hello again, you!

Right now.

That's my goal for living. As much as it may pain my friends and family (Cain Anne admits to losing sleep over my lack of a retirement account, and I love her even more for it), it's my way of life.

My five fabulous readers, I'm so happy to have you back. Let me tell you where I've been.

I said "hasta luego" to you in March of 2013 after I had returned back to the states from Thailand. I was teaching English and journalism at a small school in Alabama for the rest of that spring semester. During the summer, I traveled around visiting friends and family whom I'd missed the previous year. I got my bridesmaid on for two of my best friends' weddings, and later on that year, two more would get engaged. It was a good year for love.

However, not everything was rainbows and butterflies. I had no idea what to do with myself after Thailand. I was at a loss about what to do career-wise, having applied for what seemed like thousands of jobs (27 I think it was?) and hearing back from none (ok 3, but still). So I accepted a position as a personal assistant to some hot shot doctor in NYC. I'd always promised myself I'd live there one day, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Long story short, the concrete jungle nor my uppity boss were what my dreams were made of, and I left (right after waving to Jimmy Fallon and the Roots as their float passed me in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade). I came home, loved on my family, and wiped the drawing board clean once more.

2014 more than made up for anything the last lacked. I spent most of January throwing snowballs through Colorado, exploring and hiking around all of Utah's national parks, testing out the waters of Idaho's hot springs, and adding to my library from a used book store in Wyoming's capital. I fell so hard and fast for the beauty of the West that I loaded my car up and moved there in February. I skied, I ran, I hiked, I ate, I drank, I hiked more so I could eat and drink more, and I was madly in love with it all. I had plans to backpack through South America, but they were postponed twice because I was living so intensely in Denver. However, Peru, Argentina, and Chilé's calls to me were growing too loud to ignore, and as it had been a while since an adventure, I booked the ticket.

I learned two phrases from my Spanish 1 class in high school.
     1. No hablo Español.
     2. Puedo ir al baño? (Learning this phrase was essential to escaping class, which I did every    
         chance I got, which is why I know only these two phrases)

I am proud to say that both have come in handy during the 16 days I've been here so far. The rest of my Spanish vocabulary is slowly but surely (but more slowly than surely) coming along.

I've reached the point of now. How do I begin to explain what I've seen so far? The problem is that nothing seems important enough to tell, yet nothing is too meaningless to leave out. I wish I could've fit each of you in my backpack--I am proud to report that I am a much better packer than my European adventure days, although it does help that there's not an H&M tempting me from every corner.

I arrived in Lima, Peru on December 31, 2014. I have allotted a few months for this trip, but have no exact return date. My plan is to fill up as many weeks as I can with culture and all that comes with it, and so far I'm sticking to it perfectly. I'd be positively delighted if you'd join me. Ahorita!