All Jokes Aside

Traveling is hard and I've only been doing it for a day.

Theres something absolutely terrifying about waking up in a strange place where you dont speak the language and where everyone looks at you like youre an alien. I woke up yesterday in Peru and looked at my lime green hostel walls and asked myself "what the fuck am I doing!".

Fast forward an hour to me in a cafe, trying to force down a sandwich while fighting the nausea of knowing I gave up a great job, a great apartment, great friends, and a comfortable bed to travel in smelly buses and sleep in hostels that more resemble a rave than a place to catch a nice nights sleep.

Its enough to make you sick.

This is my life. For the next year and hopefully when I'm done I'll realize that the comforts of home were really the things making me sick.

Being scared is fucking awesome.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone is completely terrifying.
You should try it sometime.

Holy shit. Here we go.

Glow sticks and ear plugs.

Lets play a little word association here.

I say hostel.

You say (if you're the blonde I talked to for far too long at our LA going away party): Hostels? Aren't those for like homless people?

Then I would say: No i think those are called shelters, but close.

Then on your second guess (assuming I gave you one) you said: Oh HOSTELS...you mean the places where Swedish guys like to blast techno music ALL FUCKING NIGHT LONG at volume levels that would make dead ravers twirl their dusty glowsticks...then yes my friend you would have answered correctly.

Theres a reason stereo types exist children, because theyre true.

Failure to Launch

Plane ticket - check

Vaccinations - check

Cool new digi camera - check

Countless going away parties - check

Passports, clothes, travel books, backpack, prescriptions, power converters, check book, travel towel and basically everything a person would need to survive a year traveling around the world- LOST.

Thanks to the folks at Virgin America.

(Until we have our bags in hand I'm placing the blame solely on them... It's your move Mr. Branson)

Anyone see my meth / extra tank tops?

Funny thing happened on the way to our storage unit.

Turns out the unit next to ours (seperated by a piece of plywood) is / was a meth lab and we might be part of the reason it no longer is.

We went to the unit a few days ago to drop off some more stuff, and noticed some condensation collecting on the ceiling. Using the detective powers I developed through years of watching COPS, I immediately figured out that the condensation had to be from a near by meth lab and/or a leak in the ceiling.

We go back today and the unit is covered in letters from the DEA and local police. The unit has been siezed due to the overflowing amounts of meth found inside! And it was siezed 1 day after we noticed the condensation.

A fucking meth lab! How awesome is that!

I have since deputized myself and bought a cowboy hat and gun. I am the law now.

To my dissapointment..Brazil looks alot like Beverly Hills

Heres a fun fact. When youre at a country's consulate you are technically in that country. So in a way, bums can travel the world for free.

Hooray for international bums!

Sorry if my underwear stinks...

I'm only packing enough for 5 days. HAHAHAHAHA!

For the next 365 days I will be living out of the 65 liters on my back.

In it?

2 pair of jeans

3 t shirts

1 polo (popped collar and all)

1 dress shirt

2 pair of shorts

1 bathing suit

6 pairs of socks (extra short thanks to Cam. He told me my somewhat short socks looked stupid)

1 pair of convertable pants

1 set of pajama pants

annnnnd...a whole lot of deodorant...for Sabrina...she can get pretty ripe.