in a bamboo hut with a grass roof.

Yesterday we took a sunrise tour to the Mayan ruins at Tikal. Having gotten up at 3am to make our way from Flores to the ruins before dawn, we arrived at the top of the tallest temple just as the fog was lifting to reveal the absolutely massive series of dramatic temple pyramids peaking out of the dense jungle below. We watched the sunrise in silence, and basked in the rich energy of this ancient Mayan capital.

This afternoon, we will depart from Rio Dulce on a seven-day sailing trip up through the southern reef islands off the coast of Belize. We'll see how it goes since it's been raining here for a solid two days, and evidently there's a decent sized storm on the way... but we are looking forward to trying out our sea legs for a few days, and getting our first glimpse of the abundantly rich sea life of the western Caribbean.

Antigua... within reach

2008-05-30T12:06:00.002-06:00

Megan:
So much has happened in the three weeks since we last wrote. We spent most our time in Antigua, Guatemala taking in four hours per day of intense one-on-one Spanish lessons for two weeks. The colorful city of Antigua is nestled between three active volcanoes and filled with cobblestone streets, rich textures, and wonderful little restaurants - I think the only down side was that almost everyone spoke at least a little English.

Jon and I stayed with a local family again while in school which was a very rewarding and educational experience in itself. We spent every meal around the kitchen table with the mom, dad, three sons and one other student from the school. We enjoyed chatting with Sylvia, the mom, about the variety of Guatemalan meals she prepared for us each day; and with the boys we enjoyed discussing all the homework we had to do each afternoon - for us it was Spanish and for them it was English. It was refreshing to see that even in the relatively traditional country of Guatemala, the father of the house, Marvin, often helped his Sylvia with everything that needed to be done to keep the household running smoothly. I was pleasantly surprised during our first meal together to realize that I know a lot more of this new language than I did when we were sharing meals with our host family in Guanajuato.

The one-on-one teacher experience that our school offered provided potential to learn a tremendous amount of material in a small amount of time since everything was tailored specifically to our level of experience with the language. Jon was able to take advantage of this situation from the beginning as he and his instructor, Gustavo, hit it off quite well. As you can imagine, if the dynamic between student and instructor is not a good fit, it becomes apparent pretty quickly. I seemed to fit into this second category the first week, struggling to resonate with my teacher´s slower pace and style of interacting. For some reason it was really challenging for me to decide how I wanted to handle this tough situation.

After deliberating for hours over whether to request a new teacher for the second week - asking myself "what if the new teacher isn't as good? what if it's awkward to see my current instructor in the hall on Monday?" you know, the typical questions you ask yourself when breaking up with someone - I decided I needed a change! The second week I got a fresh start with a new teacher - I told her specifically what I was hoping to cover that week, and low and behold that's exactly what we went over and she was able to answer all of my questions quite concisely and thoroughly.

It felt pretty empowering to have facilitated a positive outcome for this unhealthy and seemingly unproductive situation. It´s amazing how obvious the solution seemed once I experienced a more rewarding alternative. I was reminded that when something doesn't quite fit, I need to take the initiative to change it - it's not worth settling when something better is within reach.

Sinking in

2008-05-11T12:43:00.003-06:00

Jonathan:
We have just arrived in the city of Antigua after spending the past week working our way around the shores of Lago Atitlán in the highlands of western Guatemala. In addition to climbing nearby Volcán San Pedro and basking in the peace and quiet of rural Guatemala, the highlight of our time here has definitely been the "Casa del Mundo"-- a spectacular hacienda spread over a series of stone terraces built into a cliff overlooking the lake. We spent three days exploring the hacienda's seemingly endless maze of steep stone stairways, hidden patios, and enchanting flowered gardens. We spent our mornings swimming in the crystal clear, impossibly glassy water (an easy jump from the lower terraces); and our afternoons were filled with naps in hammocks as we watched the clouds roll in to envelop the three volcanoes rimming the lake.

As breathtaking as our surroundings have been since we arrived here, I feel like our time at Lago Atitlán has provided me with a particularly powerful experience of feeling energized by a place. I've always struggled to fully understand what people really mean when they say a particular place has special energy. In general I feel like I'm pretty open to those sorts of things, and I feel like I've experienced to some pretty spectacular connections with nature in the past-- but for some reason this felt different. In a way, I think I've always experienced such places with a sense of "separateness." Like this place is here, and I'm here, and we just happen to be spending some time together.

It may have been the mindset I was in when we arrived here, that I was somehow primed for this kind of thing, but the lake has left me with an overwhelming sense of peace and empowerment-- almost as if my soul has been amplified by being here. These past several days I have been feeling a sense of clarity and purpose that feels totally foreign to me.

To be honest, the timing couldn't be better. I think I entered this trip assuming that it would be full of massive revelations about myself, my relationship with Megan, my life-- you know, the tough stuff. I embarked on this journey fully prepared for a barrage of confrontational realizations and difficult growth... After spending over two months removed from the familiarity of my life back home and feeling relatively unchanged, I was starting to think that maybe the trip wasn't working. Maybe we weren't finding the right kinds of experiences to initiate the kind of intense growth I was expecting.

This weird sense of clarity has helped me realize that maybe the trip is working fine. Maybe the massive revelation I've been seeking is to realize that I don't need a massive revelation to be okay-- Funny, right? Well, the instant this occurred to me I was astonished by the weight I felt lifted from my shoulders, like I had suddenly given myself permission to be okay-- not try so hard. Those of you who know me well are probably thinking it's about time this occurred to me, but inside it feels like a pretty big deal. I've been enjoying such an overwhelming sense of contentment these past few days, I sincerely hope this feeling sticks around a while.

We will be here in Antigua for the next two weeks-- We've decided its about time for another boost in the old Spanish skills, and this town seems filled to the brim with great schools. We moved in with our host family yesterday, and we are looking forward to the coming days of intense grammar lessons and fantastic home cooked meals.

¡Adiós México!

2008-05-02T14:31:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
We've spent the past several days wandering the streets of lovely San Cristóbal de las Casas in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Aside from enjoying some down time--long lazy days without itineraries or agendas--we've managed to chart a rough course through Guatemala, and we are getting ready to bid farewell to Mexico in the morning.

The departure feels bittersweet. We've enjoyed rambling though this country for over two months now, and there's a fondness that has grown with our sense of familiarity here. This country has provided us with a nurturing backdrop for the first leg of our journey together--it feels like we've defined our style of traveling here. Mexico has helped us discover a multitude of new things we've loved, and a significantly lesser number of new things we haven't loved. It has helped us define what we are looking for on our journey, and it's provided us with an impressively diverse landscape to test every last piece of our precious gear. At the same time, ditching a bulky tour book and heading into the land of wild jungles, undiscovered beaches, and ridiculously low prices has its appeal.

Our next destination is Lago Amatlàn, a pristine highland lake in southern Guatemala set in a valley between three smoking volcanoes. We're expecting to spend roughly a week making our way through the various towns around the lake before heading into richly cosmopolitan Antigua where we're entertaining the idea of some more Spanish classes.

Observations about Mexico

2008-05-02T14:22:00.001-06:00

Megan:

Screens in windows must be an US invention.
Most commercial doors open by pushing in, instead of pulling out.
Building codes are nonexistent, but no one seems to get hurt or file a lawsuit.
Speed bumps are extremely overused, and traffic lanes are only a suggestion.
Public transportation seats recline much further than in the States.
There seems to be one standard type of paper napkin that is used in every restaurant throughout the country.
These people love to make-out in plazas.
The reason we don't have many old-school beetle cars left in the States is because they're all here.
Mannequins are often set up backwards to show off the back of a pair of (tight) jeans instead of the front.
It's frequently hard to tell who actually works in a store and who is just a friend hanging out.
'Cafe con leche' can be anything from drip coffee with milk to a latte to a shot of espresso with powdered creamer. It's always a gamble.

Unexpected beauty

2008-04-27T13:34:00.002-06:00

Megan:
I guess you don't really know if a pair of shoes is broken in until you've walked 30 miles in four days. Well, four blisters and a lot of duct tape later, I can say that my hiking shoes were not exactly broken in prior to this trip.

Jon and I just finished an amazing four days of backpacking in the Sierra Norte Mountains in the state of Oaxaca. It was apparent after our first deep breath on the trail that this environment reminded us of home...the smell of warm pine trees and fresh mountain air. I don't think it occurred to either one of us until that moment how much we had been craving a meaningful interaction with nature.

We spent our days hiking between several tiny mountain towns, each day with a different local guide we hired to lead us along the many unmarked trails. Each night we were welcomed into quaint, but comfortable little mud-brick cabins. We enjoyed eating our meals at the local Comodor (dining room) in each town where we were cheerfully served whatever dish had been prepared that day. "Chocolate de leche" with "pan trigo" (rich spiced hot chocolate with dry wheat bread) has become a favorite bedtime snack.

I'm not sure if it was the calming effect of being in nature or the welcoming warmth of people we met along the way, but something on this trek reminded me how beauty can manifest in so many different ways. Beauty often has so little to do with material goods or economic wealth, although I think it's easy for us to get caught up in that. In the past few days, we experienced moments of beauty in a small patch of wild flowers who had made their home on the side of a road; an amazing lightning storm on the horizon that lasted for hours; layers of mountains each growing more faint as they disappear into the distance; the unbelievable warmth in the smile of a stranger. Although the people we met had very few material goods to share, they gave freely of themselves in so many other ways. Now, with replenished hearts, our eyes are a little more open to see the unexpected beauty we encounter every day.

Climbing a pyramid... or two

2008-04-22T18:12:00.004-06:00

Jonathan:
Without really meaning to, it looks like we've taken a week off from communicating... and evidently from taking pictures as well. We sat down at the computer today, fully ready to go through the normal drill of sifting through a couple hundred pictures and deciding what to share, and we realized that we took a cumulative total of six pictures in Mexico City (all of mine were of signs... go figure). So, for pics of the city you'll have to do an image search or something, sorry.

We did however manage to get a few good ones on our day trip to the spectacular ruins at nearby Teotihuacan. We had heard these ruins are normally overrun with hoards of tourists, and massive tour groups being herded from one overlook to the next, so we did our best to get there early. After downing a fantastic 3-course breakfast and two giant glasses of "cafe con leche," we were on the subway headed for the bus station by around 6:30am. We managed to catch the first bus out to the ruins, and we were delighted to find that the crowds and tour groups were, for the most part, taking the day off. Even after the first hour or so of eerie silence, we were still able to find quiet corners throughout the rest of the day. The ruins themselves were amazing, mainly due to the sheer scale-- The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan is the 3rd largest in the world, behind the big one at Giza and another one somewhere else in Mexico. The one here is missing the top quarter, but it's still something like 40 meters high-- really big. I found that I wasn't quite as impressed by the technical accomplishments or the architecture because the craftsmanship and ingenuity seem pale in comparison to the numerous Inca ruins Megan and I explored on our trip through Peru a couple years ago. Regardless, when you're standing in front of two hundred million tons of rock that was piled together without the use of the wheel, you can't help but feel pretty impressed.

The rest of our time in Mexico City ended up being pretty rewarding, and far less scary than we had expected. After exploring a big chunk of the city, and getting our fill of great restaurants that seemed to grace every corner, we managed to catch a movie while we were there. The highlight of our time in Mexico City was stumbling upon an incredibly moving photo and film exhibit (there's a link in the "Ashes and Snow" post below).

We've spent our past several days in the city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. We've enjoyed the slower pace here, but the heat is starting to get to us a little bit. Today and yesterday it was around 35°C (I think that's pretty hot). Tomorrow morning we are headed into the nearby Sierra Norte wilderness for about 4 days of backpacking, some nice high elevation, and hopefully much cooler temps.

Ashes and Snow

2008-04-22T18:08:00.001-06:00

Megan:
While in Mexico City, we were fortunate enough to see an amazing photography and film exhibit that beautifully captured the spiritual essence of elephants, whales and other creatures. The photographer integrated imagery of humans and animals together with incredible grace. The whole experience was quite powerful and calming. Below is a link to the exhibit website.

http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

Spending time with friends

2008-04-16T18:37:00.003-06:00

Jonathan:
It's interesting to think about the relationships we build over the course of our lives, and how every once in a while some just seem to fall into place-- the connections happen at the right time on the right level, and suddenly you are left with a great friend you weren't really expecting.

We spent our final days in Guanajuato soaking up as much time as we could with our friends David & Heidi, who we met and got to know over the course of our brief time there. A young couple like us, they too have taken a break from their "real" lives (in the Seattle area) to spend some time getting to know themselves a little better. Fortunately we all decided to make Spanish learning a priority at the same time, and Megan and I were given the opportunity to connect with these amazing people. After two weeks of sharing drinks, a home-cooked meal, and fantastic conversations that inevitably seemed last until the wee hours, it was tough to say goodbye. We feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with our new friends, and we are looking forward to hopefully seeing them again in the future.

After a brief visit to San Miguel-- enough time to look around, stop by Starbucks, and decide that we missed Guanajuato-- we continued on to Guadalajara to meet up with one of our best friends Shannon. Upon meeting her in her hotel lobby though, we were ecstatic to find that she had brought her husband Jason, one of my closest friends and cycling buddies from Boulder-- a fantastic surprise. We spent two solid days catching up with our old friends, and exploring the city together. Shannon even treated us to a private yoga class in their hotel room (she's our instructor back home). Not surprisingly, spending time with them felt like not a day had gone by-- a wonderful reminder of the great friends and support we have back home.

We arrived in Mexico City this morning, and we've spent today getting our bearings and starting to explore this overwhelming but fantastic city.

Enjoying the view

2008-04-09T09:47:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Our Spanish classes continue to feel like exactly the right thing to be doing, and Guanajuato still seems to impress us every day. We've enjoyed having a little bit of a routine here... Getting to know the waiters at our favorite restaurants, going to the same coffee shops to do our homework each afternoon. It's been nice to stay put for a while.

Our Spanish learning has been intense to say the least. My level of enthusiasm seems to go up and down, sometimes multiple times within a day. The more I learn the easier it is to feel overwhelmed by what I don't know. Every once in a while though, I'll find myself casually discussing politics with our host family, or talking about the relationship between Spanish and modern indigenous languages in Mexico with a few of my instructors at school, and I realize that I know more Spanish than I think I do.

In addition to our studies, we've enjoyed using our free time to get to know this area a little bit. This past weekend we went with a couple other people from the school to a nearby town called Patzcuaro (nearby is like 4 hours). Patzcuaro is a really charming colonial town with a very different style than Guanajuato. All of the buildings are painted the same two colors, and every sign for everything in the city-- hotels, restaurants, shops, businesses... everything-- is painted in black type with the first letter of each word in red. It's bizarre. It feels more like a compound than a city. We stayed Saturday night in a remote cottage on a tiny island in nearby Lago Patzcuaro which provided a nice contrast to the bustling urban evenings we've been enjoying here in Guanajuato.

This coming weekend we're planning to spend a day or so in nearby San Miguel de Allende... we've heard mixed reviews about this intensely Americanized colonial town, so we're looking forward to seeing it for ourselves and maybe even stopping by the new Starbucks while we're there. As a special treat our dear friend Shannon just happens to be in Guadalajara this week, so sometime on Sunday we'll be heading that way to spend a few days with her. Can't wait!

Learning to learn

2008-04-02T22:51:00.005-06:00

Megan:
I cannot say enough positive things about our experience so far in Guanajuato. As Jon already mentioned, a pleasant surprise seems to greet us at every bend in the road as we explore the city. But even more impressive are the benefits we are getting out of our language classes. The school and my motivation level have surpassed anything I had hoped for. I am finding that the better I become at communicating, the more I want to learn! I cannot picture a better scenerio than walking out of a Spanish class and being immersed in a community that speaks the language.

We have been sharing a home and two meals a day with a local family while we're here. We are enjoying the opportunity to eat delicious home cooked food, share stories and practice what we are learning each day in school. I must admit that I often have to just smile and pretend to understand what they are taking about, but Jon has gained an ability to understand of most of their stories, and I'm getting better each day. We spent our dinner last night speaking mainly in Spanish with each other. Our conversations are typically very basic and a little broken, but are becoming more natural and fluid all the time. We have enjoyed spending our afternoons finding opportunities to practice and our evenings doing our homework over a glass of wine.

With much enthusiasm, I am off to study a little before bed.
Buenas noches.

Beautiful Guanajuato

2008-03-31T23:04:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
After spending three days in this amazing place, it still seems to take our breath away every time we step out the door-- the landscape, the art, the architecture, the food-- this city has a magic to it that's almost indescribable. This morning we enrolled in the Spanish program at Escuela Mexicana, and we moved in with our host family (part of the homestay program offered through the school) both of which seem to be exactly what we were looking for. After only a few short days here we are both beaming with enthusiasm for the weeks ahead. In the meantime, I've started a new list in my journal: "Cities I could live in." I will look forward to hopefully filling that page over this next year, but for now Guanajuato is on its own at the top.

Establishing independence

2008-03-30T13:37:00.002-06:00

Megan:
I didn't think this trip was going to feel so challenging for me so quickly, but then again I knew there would be surprises. To be honest, the last two weeks have been really hard on me. Some of it has been environmental or physical (like being tied to a bed and bathroom for two and a half days straight), but the majority of it has been emotional and mental. It's interesting that once confidence in one area begins to deteriorate, it can be a bit of a snowball effect. I realized last night that I am making some things harder than they need to be because I am in a slump - I have been attracting negative outcomes because the energy going into my actions is negative.

Another element...it might sound obvious, but I am just now realising it...is that any issues Jon and I were working on in our relationship before we left are going to be magnified when all of a sudden we are with each other all the time. It's pretty easy to depend on each other when we are our only support system, but I have decided establishing more independence will be a great thing for me to work on this trip. I want to learn to express what I want and trust myself more. I will also be working on not comparing myself to the people around me so much, but instead just allowing myself to BE where ever I am.

And what better place to begin practicing this than in Spanish classes here in Guanajuato. We arrived in this colonial town yesterday morning after a daunting overnight bus trip, and could not believe our eyes. This place is even more beautiful than we had heard. It seems like the perfect backdrop for two weeks of learning about a foreign language and myself.

On the road again

2008-03-30T12:38:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Well, after a visit to a local doctor for some much better drugs, we're both on our feet again. For the time being I think we've learned our lesson about being cautious with our food-- not that we weren't being cautious before, but now I think we've stepped it up to a new level of reverence.

We've bid farewell to Mazatlan, Durango, and the Covarrubias family-- great friends for whom we are so sincerely grateful. Throughout our time with the various facets of their family we have felt so welcome and thoughtfully cared for, not to mention the fact that 2 weeks of not having to pay for lodging has left our budget in pretty sweet shape.

Thank you to all of the Covarrubias family. We'll look forward to seeing you again soon.

Is that all you´ve got, Montezuma?

2008-03-26T18:36:00.002-06:00

Jonathan:
Just kidding...really. Montezuma's revenge sucks. Regardless, we've had our first run in with this legendary travelers´ailment and lucky for us we´re getting to experience it together. After a full night of lying doubled over in our bed and alternating turns in the restroom, we're both in pretty rough shape today. We are very fortunate to be in Durango in the caring hands of our good friend Fabiola Estrella, the eldest daughter of the family we stayed with in Mazatlan last week. She has been kind enough to stock us up with the heartfelt remedies like Jello, Pedialite, soup and enough Bactrim to keep us adequately pacified for a week. Hopefully this small hitch won't derail us too much for the next few days, but it looks like we're going to have to keep our plans flexible on our way to Guanajuato.

Illness aside, our time in Durango has been very enjoyable so far. Fabiola's husband and 6-year-old son do not speak English so we've enjoyed having a little more opportunity to practice communicating. We've also discovered that Fabiola has a refreshingly contemporary view on Mexican culture and its place in the world. She has some very interesting thoughts and opinions to share, and since we got here our talks have been meaningful and enlightening. For me this kind of interaction is what this trip is about. Not surprisingly, it only fuels my desire to get our language skills to a point where we can continue to share experiences like these with people who don't speak English-- An exciting layer of depth to look forward to.

Hopefully we'll be feeling better soon. We'll keep you posted.

2008-03-22T23:50:00.001-06:00

Calmer Waters

2008-03-22T23:38:00.000-06:00

Megan:
I think there were a number of contributing factors leading up to such a rocky couple of days earlier this week. I noticed a lack of confidence in myself overall - this was partially due to the language barrier, but also because I was no longer feeling my normal avenues of support. I didn't have my typical affirmations of self worth to fall back on - a success at work; sharing my thoughts with a close friend being able to engage in a familiar routine. I realized that so many of the things we are faced with can easily become overwhelming if we aren't in the right state of mind.

I am pleased to report that we have weathered those rough days and come out in calmer waters. On Wednesday we spent the afternoon at a local orphanage, which ended being a very rewarding experience. It was wonderful to give of ourselves for the benefit of someone else. The children who live there were enthusiastic, engaged in activities and very helpful toward each other - two of the girls spent their afternoon teaching their friend how to ride a bike. Spending time with these children was just what we needed to regain our focus.

Jon and I have also decided to prioritize our language learning to help us connect in a more meaningful way with people along the way. Next week we are planning to enroll in a two week Spanish course in Guanajuato, Mexico where there are opportunities to study Spanish during the day and stay with a host family and practice speaking at night.

With rejuvenated spirits and looking forward to what lies ahead, we are preparing to depart Mazatlan on Monday.

2008-03-19T10:04:00.000-06:00

Let the self discovery begin

2008-03-19T09:55:00.004-06:00

Jonathan:
Since we arrived here in Mazatlán on Saturday morning we have been staying with our good friends Gabino and Olga Covarrubias-- long-time family friends with a beautiful home overlooking the rocky coast just south of old town (safely away from the booming hotel strip). The environment we've been living in here is breathtaking. Just yesterday we spent our afternoon stretching and exercising on their gorgeous white tile terrace as we listened to waves crash on the rocks below, and we watched the sun dropped into the Pacific-- it was amazing. In addition to our beautiful surroundings, our hosts have been wonderfully hospitable. They have included us in everything they do as if we were members of the family. We have really felt so welcome here.

Despite our plush surroundings though, I've found myself feeling surprisingly unsettled these past few days and I'm not sure why. Part of it seems to be connected to the fact that our time here has been a little aimless. We arrived here without any idea of what we wanted to do-- I'm not even sure I read what our tour book had to say about Mazatlán until yesterday. We've allowed ourselves to get ushered around, picked up, dropped off, told where to go, where not to go... in some ways it's been nice, but I think on some level it's made me feel a little helpless and out of control here. For some reason I'm letting it shake my confidence. I've noticed myself feeling more reluctant to practice my Spanish, talk to strangers, explore new places... All the things I enjoy doing when I'm feeling secure. It's weird.

On top of that, I think we have reached a point where we are craving a little more substance from our experience on this trip. The "vacation-ness" is starting to wear off, and we are both starting to look for ways to connect with people and places on a deeper level-- it's a noble cause, but the language barrier has started to feel a little constricting. It's tough to really get to know someone when all we know how to do is order drinks and ask directions. We must be making progress with our Spanish, but it doesn't always feel like it-- the learning is slow going and it's starting to feel frustrating.

This afternoon we're going to spend some time volunteering at a local orphanage-- something we set up through another friend of ours down here-- which will hopefully give our time here a different slant. In the meantime though, we've both been feeling pretty drained and irritable and we're looking forward to finding a way to rejuvenate our enthusiasm.

2008-03-13T18:36:00.001-06:00

So here's where all the tourists were hiding

2008-03-13T18:19:00.001-06:00

Jonathan:
I'm not sure we realised how isolated we had been from other Americans until we showed up in Loreto-- the multitude of extremely white legs, black socks, and "totally wasted in Mexico" T-shirts came as a bit of a shock. I guess that's what comes with the nice beaches and access to fun activities. Either way, we've been having a pretty good time in the southern Baja.

We took a snorkeling trip to Coronado Island yesterday, just off the coast of Loreto. We got to swim with a few sea lions, and we even saw a massive humpback whale from the boat while we were out there. They are such majestic creatures, but a little intimidating when you're in such a small boat! Last night we caught a bus to La Paz, and we've spent most of our day today just exploring this town... we've already stumbled upon some of Megan's design work advertising Paraiso del Mar (a project she was working on before we left).

Tomorrow night we'll catch a ferry to Mazatlan (back on the mainland) for some much needed down time with friends... and it smells like it's about time for us to do some laundry as well.

Farewell Guaymas

2008-03-08T13:13:00.001-07:00

Jonathan:
Well, after 3 days of spending time in a city we never intended to get to know, we finally have tickets for tonight's ferry to Santa Rosalia. I think the unexpected time we've spent here in Guaymas has been a great experience for both of us.

When we first arrived here it felt pretty intimidating. It was loud, busy, dark and disorienting. We couldn't find a place to eat, and every street felt like a dark alley. It took three full days of exploring to find a few spots that made this place feel a little less daunting-- the sunny plazas, the cantinas with fantastic taquitos and friendly staff, the rocky point where you can watch the sea birds catching their dinners at sunset... It turns out, this place has been wonderful.

This morning after a visit to our favorite paneria (bakery), and a trip to the nearest Oxxo for coffee (that's Mexico's 7-11) we bumped into a friend on the street, a local guy named German who we met at a bus stop our first day here. It was odd, but for a moment this place felt familiar... almost like home.

This stop has provided a pretty important experience for both of us it seems. It's helped us open ourselves up a bit, and sink into our experience a little more. So, we're heading out to the baja with our eyes and hearts a little more open than they might have been otherwise, and we have this town to thank for it. We owe you one, Guaymas.

2008-03-07T13:04:00.001-07:00

Stretching...

2008-03-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

Megan:
We seem to have a little more time than expected here in the fishing town of Guyamas as we await a ferry to the Baja that seems to run far less frequently than advertised...it has been postponed the last two nights due to rough weather. So our one day stay here has turned into three, and we thought another trip to an internet cafe might be in order.

I have been thinking a lot about how this trip is going for us so far. I am wanting to find a balance between enjoying spending time in a place, and feeling like I am really stretching myself - both for my benefit and for that of others. I think this requires connecting more with other people. We had a neat experience while mountain biking in the Copper Canyon near Creel. Jon and I took a break to enjoy some of the snacks we had brought with us and two indigenous Tarahumara girls in brightly colored dresses approached us to see if we would like to buy some of their small handwoven baskets. Instead of buying a souvenir, we offered them a few of our orange slices and a couple of cookies, and we all enjoyed the snack together. None of us could talk to each other, but this somehow felt more substantial to me than any of our other interactions. I would like to have more of these kinds of experiences...and I think continuing to work on my Spanish is a good start. We have been making an effort to do some kind of Spanish lesson every day, and so far it´s going really well. I think now that we are immersed in the language, have a lot more time on our hands and are able to see our progress daily, Jon and I are both much more motivated to learn.

I suppose we´re off now to practice our Spanish, and most likely to enjoy an afternoon Negra Modelo. Here´s hoping the ferry will be running tomorrow evening, as we´re pretty ready to have a new city to explore.

2008-03-04T18:14:00.001-07:00

Descending the Copper Canyon

2008-03-04T14:03:00.001-07:00

Jonathan:
The Copper Canyon railway turned out to be all that we had hoped. We took the train from Chihuahua to a small town called Creel, about halfway to Los Mochis (where we are now). Creel is a pretty popular stop for travelers like us, so we enjoyed sharing meals and stories with fast friends from all over the world. We spent two nights in Creel taking in the sights, and even fitting in a little mountain biking. We were surprised by how much the landscape reminded us of home, and the temperatures too-- 40 degree nights were definitely not what we expected from the northern Mexican desert.

The second leg of the Copper Canyon railway, which we completed yesterday, was breathtaking. Rocking back and forth on what we hoped were impressively sturdy rails, our train descended the near-vertical canyon walls into some of the most dramatic canyon lands either of us had ever seen. Over the course of the afternoon, we watched the sun paint the walls as our train wound its way through the gnarled canyon corridor.

After a late arrival in Los Mochis last night, we are now preparing to head up the coast to Guaymas where we will catch a ferry out the Baja for some whale-watching before we head further south.

Here we go!

2008-02-29T16:33:00.001-07:00

Jonathan:

Despite our perilous efforts to prepare for our departure ahead of time, our last week in Boulder turned out to be, let's say... frazzled. We had decided to wait to pack up our apartment until after we had gotten through our going away party last Saturday, which turned out to be a fabulous time-- so fabulous that we had to spend all of Sunday sleeping off its greatness. In the four days that followed, we managed to pack up our apartment, move everything into a 10x10 storage unit, catch the first night of the Banff Mountain Film Festival at Boulder Theater, and somehow we still had time to make it to happy hour every day to catch up with our closest friends. Wednesday night after one final run through our equipment list, we managed to get a mediocre night's sleep on the floor in our empty apartment.

Yesterday we awoke to make one last run to the storage unit to drop off a few straggling items, but not without a stop along the way to have a cup of coffee with our good friends Jason & Shannon. We wrapped up our time in Boulder at Foolish Craig's for one final meal with our families-- which includes our friends Zach & Michelle. We laughed, shared stories, cried a lot, and savored our final hugs with each other before we left. My parents and Megan's sister Molly took us down to the airport, and after one last hug and a few more tears we were off through the security line.

Fortunately we had a long enough layover in Houston that we had time to call and book a place to stay in Chihuahua last night (a small detail we had overlooked in our shuffling out the door). Once we arrived and cleared customs, we bee-lined it for the hotel and crashed.

We've spent most of today exploring the town of Chihuahua, which is way more urban than we had expected. Not urban enough to have USB ports on the computers though, so unfortunately pictures will have to wait. This morning at breakfast we learned that the Spanish word for "peas" (chícharos), and "pork rind" (chicharrón) are strikingly similar-- so we're learning to order very carefully. Overall, since we woke up this morning we've both had smiles plastered on our faces, and we are very excited and relieved to finally be on the road.

Megan:

Well, we're not in Boulder anymore. We spent our first night in Chihuahua and are experiencing the city today. So far, I have managed a few phrases in Spanish: to ask for milk for my coffee, tell our waiter the food is good and buy 2 train tickets for our trip through the Copper Canyon. So I think there is hope for me after all. You will have to excuse any typos, as I am working off of a keyboard where most of the keys have hand-written letters that have been taped back on.

Now let me back track a little to our last week in the states. It was a whirl wind of emotions. So much to do and so many goodbyes. Leaving wonderful friends, family, our comfortable way of life and everything that we have learned to call home. I appreciate the quality time that I was able to spend with so many people.The love and support that filled our apartment during our going away party last Saturday was amazing. I was able to have a very warm and emotional goodbye over the phone with my mom (I think this was around the time it was beginning to sink in what Jon and I had really signed up for). We were also able enjoy a cup of coffee our last morning with our friends Jason & Shannon, and have breakfast with our families and Zach & Michelle. The tears just kept coming, along with words of advice and laughter. I think it was a very cleansing process for me...to really feel and be engulfed by these emotions. I also noticed somewhere between Denver and Houston, the stress of trying to wrap up our whole lives began to wear off and was replaced with excitement. It is very hard for me to fathom the magnitude of what we have just embarked upon.

Well, I guess that's it

2008-02-16T19:18:00.004-07:00

Jonathan:
We are now officially unemployed. After months of anticipation and an ever present post-it countdown at my desk, we said our goodbyes and walked out the doors of our offices yesterday not to return until... well, whenever. I'm not sure the magnitude of this transition has hit me yet. We've been told that it will probably take 4-6 weeks for it to really sink in. I guess that sometime in April we'll be sitting on a beach somewhere, maybe Belize, and it will suddenly occur to the two of us that we are completely free. For now, that realization hasn't happened yet. To be honest, today has felt like any other Saturday—lazy morning, ran some errands, that sort of thing.

On some level though, I do feel like my departure from work has piqued my curiosity about the drastic personal transformation that awaits me this next year. It's hard to say how much of my sense of self is tied up in the things I do, so I find myself wondering... If I'm no longer a designer (and all the things that come with that), what am I? I guess that's the point, really. I'm looking forward to finding out.

Gearing Up

2008-01-31T12:58:00.002-07:00

2008-01-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

We've mentioned our gear a few times, so we thought we'd share a little about how it's all coming together. It's sort of a bittersweet thing at this point— deciding on which two pairs of pants to wear for a year is a tough call to make. Regardless, we're getting through those decisions and distilling our lists down to nothing more than the bare essentials. The next step is to make sure it all fits into our relatively compact backpacks. Our first attempt to fit it all in struck some serious fear in both of us, but after some trial and error we've found some pretty creative ways to smash our shoes, twist our gear, and use every corner of the bag. The good news is it looks like it's all going to fit!

Preparations

2008-01-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Megan:
A dream four years in the making and now we're down to one month before our departure. So many exciting opportunities and discoveries await – it's hard to wrap my head around it all. Saying goodbye to everyone and everything I know...except Jon and one medium-sized backpack. What a powerful way to begin our lives together.

We've been making lists, packing and re-packing, finding homes for all of our plants and prioritizing spending time with friends. I feel so supported, and yet challenged to be more independent and self-reliant than ever before.

I wouldn't describe it as fear... exactly

2008-01-14T20:50:00.001-07:00

Jonathan:
The dawn of 2008 has brought with it yet another level of reality as our departure date approaches. It's been interesting for Megan and I to observe ourselves through our preparations to leave. I think we always knew we might develop some fear around leaving. I (for one) expected my apprehensions to be about the significant challenges we might encounter on our trip— the language barrier, learning to take care of ourselves and find strength without a home base, learning to share everything... absolutely everything. But surprisingly, if anything I feel over-prepared. It feels like we've meticulously addressed every minute thought, concern, idea and prediction that's popped into our heads over the past several months. If we haven't taken care of it yet, rest assured it's on a list somewhere.

It is not the trip itself that's got me thinking. Instead I find myself wondering if I am prepared to accept the people we might be when we return. I've developed a level of comfort with our way of life here—our jobs, our friends, the things we do for fun. It's unnerving to think all that might change.

I suppose we could look at it as a cleansing process. The things we choose to reintroduce on the other side will be those whose importance has stayed with us through a full year of intense growth, brutal honesty, and being stripped down to our core. These will be the things closest to our hearts.

Still, there is a faint sense of sadness in reflecting on our lives as we know them— wondering what will be here waiting for us when we return; and what will fit neatly into our memories of those lives we used to lead.

This trip is starting to feel real...

2007-11-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jonathan:
It is now just over 3 months before we embark on what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime. We have been planning this trip for so long, I think we have gotten used to the idea of its being just a plan... a distant plan. Now that it's almost upon us, it feels strange to have a checklist of things to do before we leave— before we leave our jobs, our friends, our home, our lives as we know them. What can we really do to prepare for that kind of a departure? We've been working hard on our Spanish, and our equipment lists are becoming more solid and refined each day, but somehow we both find ourselves wondering if we are really going to be ready. The anticipation is intense. We can hardly wait.