Westard

After much internal debate I decided it would be best not to drive off at 7 o'clock at night after a 2 hour night of sleep. East Lyme day was the culprit for me not getting a REM off but it was oh so worth it.

Since I went solo to Mexico last April 2008..I've been mentally planning this trip...I've told this story to many of my friends, but I'll tell it again because it's a strange and interesting coincidence which has ultimately led to a car filled with my possessions and a desire to become a nomad for a while...

Before I went down to Mexico I happened upon "Legend of the Fall" while watching TV...it's a pretty kick ass movie staring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. I was talking to a friend after the movie about a particular scene when Brad Pitt takes off and travels the world, figures himself out a bit and comes back a better man - its a rather minute scene, but always struck a cord in me. I didn't have the vision of making that happen in my life - in all honesty I didn't think I had the guts to just do it. I mean hell...I have a good paying secure teaching job, coach two sports, and still able to travel every summer. What kind of spoiled idiot am I to just quit all that? So I saw the movie...had the dream..but had no vision.

A couple days later I was flying coach down to Cancun. To quickly avoid that mob scene of tourists, Senior Frogs enthusiasts, and general unpleasantness of Cancun I headed straight to the bus station and went first class (woohoo - cheap in mexico) to Merida - about a four hour bus trip. The bus had TV's on it and the first movie that comes on..a movie that was made in 1994 and this trip was happening in 2008 was "Legend of the Fall". If you don't believe in signs man...well..I do. The seed was planted the vision was realized. I spent 13 months hashing out all the reasons NOT to quit my job and travel the world. Literally every day I thought about this trip. EVERY DAY. I wanted to stay silent about it but like pants too tight..I was bursting at all seams and leaking the information to people here and there....seeing how it would sound when it bounced back. I had to trust my vision and my dream - and I didn't want to look back regretful...

So here I am...ready to make it happen - 13 months of planning, of running through three years of Back Packer magazine, cutting out and organizing the best hikes, of buying camping gear, and $500 worth of topographic maps, of reading books about Mexico and South America and compiling a box worth of books I want to read. I have a plan, but because they change so much those interested in reading my blog will get the story after it happens. I'm no writer, never have been much of an English scholar but i'll do my best to accurately depict how my trip is going. Feel free to comment or not to....

Carpe Diem my friends!