Holy Moly.

PACKED!

35lbs.

Water purification filter.

Survival book.

A Gem. (literally)

Bungee cord.

Journal.

iPod.

Pink Sunglasses.

And a few clothes.

What else could anyone need?

In Dallas. Flying out on Sunday afternoon. Booked the ticket with frequent flyer miles, looks like a stop over in Fort Lauderdale is needed to make the trip more interesting.

First night is still up in the air (risking a little doesn't hurt anyone.)

Took two self defense classes and haven't watched the movie 'Taken' (sorry Ang, just couldn't do it.)

Nephews can't seem to grasp that Costa Rica isn't by Iowa and the farm.

Been warming up the Espanol skills with my cousins. Puedes Ayudarme?

Como se dice____wow!?

Bed now. Family bonding tomorrow. Stay awesome.

Favorite things of today: llama's, chocolate chip cookies, Brett+Zach, networking, Colorado kayakers and my friend Anna.

Wise words shared....

A friend recently shared this with me....

"Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way to the answer."

After starting 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson, I wonder why we don't all live the questions now.

Question of the day, what are you passionate about?

Start wearing purple and forward 2.....

RAFT THE GORGE IN COLORADO.............

That's all that needs to be said about that!

The incredibleness of Colorado struck again.....hiking, rafting and mtn biking with some great people. Add in sharing a 1 1/2 person tent between 3 adults, waterfalls, pizza with cream cheese, live music, fireworks from a mtn, sunrises/sunsets and fried pickles in Paxton, NE. ENOUGH SAID!

Enjoy the photos - that was a sunset, not forest fire!

And do yourself a favor - listen to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_81l4DXlwM

Sometimes its more fun not always being sure.....

Radio: "If you are on I-90 right now proceed with caution, tornadoes are touching down everywhere"

If you ever hear this, just keep going. If you don't fly away, your life will be changed.

Saw 3 funnel clouds on Sunday driving between Blue Earth and Alden, MN. Two of those touched down for brief seconds. I watched in awe from sheets of rain, dropped pressure and a hummer (too much to explain.) Tried to pull off the road to get out of the storms path but instead made my way directly into it. Parked once to watch the insanity only to look up and see green skies above circling....at this moment I almost peed my pants (not joking, the feeling you get when you were a kid playing hide and go seek then added with a heap of adrenaline.)

After a few not happy waves from on-coming state patrol on the one way gravel road, I made my way out of the tornadoes vortex to a hill to watch from a distance. Wondering if this certifies someone as a 'storm chaser?'

Check that one off the list!

"Are you crazy.....?"

Crazy...Yes! Simply put.

You may have heard, I'm taking life by the wiiings and flying south. Costa Rica is the first of many destinations in Central and South America during my unplanned year excursion.

Why?
-To become fluent in Spanish (Rosetta Stone just wasn't going to cut it)
-Immerse myself in other cultures
-to experience and live in the unknown!

My goal is to update this as much as possible. Especially for the sanity of my family and a few friends. Feel free to contact me through this or via email.

Tentatively thinking that I'll leave the US mid-July. Between now and then I'll be a frequent Craigslist seller and doing a little traveling in the US.