One week left with SKIP....

...and 18 days left in Perú...

The time went just about as you'd expect... time flew at certain points... and time seemed very slow at others...it definitely feels like it's been 9 months and although I'm going to miss being here, I'm quite ready to come back home.

Generally with just about everything that's happened in my life, there have been subtle changes within myself, though I'm really just the same person who came. I definitely feel a bit more confidence in myself, less fear of the unknown, and a bit more cynicism about certain things after having seen the level of poverty here (and it's not even as bad here as it is in many other countries)... The homelessness I have seen in our country is quite the luxury compared to what homelessness is here... in fact, i should say that quite a chunk of the population here that HAS a "home" has it worse off than the homeless in the U.S...

I've learned a new language which is quite awesome and has given me the appreciation of knowing more than one language (which i never quite appreciated with korean) and the amazing relationships that are discovered as a result ... (although I took 3 yrs spanish in high school, i learned less then than my first two weeks here)

Who knew it would take traveling +3000 miles away to another country (after living in southern california coast my entire life) to learn and love surfing...

I've learned that there is a time and place for planning and knowing and it's not necessary all the time.. :)

There are so many more places I want to explore in the world.. though this desire conflicts with my continued desire to have a stable, secure life near to family and friends... I want to hike through patagonia... visit the salt flats in bolivia... volunteer at the sloth sanctuary in costa rica... ..i still want to go to belize, honduras, columbia, brazil... so that's still the plan (to go back out in January), though leaving home again will be difficult despite knowing the amazing adventures that are out there...

So its possible to quit a stable, very secure, well-paying job, leave a great group of friends, and leave a life that was going really well to discover another life in a country where you don't know the language and come to live in with only a backpack... I could never have imagined the experience that I had here.. though, I have to say that I didn't come with many expectation... I've been blown away by my experience here...

I'll be coming back to the states unemployed, without health insurance and needing to start life all over again... wish me good luck!!