I always start with the best of intentions to write a summary of my travels once I'm home. Something about the return to the familiar surroundings of reality usually squishes any creative impulse left in me to write; its as if the inspiration created by the constantly new stimuli fades away leaving nothing but...despair. Yes. The culture shock of coming home is bad. All who have traveled for an extensive period of time are aware of this. Well. Let me tell you: it is made eve

I am sitting in an Internet cafe in Alajuela , a tiny town north of San Jose that is just a five minute cab ride from the International Airport. At 8am tomorrow, I will board the first of three planes bound for Seattle. What an incredible journey and experience it has been. I plan to write an epilogue of sorts when I get home (I'm sure I'll have more perspective then too!) but for now, here is the last week of my time in the beautiful country of Panama . I last left you

I have changed my flight yet again...for the last time, I think! I fly home on June 4 th and am very very sad that my journey is coming to an end. It has been an incredible trip that interestingly has improved as the weeks went by...I feel like I am finally in the groove of travelling, and alas, it is time to return to reality and look for work. Sob. I last left you on my return from the top of the world after my climb up Huayna Potosi . I spent the next two days in La P