Leaving On a Jet Plane

So today is the day I start my Central and South American journey. It is 4am on the East coast and I can't sleep! I was supposed to meet Meaghan K. in Miami this morning and fly to San Jose, Costa Rica, but unfortunately, she has been weathered-out of Seattle. She is a quick and industrious sort so she managed to reschedule her flight...out of Dallas instead of Miami. That means we travel alone! Well, not the start I expected to my journey, but I have a feeling I am going to have to learn to be very flexible in the next few months...

I am planning on being in Central and South America until May 15th. First stop is San Jose, Costa Rica and then on the Coastal Challenge race! If you want to follow the race, there is a Facebook page. You can also try blog.leadaventuremedia.com/live. It is a 6 day stage race and about 80 miles or so over the mountains and through the jungles of Costa Rica. It sounded fun when I signed up! I'm feeling a bit nervous now...

Next stop is Playa Gigante, Nicaragua. Meaghan and I plan to bus it from La Cruz or Liberia, Costa Rica to Rivas, Nicaragua where her cousin will pick us up and take us to surf camp in Nicaragua! Should be a great time.

Then on to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina (with a day in Chile) with the Dragoman tour group out of the U.K. Their website is www.dragoman.com. I am taking one of their "Overland" trips. There is a fun video on the site showing "overlanding." Check it out if you are interested.

Next, I am meeting Karl in Buenos Aires and we plan to explore Argentina for a few weeks. No itinerary!

Finally, I will volunteer with Global Vision International in the Galapagos Islands for my final five weeks in South America.

I hope to learn Spanish, see amazing sights, meet new and interesting people, experience new cultures and at least begin to fulfill my humanitarian duty. I am sure that I will also learn patience, flexibility and get a dose of humility whether I want to or not...

Cheers,

Kelly

Birthday Celebration

Birthday Celebration

Patrick and Karl arranged a wonderful birthday celebration yesterday. A massage in Stuart in the morning and Asian-Fusion tapas in Fort Lauderdale for dinner...Relaxing and fun!

I'm back in the Florida sun, enjoying my birthday and getting ready to go to my first overseas stop in Costa Rica.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes yesterday.

Cheers,

Kelly

Asheville Turnaround

Asheville Turnaround!

My theme song:

"I’ve been burning up the blacktop

I’ve been wearin’ out these tires

I’ve got a rebuilt carburetor

I’ve got brand new spark plug wires

I’be been clutchin and a brakin

I’ve been up these hills and down

Her good love keeps me makin

That Asheville turnaround." - Del Mccoury Band

http://youtu.be/XUHVhYuKMJI

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I had an amazing 12 days celebrating New Year's, building, running and driving with Butch and Maria in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

We had all kinds of weather (mostly the coldish kind) and all kinds of fun. First, I rang in the New Year with Maria, Butch and Maria's extended family just outside of Atlanta, Georgia...

Then on to Asheville....After building a rack to haul 24 foot beams weighing in at around 125 pounds on a Toyota truck, the "team" (Butch, Maria and me) loaded 8 beams onto the truck, then on to sawhorses, and after much consternation and calculation and re-calculation of the Pythagorean Theory, we hoisted the beams up onto the top of the barn-to-be. Whew!

After "raising the barn," Maria, Butch, the neighbors (Caroline, Wilder, Matt and Brigit and friends) and I met up with Maria's mom Kathy, dad Tom, and the brothers, Michael and Chris, for the Tsali trail run, somewhere near Fontana Village, North Carolina. It was a rainy day but everyone in our group managed to heat up the 8km and 30 km courses. We all took home victory pottery and some door prizes as well.

And then on to Nashville...Butch and I made the 5 hour drive (with a nice lunch stop in Knoxville at the Perrys') and landed at Chris Perry's hip studio right in the middle of the action of Nashville. We felt a little "bushwacked" after hitting Broadway, but Butch managed to conduct a fabulous city tour on my last day in the city.

I just have to say...I love Asheville and Weaverville and Barnardsville...Thanks for a wonderful time Buria (and for hosting Caroline and Wilder)!

I have only a few more posts from the U.S. of A. I'll send out a post listing my Central and South American itineraries very soon.

Cheers,

Kelly