By the Numbers and Final Thoughts

El Valle, Panama "All You Need is Love"

Total Trip Time - Approximately 154 days and 22 hours

Amount of Time in Each Country

• Mexico - 40 days


• Belize - 9 days


• Guatemala - 39 days


• El Salvador - 8 days


• Honduras - 17 days


• Nicaragua - 27 days


• Costa Rica - 9 days


• Panama - 14 days

Rankings (Favorite to least favorite: Note - This is similar to choosing your favorite ice cream)

1. Mexico


2. Guatemala


3. Panama


4. Nicaragua


5. El Salvador


6. Belize


7. Costa Rica


8. Honduras

Number of different Cities/Towns I stayed in

Cities/Towns - 43

Number of Times I Ralphed

1 - A Burger King Whopper on a boat en route to Utilla, Honduras

Number of Times I Was Robbed in the Streets, Shot At, or Killed

0

Number of Books I read (including Road Trip USA)
28 (16 in last 5 months)

Best and Worsts

Cheapest Country - Nicaragua
Most Expensive Country - Costa Rica
Best Transportation - Mexico (multiple times better than Central America)
Best Large City - Panama City
Worst Place I Stayed - Corozal Town, Belize

Most Memorable Experiences

1. Sun Rise from the top of Volcan Tajumulco in Guatemala, the highest point in Central America at 13,900 feet.


2. First time breathing under water and getting my Open Water Certificate in Utilla Honduras.


3. Going to a bull fight in my first week out of the country and loving a city I thought I should be afraid of (Mexico City).


4. Living with a family in San Pedro, Guatemala in Lago Atitlan and realizing it is possible for me to learn another language.


5. The chicken buses - the ridiculousness of them.

         And most of all...the local people I met, their kindness, the hostels and other tourists I met, the cultures and uniqueness of all the different cities I spent time in.

        This trip changed me, but only for the better. This world is filled with good people and for knowing that I am grateful. I am fortunate to live in the country I do, but its apparent from this trip there are far more happy poor people down here then happy people with money up there. Money is nothing in the end. Of course, its necessary, I need it to do what I'm doing, but I hope I never let it control me and make me a lesser person. Money should be a means of improvement. Means to improve myself and those around me. There is far less stress and far more smiles down here and I don't plan on losing that upon returning home.

        The USA is a great place and fuck all the dumb ass Americans on this trip who belittled our country to befriend dumbasses who thought otherwise. However, I do hope to see more of you (Americans) on my next journey. Travel is knowledge - understanding strips away fear. People are good and you all need to see that for yourself. There is nothing to fear. Forget fear. Learn to respect. All people have something to offer. Don't fear traveling in certain countries. Fear not traveling. Fear what you believe because you've never seen it for yourself. Maybe it is really dangerous down here. Maybe I'm completely wrong and was incredibly lucky to have nothing bad happen to me. Maybe. But I don't think so. I think these are good family loving, hard working people down here, and a few desperate souls who seem to have no other answers, give the whole region a bad name.

       I want to keep checking out this world. I want to keep learning from other people. I want to keep improving myself.

"Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothings is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full of meaning and its incredible beauty."

I couldn't have said it any better myself Mr. McCandless....


         The last year has been the most incredible of my life. I traveled through 10 countries. 38 U.S. states and did it all almost entirely solo. In Central America I did it with the smallest duffle bag out of any traveler I saw on my whole trip. I traveled with two pairs of underwear, two short sleeve shirts, one long sleeve, one pair of rip away pants, and one pair of khaki pants. I bought next to nothing physical on the entire trip. That wasn't why I was here. I traveled without a cell phone, laptop, or Ipod. I read books. I made three phone calls the entire trip. All to my mom. Sorry it wasn't more, but I forgot to teach you how to use Skype and international calls are expensive. I like to travel light - have what you need and need what you have...thanks for that one Uncle Ray.

Next stop Boston, then Niantic, CT for some family and friend time. Come August, I'm off again.

Espana is calling my name.

If you've been reading these, I hope you've enjoyed. It's in end of the line for Destination Nowhere - but travels will continue....

Ode to My Can of Shaving Cream

Thank you can of shaving cream, I'm sorry you won't be coming back,

but unfortunately you're much too large for my pack.

For five months, through eight countries you lathered my prickly head and face,
Without you, I would have looked a disgrace.

I bought you in Mexico, you were made in China

In all honestly, other shaving creams are much finer.

You cost only 15 pesos, the equivalant of just over a dollar,

I've got to be honest, you made me look pretty baller.

You are so freaking large and lasted so long,
I really wish, for your sake, this trip could live on...

But alas, its time to go home, and you didn't make the cut

I off on a plane without you, back to Connecticut.

The school year is coming to close

I spent two nights inside the crater of an inactive volcano. The picture in your head is wrong. This is a volcano with a crater several miles long and wide and covered in lush green. It was amazing beautiful. Two hours west of Panama City is the small town of El Valle inside the volcano. Again other than the fact your surrounded by a rim of mountains you have no idea your in a volcano. On a smaller scale its kind of like your standing in Yellowstone National Park - also a volcano, just an active one. The rain season has started in full force in Panama, but that didn't stop me and the five people I traveled with for a couple days from exploring the mountains, get a mud facial at a the hot springs, and swim in a mountain stream. Not only that, but we cooked up some epic meal dance parties in one of the most hilarious/greatest hostels I've stayed at.

Casa del Juan is actually Juan's house. When we got there he gave us a tour. He loves his place and loves showing it off. It has a summer cottage feel. A summer cottage minus the yearly spring cleaning. When we arrived we were not even sure we were in the right place because as you walk into the car portish area there are four stationary bikes from the 80's and a weight bench seemingly way out of place. He had the most interesting art everywhere. On one of his bulletin boards he had a 8X11 of four native women with their tops off. He had chickens and roosters cock-a-doodle-doing and pooing all over the place. He was also surrounded by mango trees, had a cinnamon tree (with which we made fresh cinnamon tea by boiling the leaves and bark - the bomb), lemon grass, horses, and even two crazy cute puppies. The puppies had free range of the compound, including our room and they took those opportunities to pee and poo and chew on all our stuff. It was OK though because they were so damn cute. One black (blanco) and one tan (blacky). The mother was a cute skinny typical Central American mutt. The father was the most hilarious "hot dog" I'd ever seen. He was huge - looked like a mix between a rottweiler and a dachschund. I would have liked to see that conception. We didn't watch TV - we just danced, ate amazing home cooked food (after unknowing ordering pig intestines for lunch the first day - grossest thing I've eaten on the whole trip), and breathed in the mountain fresh air. It was fantastic.

Two of the people with us were Lacy and Layla from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They were both covered in tattoos and piercings. Layla had a mohawk, Lacy just short pink and blond hair. They were hilarious, sexy, and extremely fun company. Don't judge the book by its cover kids. These girls rocked and I'm so glad I'm not too much of a bitch to talk to people that look like that.

I'd love to get some you some pictures of Casa del Juan and our Canadian Rocker Girls, but the hard drive here in David, Panama is locked up...so you'll just have to wait on that one. I left all my new buddies from El Valle and took two buses to get me 7 hours to David, Panama. Say it like a Latino now...Da-veed. I arrived tired and thirsty - I had to pee in my half full water bottle en route - or would have exploded, but as always - I made it safe and sound.

As I near the end of my trip I thought I'd take the opportunity to list some things I will miss about my travels, some things I won't miss about my travels, and some things I'm missing from back in the good ol' US of A.

1. I miss flushing toilet paper. Although you do always get a nice look at your poo this way.
2. I miss free delicious Niantic tap water.
3. I won't miss wearing the same two damn shirts and the two damn pairs of underpants.
4. On that note, I miss sneakers, blue jeans, and cotton t-shirts. All of which I have not worn in five months.
5. I miss watching sports. I love you Red Sox. GO BRUINS!
6. I miss my language - being spoken all the time - everywhere.
7. I'm kinda of sick of three hour buses that stop to pick you up despite having no available seats.
8. I miss the USA woods. The ease of hiking without worrying some bastard might rob you.
9. I miss Heinz ketchup. Seriously, the ketchup down here is TERRIBLE.
10. I will miss the fresh fruits and vegetables and the chicken that tastes like chicken and the eggs that taste like eggs.
11. I will miss the attitude of the people. The life style down here, the friendliness, the lack of stress. People look out for each other down here, we're too concerned with ourselves up there.
12. I miss having my own kitchen, with sharp knives, and proper cookware.
13. I will miss the Coca-Cola, with real sugar in a glass bottle. Trust me. There is a difference.
14. I miss fast internet...any internet.
15. As cute as they are I will not miss kids asking me for a peso, dollar, cordoba, limpira, or quetzal. If a gave my money to everyone. I would have had to go home in February.
16. I miss my bed. Fuck dorms with lumpy mattresses and lumpy pillows.
17. I don't really miss my cell phone, but after 5 months without it, maybe I'll respect it's convenience a little more.
18. Yes mom, I miss you too and your cats.

That's all for now folks. I have four days left. The end of the greatest experience of my life is near, but my exploration will never be over...

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
T. S. Eliot