CAMPIONES!!!!

I have spent the last two days in Barranquilla with Juanky (aka Papauchi), Cesar, Edgar and all their crazy and welcoming friends: William, Mario, Fabio, Yolima, Taty y mas!! I had to come back to Barranquilla to hang out with them-they are hysterical and so much fun!!

From South America

They had their championship soccer game on Saturday night and they put the other team to shame with a score of 4-0. I don`t know a lot about soccer but it was very fun to watch and there was very vocal and active participation from the fans. Papauchi`s mother kept screaming, "Tiralo el gordito" (take the fat player out of the game) to a player on the other team. Everyone was screaming at the players and carrying on.

From South America

The guys were all so excited after the game and we started drinking the liter of aguardiente, a belated birthday present for Papauchi, in the parking lot outside the stadium. The party continued on the guys` street. Cumbia, salsa, champeta, porro, vallenato y mas. Lots of dancing and laughing on the block until around 3AM, when it started to torrentially rain. We moved the party inside and I was up until 5:30 or so dancing with Papauchi, Cesar and Fabio.

From South America

When I woke up at 10:30 the next morning, all the guys were outside of Papauchi`s house starting round two. I got a huge round of applause from all the crazies as I came out of the house. We eventually had to move the party back to the street because of a noise complaint and a visit from the local police. We hung out all day outside laughing and joking around.

I am feeling pretty good today despite the two days of fiestas but the guys are hurting this morning (they dont know how to pace themselves). Papauchi and Cesar helped me arrange my bus ticket to Bogota this afternoon at 4PM. They will take me to the terminal later on in the day.

I have had such a great time with these guys. They have made me feel so welcome, have really taken care of me and have showed me a wonderful time. Even their families have been so kind and generous. They opened up their homes to me and I will be forever grateful. Cesar and Papauchi plan on coming to NYC at the end of this year and I have been insisting that my home is their home and they have to stay with me. However, in all honesty, I think some of the guys` friends who are ladies will be happy to see La Gringa go- they have been pretty cold with me and they just keep asking me when I am going to leave. But a few have been really friendly to me, like Taty, Laura and Yolima.

Well, the gringa takes off today for Bogota.

Besos
Barranquilla te quiero mucho!!

2 Free Nights in a Luxury Hotel. WTF?!?

Isla Grande, Islas De Rosario, Colombia:

Free accomodations, drinks, food, kayaking, banana-boating...
Great company
Swimming in phosphorescent lagoons
Room Service
Sun
Fun
Tranquila

Some stories need to be told in person.

Going out dancing tonight in Cartagena with my new friends from Isla Grande

Besos,
Mamauchi

And did I mention I got another marriage proposal?

My Colombian name is Mamauchi

Went to Tayrona National Park 2 days ago. I met a friendly family from Bogota on the micro (small public bus) that took us from the entrance of the park to the start of the hike. The National Park is a string of beautiful beaches that is accessible by hiking through the jungle. I walked through the jungle with Sonia Esperanza, the mother, and her 20 year old son Juan David. Juan David and I swam in the Caribbean Ocean and Sonia was very maternal with me.

From South America

I stupidly brought my hefty back pack so it was a strenuous and exhausting 3 hour hike to the pristine beach Cabo San Juan de La Guia. It was at the beachs camping site that a group of 4 Colombians invited me to join them to drink some agardiente, a popular anis-flavored spirit. We hung out on the beach and I learned how to dance vallenato. They are a funny group and really made me feel welcome. They gave me a spot in their tent so I did not have to sleep in my rented hammock, which is a mosquitos paradise. One of them drunkenly proposed to me before he passed out (he has since retracted the invitation).

From South America

Yesterday, they invited me to their hometown on Baranquilla, an industrial port city and the fourth largest in Colombia. The hike back to their car was much less difficult as the guys insisted on carrying my 10 kilo back pack for me. Ah chivalry! After stopping by one of their parents summer homes in Santa Marta to shower and have lunch after Tayrona, we arrived in Baranquilla around 6:30. I met Cesar and Edgars family, as well as Juan Carlos. We ate Colombian fast food then went to a salsa club. They gave me the nickname Mamauchi. We drank a lot of aguardiente and stayed up late, laughing, dancing and carrying on.

From South America

I stayed at Andres apartment last night, which is a typical bachelor pad- he does not like to clean. Today the guys are going to show me around the city before I head to Cartagena. They have been wonderful hosts. As I am writing, Andres is preparing a big breakfast.

I Love Colombia!!

From South America

Quito for 12 Hours

Flor picked me up at the airport and gave me an unbelievably comfortable bed to sleep in. We stayed up late chatting and laughing before we both passed out, exhausted from our long day.

From South America

In the morning, I walked all over the Old Town. Quito is a beautiful city. Although, there is a noticeable amount of pollution. Surrounded by mountains with colorful homes scattered on the crests, it is the second highest city in the world. It took a lot out of me to climb up the hills. The Quitenos are also very friendly. Maybe the friendliest I have encountered so far in South America. I had a 20 minute conversation with the couple who owned the juice stand by the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. Looking forward to returning some day.

From South America

Living it Up in Lima

After a 26-hour bus ride that was supposed to take 18 hours, I finally arrived in Lima, Peru at 9PM this evening. I was actually 35 hours in transit as I started my journey from Copacabana, Bolivia earlier that day at 1PM! Considering how long I was on the bus, the ride was pretty pleasant. There was an adorable 2 year old child that I played football with. Everytime he kicked the ball, he yelled GOAL!!! I sat next to a Colombian man who I at first abhorred because he snored through the night. But Edwin turned out to be quite pleasant and invited me to dinner with his friends when I visit Bogota. I read and wrote a lot and watched the film The Mechanic for the second time on this trip. I ate lunch with an Argentine named Javier who has lived all over South America, Europe and in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. I have a tentative plan to have lunch with him tomorrow. He lived in Lima for a few years and suggested we go to his favorite Chinese restaurant in Lima tomorrow afteroon.

From South America

As for my one evening in Peru, not on a bus that is, I have treated myself to a night at the Gran Hotel Bolivar, a colonial style luxury hotel in Plaza San Martin, right in the heart of Central Lima (Remember when we stayed there, Dad, and my eye puffed up and you almost made me leave South America early?). As they had no more single rooms available, I was upgraded to a matrimonial suite. I have a huge living room, an equally enormous bathroom, a comfortable queen sized bed, hot water and cable TV. Also- there is a balcony that overlooks the Plaza. Quite luxurious for $65. This is my hotel splurge of the trip. After I finish using the free internet in the lobby, I am going to take a long hot shower and fall asleep watching a movie. I can´t remember the last time I had a really hot shower. Or a TV. Or a quiet and clean room. Or stayed by myself.

Plan to walk around Central Lima tomorrow before I catch my flight to Quito tomorrow night at 9:46PM. Plan to see my sisters friend during my 13 hour layover in Quito.

From the drive into Lima, the city seems to have alreay made significant changes in the last four years, the last time I was here. It has a municipal bus system. The Plaza San Martin is much more developed with high-end chain stores, a more modern movie theatre and many more neon lights.

From South America

Challa Beach, Bolivia

From South America

Chad and I just spent two amazing days at Challa Beach on La Isla Del Sol in Bolivia. We stayed in a quiet guesthouse that we heard about from a Brazilian guy named Daniel we met in Copacabana. We told him we would see him there the following day and ran into him on the ferry to the island. We all walked to the tranquil and beautiful beach that was away from the tourist trail. The owners, Jorge, Nelson and Maria were so friendly and helpful. I loved playing with Nelson and Maria´s precious 1 year old daughter named Cielo. Nelson was a great cook and I was well-fed each meal. We ended each evening playing cards, drinking wine and having amazing conversations until the wee hours of the morning.

We swam in the spiritually purifying Lago de Titicaca, the world´s highest lake.
We rented a row boat and explored the neighboring capes and coves.
We had lots of table quizzes- long story.
We hiked up to the nearest vantage point to watch the sunset.
I made a great new friend, Daniel.
I read, laughed, had my palm read and created wonderful memories.

Tomorrow I will cross the border into Peru and take a 24 hour bus to Lima so I can catch my flight to Santa Marta, Colombia.

The chapter of traveling with friends closes tonight. Having dinner with Chad and El Cactus and I begin the next chapter, traveling by myself, tomorrow. A little nervous but extremely excited!!

Besos

Biking Down The World´s Most Dangerous Road

From South America

Yesterday I biked 65 km down the world´s most dangerous road. We started in La Cumbre at 8AM at 4,700 m. Over the next few hours, I descended over 3,600m to the town of Yolosa. The second half of the journey was on a narrow, one-lane gravel road that had some pretty sharp turns. Amazing ride. A real adrenaline rush and made it back in one piece.

Cooking Dinners and Falling Down Stairs

From South America

Today I fell down an entire flight of stairs in the La Casa de La Libertad, a well preserved 17th Century colonial building where Bolivian independence was declared. Below is a photo of the lovely staircase. Fortunately, the only injuries I sustained were a bump on my head, which I have been icing diligently, and a cut on my right hip. I am so lucky that I was not more hurt!!
While I was icing in the kitchen today (see photo above), El Cactus prepared lunch for me.

From South America

Chad, El Cactus and I have been enjoying Sucre. We spent yesterday wandering around the city, visiting churches, dancing to marching bands practices, trying all the street food we see and trying to find the cheapest place to stay. Last night, Chad left for Cochabamba and I will join him tomorrow night.

I have been cooking a lot the last few days. It is great to be back in the kitchen and, if my mom saw me, she would say I was being a happy little homemaker.

Treating myself to a fancy dinner tonight as a result of my injury. Always good to have an excuse to treat yourself. Meeting El Menscho for dinner.

So Long Los Gauchos

The original three have now gone their separate ways. We had a great final night by watching the Copa America match between Bolivia and Costa Rica. We viewed the match at Bolvian bar with several jars of ¨Limonada¨, lemonade with Bolivian fire water. We were joined by the fourth Gaucho, who arrived to Potosi yesterday morning.

Big hugs, some kisses too (none for Chad- he doesn´t like kisses from friends).

Tonight I am cooking a vegetarian feast. Will head to Sucre tomorrow morning and will have lunch with Chad and El Menscho Magico.

Potosi´s Working Mines

From South America Random

Since the 16th Century, Bolivianos have been working in the Cerro Rico, ¨The Rich Mountian¨ in Potosi in search of precious metals, such as silver and tin. Today we took a tour of a cooperative mine and climbed through the narrow passageways to see the work of the miners, to understand the hardships of the work and to learn about the history of this city´s desire for economic prosperity. After just spending an hour and a half in the mine, climbing on all fours at around 4200m above sea level, seeing the backbreaking work of the laborers and hearing their stories, there are clear injustices within the mining communities that exist here. It paints a bleak picture of the mining industry around the world and sadly there do not seem to be any real potential solutions in sight. Geologists estimate that the Cerro Rico has about 80-100 years until it is tapped of its resources. Miners continue to probe the mountain with dynamite in search of a profitable rock while they are inhaling toxic fumes, working in extremely hot regions and lacking proper safety equipment and health insurance.

From South America Random

What planet are we on?

In the last four days, I have seen some of the most beautiful sights located in a teeny, tiny corner of the world: red lagoons, green lagoons, cacti, geysers, volcanoes, ghost towns, petrified rock formations, llamas, vicuñas, desert, thermal baths, flamingos, snow-capped mountains, chincillas and THE SALT FLATS! A lot of time in the car and too much wind but it was definitely worth it! Our guide Fidel and cook Carmen were amazing and I will definitely miss them!!

From South America Random

We slept at 4800m, got altitude sickness, appreciated the night sky and I got my hair cut by an awesome Scottish backpacker last night before I went to sleep.

From South America Random

Today at the Salar de Uyuni, the world´s largest salt flats, I sat on top of our jeep as it drove through the seemingly endless white expanse. We took great pictures and have checked into the only hotel in Uyuni that has heat. We are cold and wet and ready to have a good night´s sleep at a normal altitude. We had a great addition to our group on the four-day trip: a cool Aussie named Tim (El Menscho Magico) who brought humor and rock-climbing knowledge to the group, among many other things.

From South America Random

We are celebrating the 4th of July in style by heading to the local pizza restaurant that is run by an Amherst alum- no joke!

From South America Random

Our plan is to head to Potosi but we are not sure if we are going to be able to leave this dingy, cold and run-down tourist town because it is snowing and the buses are not running. Hmmm....

From South America Random

ESTAMOS EN BOLIVIA

Have just arrived in Tupiza, known as the American Wild West of Bolivia. This region was the setting for the final scene of ¨Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid¨. Home to the Cordilleras de Chichas (Chichas Mountains), this small dusty town is surrounded by a picturesque landscape of canyons, painted hills and cacti-filled valleys. The Bolivianos are more indigenous-looking, wear traditional altiplano dress and are more humble than the average Argentine. And it´s cheap, cheap, cheap. Tomorrow we are going on a 3-hour horseback riding trip through the region and set off on Friday morning for a 4-day tour of the southwest region.

From South America Random

Some highlights over the last few days:
-Saw the mummified body of an Incan child who was sacrificed to the gods at the museum MAAM in Salta, Argentina. Disturbing yet intriguing.
-Trekked through the Hills of Seven Colors in Purmamarca, Argentina and had a great 3-hour talk with El Cactus Bailarin on a hilltop about anything and everything.

From South America Random

-Tried llama meat in Tilcara, Argentina. Pretty delicious actually.
-Dealt with bureaucratic inefficiency today when we tried to cross the border into Bolivia. The Argentine side had an unnecessarily long line to receive our exit stamp (over an hour). The Bolivian side was more efficient but did not ask for any of the 8 ¨required¨ documents needed to cross the border.

El Cactus is gone- it was great to have his company but Los Gauchos don´t cross borders with strangers. Bolivia is very exciting and am looking forward to the last 2/3 of the trip.


Besos!!

Lazy Sunday in Salta

Spent the day relaxing and taking care of errands. Needed a chill day after enjoying a real Argentine night out with the boys and the newest addition to our group, Fede, who will now be referred to on the blog by his nickname which is El Cactus Bailarin (the dancing cactus). He will be joining Los Gauchos until he gets sick and tired of us, which might be soon.

Also, FYI, El Gringo Loco will now be called by his newest, less generic and more appropriate nickname, El Pollito Sin Cabeza (The Chicken without a Head). Chad gets two thumbs up for for the two aformentioned names. One thumb up to me for translating the names into Castellano.



We had quite an evening last night. We went to a peña, a folkloric dance show, in the happening part of town. The performers danced different regional dances in traditional costumes and, true to form, Pollito was the star of the evening. He was selected out of the crowd to dance with one of the beautiful performers and had the entire audience eating out of his hand for the rest of the night. Very comical and he had Los Gauchos in hysterics the entire evening. Pollito and I tore up the dance floor-we got a standing ovation at the end of our dance. After the ovation, the MC told the audience that ¨we danced like we were on 600 mm of Rivotril¨(according to Wikipedia, it is a common prescription for epilepsy, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, mania and restless legs syndrome, among other things). Don´t think it was a compliment but we had fun!!! El Cactus received the adjective in his nickname (bailarin) after impressively dancing to some Cumbia. We had a great time dancing to his favorite songs. Chad eventually got on the dance floor after a few Salta beers and charmed a 60-plus woman with his fiery rhythm and moves. We ate an amazing parrilla but there is a severe lack of vegetables in this country.



Went to a live music show and enjoyed some Fernets with Coke. Fernet is a bitter and aromatic spirit made with herbs and spices. Pollito was the band´s most spirited groupie and we all chatted it up with the band after the show. Pollito and I split a choripan at the end of the night after we resolved a brief lover´s quarrel. We hugged it out!

Great fun had by all. One of the highlights of the trip so far.

Tomorrow morning at 6:30AM we will head to Pumamarca, farther north and on our way to Bolivia. It will probably be our last stop before we cross the border. Argentina is AMAZING!!

Besos,
La Princesa Magica

Hikes, Wine Country and Lots of Maté

Tafi del Valle was so picturesque. A small rural mountain village inhabited by indigenous people. One day, we hired a 14 year-old boy named Pancho to guide us to the waterfalls, Cascada Rio de Los Alissos. We hiked up to about 3000 meters to see the 60 meter drop from two rock faces. It was covered in ice and when Chad climbed closer to get a look, a big sheet of ice fell from the top of the falls and shattered pretty close to his head. Terrifying but funny after we saw he was okay. The hike was certainly made more difficult by the altitude. It was in Tafí that we picked up an extra travel buddy, Fedé, a porteño (from Buenos Aires). He is chill, nice and funny, but his sense of humor is a little inappropriate for my taste. The guys seems to enjoy his potty humor, however. He is still traveling with us but I think we will part ways after Salta. We shall see.



Since Tafi, we have pased our time in Cafayate, Argentina´s second biggest wine town after Mendoza. Gringo went for a 50 km bike ride yesterday while Chad, Fedé and I walked through the hillside and visited a few bodegas. Being in wine country brought me joy and it was great to taste some wine and learn more about the wine-making process. Fedé cooked us dinner last night-delicioso.


Today we are in Salta- not much to do here but the main square is full of beautiful 19th Century buildings. I was Gringo´s arm candy today while he played the slots. We ate empanadas and tamales for lunch. We will probably go to a boliche (dance club) tonight after we eat at a parrilla (grill house). Not sure where we will head next but spontaneous nature of this trip is exhilirating.

The trip is awesome. We all travel really well together and we have nicknamed ourselves Los Gauchos (the cowboys).

Besos
Teeny

La Empresa Almirante Brown = Caca

Chad and I had a mediocre bus ride last night with Almirate Brown. The bus was an hour late and I was running around like a crazy person trying to figure out when it was leaving. The bus terminal did not have any information and the bus company´s ticket office was closed. It was stressful. We finally got on and we were seated right in front of the bathroom, which was quite unpleasant. Äs Chad said on the ride, ¨That is a rich aroma¨.



Arrived in Tucuman at 2 and are staying in a beautiful 100-year old house in the center of the city. Tucuman was where Argentine independence was declared. The Plaza de Independencia is full of old colonial buildings and, of course, protestors. El gringo arrives this evening and we plan to go paragliding tomorrow. plan to watch the Copa de Libertador tonight. Then off to Tafi de Valle for some hiking in the mountains.

Besos,
Teeny

Ideas, Quotes and Happenings from La Rio de Plata

Chad is concerned about the world-wide depletion of fisheries.
La vida es buena.

From a soft-spoken Texan-raised expat who currently lives in Colonia, Uruguay:¨If God saw fit to put cannabis on this earth, no man or government has the right to say that I cannot smoke it¨ His life´s dream is to start the ¨New Jerusalem¨ and he believes that the government is ¨the beast¨.

From Jhon, a Colombian I met at the hostel, who spoke to me about visiting his home country: ¨el unico riesgo es que te quieras quedar.¨ (The only risk is that you will want to stay)

Argentine slang: ¨Ay, Manzana¨ (Literal Translation: Oh, Apple. Slang Translation: DUH)



Fui a boliche hasta las 6 con tres porteños y un colombiano. Bailé, bailé, bailé. Ordenamós cervezas del litro alli y no usamos vasos. Muy divertido. Had to change rooms because of a hairy fifty-something year old snoring man in my dorm room. Took a ferry to Buenos Aires in the AM. Lunch, cafe and laughs with Julieta and Maruja. Tonight going to a dinner party at Laura´s house. She is a friend of Vero´s. Tomorrow is flag day, a national holiday- I will go to the feria in San Telmo with Julieta before we hop on a 18-hour bus ride to Tucuman to meet up with Gringo. Julieta said we will get off the bus with ¨really fat asses¨ because they serve so much food on the trip.

Los Montevideanos

Perdón mi español. Estoy practicando. Hace 4 años desde que he practicado esta idioma. Si quieres corrigirme, apreciaré.

From Uruguay

Los Montevideanos son amables, humildes y tranquilos. Ayer una mujer que me encontré en el aeropuerto vino a mi hostel y nos tomo Chad y yo a desayunar. Tomamos cafe y cookies de avena. Anna nos mostró un parque grande y el estadio nacional antes que ella salió para la casa de su familia en Paysandu.

From Uruguay

Despues desyauno, Chad y yo caminamos por el ciudad para 7 horas. Caminamos cerca del mar, en el ciudad vieja y el los barrios adinerados. Mi piernas ahora estan cansadas y dolorosas. En la noche, cocinamos guiso de lentejas con Uruguaysos que nos encontramos en el hostal. Tomamos mucho vino mendocino, reímos y repulsé suavemente los insinuaciones de un chico de diez y ocho años que a mi me gusta. Ay dios mio!! No se que este chico estuvo pensando. No soy una puma. Haha. Pero dormí muy bien.

From Uruguay

Ahora no soy vegetariana porque no quiero solamente comer ensalada, pasta y pizza para dos meses. Me encanta las parrilladas mucho per hoy compré verduras en la verdureria porque echo de menos vegetales.

La vida es buena aqui. Mañana vamos por Colonia, un barrio historico.

Ciao y besitos!!

Safe!

From Uruguay

Just arrived at my hostel in Montevideo. About to start a day of sightseeing. Chadś flight was rerouted to El Salvador due to the volcanic eruption that seemed to have disturbed everyoneś flight plans except for mine. So I am flying solo today until he arrives tomorrow morning. Have already met some really friendly and helpful Uruguayans. Life is good.

Besitos,
Teeny

Click on the photo above to see the pictures from my first day.

El Gringo Loco, Teeny S.Erickson and Chad Bloma do South America!!

I leave for the airport in 45 minutes. Hopefully, my flight is not delayed due to the volcano eruption in Chile, where I have a layover. Traveling always brings new surprises!

My traveling companions and I have come up with code names for ourselves during this trip and that is how we will all be referred to on this blog. You can probably guess who is who. Chad gave El Gringo Loco his name yesterday on a 3-way conference call. Pretty appropriate. For all the non-Spanish speakers, it means the "Crazy White Man". Chad Bloma's name is an anagram of his own. And mine, Teeny S. Erickson, has a funny back story. This past Sunday morning when I was doing my best to try to fall asleep after staying up all night partying and enjoying my 5-year college reunion, I got 2 voicemails at 7 AM from Vinnie Guiadillo, this guy with a heavy Brooklyn accent saying, "Teeny Erickson, I's outside yo house ta doo the wurk tuday. 768 Fulton. Puleez come let me in." After I called the gentleman back explaining that he had the wrong number and that I did not live at that address, he keep asking, "Are you sure this ain't Teeny?" At which point I realized this guy had given me the best code name is history!! So that is the backs tory behind my code name. The middle initial S stands for Sassafras, my alter ego when I dressed up like an elf for SantaCon a few winters ago.

Well, this is Teeny S. Erickson signing off until I arrive in South America.
I will miss you all!!!

Packing List

I pack light. The photo above is all I am bringing on my 52-day trip in South America.

Many people have asked me how I pack for lengthy trips (lengthy meaning one month plus). I try to bring as little as possible because I can get anything I need there and it is more fun to bring back clothing from abroad.

Not the most interesting post but just wanted to put my packing list out there. With this being my 5th backpacking trip, I feel pretty confident that I bring just as much as I need but am not lugging around anything that is unnecessary. With over 61 weeks of backpacking experience, I feel like a packing expert at this point. Hopefully this can be useful for people who are not sure how much or what to pack. Keep in mind that this list is all-weather appropriate as I will be traveling in Uruguay and Argentina during their winter and Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, which will be warmer because they are father north and closer to the equator. Also, it is worth noting that I mail back completed journals, read books, presents or clothing that is no longer weather appropriate throughout the trip to keep my bag as light and small as possible. Lastly, this list was pretty much the exact same for my 10-month trip except I had 3 pairs of pants instead of 1, no winter clothes and no drawing tablet.

CLOTHES

3 shirts: 2 shirts and 1 long sleeve shirt
1 pair of long pants
3 pairs of travel underwear (quick-dry and sweat resistant. dries in a few hours after you wash your clothes in the sink)
2 pairs of socks
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of sneakers
2 bras and 1 sports bra
1 sweatshirt
1 light raincoat/windbreaker
1 set of pajamas
1 travel towel (another worthy investment. dries in a few hours)
1 shawl (to cover my shoulders in churches or use as a wrap)
1 belt
1 small day bag


FIRST AID

bandaids
sunscreen (with either zinc dioxide or titanium dioxide. i don't mess around)
insect repellent with deet
earplugs
pepto bismol
iodine tablets (to purify water)
neosporin
lip balm
2nd skin (for blisters from walking)
aleve

TOILETRIES
(everything is travel size. I can get everything I need there. Why bother with the extra weight?)

Dr. Bronner's (all-purpose soap to use as shampoo, body wash and laundry detergent. can even be used as toothpaste)
deodorant
razor
toothbrush
toothpaste
conditioner
comb

IN MY MONEY BELT

credit card/debit card
100 dollars in cash for an emergency
a $100 travelers check
passport
good luck charm from my grandmother
International Immunization Record

THE REST

Camera
Camera charger
camera memory card
thumb drive (to have a place to back-up my photos)
swiss army knife
book to read for pleasure (always set in the country I am traveling)
travel book
sunglasses
watch
flashlight (to read in the dorms at night)
journal and pens
drawing tablet and drawing pencil
plastic bag (to put wet articles of clothing)
a few ziploc baggies

South America, here I come!!

About a year later, the travel bug has bitten me again. Just booked my tickets to South America and I could not be more excited!! It's going to be another fun adventure but with a different cast of characters this time. I am traveling with 2 of my close friends from college for about 4 weeks and then spending 3 weeks traveling by myself. This will be my first foray into solo traveling and I am looking forward to this new challenge.

There is a lot to do in the next week:

Tuesday: renew my passport, math department meeting, report writing, organizing a year's worth of self-created worksheets and materials

Wednesday: full faculty meeting, more report writing, packing for the trip and moving out of my apt

Thursday-Sunday: Williamstown!!

Monday: last minute errands before my trip

Tuesday: Sayonara USA!