wanderlust

I suffer from chronic wanderlust. It plagues me every moment of the day and unfortunately, I also suffer lackofmoney-itis. Therefore I'm left to surf the pages of my 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and browse websites like this and this and this (I discovered the last one today). My top 5 list of places I'm dying to visit changes regularly. Recently, however, I have noticed a trend and felt the urge to share! Here you go folks! Enjoy.

1. Costa Rica

If you want to become an adventure traveler, you must begin in Costa Rica. At least, that's what I have read. Ok here's my thing with Costa Rican travel - It's beautiful, it's affordable, it's environmentally friendly, it's safe, and there is literally something for everyone! It is basically the most customizable vacation destination that you could ask for and you will still feel good about the size of your carbon footprint. I LOVE ecolodges!!! Rock on Costa Rica!

2. Thailand

I am not even sure what caused me to be so interested in Thailand, but I think it may have been the elephants. As you will see in other parts of this list, I fall for places where the past and present tend to slap you in the face at the same time. Then there are the beaches. Need I say more?

3. Egypt

If you want to experience the past being juxtaposed with the present, I'm guessing Egypt is one of the ultimate destinations for that! I am such an archaeology/anthropology nerd that I feel I must visit this country. Imagine walking where the pharaohs walked, and seeing the architectural masterpieces that were created over 3,000 years ago...I'm geeking out just thinking about it! Not to mention - Who wouldn't want to go hot air ballooning over ancient ruins?!

4. Bali

When I think of magical places I think Bali. I have no explanation for this except perhaps all of the colors! I imagine the temples that seems to be growing out of the jungle and the vines that hang from the trees and the smell of jasmine floating in the air...magic.

5. Argentina

Coffee. Wine. Tango. Spanish. Need I say more? That's pretty much all I have to say about Argentina. I'm sold.

following the trends

When I was a freshman in college I read Eat, Pray, Love. I loved it. Then it became the new "it" book and everybody else loved it too. Then it faded away as most fads do and now that the movie has come out we all love it again. Normally I'm one to resist media fads (at least I like to think so), but this book really struck a chord with me. I can tell this not because I enjoy talking about the book (which I do) or because I saw the movie right when it came out (which I did not) but by looking around my room. When I moved home from college my room contained all the same decorations I've always had but now it's becoming more and more like World Market. I bought a new comforter today (for $5) and when I put it out along with my new curtains (also $5) my mother said "wow, it's very...Bali in here." Sure enoug, I have new candles and new wall hangings all making it seem like I'm Liz Gilbert just coming home from her trip. Even my new office has fallen victim to the cultural decoration attack.

I can't give all the credit to Ms. Gilbert and her wonderful story. I was bitten by the travel bug a long time ago and books like hers only inflame it. The funny part is-I'm totally fine with all the new decor. I think now I'll go turn on some of the world music I've been downloading and pretend like I'm on vacation.

bacteria

I made it all the way home without any huge complications. My flights were both delayed, which annoyed me but didn't hurt at all. The last few days of my journey I had been feeling kind of ill, which made me sit out of a couple activities. When I got home I still had a rock in my stomach. After Mom gave me a panic attack by telling me that she thought it could be a parasite/worms she had me call Dr.Ellen (aka Mom's bff). She told me that I had giardia, thank God. She told me I'd have to be on anti-biotics 4x/day for 7 days. After that exciting news mom consulted someone else and the CDC and decided I could manage with 1 pill 3x/day, much better. Now that I've been off the antibiotics for a while I'm still feeling some of the uh, effects but the rock in my stomach is gone. Now, however, I have to take probiotics to reset my system, if you will. I can't wait until I'm only on one pill/day again!

long journey home

I begin my 24 hour journey home in 2 hours. I´m sad to be leaving but I´m happy to go home. I miss my family and my dog and I´m starting to hate potatoes. I miss regular trips to the bathroom and not having to sanitize my water and to not keep my mouth shut in the shower. Me encanta Peru. I´m ready to come home. Bien viaje.

the sacred valley

I´m going to Machu Picchu tomorrow and I can´t decide if I want to walk all the way up (like 1700 Incan stairs) or take the bus. We shall see. Today at 3:30pm we take the train to Aguas Calientes for the night and come back to Ollantaytambo tomorrow around 3ish. I need to do some serious shopping still. I have a couple things but need more! I only have one more week here and then I´ll be seeing all of you again! Hasta pronto!

welcome to the jungle

Hello friends,

The last few days have been busy traveling days. I spent some of last week in the Amazon and it was amazing! I was literally IN the Amazon river. We decided to go swimming in a little town called Infierno, which means ¨hell.¨I thought it was funny. We stayed at an ecoLodge there and our rooms literally looked out into the jungle. If you want to look at pictures it is called Posada Amazonas near Puerto Maldonado. We saw monkeys, macaws, bugs, cabibarra, birds, bugs, and bugs. It was fantastic. Now I´m in a place called Ollantaytambo, which is right outside of Machu Picchu. I will be going there on Sunday. I saw some ruins today and it was freaking amazing! We were in Cusco last night and it was a really cool town. I can´t wait to go back there and do some shopping! Just so you all know, Pisco, the local alcohol is GREAT. A pisco sour tastes like a margharita only better. No joke. A met an older woman today from the UK who lives here in Ollantaytambo (yes, that takes me a while to type) and she is doing nonprofit work for the local women, teaching them about contraception and giving them birth control. They give them Depo because pills are too hard. She also helps with getting food for the local children who have to walk 3 hours downhill to get to school and most never eat, then they have to walk 3 hours back uphill. She´s an amazing lady.

Lastly, I´d like to say: GO KASEY KAHNE! He´s 6th in the points race right now! By the way, my group leader has nicknames for everyone and mine is ¨NASCAR,¨I like it.

That´s all for now amigos! Adios!

one week down, two to go

I´m now in Huaraz and will be leaving tonight. The reason I haven´t posted in a few days is because I was in a little mountain town called Vicos. There was little running water and so no internet. Most people spoke only Quechua or Spanish so my speaking skills are improving everyday, which is really exciting! I´ve been eating potatoes for every meal and luckily I haven´t gotten sick...yet. Most people in my group have gotten a flu thing which I´m trying really hard to avoid. Tonight we head to the jungle. I´m excited because the longer I sit here in Huaraz the more homesick I get. I miss you all and hope that all is well. If you want to look it up the name of the town I´m going to is Puerto Maldonado. Oh, let me share a magical moment with you. While the rest of my group hiked to the top of the largest mountain I´ve every seen, I stayed behind and gazed at the Andes while my babysitter, Manuel, played his flute for me. Now, please go listen to ¨Come Fly With Me¨by Frank Sinatra for me so you know what I´m talking about.

xoxo

in llama land

Hello TFPeople and friends!

I am safe and sound in Lima, Peru. Our flight out of Atlanta was WAY delayed because we had to debark and completely switch planes. The air conditioning was broken. I tried to take a shower this morning which was difficut because I had to keep my mouth shut so water wouldn´t get in. No diarrhea for me...yet. We toured Lima today and it was so fascinating. We went down into some tombs and I totally felt like Indiana Jone´s assistant! I don´t have much time right now because we are going to go explore the area of Barranco where I stayed last night. I finally put my Spanish skills to work in the cabs we took and it was amazing. We are headed to a village tonight so don´t expect any posts soon. Sorry this one was so short!

2 days

I will be leaving for Peru in about 2 days and I'm starting to get really nervous. I just got my updated itinerary and before, when I read it I would get extremely excited, but now I get anxiety. Hopefully it's more excitement than dread. Either way I have a new bottle of chill pills so I'll be covered. I'll be packing up the rest of my stuff tomorrow and then I'll be ready for my early morning flight on Saturday.

a coming adventure

I'm leaving for Peru in 16 days. I've decided that instead of trying to write a million individual emails I'm going to log my adventures here. I'll have Internet access all but 4 out of the 22 days I'm down there, so I should be able to be consistent. I hope I can write you something worth reading.

Spring Break

So originally, I wanted to go to Alaska for spring break to visit a friend. I was getting ready to buy the tickets when I saw the weather report. Snow. I hate the cold. I hate the snow. I hate the dark. Then just for fun I decided to see what the airfare prices are for LA and that lead to a few more hours of research and I discovered that I can spend 4 nights in LA, 3 days in Disneyland for the same price as going to Alaska. Not to mention the fact that there is sunshine and warmth in California, two things I need desperately. So now I'm in the process of planning my Disney vacation. I'm pretty darn excited.

here I come!

I have been accepted for the Peru program! So as of now I will be going to Peru and Alaska next summer. Watch out world. Ariel's comin'!

plans

On Saturday I applied for a program in Peru this summer. Now I have to wait. I'm nervous.

Travel

Something I discovered this summer.

Travel

I should like to rise and go

Where the golden apples grow;-

Where below another sky

Parrot islands anchored lie,

And, watched by cockatoos and goats,

Lonely Crusoes building boats;-

Where sunshine reaching out

Eastern cities, miles about,

Are with mosque and minaret

Among sandy gardens set,

And the rich goods from near and far

Hang for sale in the bazaar;-

Where the Great Wall round China goes,

And on one side the desert blows,

And with bell and voice and drum,

Cities on the other hum;-

Where are forests hot as fire,

Wide as England, tall as a spire,

Full of apes and coconuts

And the negro hunters' huts;-

Where the knotty crocodile

Lies and blinks in the Nile,

And the red flamingo flies

Hunting fish before his eyes;-

Where in jungles near and far,

Man-devouring tigers are,

Lying close and giving ear

Lest the hunt be drawing near,

Or a comer-by be seen

Swinging in a palanquin;-

Where among the desert sands

Some deserted city stands,

All its children, sweep and prince,

Grown to manhood ages since,

Not a foot in street or house,

Not a stir of child or mouse,

And when kindly falls the night,

In all the town no spark of light.

There I'll come when I'm a man,

With a camel caravan;

Light a fire in the gloom

of some dusty dining room;

See the pictures on the walls,

Heroes, fights, and festivals;

And in a corner find the toys

Of the old Egyptian boys.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

why Peru?

For my entire freshman year of college I wanted to study abroad in Spain, period. My plan was set and I was determined. After I transferred though, things changed. I know want to go to Peru. People that have known me since my freshman year are now asking me "Why Peru?" Sometimes it's with surprise and interest, other times it's with surprise and almost a tone of disgust. Well, let me tell you.
I discovered my interest in Peru a little over a year ago. I'm pretty sure it was after I had read the Celestine Prophecy. After that it's been haunting me. My friend went, my mom went, Indiana Jones came out, a new alpaca store opened up in Fairhaven (recent omen), one morning this summer I woke up earlier than my family and turned on the TV and it was on a program about the Incas. There have been many. I don't know if it's because my ears are now in turn for the words Peru and Inca or if I really am being shown some signs. Either way, I feel like it's something I need to do.

Another reason is that I have new priorities. I don't want to go abroad and be a tourist (yet) or be stuck in a classroom all day. I already do that. I want to go somewhere and play a deeper role in the culture. I want to become a part of a community or a project. Before, when I wanted to go to Spain, I just wanted to see things. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have my whole life to do that and also I can see things and help people at the same time. I'm not sure why this became a priority. I definitely don't want to go into the PeaceCorps or another similar organizations, but I know that I have the ability to do something for the greater good and I'd like to use it before I lose it, I guess.

Finally, why not Peru? I know many people hate having their question answered with a question but seriously Peru has just as much, if not more, to offer than any other country. The only negative I can think of is malaria, but that's what DEET is for.

shopping day

Mom and I had to do some serious shopping today to prepare for our upcoming trips. I spent more than I wanted to, but I did get quite a few things that I actually did need.

Things I needed:

• Shoes for the Wisconsin wedding. Check.
• Luggage. Check.
• Camera case. Check.
• iPod Case. Check.
• Travel stuff (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.). Check.
• Work pants. Check.
• Hair mousse. Check.
• Dry erase board. Check.
• Tank tops.
• Spray paint.
• Poster board.

Things I didn't need:

• The Mummy Special Edition on DVD. It's my favorite movie, I couldn't help it.
• Polish pottery. It was at Ross! Mom and I couldn't believe it! So, we got some. It was so cheap and normally it's kinda spendy. Totally worth it.
• Rolling Stones coffee cup. It says "It's only rock n' roll" on it! Totally rad.
• A new notepad. Okay, I have an obsession with lists and this thing was little and 50% off! Basically it was perfect.
• Nail polish. Mom paid for it so it's excusable.