La Pura Vida

Note from my brother

2011-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

It's not very often I receive long messages from family, especially my brother. We've always had a relationship of picking up where we left off instead of keeping in touch extensively. Today, I received an email from my brother about upcoming change in his life that inspired me and made me damn proud to be his lil' bro. Whether your beliefs differ from his or not, you must admire his insight and writing, thus I share with you...

Happy holidays! Happy new year... happy birthday Jesus... happy solstice! In all matter of reality, we should have based the calendar new year around the solstice. I demand calendar reform from this Gregorian bullshit. We could even pretend that Jesus was born on the solstice just to appease the Christians.

I'm looking forward to 2012 with great anticipation. I haven't been this excited and scared and intrigued by coming events in a long time. In fact, I've never felt the way I feel now. I'm living in madness right now. Not in a bad way, just general madness. I think about all the crazy shit I've done in my life and I still can't clear my head of the shockwave set off this fall by a casual spill on my bicycle. The most painful and mind-consuming traumatic injury of my life may be the best thing that ever happened to me. The healing process of the organism is incredible. It's like the awareness of self comes reverberating all around in everything I sense. It didn't happen all at once and it's not just me, but everything around me feels more alive.

As you all know, I've spent my entire life in cruise control. Lucky me, right? I learned at a young age how to tweak the system in my favor. I never cared for school and I definitely never learned anything, but I always did just enough to get by. I've used that same technique over the last decade to manage financial security and good health. But jobs are like relationships. It's no place to be if you don't want it. I could be the best chairlift mechanic in the industry, if that were what I wanted. If I really cared to own the situation, I wouldn't just work on the equipment. I would engineer every chairlift right down to the nuts and bolts to be more efficient and environmentally compatible. But I don't really want to. Basically, I can perform this sort of work, but I'm simply not a mechanic. It's time to be honest with myself and stoke that inner fire again. I've always been comfortable with life changes. It seems I am at my best in times of transition. It's the idea of job security which frightens me. It's the security which dulls the mind. But life transition offers the chance to sharpen the edges and focus on execution. But where's the passion? What to do? It didn't come to me as an epiphany. All I needed was a few seeds. Once the thoughts were planted, I watered them with research and life began to appear in a far more peculiar fashion. Never has anything so changed my fundamental perception of the world than the combination of a few seeds in the past year. Yeah, so breaking my face was a 'seed', or more directly a wake-up call.

Who are we to impose our values on the future

- Another 'seed' came from a speech at the Aspen Ideas Festival this summer. Aubrey de Grey is a prominent gerontologist who believes that aging is completely not necessary. Seriously, check him out on youtube. Essentially, he doesn't see any reason why we should just accept death and aging as a natural process when we have evolved to manipulate our way out of natural processes. He believes we can manipulate ourselves on the cellular and bacterial levels to refresh and re-up our bodies through therapy. What caught my attention wasn't the general subject of immortality, but rather the fact that he admits it may not occur in his life time. But he has dedicated the rest of his life to bringing light upon a subject that people today find not only controversial but demoniacal on many levels. "Who are we to impose our values on future generations." This was the line that got me thinking. This was a seed.

So I thought to myself, what if people from millennia past foresaw the future and left warnings in place to tell us that our way of life is wrong. Some people may say, 'yeah, you're right let's go back to the old ways.' But I think most people would defend their lives. If the past generations altered things to the point which current time were effectively and fundamentally different, we wouldn't be here. Our families, our cities and all the things we know would be gone. Would you allow past generations to alter our evolution in such a manner?

I truly believe that nothing but recyclable matter exists after death. All life occurs within the realm of respiring cells in the ever-constant process of decay. A friend of mine once questioned the enduring sadness of this position. She even accused me of being a depressive and hopeless being who should have more faith in the simple joys of life. Sadly enough, she is missing my point. In theory, all life concedes to the perpetual cycle of the next generation. Whether an afterlife exists or not, I have no interest in what lies beyond. What could be more liberating than living for this life, and this life only? Why rest any hope on going to heaven when heaven is here on earth? This is it. Love it, respect it, study it, own the experience. To me, life is religion. God didn't make man in his image. We make god in our image. Again, evolution. We can become masters of our own destinies. We won't be around for it, and we won't always be rememered, but life in some form is immortal. I do believe this.

Right Now-

Worship? Why not worship the true creator of all life as we know it. I dig our world's creative relationship with the star in our daylight sky. Creation is due solely to the nearly improbable events of the last four billion years. The chances of this particular experience of life in all it's odd and unusual forms is nearly infinite. The connection is perfect in it's way simply because of the reality that it even exists. That is to say nearly impossible, one can only guess at the sum of trillions of a trillion billion chances at this exact outcome. Earth is a cell in the universal sea of outer space. Just like the first single-cell organisms which appeared in the shallow tides and the volcanic soils of the young earth, we appear in microcosm wading through the cradle of life. Simple prokaryotic cells born of base elements, electrified by ultraviolet radiation, who photosynthesized for over one billion years just to release enough oxygen over the surface of the waters to create an ozone membrane and allow for an oxygen-rich atmosphere. The evolving complexity of organisms over the next two and a half billion years, along with the complexity of atmospheric cycles has given way to a species whose dashing attempts of conquest and desire for understanding had driven all life to the brink of fatal pressures. Our greatest imaginations cannot comprehend the rarity of our current circumstances. There are so many questions and endless mystery to life. There is so much we'll never learn so much we'll never know, but we'll never stop asking the questions. We will never cease to uncover the mysteries. I just want to live like heaven is here on earth. This is it. I want to draw the most accurate connections to natural world. I'm going back to college to study biology. I hate academia, but right now it is going to provide the right framework around my self-education. I need to surround myself with like-minded people for once in my life. People seeking truth in life. So there you have it, back to school next fall. That's all I've been trying to say here. CSU or CU Denver to burn up my GI Bill for a couple years of undergrad core curricula, then on to grad school and an everlasting life of continuous education and research.

Sorry I had to drag that out so big, just trying to get the idea across.Let's skype soon, Love you bro!

Love you too hermano, suerte en 2012 :)

Blissful moment

2011-12-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Tense, all tense muscles remind me I'm not breathing properly. My shoulders, my neck, my face all tight and caught up in the world of responsibility. Managing a tour business in high season, based on level of service. Keep our service level high, keep our friendly faces smiling, keep our name in the right light. So many thoughts, anxiety level inclines until I remember to inhale.

I stretch the legs, set aside twenty minutes. Emails, you leave me alone for a minute. Phone, shut the hell up for just a minute, maybe even twenty. People, give me this moment. Take it easy, just for this moment, shhhhh.

Hamstrings stretch, quadriceps stretch, breathe in... breathe out. Gluteus maximus, stretch to the maximus, so tight from the pedaling motion. I'm sure lucky to be complaining in my mind about a job that I absolutely love I think in each stretch.

My position transfers to lotus, stillness. Just... breathe!

Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.... hold... exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Email the accountant, respond to Alejandro, call Ingrid...

The thoughts make their way quickly to the moment of stillness. Invited or not, thoughts find their way in the backdoors and sidedoors of the mind, even the doggy doors. My awareness stops them in their place, then lets them pass.

Remember to update finances, check bike maintenance log, go buy a few onions for dinner...

Through the sidedoor perhaps? My awareness becomes scissors and cuts the tangle of thoughts invading this moment, cut them away... they float away in pieces.

Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.... Hold.... Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The muscles begin to relax a bit after several rounds of uninterrupted breathing.

Hmm, rice, veggies and chicken or pasta? I'm hungry, what's for dinner?

Just breathe, be here, be now.

But my stomach is growling, listen to the body right? I need to call my benzinha tonight and email my family.

Inhale 1-8... Hold... Exhale 8-1.

I feel lighter, with each exhale the muscles loosen and the tension gives way to slack.

More thoughts arise, this time, I don't fight them as I usually do. Accept the thought, observe it, embrace it fully. This thought is here for a reason, it snuck it's way through the windows of my mind and I greet each one that comes through with a smile and a hug.

Poof... stillness... bliss.

Moments of absolutamente nada proceed, no thoughts occur, sneak in, nor ring the mental doorbell. I've embraced them and they're gone.

Inhale 1-10... Hold... Exhale 1-10. Light fills my bloodstream, each blood cell is a particle of light. I'm not longer physical matter but rather a field of energy. Energy connecting with other forms of energy, all flowing on different wavelengths, but flowing nonetheless. The bird chirp outside the window, the honking in the distance, the smell of eucalyptus from the candle are all inside of me, the world is inside of me.. why? Because it's in my head, it's my perception. This eucalyptus candle may smell different to you, the honking and bird chirps may come across your ears differently, but it's your perception, in your world. Breathe in, let it go.

This moment is bliss, this moment is peace, this moment is meditation. And just like the moments of stress, tension and dis-ease... this too, will pass.

Happy Holidays, may they be filled with moments of joy, peace and love.

Confessions of a 26 year old

2011-09-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here I sit practically in my own pile of vomit, what have I just ingested? Where am I?....

Quién soy (who am I)? My mind races at a rather calm, curious pace. The ants crawling around in this dark liquid that was just in my tummy make me question if these ants were just in my stomach. What just happened to my life?

It's October 1st, 2010, three days after I turned 26...

I observe my surroundings, the tree above me blows lightly in the wind and the hillsides in front out in the distance show off their greenery. The chant of shamans fade in and out. "Yaaa haaayy ayaaahh," they echo from high and low in this state of continuous observation. No judgement arises, no level of curiosity falls. Suddenly, I am connected to the universe in and around me. Brief moments of simplicity and beauty somehow justify the fact that I'm sprawled on a grassy hill with my insect buddies taking in the scenery across the rolling Colombian countryside. About forty minutes prior, I ingested ayahuasca, a drink made from a vine native to the Ecuadorian/Colombian region of South America. Widely popular among indigenous people of this region, yaje (ya hay), it's local name, is used as more of a spiritual experience to purge the bad energies out of one's body. It literally purges you, causing you to vomit all of the parasites out of your stomach. A friend in our hostel invited us to come along and here we find ourselves, surrounded by Shamans burning sage and incense chanting away.

I gaze at the beauty around me and begin to reflect on my life as if I'm on my death bed. I first think of family, every single one of my family members and what they mean to me and how they've shaped me. I want them to be here with me, experiencing this. But, I know this is an experience I must keep as my own. I have never felt so close to truth. With my mind at peace, I enter my own little confessional...

Twenty six revolutions around the sun and I reflect.

I've tasted the sweet nectar of a freshly-squeezed maracuya in Bogota, papaya in Cartagena and Acaí in Rio de Janeiro. The smell of a woman's perfume has knocked me upside the head and silly before.

My heart has been broken, repaired, broken again, and now in the process of becoming the heart Neil Young was searching for... made of gold. I've broken the hearts of others, I've made others cry only to bring about my own tears. I've made peoples' days while making others sick to their stomach. I've found that it's not worth it trying to have my cake and eat it too, only so many calories of greed can be had in this life before it turns into heartache.

I've lied, stolen, cheated and have felt the consequences of all three.

My sight and hearing have worsened while my intuition has improved.

I've seen some of the most beautiful landmarks this world has to offer, yet I've seen so very little. I've come to realize, the more I see, the less I know.

I've preached to the choir and have practiced what I preach, at times. I'm human, I too have made many mistakes and have been hypocritical.

According to Einstein's definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results), I've been insane more than several times in my life. I've walked like an Egyptian to Cyndi Lauper and done the walk of life to Dire Straights. My fondest memories are road trips with my family to California listening to Canned Heat and CCR. Memories of eating dinners at Uncle Donn and Jerry's made me feel never too far away from family while at college. Through it all, I've been one lucky dude. Maybe it's the red hair or maybe from some good deeds but throughout the years, I've been very surprised at how lucky I am in this life. I realized it when I was volunteering in 'villas' outside of Buenos Aires, when I was talking to a man with no legs in the streets of Bogota and when I ride my bike past people in wheelchairs. Not everyone starts with the same set of tools in this life but I've seen some do more with less and some less with more. In the end, it's up to us, each and every one of us to shape our own life. I just realize, I've been lucky to have received a good set of tools in my life, not literally speaking. I'm one of the least mechanically inclined people I know.

My family has been the rock that has propelled me into this great, big, scary world of opportunities. I've felt what it's like to be on top of the world, only to then be in the gutter. I've felt like a King at times and a failure other times. I've come to know that feelings are only that, feelings and nothing else. They come and they go. But one thing remains certain, as long as I'm human, they'll always come back... the happy, the sad, the disappointment, the envy, the content. Each and every one of them will come and they'll go.

Through it all, I've come to see that there is only one thing eternal, this moment. This moment, right here and right now is all we really have control of. I've come to see that this is easier said than done. My realizations have also led me to belive I still know very little than what I'll know in the next 26 years, this intrigues me.

I've come to believe all we are is energy and information. We transform energy in different forms and gather information through our own conditioned ways. I've come to believe in technology but adore the ways without technology. Letters, phone calls and personal visits go much further today in a world of texting, emailing, tweeting and facebooking.

Through it all, I realize that the first 26 years of my life has been one hell of a rollercoaster and I have no regrets. Every moment has taught me something and brought me to where I am today. None of this would have been possible without the support of my family and friends. The biggest revelation I've had in my first 26, now 27, years of life is that I am just a human being with as many faults, aspirations and desires as the rest of you. I like to recite Lynard Skynard's words, "I'm a simple kind of man." When I start making things complex in my life, my happiness goes away. To a point I enjoy challenges, they push me to be a better person and expand my vision. I have also come to enjoy the simpler things in life; sitting on a porch with family watching the day pass, eating fruit, taking a bike ride, whistling a favorite tune, listening without interrupting, 'being' rather than always 'doing' and most importantly saying "I love you."

Because in the end, that's all we really need right!?

Today I turn 27, it's been a year since I had that spiritual experience with the Shamans in Colombia. It will be one that was good while it lasted and shaped my search for truth in everything.

Turn the page, to the next chapter in life.

Coffee & a Cigarette?!

2011-09-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Strolling down the cafeteria-filled streets of Buenos Aires, you're bound to see los Argentinos sipping cafe and smoking a pucho, Argentine slang for cigarette. This country has one of the higher rates of cigarette consumption in South America. The people of Buenos Aires, porteños, also make a habit of visiting their psychiatrist, is there a correlation? Maybe, maybe not however my experiences being a resident here over the last several years confirms one thing, these people stress a lot. You see it in their faces on the public transportation and walking down the streets. It could stem from any number of things, but one thing is for certain, their stress leaves for brief moments when sipping their cappucino and smoking their cigarillo.

I was walking down Avenida Santa Fe the other day and I realized that everyone sitting in front of the Parisian-styled cafes had a cigarette and a cafe. Two very active stimulants turning their stressed frowns upside down. I for a brief moment wondered, what's so great about this?

My addiction is more on the healthy side, yerba mate and riding my bicycle. However, I wanted to be Porteño for brief few moments and see what this is all about. I had an extra 8 pesos in my pocket to spare for a cafe con leche (coffee with a splash of milk), so I ordered at the next cafeteria I walked past. With an extra 30 minutes to spare in my daily tasks, I indulged into the more toxic stimulants to feel a little bit more Argentine. Or maybe I was looking for the ultimate teeth-staining experience. Either way, I was missing one thing... a pucho. It didn't take me long asking the old man at the table next to me, "me regalás un pucho por favor, señor?" He gladly allowed me into his world of stimulants. With a flick of the lighter, I was one shrink short of being fully porteño.

To be honest it wasn't as bad as I expected, I could see how these people can become so dependent on these fixes. I can just see my parents back home now saying "noooooooo, don't you dare pick up drinking coffee.... nor puchos!"

Not to worry, after exactly 23 minutes of people-watching, pucho in hand and sipping cafe, I felt a little buzz but was looking for water to rinse out the disgusting after taste. Well, that was fun being porteño on Avenida Santa Fe for a brief moment. It was a good moment but one that confirmed that I have the right addictions. Time to go back to being a gringo on a bike,

Happy Birthday Padre

2011-09-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest inspirations for succeeding in life, my padre Kenneth Karl Gerlach. He's raised me since I could barely walk. Legally he is my step father. Far from the legalities, he's been the father that I've needed every step of the way. He's played a huge role in making me the man I am today. Although I may not be wealthy in profits... yet. I am wealthy in experience, support and love. Thank you Padre. I wish you the happiest year of your life. Feliz Cumpleaños, I love you!

The Foreigner with a Smile

2011-04-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

He's no Argentine, it's apparent in his facial structure, hair color, wardrobe and funky gringo accent. The looks he attracts are felt from all angles on the streets, in the buses and in the subway systems. We're all people watching, other people watching me... rings Jack Johnson in the earphones. They all take at least two looks up and down, not on purpose. It's more out of genuine curiosity. Look how this stranger dresses, it's not like us, where is he from? The body language is even different. The stranger feels a bit uncomfortable the looks drape his every move. He takes a deep breath, swallows his shaken confidence and throws a nonverbal bomb. It's one that comes unexpectedly and immediately disarms those around him. All of the sudden, the tension the foreigner feels is diffused with this unspoken message. Everything returns to normal and the people feel more accepting to this non-Argentine.

All of this with a simple smile. Some of these people appear as if their facial tissues and muscles have forgotten how to form a smile. All it takes is one dimple to remind them. Why not let the foreigner initiate the good energy... all with a smile :)

Mother Nature Wins

2011-03-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

I look at the clock on my cell phone, it reads 15:00. Yup, it's tour time. Here I stand at Plaza Dorrego with the bikes ready to go and nobody shows.

15:01, the clouds release and the showers begin to rain down on the bikes and myself. Everyone takes cover in their stores. Yet, I, well I must get all of the bikes back in their respective storage space... 3 blocks away in a garage. I start by locking the bikes I'm leaving and taking 2 bikes at a time down the cobblestone road of Avenida Defensa. People in the cafes look at me confused. ''What is this gringo doing running with 2 bikes down the street in a rainstorm?" I look back and muster a smile. Two bikes locked safely in the garage, now time to run back to Plaza Dorrego for the rest. Again, 2 at a time.

"Oye, there goes that same gringo running with 2 more bikes in this torrential downpour." What is that boludo thinking?

Rewind several weeks: Biking BA has decided to store bikes in a garage several blocks from a highly touristy plaza. Lo bueno: It's very affordable to store the bikes in a garage near a closer location to our South Tours. Lo malo: We must arrive at least an hour in advance to transport the bikes from the garage to the meeting point, 2 at a time. It's not the most efficient way of preparing for a tour, but 'es lo que hay.'

So there I am, 20 minutes into the storm, drenched and defeated. Nobody showed for the tour, rainstorm duh. I had heard it was going to rain but I went to set up for the tour anyways, hoping the weather man was wrong. Dedicated or stupid? You tell me.

I then hop on my bike and make the ride back to Palermo area, 45 minutes away in the rain. The water drips out of the foam handlebars as I cruise through the slowing storm at a leisurely pace. The taste of defeat, oh so bittersweet.

Then I ride past a young man with no legs in a wheel chair, wheeling himself down a puddle-filled sidewalk with a smile on his face. A health dose of perspective sinks into my bones. It could always be worse. What am I bitching about? Sometimes, a little perspective is all we really need.

I love Buenos Aires for that reason, whenever something may seem upsetting or negative, turn the corner and you'll find a good dose of perspective. It lies in the faces of each cartonero.

The rest of the ride home, I carry a smile and know that tomorrow the sun will shine and another tour awaits. For now, I feel warm in the cold rain knowing I have a place to sleep tonight and am surrounded by good friends and family all around. More tours will come and the next time, maybe I'll believe the weather man.

Spanish phrase learning:

boludo- A common term in Argentina used between friends. Literally means someone who's head is filled with air, like a ball. Can mean fool or friend, depends on how it's said.

es lo que hay- Also very common here. Literally translates to 'it's all there is.' Used often in terms for settling for what there is.

Vale La Pena

2011-02-04T21:33:00.001-08:00

It's 2:37am local time Buenos Aires, Argentina. The freshly brewed yerba mate injects caffeine to keep my brain cranking away at the Biking BA business plan. This has been a work in progress for over 4 months, has changed over 30 times. The end goal? To get investment into our company.

The process, many nights like this analyzing the risks of investing in this simple business. Remember my talks about keeping things simple? I do my best to practice what I preach. This has been a challenging project. And that's why I love it. I take a second to step back and look at my life....

Here I sit, a 26 year old kid with some ambition to create something much larger than myself. It's a Friday night, no wait, 2:38am Saturday morning. The friends are out partying and I'm sitting here looking at potential risk analysis charts, SWOT analyses and many other theoretical business practices that we can make practical in our business. Is it worth it (vale la pena)? Who knows, who cares. This is where I chose to be at this point of my life and I must say, no complaints. Putting in this extra work, even if it doesn't lead to results and goals desired, is part of growing. It's about the journey, not the destination. The last 100 days or so that I've been in Buenos Aires trying to start a business has been the most educational time of my life. Everyday, I'm amazed at what I don't know. I feel that I know less every day.

How cool is that? Everyday, class is back in session. The name of this course... life! It's tough kid, life isn't for wimps I've heard. What is being learned by trying to start a business in Argentina?

Patience, first and foremost. This has to be one of the most inefficient countries on the globe. The exchange rate is 4 pesos to the 1dollar, it also takes 4 times as long to do what takes 1 time in the states--> patience!

Communication. From calling manufacturers to emailing vendors in Spanish, this has been one of the most challenging... yet rewarding.

Creativity. With limited resources financially speaking, we are forced to make the most of what we have. For example with the limited amount of bikes in stock, we've put out the idea of bike sponsorships. People or companies sponsor a bike and get their name on the bike. We will also put ads on our rental bikes and charge a low monthly advertising fee for the mobile ad space. This will help with some extra cashflow in the meantime--> un poco creativity.

By the way, a special thanks to those who have already sponsored a bike!

These are just a few lessons one may learn in pursuing a passionate project.

In our case, even if our company doesn't end up where we envisioned it, we will certainly be better than before because the journey has far more significance than the destination in this classroom called life. Happy learning!

Life is Short.. Live it Your Way.

2011-01-25T14:12:00.000-08:00

The image you see above is the brilliant manifesto by our friends at Holstee clothing. This might as well be my personal manifesto that I never took the time to think of, if that makes sense. Everything in this manifesto is how I strive to live my life, so thanks for the reminder Holstee friends. If you're like most every other human with a pulse and a healthy sense of curiosity, you've probably felt lost in your life before. Then you find yourself, then lose yourself again. What is this cycle all about?

I don't know! But it's a great question that I've vowed not to ask myself anymore.

I don't have all of the answers for why things happen in my own life and I feel ok saying that you shouldn't have all of the answers to the mysteries in your life. Let's remember that life truly is simple, it was never meant to be complicated... but we human beings complicate life and blame it on... life itself. Let's not confuse simplicity and ease. Life is not always easy, nor should it be. How would we grow and evolve as human beings without challenges and the 'life is so damn hard' moments? The difficult moments are usually our most telling times as we learn more about ourselves in the never ending pursuit of 'finding ourselves.' More often than not, our actions and emotions are products of our minds. The mind is a tricky bastard, don't let it control you, dictate you or demoralize you. Remember, life is short! Why live your whole life trapped in the complexities created by the mind?

Yesterday, an Argentine lady jumped off of a 23-story building and came crashing down on top of a taxi, without the driver in it. The building she chose to end her life off of is called the Panamericano. It is known for its roof-top bar with a great view over Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, one of the best views in the city. She must have been caught up in her mind and lost all hope and then decided to make life shorter than it already is. Yet, fortunately for her family, she survived. Yes, she survived the fall, probably thanks to the taxi cab saving her life. Who knew taxis provided such life-saving services? Ok, all jokes aside, this is a miracle. Anyone hopping from higher than 10 stories is usually applying for their one way ticket to their respective after-life destinations. This Argentine lady is going to wake up in her hospital bed with 2 broken hips, internal bleeding but is expected to survive. Hopefully, she'll reward the angels looking over her.. and the taxi that was below her by living her life her way this time.

What if you came face to face with death? Picture death as a person smiling at you and daring to grab your hand, kiss you, and pull you to the other side. In reality, isn't that what death is? Death is our best friend, reminding us to not take life for granted. The beauty of our friend death is that it is staring us in the face each moment of every day, whether we know it or not. Any one of these moments could be our last... Now, is it so hard to live your life?

Author note: This post is not intended to inject fear in any of my readers and I apologize in advance if it has. It is intended as a friendly reminder to take a deep breath, smile, and live YOUR life!

Turn the Calendar, Turn the Page, Turn Yourself

2010-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Turning pages from 2010 to 2011

Looking back on my 2010 Resolution and Goals with my feet kicked up after a long day on bicycle, it's time to reflect people. How was your 2010? What's in store for 2011? New Year's is my second favorite holiday behind Thanksgiving. The new year represents the turning of a chapter in our lives dictated by the calendar, no better time to reflect. Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be actualized on a daily basis but the fact that we make a point to touch our gratitude pulse on one day is special.

In my personal reflection, I realize that I only fully achieved 40% of the resolutions and goals I set out for. Upon further analysis of the goals that I did not achieve or those that are in progress (60%), all of them have lead to something different. Different is ok, although it may not be what I set out for, something good came in an alternative form. For example, instead of the the pursuit of Spanish literature, I've followed my language passion into learning another language... Portuguese. Brazilian beauty intrigued me into learning its language. That's just one example but in my refl

ection it's interesting seeing how much life has changed in the last 365 days.

The year started in the bitter cold of the rocky mountains passing days at Monarch Ski Area then hitting the Golden coast for a road trip with my 2 hermanos (one from anotha motha). Then came a summer time of mountain biking and working 6-7 days a week to save money for a return to South America, one of the successful resolutions! Then came the migration south in September. Colombia was my home for 6 weeks and the perfect transition to my life here today, in Buenos Aires. One whole revolution around the sun and I find myself back in the southern hemisphere, this is the place for me now.

So now it's time for resolutions and goals in 2011, let's turn another page. This year will be one to remember, I can feel it!

1. Grow Biking BA into top 5 tour companies in Buenos Aires with 2 locations and a fleet of 100 bicycles.

2. Learn Portuguese- At least the basics of the language to where I can hold a 10 minute conversation with my fellow Brazilian friends in their language.

3. Learn Capoeira- This Brazilian art is like a mixture of martial arts and break dancing requiring incredible core strength and flexibility. It has a great history behind it too. Read about it by clicking the link above. Also, to see a good video of capoeira, check out this video. Every time I see people performing capoeira live, it intrigues me to the point of wanting to jump in. Only if I knew how...

4. Write more- I'm aware that I lose motivation for writing at times but I love it when I'm actually putting the pen to the paper. So I must find what will I do to make it a habit and be continuously motivated to write while balancing the rest of my activities.

5. Visit 5 places I've never seen- This includes the Salta/Jujuy region of Northern Argentina and others on the list are Uruguay and Bolivia.

That's it! Yes, this year I'm only going with 5 resolutions. I laid out 10 last year and realized that I need to keep it simple for 2011. It's time to simplify and focus on what I enjoy doing on a daily basis, being active. Biking, 5 vs. 5 games of futbol, learning capoeira and samba all will bring me enough joy for one year.

Living 2011 as if world really will end in 2012

The Mayan calendar predicted that the world as we know it will no longer be in 2012. I'm not 100% convinced of this, however I will use it as an opportunity to propose that we all live 2011 as if the Mayan Calendar is correct. Within legal and moral judgement of course. But what's wrong with living each day of this year as its the last May 5th, June 17th, September 28th, etc. that you'll live. We all might show a little more humility, love and passion in our daily life. So take it or leave it, to those who wish to approach 2011 this way, I can't wait to see how your life will be this time next year.

I sincerely hope 2010 dealt you as many ups as it did downs. To living yet another year through our ups and downs with grace, love, health and felicidad.

What is La Pura Vida?

2010-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

image from change.org

A slow steady realization settled in and I thought to myself, "Hmm self, it has be a while since I've written a blog on La Pura Vida blog. The self always responds in silence as a mirror of reality. With no excuses to lean on, I search for more meaning of why blogs are even beneficial. They help us upload and share information with others in our own pursuit of education, reasoning, happiness or whatever it may be. La Pura Vida, perhaps.

Pondering back to why I ever started La Pura Vida blog in the first place, I recall I was sitting at a dining table in my first week of Buenos Aires, 3 years ago to the day, using what little Spanish I had known at the time to name my new blog, translated 'the pure life'. The pure life wasn't so much about living free of sins but about exploring a pure life yet to be fully understood. La pura vida, like much in life, is very subjective and is open to interpretation. The intention of this blog was to show my personal life and pursuit of living la pura vida. It consitutes of living healthy, physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. They're all interdependent. By living healthy in all of these facets, I mean living without toxins-negativity and trying to be something that I'm not. La Pura Vida is living a well-balanced, simple life. We all like to make life complex sometimes and we must remind ourselves to simplify everything and remember what's really important to our well-being.

Personally, these are the elements that constitute my own pura vida- healthy foods (fruits, veggies, yerba mate, etc), yoga, cardio exercise, meditation, writing, reading, learning new languages and cleaning. Cleaning? Yes, ever since I left home at 18, I've been a product of my ''neatness counts'' Dad and can't stand being in a dirty place. Without clutter, dirty dishes, etc. it's much easier to focus on the other elements.

Some of the readers on this blog have asked me where I get my views or philosophy on life from. Here is a list of my favorite blogs or websites:

www.thefourhourworkweek.com/blog

www.zenhabits.net

www.realage.com

And that's it, those are a few of my favorite online sources that inspire my pursuit of the pura vida.

My favorite authors are:

Deepak Chopra

Eckhart Tolle

Tim Ferriss

Edward Abbey

Del Carnegie

Many of my views and inspiration for travels and writing this blog come from these sources. However, my greatest source for new inspiration is from you, anyone who reads this blog. What is your own personal pursuit of la pura vida?

BIKING BUENOS AIRES

2010-10-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

The main reason I wanted to move back to South America, Buenos Aires specifically, was to help my good buddy Chilly Willy Whittle get his bike tour company in high gear. One of my favorite things to do when visiting a foreign city is explore it via bicycle. With each pedal, you get to see the many different lives on the streets. One corner you may see kids kicking around a futbol, the next corner you're greeted by drummers performing for a few pesos. Three blocks later, the smell of carne or empanadas may activate the appetite. It's interesting, fun and absolutely liberating exploring foreign lands by the pedal.

This is an opportunity to follow a passion and put to test our creativity, innovation and determination. It's truly exciting. If you or anyone you know has plans in the near to far future of visiting Buenos Aires, please let them experience the city the most fulfilling way...
http://www.bikingbuenosaires.com/.

To see our latest blog on our latest biking experiences in Bogota, click here!

We leave Bogota tomorrow for Buenos Aires with our vision in mind and on paper in the form of a business plan. As much as we've learned just putting together the business plan, we've only hit the tip the iceberg. Let the lessons, challenges and rewards begin.. See you in Buenos Aires!

Caribbean Waters Part II/ Santa Marta

2010-10-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Santa Marta, Colombia

Where has the time gone? I sit here on our balcony looking out to the crystal Caribbean blue reflect the sun to my eyes. Seven days have passed here in this beach community that has been a major time trap. We don't return to Bogota for another three days. Ten days in Santa Marta is like one long dream that you never want to end. Why does it have to end?? "This too shall pass," the Buddha once said, such a painful reminder in some cases yet a healthy reminder in others.

Gilles, the Dutch owner of our apartment, told us he moved here seven years ago and has never left. Now he sits in his office two blocks from the beach and hires a bunch of Juans to bring the tourists to him so he can rent out his apartments. We had a great time negotiating with Gilles. All of our negotiations up to this point have been taking place in Español, which has been very frustrating to Jason, the wheel n deal kind of business man who thrives on getting the best deal for his friends every time. He's the best guy to travel with, always making things exciting. Anyways, once the opportunity to negotiate in English presented itself with our Dutch friend Gilles, Jason jumped on it and brought Gilles down in price $20/usd per night. The result, we stayed the final 8 nights of our stay in Santa Marta in a roomy flat that can fit 12 people. For the six of us, we each spent $10/night and had plenty of space and a nice hammock on our balcony, full kitchen, dining room, 2 bathrooms, laundry... todo! Oh have I mentioned the advantages of travelling the Caribbean coast in low season? See previous post here.

So the last seven days have been that dream one doesn't want to end. My ears have been plugged since I left the island in Cartagena. I never knew swimmers ear could be such a pain in the ass. I am now being labeled as the grandpa of the trip. "Robin! Listen to me.." they say. "What? What did you say? I can't hear you," I reply like a frustrated old man. All remedies have been tried. Over the counter medicines, shaking the ear and jumping, and even the ol' plug the nose and blow trick. None have been a successful remedy, so for now I accept my temporary deafness and tune into my other senses. My eyes and taste buds have been the most delighted by this beautiful beach community. My skin has even felt the bathwater of the sea here for hours on end. This place has been amazing and has provided some of the best sunsets one could ask for...

This place called Santa Marta has also shown us things we don't expect to see, like babies being bathed in public.....

...or more people on the beach at night than during the day as a regularity.

The locals also wouldn't expect to see one gringo pushing off another for a backflip

BJ's patented backflip w/ a little help from Jason

This is a place where I was even lucky enough to capture lightning crash at night marking the beginning of just another daily/nightly warm shower...

This is a place where the Sierra Nevada Mountains loom over the coast. The eastern edge of the city starts the ascent into the lush green mountains. The roads are no car's best friend yet the people are friendly enough to gringos to make them want to stay in this paradise. Our time here in Santa Marta was not just consumed by loafing on the beaches, only 80% of it was. Give us a break, we did take day trips to Parque Tayrona and ancient Minca waterfalls. Yet, laziness did get the best of us here in Santa Marta.

A side note: It's known as the honeymoon location of Colombia and it lived up to its reputation. We so happened to be here during the Colombian Valentine's Day. In one day, I counted forty six different couples taking their long walks on the beach, que lindo!

However, people really must not see too many gringos in this area since they often approached us as if we were celebrities as did this beautiful Colombian nena...

With every step in this bath water, with every yummy bite of the Caribbean fish & rice meals, with every damn stinking lazy moment in this hammock of the balcony, with every beautiful Colombian woman walking by, with every jaw-dropping sunset and with every breath of Caribbean coastal air, I am most grateful to experience this paradise... Santa Marta, you're the dream I never want to wake up to...

Caribbean Waters Part I

2010-09-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Seventy minutes of flight and the warm, humid air coats our Gringo skin. Those who were battling allergies in Bogota are now cured quickly by the Caribbean climate. It feels as if we´re in a complete different country. The Spanish here is mucho más rapido and the temperature gives us warm greetings. The only similarity between the coast and Bogotá is that it rains like clockwork every afternoon. Its simply a choice between a cold shower in the high city of Bogotá or a warm shower on the coast. For now, we´ll switch it up and spend some time in the warm showers. Break out the flip flops, swimming suits, sunscreen, insect repellent and the shades. We're livin' this one Caribbean style...

Good morning Cartagena from our apt. balcony

Upon arrival to our rented flat in the Boca Grande peninsula of Cartagena, we are approached by 'Caribbean Salesmen.' "Oye chicos, coca, departamento, muy barrato, muy barrato.." The gringos have arrived and everyone there knew it. The advantage of travelling the coast during low season is the affordability of everything. We managed to score a really nice apartment/flat to comfortably accomodate all six of us with a balcony view, blender, fully equipped kitchen among other amenities for a price of $12/person/night! The disadvantage of being the only gringos in sight during this low season is that we are target for every salesmen... and there are tons of them. For now let's just call them Juan, for some reason most salesmen were named Juan or Carlos.

Our first full day, we decide to take advantage of our location, head 3 blocks north and walk the beach. The Juan's (all of them) were delighted to see us step foot on the sand. "Chicos, cerveza cervezas, snorkeling, gaseosas (sodas), muy barratos chicos.." Aaand here we go, every 30 feet we walk, we're approached by an average of 2.8 Juan's, they're aggressive and we're highly entertained. We finally find one guy who approaches us speaking broken English and his name is Johnny, he wins best salesman of the day this day for getting us to rent out his cabana and order a few cervezas from him. No need to go anywhere if you want to buy any food or beer or massages. They bring it all to you. Juan's salesman sister, Juana we'll call her loves to approach us offering masajes. They actually don't offer, they tell you, ''promocion, masaje, masaje, es una promocion," and start rubbing your shoulders or legs. Some Juanas are so aggressive, you have to show your mean gringo side and walk away or yell at them. It's an interesting game here, are we celebrities that are just so damn irresistible or are we just wearing $ on our skin in low season? We'd all like to think the former but the latter is the reality. Day 2, we take a boat ride to Playa Blanca on an island about 25 minutes from Cartagena...

The Island:

Playa Blanca

Nearly twenty five minutes of a choppy boat ride out from Cartagena, we (only us 6) are dropped off at Playa Blanca on an island. What was strange about this? They told us to get off and everyone else on the boat kept on going. We were rather confused but went with it. As we unload the boat, 30-40 Juans and Juanas come out of the trees of the beach and start approaching us. "All hail, the gringos are here." We were all upset that none of us took a video of this scene, it was like a movie. Masajes, beers, food, ceramics, fish, ceviche... todo barrato chicos. Barrato for those who don't know español means cheap. They say everything is cheap, however we like to negotiate. Whatever price they'd quote us on, we'd respond with "pfff, no, no gracias, too much money," even if it was dirt cheap. We became master negotiators.

Jason, Mike, BJ and Dora in negotiations with Juan Uno, Dos y Tres

We had successfully denied every massage offer until Jason decided he was going to give in and buy himself a massage. This opened up the can of Juanas, once Jason lied face down on the sand and committed himself to a massage, ten other Juanas came over and attacked Reed and I, we literally would have had to run away to get away from the attack of the masajes. Dora, BJ and Mike were swimming in the bathwater called the Caribbean meanwhile before we could say "No gracias Juanas," Reed, Jason and I were all lied face down receiving the best masajes ever. No happy ending included! But for the price of $15 USD, I had four Juanas giving me a massage for thirty minutes. Twenty minutes in, I was considering how I could live on this island forever, Juana paradise. After we were in a nice relaxed state, our yummy fish lunch was awaiting us at the next cabana over.

Jason opening up the can of Juanas

Best fish lunch I've ever tasted

The rest of the day was a breeze, for some reason all of the Juanas stopped bothering us and disappeared, perhaps their daily income from us gringos had been successfully earned, congrats Juana you won in the end. Regardless, we felt victorious agains Juans, maybe because they didn't offer masajes. The todo barrato that they offered just didn't seem as appealing. Three days in Cartagena and we were ready to move up the coast to Santa Marta where prices are even more affordable and the Juan/Juana mix isn't nearly as aggressive. Three hours on a bus up the coast to Santa Marta and round 2 of Caribbean Waters begins...

Sunset from our balcony in Cartagena

Simple Lessons in Bogota

2010-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

View of Bogota from top of Monserrate Mountain

The lungs draw shorter amounts of air in every breath. Half way up the mountain of Monserrate, which peaks over Bogota at nearly 11,000ft high to the east of the city, our legs weaken with every step. To our side is Hector (Dora's padre) who has been made a weekly Sunday routine of this climb. He stands about 5'5 and is 73 years young. Hector's stride is pushing the pace and making the mid-20's Gringos look rather weak in our ascent to the top of Monseratte. Bogota itself is nestled in a valley at 8,500 feet. We were drawing for deeper breaths just on our walk to the bottom of the mountain. As we near the top, beads of sweat slide down the cheek with every step in the high Colombian air with the sound of Church bells in the distance. Sunday morning church music greets us as we arrive to the top of Monseratte. The rising sun feels much warmer at the top as we can now see much more to the east at approximately 7:15am. Gasping for air and soaking up the moment with my companions, I'm amazed to see Hector calmly smiling at all of us. Is this guy for real?

Hector (not tired) & I (tired)

At 73, he just gave us lesson number #1 in this blog post: Age is only a number. Hector gracefully ascended this mountain with a 'cruise-control' pace and showed us young guns that some get better with age.
We begin to follow his lead as he shows us a place to do some abdominal workouts on rock seats. The church music complemented by the morning bird's song is just better than 'Eye of the Tiger' at this time. We explore the top of Monseratte for a good hour or so before we make the quick descent down to Bogota. Hector's amazing factor goes up on our charts as quickly as he leads us down the mountain. He begins running down with us, bouncing from step to step with plenty of spring and pep. I catch up with him as we wait for the others. "Are you really 73 years old Hector?" I ask him in Spanish. He laughs and responds that he is with a big smile on his face. He then proceeds to explain how his body has yet to deteriorate at this age, living a very active lifestyle. But at 73? really? Well, Hector just became another mentor as he gladly tells me of how great he feels. He's never even taken a pill, all natural medicines for colds and the flu, leaving fruit and vegetable shakes as the remedy of choice. Gracias Hector for making us feel your age but at the same time showing us age is only a number.

The crew on the top of Monserrate with Sunday morning church in background

On to lesson #2... Driving in Bogota Colombia!

BJ has been our Chauffeur through the streets of Bogota until the question hit me somewhat unexpectedly, "Robin you wanna drive this time?" Hmm, driving in Bogota, Colombia. I feel pretty comfortable driving manual cars and after watching BJ maneuver his way through these streets, I feel hestitant, yet so tempted. "Sure, lets do this, " I say. Two blocks in, I feel the difference in the pace of traffic and obstructions. The rules of the road here are simple... No rules. Who needs lanes? Who cares for pedestrians? Nadie, just step on the gas and keep up with traffic. One must maintain aggressive on these roads or you're causing an accident. Fortunately, BJ is co-captain and giving me tips as far as how to most efficiently navigate through these streets. Several times we come within inches of being side swiped or side swiping another vehicle. The urban jungle of Bogota was my first lesson in driving internationally. If Los Angeles traffic isn't enough fun for you, come to South America for some excitement behind the wheel!

Lesson #3: The US has more influence than I even imagined...

After 30 minutes of receiving my international drivers lesson, Dora, BJ and I end up at her parents' house (Hector y Nelly). We are greeted by passion fruit licuados (shakes). The taste of the fresh pulp is simply perfect as we begin to pick Hector's brain some more. Dora had told me that he is fascinated with our country, the US of America. So I open the can of worms and ask where this fascination comes from. The history lesson begins. From Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt, Hector gives me the background on each of them and what made them so great as leaders and as people in general. Jefferson's brilliance, Lincoln's resilience and Roosevelt's work ethic. The world would not be what it was today without Benjamin Franklin, the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King Jr.'s innovative and revolutionary vision. After 45 minutes, I again look at Hector in amazement and ask myself who is this guru? It just goes to show that you need not be citizen of a country to know its history inside and out, one day Hector may make his way to the country adores so much to see what the American Dream is all about. What really is the American dream all about anyways? It might just be based in the principles and hard work of the aforementioned people, those who have not only changed one country but also one world.
The rest of the day was consumed by more love from Aunt Tita as she decided to treat us to an after-dinner drink of 20 year old Colombian Brandy. She had been waiting for a special occasion for... well... 20 years I suppose. We felt very fortunate and almost undeserving of such a nice gesture. I've never been a fan of Brandy, but 20 year old Colombian Brandy from the hands of one of the nicest ladies one could know. Perfecto... Salud! Now off to the coast, we start in Cartagena....

Dora y Auntie Tita pouring the Brandy, Salud!

Colo Arrives in COLOMBIA

2010-09-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

My eyes open slowly as my ears feel the pressure of the descending airplane. It's been nearly 30 hours without decent sleep, mainly resting on floors in airports (Denver, JFK, Orlando) and cat naps on the plane. The lack of rest no longer matters anymore as the captain announces en español our descent into Bogota. My restless body fills with excitement suddendly as I begin to feel giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. I ask the nice family next to me (from Bogota) about their favorite kinds of food. Without much thought, they respond with ajiaco (soup), sancocho and yucca. All sound amazing from their descriptions.

Bienvenidos a Colombia Colo! The people here in South America call me Colo (colorado) because of my red hair, not to be confused with my home state of Colorado, though ironic to them. The long line through customs quickly reminds me of the inefficiency in South America compared to that of the Estados Unidos. Though, I'm simply happy to just be back. I can't put into words what it is about this continent that fills me with so much joy.

Our group for these 3 weeks of travel through Colombia is somewhat dynamic and quite comical to the locals. Dora, from Bogota, is our tour guide and girlfriend of my good amigo BJ (college roommate). We also have Mike Cando (good buddy and my compañero on my first venture to Buenos Aires) coming from Argentina. Jason (also friend from college) is meeting me at the airport so I can be a translater and get us to Dora's Aunt's house safely via taxi. The last 2 of our group are William Reed and myself from Colorado. BJ (William), Reed (William), Jason, Mike, myself and Dora. When you see us its two tall Willy's (one 6'4 another 6'6), Mikey (Philipino), Jason from Hollywood, myself (red-head) and our gracious tour guide Dora. You just have to see us walking down the streets of Bogota to appreciate the comedy of it all. Fortunately I spot Jason in the customs line right away and we pick up our luggage. The taxi driver, Raul, brings us to Dora's Tia's house in 30 minutes. Upon arrival, we are greeted by the rest of our crew, glasses of vino and a yummy dinner of chicken, potatoes and rice. After a good hour of chatting, laughing and catching up we all slowly make our way to our respective bedrooms. The house contains 8 bedrooms, perfect for hosting us gringos!

Excited for breakfast prepared by Tita and Dora, all smiles!

I awake the next day to the calls of breakfast (desayuno). "Tita (Dora's Aunt) has breakfast prepared for us," BJ exlaims happily. The perfect way to awake our first day in Bogota. Eggs and cheese on a tortilla with Colombian Cafe. Sounds simple, tastes delicious!

The group from left: Tita, Dora, BJ, Jason, Reed, myself enjoying breakfast

We then venture to a huge market to buy food for our stay. Now this is no ordinary mercado. Tita called it the best/cheapest place to buy food in Bogota. BJ is our chaffeur through the city of Bogota, quite an interesting experience. We came within 8-12 inches of hitting other cars or people numerous times. We arrive at the plaza and quickly realize that we are the circus show of this shopping exerience. This is no Safeway or Alberton's. They bring the pigs in and slaughter them at this market. Fresh meat is an understatement here. Around every corner we walk people gather in groups to analyze us like we're either rock stars. Reed, 6'6 attracts people from all over the market. We are being analyzed like we're not human, this is a bit uncomfortable but we all laugh it off. After two hours in the market we return for a great lunch (yucca, potatoes and carne).

carne at the plaza, appetizing?

Fruit for days at the plaza

Over lunch we truly realize the significance of being in Bogota as Americans. Ten to twenty years ago, this city was in constant turmoil. People could barely walk the streets without being targeted by the drug cartels with guns or bombs. She shares stories that are still fresh in her mind, you can see it in her eyes and hear it in her words. We all quickly realize how much the city has cleaned up. The most recent president, Uribe, helped Colombia turn its 180 and become a country that us gringos can now enjoy. "Gracias a Dios y gracias a Uribe," she continually says intermittenly in the stories.

A candycane-like church 2 blocks from our place

Our newfound appreciation of being in Colombia safely, so far.... (keep your fingers crossed) leads us through the night where we find ourselves at a local bar drinking with Dora's amigas and cousins. We danced away the night with very affordable beverages and learning the local salsa dances. This is unreal, we keep saying to each other. Such a special experience thus far and so much more to come. Gracias a Dios y gracias a Uribe that we're here.

Our living area at Tita's casa, very relaxing

I now am being summoned to the patio's barbecue to help out with tonight's Colombian-style asado (bbq). If we're not exploring the city or learning salsa dances, we're gathering and enjoying meals together, such a beautiful way of life and I only hope you can vicariously experience this all with us through these words. Now, lets enjoy another meal together, can you smell the carne marinated with peppers and onions? I can, now let's eat! Until next time, Bon appetit Señoras y Señores!

September Never Gone..

2010-09-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st of the month. September has arrived signifying my favorite time of year. For those going to school, its a time to step up your level of knowledge, you better know more by now kids! For sports fans, professional football is underway and the baseball season is winding its way towards October when all of the MLB magic happens. Basketball and hockey are on deck and ready to take over the airwaves as well. For those living near Aspen trees, you're about to witness some beautiful colors on the leaves. For the rest of you, just admit it.. September is a great month.

Yes I am biased, my date of birth lands at the end of this month (28th) reminding me how young I am every year. This September will be the best yet in my calculated foresight.

In seven days, my good buddy William Reed and I board a flight to migrate with the birds south. Colombia will be our place of exploration for a few weeks until September is gone then we'll continue to my 2nd home, Argentina!!! This is a time of preparation for round deux in the Southern hemisphere. The 1st round was a great learning experience and has me feeling very relaxed for this next adventure. My Spanish is polished, mas o menos and my packing is more suitable and practical this time. I no longer own a vehicle, whew! No more car payments, check! No car insurance payments, check! Substantial money in the checking account, check! No, I'm not rich by any means but I do feel more prepared to budget travel with all of the connections developed from round uno. I've parred down on many of my possessions here and its quite liberating. A great source to help my psychologically accustom myself to fewer possessions is one of my favorite blogs, www.zenhabits.net. Look forward to my next post on packing for travels in another country. Until then, enjoy your first day of September :)

Happy Friday the 13th and Happy 823 years!

2010-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Tis Friday the 13th, no big deal right? Well, I've never fully understood the mysticism of these days. Perhaps, the reason people question their every move on these days can be attributed to all of the Jason horror films. We are a society intricately intertwined with Hollywood, right?

The real reason I'm writing this post today is because I had something even more awesome brought to my attention today. This month of August 2010, there are 5 Sundays, 5 mondays and 5 Tuesdays. This only happens once every 823 years! I mean, I am reminded of this every 823 years and you'd think I'd remember by now but no, this one snuck up on me. All jokes aside, hopefully this is a cool fact of the day for you.

Last night, I sat on my deck and watched the meteor showers. It blew me away, it was two times better than 4th of July fireworks. Why? It's natural. If you've ever watched meteor showers you might feel the same way. Anyways, all of this together was enough to spark another blog post, maybe I'll write a better blog on the next Friday the 13th or better yet.... 823 years from now!

Once Upon a Camping Time

2010-07-13T21:39:00.001-07:00

The crickets serenade us as the sun sets more quickly and lets the fire be the final source of light. A belly full of hot dogs and s'mores and the smell of campfire lining the nostrils and every pore, now this is camping folks!

One of the many beauties of living a summer in colorful Colorado is the ease and accessibility of escaping civilization. One moment, I'm watching the final minutes of a World Cup championship game and celebrating a Spanish victory with a Sangria.. or two.. maybe three. Well let's just say my presumptions had matched those of Paul the Octopus, I had this 6th sense that Spain would win, so I began 'celebrating' with Sangria in the pregame. There I sat wondering what it'd be like to be in Madrid celebrating a victory as I sipped this, my fifth actually, Sangria.

Approx 37 minutes later..

Here we are in Reed's truck taking on the 4 wheel drive experience on Boss Lake Road just a half mile before our camping destination. One mission in mind, get away from any worries by passing the evening with good friends under the stars over a campfire. Wow, those Sangrias sure kicked my butt and made me appreciate being a passenger on this journey. The fresh air wifts through the the trees and the Aspen leaves are alive on this day. As we arrive to our friend's cabin, camping mentality sets in. All of the sudden I crave hot dogs, potato salad and s'mores to soak up this fruity wine in my belly. The cabin is perfect for camping; no electricity, no running water, a real rustic feel and an old fire place. Just down the hill from the cabin was the fire place and another thirty feet away was a horseshoe pit. Another fifty steps and you are greeted by a beautiful creek to drown the sounds all around.

What makes this experience so great is that nobody can get ahold of you from outside of your campsite, almost a primative feeling in this technologically connected world. I ponder what can be much better than camping in the mountains, then the mosquitos begin to bite. "Ouch! Somebody get me the bug spray quick!" Now we all smell of camping perfume, bug spray and campfire. Yummy, makes me want another s'more. As we all gaze at the stars and spot certain constellations and shooting stars. The song "It's times like these" by the Foo Fighters starts running through my head to complement the crickets' music. "... It's times like these, you learn to live again..." cricket, cricket.. and over again.

Sleepiness begins to set in, not sure if its all of the World Cup beverages or the peaceful setting as the fire slowly dissipates. Perhaps, the combination of the two. Ahhh... sleeping in the outdoors.

"Guys, there's a bear outside, somebody wake up and come out there with me.. all I have is a flashlight... crap!" our buddy Reed says emphatically as he lobbies for the rest of us to awake. What would camping be without the prospect of fighting off a bear? Unfortunately for big 6'7" Reed, he had to go pee solo with the thought of a bear awaiting him... nope, no bear. So we think at least. As the sun rises the next day, we all tell our account of Reed's bear cries. Cooking breakfast over another campfire, the birds' song has replaced that of the crickets'. Oh, the smell of campfire and bug spray has grown on me and the stream down the hill calls me again for more quality time... "It's times like these.."

Daily Gratitude

2010-07-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

I awoke another day to the birds chirping, the sun shining and the air so fresh from an overnight rain storm. Wow, it sure feels like paradise and I know Colorado in the summer months is as beautiful as any other place on this globe. I can't help but feel my gratitude pouring out with each morning yawn. A good friend once told me the best favor we can do for ourselves is focus our energy on what we're thankful for. "That which we think about and thank about, we bring about," my friend exclaims when my energy has apparently shifted towards unnecessary worries.

So with that in mind, today, I am grateful for:

The sun shining
The rolling clouds
Afternoon rain showers
Friends & Family who bring out the best in me
Having multiple jobs
Having goals and aspirations
The money in my wallet (even if not that much :))
The roof over my head
The food in my kitchen
The books that line my bedroom
The bed I sleep on
The Honda Civic that gives me problems but ultimately serves its purpose
Music, music and more good music
Spanish language
The mountain view I have every breakfast
and today I'm most grateful for having today to be alive!

Hopefully you'll take a few minutes every morning to consider what you're thankful for, try it... it might just be your new best habit.

Cup Fever

2010-06-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hola, Olá, Hallo, Bonjour, こんにちは, Γεια σας, Ciao, Hello and welcome to South Africa 2010 World Cup. For you speaking el español, Bienvenidos a La Copa Mundial del 2010. Every four years, the world's best teams come together to play the world's sport, soccer? Futbol rather. Futebol to you in Portugal and Brazil. Yes, that sport, the sport in any country beyond the borders of Yanquilandia.

I find myself watching a World Cup game at 8am between two teams I could care less about four years ago, South Korea vs. Uruguay. I begin to wonder how the hell this passion came about with each dribble and pass on the fresh South African 'pitch'. One word, one country, one team... La Albicleste (Sky blue & white), Argentina. Growing up in the United States of America, I found my passion in American Football, baseball, wrestling and basketball. All of these sports have international participation as well. However, futbol is on another level in most every other country.

Just ask Les Bleus of France, a team that was runner-up four years ago. This year, cheated their way into the World Cup and absolutely fell apart since they arrived in South Africa, now it has become a political issue in Paris. What about Italy? The defending champions showed some age and were forced to say ciao earlier than the Azzurri following would have liked by Slovakia, a country in its first Cup since being an independent nation. The fans at home in Italy are known for greeting their team rather shrewdly and rudely upon a return of failure to meet expectations. This is what people wait 4 years for in these countries. North Korea made its first appearance on the national stage since 1966, they failed to win a game but showed a lot of heart on the international stage. Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are the favorites of the remaining teams, yet Paraguay and Uruguay have yet to lose and also look promising. In fact, all 5 South American teams to enter the World Cup are still alive and continue to advance.... until tomorrow that is when Chile tries to upset Brazil, buena suerte Chle!

What about the United States of America soccer team? Just another team to show a ton of heart and determination on the world stage, yet were clearly outclassed by a physically superior Ghanaian team. I was criticized by a friend for not being that upset of the USA loss. I was even happy for Ghana, unpatriotic? You call it, when I'm sitting next to several people in the bar making fun of the sport and the uniforms they wear during the game, why should the US deserve to win the World Cup? Would a World Cup victory be more nationally appreciated in the USA or in Ghana, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Holland, etc?

Regardless, why should I be criticized for being more of an Argentine futbol follower than a US soccer follower? I didn't learn the beauty of the sport until I was clearly outclassed trying to play with South Americans at 'their sport'. I learned the passion when I spoke with fans of Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Germany and Italy and felt the energy they carried for the Cup and the sport in general. I've since been intrigued by the passion all of my international friends have for this time of year and the performance of their respective country. Hats off to the USA team for their effort and the heart they showed and the passion of the sport they brought to this country. In the end, the USA is a country of many sports, many stars and many titles. The other countries are of one sport, one star and one title.. until four years from now... World Cup fever!

West C O A S T I N....

2010-05-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Our time in San Diego was great, stayed with Uncle Donn and Reed decided to fly in and join us to truly road trip all that is CalifornIA. With a feeling of extreme gratitude for all of the hospitality we were shown in San Diego by Uncle Donn and in Los Angeles by Jason, who let us camp in the backyard of his posh pad in Hollywood Hills. Camping in Hollywood Hills?? Yes, leave it to the mountain boys.

The Garmin navigator on the dash of the Element confirms that we are indeed heading North on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1). This is a drive every capable U.S. citizen should do in their lifetime.

Highway 1 becomes a coastal highway built right into the side of a mountain over-looking the Pacific Ocean once you pass San Luis Obispo going North. We're in no hurry whatsoever towards our destination of Big Sur, just south of Monterrey. Fortunately for me, I got to captain this drive up the winding road where a speed of 45 mph was not exceeded for nearly 200 miles. The only words that keep coming out of my jaw-dropped mouth are, "wow! This is the coolest drive I've ever done." At first, I may have been exaggerating. With every passing mile and winding turn, my two passengers agree that this is the most beautiful drive any of us have experienced. By the time we're about 40 miles South of Big Sur, we stop the vehicle for the 4th, maybe 5th time to take it all in.

Yes, I am one happy captain on this drive with big Blue to my left...

How does it get any better we repeatedly ask each other, only to be amazed by what's around the next turn. Wait a second, is that California's only coastal waterfall? Yup, sure is... here we are.

This sure doesn't feel like California anymore, these paradise images resemble what you may see of coastal Mexico or the Carribean, but Cali? Well, this is why Highway 1 is a must-do!

The pictures don't really do justice to the beauty of this coastal drive. Visual sensory overload now takes in and we arrive to Big Sur at about 5pm, just in time to park and take the 0.5 mile hike to our campspot, nestled about 0.4 miles from the ocean.

It turns out we didn't prepare very well for our fire since the area was so damp and moist once the sun set, we struggled for over an hour trying to get a fire started and exhausted all of our resources. We were fighting a losing battle as the wood we bought was water-logged, fire pit was damp and the surrounding air was at about 90% humidity by sunset. All this simply meant is even us Colorado boys who trive on camping (in a much drier climate) were defeated by a wet mother-nature. Big Sur 1- us 0. What to do with no fire in a swamp-like evening?.. Bedtime indeed.

San Francisco awaits us tomorrow, until then we experience our first camping experience slathered in a layer of dew with extra moist dew on top, no moisturizers necessary here. Hasta manana!

Desert trails

2010-04-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

Just 40 miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona, the Saguaros in my rearview mirror provide a pleasant, friendly foreground to the fading desert mountains.

Friendly?

Yes, friendly! See them waving to us?

Wow, we just realize we've never seen this desert decorated with such fresh vegetation and blooming flowers. {Deserts recommended time of year to travel, Springtime!}

I've never really appreciated the desert setting to the extent that my friends and family have. As we sit in this Blue Honda Element coasting the hot desert interstate, I now see its beauty. Yes, you desert, you won me over on this drive. Even with your gusting winds catching every square inch of the box-like Element and creating challenging conditions for my captain here, Dana. Killer Dana, they call him. I know him as my brother but for many, a long story awaits those curious of how he got such a nickname. You should see him on the dancefloor... and I digress.

Here we are, on Interstate 8 Westbound towards San Diego from Tucson. Wow, what a trip that wedding was. All you need to know is that both sides of the wedding were Irish, 'nuff said. Top o the mornin to ye! Perhaps it's the remnants of an Irish Wedding weekend in the desert that resembles all the symptoms of a hangover on this drive. Regardless, this is a beautiful drive, blue skies with Walt Disney-shaped clouds and a rainbow on the ground with every color of the spectrum illuminated through wild desert flowers.

We chase the sun at a rate of 75 miles per hour and are all smiles..

The wind finally calms with every inch the sun creeps towards the horizon

We approach San Diego and my new appreciation for deserts settles into my skin. The ideal beginning to a road trip. Now lets see what the coast offers for us 'Zonies'! (a term San Diegans use for Arizona visitors who flood the coast every summer to escape the desert heat)

How do you do San Diego?

On the Road Again...

2010-04-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Scores are settled, jobs completed, gas tank is full, bags are loaded and we have snacks and supplies. One grand road trip awaits. How did this come about?

It all started with a wedding invitation and has evolved into the makings of a 2 week road extravaganza with my brother and good buddy Reed. There is no better way of kicking off two weeks on the road of freedom from any commitments or accountability by going to a wedding, right? Marriage is one of humans' most sincere commitment, or at least it used to be. Needless to say, I wish Moira Murphy Cairns and Sean McGovern all the best in their own upcoming adventure! Now back to our little adventure celebrating bachelor-hood.

My brother and I figured that we would follow up the wedding in Tucson by taking the short 6 hour drive west to San Diego like any other Arizona resident would do. Then we figured, since we'll already be in California, we might as well just see all the great parts of the state while we can, after all we're young and single bachelors right? Let's take advantage of this. The timing couldn't be any better as Dana, Reed and I have just completed a long winter of working at local ski resorts. We must transition into summer by partaking in some quality beach and desert time. Reed, my current roomie here in CO, has hardly ever seen any parts of California. Dana and I, looking for any excuse for extra travels, presumably designed the rest of the trip as tour guides catering to our friends' needs, discovering all that is California. Being a Cali tourist instead of a resident will be a nice change of pace. You mean I don't have to pay twice as much rent per month as anywhere else to fund my landlords' Mercedes?? Count me in!

The current itinerary from San Diego consists of driving up Pacific Coast Highway, Hwy 1 all the way to San Francisco with a quick pit stop in Los Angeles to see a few friends. Wait, quick pit stop in LA? Not possible, ok so a day long pit stop in LA indulging in smog and traffic, sweeeet! Then we'll continue up Hwy 1 to Big Sur where we plan to camp for a night on the coast. This will be a nice intermediary between LA and San Francisco. Then we continue North to SF, my personal favorite U.S. city, to visit friends and see all of the great landmarks. After a few days of the most beautiful city on this trip we'll follow it up by heading East to Yosemite National Park. This part wasn't in our original plan but we caught wind that its Free National Parks week the week we'll be there, its a sign! Yosemite will be a first for all 3 of us, thus we plan to set up camp and spend 2 days there. Then we plan to venture through Nevada and Utah on Highway 50, loneliest Highway in America, how can we skip something that significant?

With all this said, you all know I love to document my travels more than my complacency, thus I will have more blog posts coming soon sharing our ups, downs and in betweens with pictures and all. So please stay tuned if you wish to vicariously experience this with us! Ciao for now amigos :)

Days in Seasons, Seasons in Days

2010-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

"Rised this morning and smiled with the sun, oh I'm blessed. Another day has begun. Everything in life has its purpose and its reason, it has its season." -Ziggy Marley

The windows of the Honda civic filled with fog as usual on the drive down from the ski area last night. Defrost had its usual waiting period then kicked in. Just another day of driving down Monarch pass in a snowstorm, this has become as consistent as rush hour traffic in Los Angeles. The defrost finally did its work and I noticed something different... is that rain? Indeed! The winter months are winding down and seem ready to spring anew. The snowfall at the ski area has become much more wet and slushy, brought on by warmer temperatures. The days are lasting longer and the sunshine is now greeting me in the early morning hours, whereas I used to awake in pure darkness. The changing of the seasons each day draws out enthusiasm for summertime in the mountains.

Winter days have been quiet and somewhat introspective. I've managed to successfully limit distractions and live a very simple life this winter; working on the mountain, thawing from the cold day in the sauna, no cable television, reading and maintaining physical activity with basketball, snowboarding and some soccer each week. What hasn't been limited is the amount of changing seasons each day. I've seen sunshine followed by snowstorms within several minutes and back again. The changing of seasons is very underestimated and I realize how much I had missed it when living in a paradise-like climate of San Diego. Warm sunny weather carries more weight in a land where the snow cloud looms.

The extra minute or so sunshine each day hasn't gone unnoticed since the Winter Solstice. I am fortunate enough to witness the rising and setting of the sun each day. The sunrises here are shared with few, 'tis special my friends!

Snowflakes, sunshine, winds, cold nights and warm afternoons... I've enjoyed them all and appreciate what winter represents. Although winter may be unbearable for some, its very necessary. Some animals hibernate from it and plants die from it, only to spring new life in the coming months. Everything and everyone has its reason and its season. I only hope you can find the beauty in even your winters, whether internal or external. No matter how sunny or stormy it is.. fear not, it will change very soon.

"New life makes losing life easier to understand"

Ten 2010 Resolutions/Goals

2010-01-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Eighteen days into the new year, I realized I really haven't voiced my resolutions or goals. It has long been stated that those who write down their goals or share them with others are more likely to achieve them due to being held accountable. Thus let's hop right into it since we only have 347 days and counting left in 2010, don't blink, the 2011 countdown is right around the corner. The lag period is the catalyst to my first resolution...

Numero uno: Write down or share my ideas, goals and objectives

Numero deuce: Take pressure off of life-changing decisions. Many of us may become stressed from periods in which no direction or yellow-brick road is laid out. However, some of my best decisions have come from periods of down time or low stress.

Numbero 3: Climb and summit five 14,000 foot peaks.

Cuatro: Return to South America, either short-term or indefinitely, to help my friend BJ pioneer his bike tour business => www.bikingbuenosaires.com

Numbero 5: Maintain physical well-being by continuing yoga practice, bike and/or run combined 10 miles per week and other cross training activities once per week (soccer, basketball, wrestling, muay thai)

Numero Six: Discover Spanish literature/poetry. Just another way to stay engaged in my favorite language and one that has always interested me

Numero 7: See 2 countries I haven't seen yet

Ocho: Create a new blog that captures 100 more readers by March 2011.

Numero 9: Rediscover my passion for photography. Photography was a hidden passion while in South America and I neglected it for the most part of 2009, time to capture more moments.

10: To live each moment of every day with a habit of happiness knowing that the year 2010 is just one of many and the most important part of this year or this lifetime is today, here and now.

I wish you all the best in 2010 may you have personal success, health and happiness!

HappYness in a Snowflake

2010-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

Peeking out the front window after waking to the 5:30am alarm, snowflake upon snowflake accumulate in the dark morning air. The taste of the yerba mate is a bit more sweet this morning indeed. The first gasp of morning air coats the respiratory system and quickly turns on the brain. Upon arrival to the local ski area, Monarch Mountain, the energy of friends and employees is abnormally positive. "Powder day!" echoes through the lodge as many share an understanding that today is going to be epic.

The frosty precipitation passes time more peacefully, people carry smiles and hot cocoas knowing the 'fluff' is collecting and awaiting new tracks. Welcome to winter in ski-bum country Colorado. Time slows with the cold and some days few thoughts occupy the mind because of its numbed effort to retain body heat.

Whether it can be found in a snowflake, a grain of sand or a mind-muting sunrise, happiness fulfills its subjective meaning in the simplest of things that are often taken for granted. Being open to the even the simplest of gratifications can bring one more smile a day, which is worth it isn't it?

Today, what is your snowflake?

Trials of Constant Transition

2009-12-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

I hear all the questions, inquiries and speculation.

"When will you find a career? What is next for you? When will you finally settle? What about graduate school? What about real estate?"

The list of questions one hears is endless. Upon my arrival in Colorado on a cool, sunny November day, the questions continued to surface from the 'settlers' here. However, the pressure felt from the questions has thinned along with the Rocky Mountain air. Knowing one's direction, goals or plans carries much importance in the Western world which is dictated by results, bottom lines and clocks. Personally, I've been rather goal-oriented my whole life and have had direction. It's as if I have come to an opening in the jungle of direction and plans where neither currently exist. The issue isn't lack of goals, direction or plans rather too many of all of the above.

Since the moment I stepped foot in South America, a whole new world of opportunities and contacts has emerged. The crossroads where I now stand shows about 20 different arrows of opportunities to pursue. Is this a problem? I heard something on the news about 4 months ago about how many college graduates are now seeing the fruits of their labor/tuition cost under their parents' roof. The explanation was what else... the economy. It appears times have changed and the young 20 somethings have opportunities, just not the conventional career opportunities. No doubt the job market is the worst we've seen in 20 years yet small businesses and entrepreneurs seem to be primed to flourish. Personally, I know more than five people who are venturing their own business in one industry or another, half of them are making a nice portion of their income online (blogs, affiliate marketing, etc.). Yes, times are changing and college graduates have different visions than those of ten years past of doing more than just joining Corporate America to become a salary slave and eventually carry enough stress and health issues to continue funding the booming pharmaceutical industry. It's just not for me, at least right now.

To Each their own:

The definition of success is highly subjective. Ironically enough, as I write this blog post, I took a lunch break at a local bistro and was given a fortune cookie after paying the bill. I brought the cookie home opened it and ate it here at the computer. My fortune read, "You will be very successful in your career." The career gods have crept their way into fortune cookies. I also believe the definition of career is becoming more subjective as well. My definition of a career is doing what you love while earning some income in doing so. Others may view it as being in a company long term and strictly trading time for money. With the emergence of web 2.0, it seems now more than ever more possible to earn income from different streams. People can become famous for uploading their videos on youtube, quirky twitter posts, blogging and much more. The job market is struggling yet I know several people my age or younger making a legitimate income and support system from this world wide web.

Since this is my blog, I'll use my own personal example of success to test whether 'settling' for a career is better than continuously transitioning. Since I graduated college I have not lived in one place for more than 6 months. Even if I was in the same city, I moved several times continually learning new pockets of each respective place. The most 'settled' I have been was when I worked an outside sales position for a communications company, which also happened to last six months. It was the most income I have ever earned and was a decent salary + commission paycheck every couple weeks. Financially speaking, I was doing pretty well for a 24 year old. However, I was miserable every day that I worked there. My health and lifestyle were being highly compromised so I left for something different which has somewhat spurred my current 'transitioning' lifestyle. Then I look at a time when living in Argentina when financially speaking, I was poor. I was literally living day to day earning pesos teaching English any opportunity I could. Yet, this was one of the most exhilarating times of my life. Every day was a new challenge and I appreciated every little peso in my pocket. Less truly is more in my case, that's just me. Of course I'd love to live in a mansion on a beach and own a private jet or yacht, however I will never achieve that lifestyle through being a corporate sheep climbing the proverbial ladder. My health and lifestyle are too important to me.

Trials of constant transition is about continuous circulation, learning and never settling. I will settle someday but what living abroad and meeting travelers from all corners of the globe have taught me, there is too much on this planet to explore, learn from and give back to than to just 'settle' at such a young age. I feel at peace when I don't know where I'll be in a few months, that is my chill pill; constant transition, circulation and appreciation for what is in our life at that moment. Nothing lasts forever, especially all of us. Any of these days could be a last for any of us, why settle?

Painting a New Picture

2009-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

The canvass is empty and awaiting new brushstrokes. Nearly a year since my return from Argentina, I look to hit the road again. Something about Colorado has been calling me for quite some time. Many have inquired what is inspiring this move, even myself at times. Is it family, outdoors, friends, seasons? It better be something worthy because I have lived in 'America's finest city' for nearly 6 years minus the year in South America.

Is it possible that this place is just too perfect? As a matter of fact, the one complaint I would have against San Diego is that I live one airplane second away from the airport, almost even have the flight pattern memorized by now. Really? That's it? It is true, San Diego really is America's finest city, behind San Francisco in my opinion. What this city has to offer is a year-round perfect climate, friendly people, great cuisine, beaches, deserts, Hollywood and Mexico all within a 2 hour radius. Not to mention I have met some of the most inspiring people here and have amazing friends to write home about. All of this has comprised a wonderful chapter in my book. Its picture is beautiful and complete for right now. Why not view our life as a book or a painting? My understanding is that I am 25 year old chico who likes to explore, learn and find new challenges. Perhaps, with all the beauty in this current chapter labeled San Diego, I am simply ready to turn a page or see the blank canvas once more.

Since I came to San Diego, all that I have learned is that this world has much to offer and I have to take advantage of all that I can and give back while doing so. A sincere and genuine sense of gratitude has been coming over me recently. It has been wonderful and I wouldn't be surprised if I were end up living in America's finest city again someday, until then many more places are out there to explore and learn from. For now, a new journey awaits and shall be approached with goals, open heart and a smile.

High Altitude Attitude

2009-09-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mt. Shavano (middle) silhouette in Colorado summer sunset

Gasping for the thin rocky mountain air with an oncoming lightheaded feeling, I look at my brother and good friend Reed as they too struggle for inhalation. "Why did we choose this route again?" I ask them between gasps. It was our first major hiking break of the day as we were attempting to summit Mt. Princeton (14,197ft.). There are two major trails one can take to find themselves atop this beautiful mountain. The first trail, which many prefer, is up the east side of the mountain and may take longer but is more enjoyable by means of difficulty level. The other prominent trail, which very few actually take, is up the southwest side of the mountain and is literally a straight ascent from the trail head to the summit. We chose the latter. It was an arduous climb and was really testing my level of conditioning since just 48 hours prior I was at my accustomed sea level state. There we sat eating oranges, power bars and sipping H2O concluding that one must either have to be really hardcore or stupid to take this arduous trail to the top. Although we would have liked to consider ourselves hardcore, we all humorously knew that we were just plain stupid. How did we get to this point anyways?A little glimpse of the rugged ascent

Several weeks prior when I knew I would be going to Colorado to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday, I realized that I never really took full advantage of the outdoor lifestyle Colorado had to offer. Oddly, it took me to travel to the south of Chile and trek Torres del Paine to help me realize how much I love hiking and trekking. Eighteen years of my life passed with a hiker's paradise in my backyard, yet sometimes you must leave the comfort of home to realize all that was taken for granted. Colorado's fifty six 14ers (peaks over 14,000 feet) have become a genuine interest of mine in the last year or so. Therefore, I knew when going to help my brother not feel so old at his 30th, a 14er must be put on the agenda.

I flew into Colorado on Wednesday evening from San Diego (sea level) and managed to sleep very little after staying with an old high school friend. Then Thursday was spent catching up with family and proceeding to catch up with more old friends that night at the local bar until the wee hours of the morning. Then came Friday morning, the day we had planned to ascend Mt. Princeton. With little rest and a tummy full of mixed beverages from the night before, the three of us decided to give it a go. We didn't even arrive at the trail head until noon, typically 'hardcore' climbers begin their ascent at the crack of dawn. Instead, we 'stupid' people prefer to begin the much tougher trail at the crack of noon. All three of us will go down in history as the most prepared climbers, our planning was flawless.... right?Last sign of tree life above treeline 12,000 feet

Standing atop the peak above 13,000 feet, overlooking Arkansas River Valley

There we were half way up the mountain, now my lightheaded feeling was in full effect and I suddenly realized altitude wasn't only challenging for breath but also the blood pressure. The amount of exercise I do on a weekly basis had prepared my lungs enough for the climb, however there was not much preparation I could have done to accustom the blood pressure at 10-14,000 feet higher. I actually surprised myself and stayed somewhat close behind my 'elder' brother who was scaling the ascent like a mountain goat in its natural environment. Step by step, with my quadriceps and calves screaming, I found myself above the 13,000 foot mark overlooking the Arkansas River valley and surrounding 14ers. Unfortunately, the sun was on its way down to the west as the time read 3:15pm when we were still a good hour away from the summit. We decided we had enough on this day. The trek back down to the car took just a little over 1 hour 30 minutes. We proceeded to drive down to the Mt. Princeton hot springs to soak our amateur climbing bodies. The rest of the day was a bit hazy to me as my body was basically in shut-down mode since it wasn't too happy about the combination of staying up late, exercising vigorously up a mountain just 48 hours after loathing in sunny San Diego.

Mt. Princeton from Reed's balcony over dinner and vino, a sweet feeling!

Though it is very unfortunate we didn't summit the 14er, it was a great learning experience of being young and dumb. I mean, after all we were there in the first place celebrating our youth since my brother says 30 is the new 20. Additionally, our flawless planning apparently does need some improvement for the next time we intend on ascending a 14er. As for myself, I have a whole lot more respect for not only 14ers, but altitude in general. In short, it kicked my butt. If anything, it has just increased my respect for the activity and preparation that is necessary to become an avid climber. However, I am even more motivated to get back and summit one of those 56 peaks!

Bikram Yoga Experience

2009-08-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried the controversial yoga practice of Bikram Yoga? It's hot! As in 105 degrees Farenheit, 40% humidity hot. Imagine a huge Sauna room packed full of fellow yogis exerting energy through stretch, pose and breath. The best way I can sum up the experience is that it feels like the skin is surrounded by fire from the inside out. Naturally, the body perspires profusely through pores you never thought you had from the first breath until 90 minutes and 26 yoga poses are completed. For most, especially first timers, a 'timeout' from the flow of poses is necessary to gain control of the heart rate.

Developed by Bikram Choudhury who emigrated here from Calcutta, India and now resides in Los Angeles. He holds a copyright on his yoga and has developed a very successful business with over 500 locations throughout the United States. This has created much controversy as many feel the practice of yoga should not be used for personal profit. Regardless, the philosophy behind this yoga practice intrigues me....... and many, many others who have literally become addicted to it.

According to maestro Choudhury, the heat aids in speeding up the heart rate thus increasing the blood flow throughout the whole body. The blood circulation is affected in two different ways, extension and compression. Each pose (asana) extends one part of the body and compresses another forcing the heart to pump more fresh oxygenated blood to the area that was just being compressed.

When practicing, the challenge quickly becomes as much mental as it is physical. Personally, I had to focus like a samurai to control my breathing in order to slow my heart rate. The constant circulation of blood warms the inside of the body which could explain the fiery sensation in and outside of the largest organ, the skin. Supposedly, this practice becomes less difficult and more enjoyable with each class, soon leading to the healthiest addiction one could ask for. I will continue to go and study the effects it has on mind and body. From my first experience in the Bikram Yoga world, I felt physically drained and mentally still. Sitting outside of the class for 20 minutes afterwards catching my breath and drinking water, a rare zen-like state consumed me. I had no energy to stress or think much, my attention focused on my heart rate and blood flow. Physical euphoria and mental utopia consumed the rest of my evening. Therefore, I don't recommend beginning your Bikram yoga experience as a morning ritual, you may be walking on too many clouds in slow motion throughout the rest of the day, unless that's what you're looking for in daily activity.

It is recommended to take the first few classes slowly and bring adequate amount of water.... And a towel!!! I literally had to ring out my shorts after the class as if I had just jumped into the Pacific, quite intriguing eh? You can literally wring out the stress from your clothes afterwards ;)

Al fin, Bikram yoga, love it or hate it.. Don't knock it til you try it. Just remember to bring an open mind, a towel, water and your smile. Enjoy!

Tapping Back into Blogosphere

2009-07-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hola World! Yeah hi, Robin here tapping back into the blogosphere. Sipping on yerba mate and looking out of my studio window at the sun-christened buildings of downtown San Diego. All this combined with some of my favorite music (Manu Chao) calls for time of reflection and an update on la pura vida.

The last four months have been encapsulated by the whirlwinds of constant change. It never ceases to interest me how change is one of the toughest concepts for humans beings to accept. Do you ever find yourself contemplating where you are relative to 365 days ago? Upon my personal reflection, I see myself one year ago being fully accustomed to an Argentine lifestyle well consumed by futbol, La Bomba and good vino in the depths of winter residing in San Telmo. Today I see myself enjoying every moment of this day-off from the weekly hustle. A time where I also see myself consumed by the American dream ($) often working 60-70 hours a week. My sanity escape has become the beautiful sport of Muay Thai, hiking, running and most other exercise. Until now, writing has obviously escaped my priority list. My new home is in the heart of San Diego in a studio surrounded by downtown, the San Diego Bay and Balboa Park.

I find myself observing the metaphysical flow of energy and rhythm of each day. Perhaps learning a Martial Art has brought about this new perspective. Whether I'm working (outside sales) or relaxing, observing the rhythms and energy flow of people is fascinating. It's madness witnessing the up and down emotional rollercoaster that can be caused by a career in sales, a true test of personal craft in its own respect. Equally interesting to witness is how we humans sometime create closer bonds when physically far (thank the world wide web), yet can also create distance the closer we physically become. I see you sitting there wondering what the hell I'm writing about. It was never guaranteed that my new-found revelations and perspective will make any sense, but I share anyways.

The constant change in life has taught me gratitude for what is in my life now. One week, we may be able to visit one of our best family friends, the next week they're no longer with us due to illness, RIP Jerry. No matter how happy or sad our emotions leave us at this moment, the belief that it will soon be the contrary due to new change helps aid in acceptance of whatever we are currently feeling.

Maybe the beauty of today is that we never know what will really occur tomorrow. Life is an incredible classroom and is deserving of our full gratitude.

Final Day of Cleanse and its Immediate Gratification

2009-03-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Master Cleanse Ingredients, my best friends for 5 days

Theoretically the Master Cleanse is designed for ten days. However, this being our first cleanse, Dani and I elected to begin with a five day detox. The continuous consumption of syrup-tasting lemonade with a spicy kick has run its course of purifying the body. On the fifth day of the cleanse, my energy level had increased immensely since the second and third day. My agenda on Saturday wasn't necessarily for emotional stability.

I made a nice two hour drive up the coast to Santa Ana to attend the funeral services of my Uncle Clifford Stanley Olof. I found great joy in witnessing what I had previously not known of a life lived in good faith and honor by Uncle Cliff. He loved to fly airplanes, fix cars in the backyard and shop at thrift stores and swap meets for the best deal. On his last day of life, he flew an airplane and passed away right in front of a thrift store, doing what he loved to do. I wish the rest of the Olof family and friends the best in finding peace at this time.

On the drive back from the funeral services, I noticed my energy level had remained relatively high even after a morning filled with sorrow. By the time night came, I went with some buddies to watch live Muay Thai fights, which gave me a greater appreciation for the sport. By the time 9pm arrived, my energy level was still surprisingly high. My body had adjusted to the new diet and I realized why it was designed for ten days. However, my taste buds and palette were ready for something other than lemonade. Additionally, my renewed energy yielded a renewed anticipation to resume physical activity.

We began easing out of the cleanse this morning by consuming 2 glasses of orange juice to bring up our glucose levels and prepare our body to consume foods. Though we started light with blueberries, yogurt and granola. The yogurt is especially beneficial in providing the body with probiotic bacteria which is the good bacteria to help the stomach prepare for more digestion of solid foods. Lunch comprised of a light salad and bread with olive oil. Then I consumed an apple, yerba mate and gatorade before I played a game of soccer with some Brazilian and Mexican friends. It felt great to play again, reminding me of being back in Argentina hearing the constant chatter of 'trash talk' in espanol. My flexibility has noticeably increased since the cleanse. Though, I tired out quickly, it has been a long time since my body felt that light and elastic performing any exercise. Dinner tonight consisted of creamy tomato soup with basil and bread. My consumption of H2O was equivelant to each day on the cleanse, 160 oz. Another interesting observation is that my body has absolutely no soreness after the 45 minute game of futbol, hmmm.. how does that cleanse sound now athletes?

Choosing between my tomato soup w/bread and the lemonade wasn't too difficult, no more lemonade for quite some time...

What is/was the best part of the cleanse?

My favorite part of this was not eating solid foods.... Sense the sarcasm. Really, my favorite part was/is the feeling of a renewed energy in the body. Additionally, my nasal cavity has never felt this clear, it really feels like a system reset in all facets of my inner workings. My favorite ingredient was the wheat grass capsule, provided noticeable energy increase. Alternatively, detoxifying through the skin by soaking in eucalyptus bath salts was a great excuse to treat the body to a realxing bath, this can be useful even after a long or stressful day.

What is/was the worse part of the cleanse?

Getting whiffs of food, any kind, while continuously searching for some justification of doing this while slurping down the syrupy lemonade with a kick. The salt water cleanse was gag-worthy as well. For good reason I've never met anyone who fancies chugging lukewarm salt water, mmm.

What was learned from the Master Cleanse?

I learned a significant amount about the mechanics of my body. My consciousness has greatly shifted to my body as well, as I noticed myself slowly consuming my meals today and really enjoying the taste and process of eating.

Do I recommend the Master Cleanse?

Absolutely! Save your health, cleanse yourself.

Day 4: Master Cleanse

2009-03-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Feeling light like a butterfly today, I made a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up some more grade B syrup when the checkout lady inquired if I was doing 'the cleanse'. She, along with all of the other emperical evidence, claimed I got over the hump (first 3 days).

I felt rather sluggish around 6pm today but survived the severe urge to just chomp on an apple. This is the conclusion of day 4 and I feel pretty good, my energy level is higher than it had been this time of night the first three evenings. I almost feel as if my body is glowing on the inside, yet a sensation of weakness kicks in from time to time. The cleanse is working being evidenced by a rejuvinated look and feel in the skin. My joints feel more flexible and loose as well. Day 5 approaches tomorrow and I will be attending my Uncle's funeral. Some emotional stress is expected and may very well end the cleanse but my efforts and attention will be in comforting my Aunt Marilyn and the rest of the family.

Do I recommend the Master Cleanse? Absolutely, my body feels amazing!

Day 3: Master Cleanse

2009-03-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

http://themastercleanse.org/

Last night, day 2, was very difficult. An intense hunger set in and I began to feel lightheaded when I was in a communications course with my girlfriend. I immediately drank the last of my daily lemonade along with 2 wheat grass capsules and a hoodia extract capsule. Interestingly, my hunger and lightheaded feelings disappeared and I felt an energy increase. This is an example of this master cleanse bringing a more conscious awareness to the body's inner workings. Discomfort set in last night around 11pm so I knew toxins were being stirred around in my body.

I woke up six times to urinate during the night, yes 6 times. This didn't frustrate me too much since I knew it was the toxins leaving the body. Today our lemonade drink was detoured for several hours since I realized I had purchased Grade A maple syrup for our mix today so I had to make a run to Henry's market to buy the hard-to-find organic Grade B maple syrup. Low and behold they didn't have any but the lady helping me knew I was on the master cleanse and suggested a lower-priced Agave Nectar. It supposedly has the same nutrients as Grade B maple syrup. It does have a different taste however it is a good economic replacement for the syrup. The reason why the diet can't contain Grade A syrup is because of the sugar content is much higher in Grade A.

Today I feel pretty good as my energy level is somewhat higher than yesterday. I increased my detoxification by soaking in the bath tub with Eucalyptus bath salts for 20 minutes. Eucalyptus bath salts or even epsom salts ease physical discomfort and draw toxins through the pores. It was a pretty neat experience to see the skin prespire so much of the toxins out, you may call me crazy but it really was interesting.

Supposedly the first 3 days are the most difficult on the master clease so I'm looking forward to how my body has adjusted by tomorrow. I'm considering pressing for 7 days depending on how I feel day 5. For now, I'll take it step-by-step...

Master Cleanse: Day 2 of 5/ Pics of San Diego

2009-03-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Who said this cleanse was going to be a piece of cake? No pun intended. It truly is a struggle, I feel a little lightheaded, yet very fluid... literally very full of fluids. A friend of mine told me last night that they had done this same master cleanse and they do it once a year. Their description is that the body feels euphoric by the 4th or 5th day, my patience is truly being tested in anticipation of this physical euphoria.

Yesterday, my exercise level was about the same as usual. I did an hour of muay thai training in the morning and hiked Cowles mountain with my buddy Josh in the evening. A strong sense of hunger hit me when we finished the nearly 3 mile round trip hike. I immediately drank some of the syrup-tasting lemonade with a spicy kick upon the return home. Along with it I drank tons more water, wheat grass capsules and hoodia extract to curb the hunger. I woke up this morning feeling pretty weak yet my body's energy level kicked in once I sipped some of the lemonade supplemented by the psyllium husk, hoodia extract and wheat grass capsules. My hunger soon disappeared. This afternoon, I took a stroll up, down and all around Balboa Park which never ceases to amaze me with its beauty. I've found that being outside and in nature helps keep my attention off the constant discomfort. It has also given me an opportunity to capture some San Diego beauty, view pics at bottom!

Referenced again from the Master Cleanse book, here is what a typical day is like as far as consumption:

1. It’s best to start your day with one of 3 laxatives (psyllium husk, sea salt, or laxative tea) because they’re more effective on a empty stomach. I personally take the psyllium husk in the morning.

2. Next you can make yourself a glass of lemonade using fresh lemons, cayenne pepper, and grade B maple syrup. You can use flavored herbal tea (decaffeinated) for taste and hoodia gordonii to help subdue your hunger if you choose, but it’s optional. You might also want to make a whole days worth of lemonade at this time rather than making it glass by glass. We've made our lemonade the night before for a whole day's supply: 60 oz. of filtered water, 3 squeezed organic lemons, 12 tbsp of the grade B syrup, 1/2 tbsp of cayenne pepper.

3. I like to alternate between a glass of water and lemonade. Remember the goal is to flush out your system so be sure to get plenty of fresh filtered water. Try and drink my body weight in ounces of water, but the more the better.

4. You can take the wheat grass anytime after the first glass of lemonade. I take 5 grams a day, broken up into 2 doses. I personally take 2 capsules 3x a day; morning, afternoon, evening.

5. Throughout the day continue drinking lemonade and water

6. Before bed take another laxative (psyllium husk, sea salt, or laxative tea). This is when I usually take 1/2 tbsp of sea salt and 20 oz. of warm water or the laxative tea.

Once my body fully adjusts in day 3 or 4, the discomfort is supposed to subside, we'll see how it goes, as it is different with all body types.

Here are some pics that I was able to snap last night at Cowles Mtn. and today at Balboa Park:

Trail going up Cowles Mt.

Sunset from Cowles, waiting for Green Flash on St. Patty's Day

Not quite a green flash

Balboa Park, Cathedral in backdrop

Flower's view on 163 and Balboa Park Bridge

Spring Bloom in San Diego

Master Cleanse: Day 1 of 5

2009-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

I agreed to begin the Master Cleanse or body detox with my girlfriend. What constitutes of the Master Cleanse is a very simple recipe and excludes and solid foods, however provides the ample amount of nutrition for the body. This is my personal first fasting experience however lately I've read several articles that proclaim several long-term health benefits of cleansing the body. The true Master Cleanse is scheduled for 10 days however it recommends to start with anywhere between 3-10 days. Due to the fact that I'm beginning a new job next Monday I'll start slow, thus my girlfriend and I chose a 5 day cleanse. Many may question why it's necessary for the body to be detoxified. Sourced from the Master Cleanse book, here is an excerpt explaining outlining the benefits of the detox.

The Master Cleanse helps dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body
• It helps cleanse the kidneys
• It eliminates hardened fecal material, and phlegm that has accumulated in your colon and digestive tract
• It helps purify the glands and cells in your body
• It helps eliminate unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles
• The Master Cleanse helps build a healthy blood stream
• It can relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels
• The Master Cleanse diet contains high levels of important vitamins and minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper. Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid are also present.

The Master Cleanse is also recommended to those who are sluggish, have bloating, joint pains, stomach cramps, gallstones, indigestion, excess fat, kidney problems, infections, gout, arthritis, boils, ulcers, have no appetite, seem sick but don't have a cold or the flu, or those who've tried a balanced diet and your doctor can't figure out what is ailing them.

So there you have it, this is why I chose to accept this agreement. I am a huge advocate of treating the body right so I'd like to reset my body's systems with a nice big detox flush.

What ingredients do you need for the Master Cleanse??

Pretty simple, the most important ingredient is water of course. Not just any water or tap water, filtered or microfiltered water is recommended. Take your body weight in pounds and drink the corresponding amount of water in ounces. For example, I weigh 160 pounds, therefore I should drink a minimum of 160 ounces of water.
Organic lemons, cayenne pepper, unrefined sea salt and organic grade B syrup are the other primary ingredients that make up the lemonade to flush the system.

The secondary ingredients may include laxative herbal teas, psyllum husk, wheatgrass capsules and hoodia extract. The three forms of laxative in the master cleanse are the sea salt mixed with water, laxative tea and psyllum husk which acts as a great laxative due to its concentrated amount of fiber. The hoodia extract that comes in either liquid or capsules helps manage the appetite. The wheatgrass capsules provide ample amount of protein for the body.

I am already feeling the discomfort that comes naturally with any fasting. It's natural for the body to feel discomfort when ridding its toxins.

I will be updating the blog daily with my personal results of how the Master Cleanse is affecting me physically, mentally and spiritually.

Happy cleansing!

Integrating Your Mind and Body

2009-03-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

The concept of mind and body integration has been around for centuries and has longly been debated widely by philosophers and scholars alike. The 17th Century philosopher, Rene DesCartes, regarded as the father of modern philosophy boldly claimed "I think, therefore I am." Thus thinking (mind) was equated with being (body). Three centuries passed with this philosophy until another famous philosopher Jean Paul Sartre analyzed DesCarte's statement and dug deeper. "The consciousness that says 'I am' is not the consciousnes that thinks," stated Sartre. Thus began a new dimension of consciousness. If there were nothing but thought in you, you wouldn't even know you were thinking. This new dimension of consciousness and awareness has been proven to reduce stress, increase the immune system, fight disease, and thus slow or even reverse biological aging.

The human mind can be used as our greatest tool and it can also use us to it's disposal if the underlying consciousness provides no awareness of the mind's tricks and manifestations. Considering the mind and body as seperate entities, the body is a molecular field while the mind is a thought field. The interdependent relationship between the two happens constantly for example when a thought arises it precipitates a molecule in the nervous system which then influences the other molecules thoughout the body. When the human awareness is brought brought back to the underlying consciousness, meditation is taking place. How do most human beings attain this dimension? It usually begins with respiration, breathing is the bridge between mind and body, thus productive mind and body integration is usually dependent upon respiration. That's why if you've ever been to a yoga, tai chi or meditation course the instructor will always stress the consistent focus on respiration.

There are many disciplines to practice mind and body integration such as yoga, quigong, akaido and tai chi among others which stress conscious breathing and body movement to bring the attention to the inner energy field. Deepak Chopra M.D., who is author of Grow Younger, Live Longer and Ageless Body, Timeless Mind and pioneer in mind/body medicine scientifically proves mind/body integration is one of ten steps to reverse the aging process. You probably won't become the next curious case of Benjamin Button through meditation and yoga alone but it surely helps slow aging. Should you decide to give meditation a go, remember several things that may help. Focus on respiration constantly and relax when thoughts arise, be aware of the thought and let it pass with each exhalation. The understanding that thoughts pass constantly through the mind is crucial to realize complete awareness of the moment. Listening the the inner energy field of the body is equally, if not more, important as tuning into the exterior environment. You might be surprised how the body reacts when it is listened to. Another way to daily exercise the unique mind/body relationship is when eating or drinking. If you slowly ingest your food and listen to the body instead of the mind, you'll notice you're fulfilled much sooner than usually thought.

The only way any of this will make sense is if you personally try simple mind/body intergration on a daily basis and observe its effect, if any. Remember to focus on breathing, feel your body as a field of energy while listening to it often and realize that your being is not dependent upon your thinking. Happy Discoveries!

Muay Thai and its Revelations

2009-03-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Muay thai, or Thai kickboxing, has become my new physical discipline. It has been over six years since I've endured this form of physical training when I wrestled which required continuous mental and physical discipline. Soccer, futbol, was the most recent sport that tested my athleticism which taught me the importance of strong, versatile and agile legs. Muay thai is proving to be a great complement or follow-up sport to futbol. Both sports test core balance and hip flexibility. Suddenly, I am realizing that learning new sports or physical arts greatly interests me. Muay Thai is also known as the Art of Eight Limbs where each fighter can strike with both hands, shins, knees and elbows.

It may be known as one of the toughest of all the martial arts, from my two months of training and learning the 'ropes' of this sport I can only attest. Muay thai is quite a fat and calorie burner as well. While maintaining a steady and consistent diet of vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, salmon, egg, tea and mate dishes the weeks where I do more muay thai training, my weight is respectively lower. Since my first class, I've already lost 8 pounds. Let it be known that I was also carrying some left-over holiday pounds at the beginning of the training and my metabolism has alway sky-rocketed during times of consistent cross-training. My increased hip flexibility from muay thai has increased my running stride and apparently has less hip strain from the past. My right hip used to be sore after long runs dating back to high-school cross country. Kickboxing gave my hips the WD-40 effect, no feelings of friction or tension after long runs What comes of this experiment? I look forward to only improving my muay thai skills as I feel it is truly an art form that tests multiple dimensions of mind and body.

Physical training has its effects on seratonin levels as well, increasing that natural state of well-being. It's always amusing for me to observe my energy levels before and after workouts. The personal state of energy is always more positive and steady coming out of strenuous exercise than it was entering that particular workout. Physical exercise has always been my preferred form of body-mind integration or alternate form of meditation. Interestingly, when performing any physical exercise, letting go of the thoughts and allowing the body to perform its intended action naturally always yields better and more effective technique.

I'm not recommending that you all register in a kickboxing class, but I always recommend some form of mind-body integration exercise, whether it be tai chi, yoga, kickboxing, running, swimming, or even simple walking. Try feeling the body's energy field from head to toe by first focusing on your respiration. Once your attention is on your inhale/exhale, let your surrounding environment feed you energy. It's no wonder why many people enjoy exercising near the beach. The waves and sun act as great human battery chargers, only if you allow your body to feed off of it. Perception is reality and there's no question why I usually run faster and longer when allowing my body to feed of the environmental energy. Please experiment for yourselves the next time you're in the gym or just taking a stroll, see if your energy level has shifted from before to after the particular exercise.

Once Upon a Time, I was a blogger

2009-03-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, the calendar already is showing March 2009?

It's official, I've become just another once-upon-a-time blogger as we now pass time three months into the year 2009. What's new? Everything... really, things change so quickly and my life has become californiacated (not a word).

The last two months have been filled with doing random sales gigs. I was a door-to-door salesmen for about six weeks working 60 hour weeks learning how to convince residential homeowners that they need monitored security on their home. I was an independent contractor for Pinnacle Securities during this time, however I was working for the middleman, a company known as Cydcor which is a marketing firm that does face to face sales for companies such as Pinnacle, AT&T, etc. This was a short-lived career for me as I was putting in many hours and energy and would receive my commission checks days, sometimes weeks, after they were scheduled to arrive. Not very convenient for a young man in debt who needs money for rent when its commission-only.

Great learning experience!

In two weeks since, I've been interviewing for other sales positions and have done pretty well. Looks like I'll begin working for Agent Advantage selling digital advertising and paperclip ad campaigns for real estate agents and brokers next week. I was supposedly going to be offered a position with CBeyond doing business to business sales but was basically not offered the position because I mentioned the book "Four Hour Workweek" at some point in the initial interview for the position that requires 60 hours a week.... time is money Robin, didn't ya know?

Great learning experience!

Life has been quite amusing nonetheless in the first several months of this year as I'm learning the ropes of the U.S. job market on the shoestrings of sales positions. The most recent book that I have to rave about and recommend to anyone who hasn't already read it is "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman. The subtitle of this book states A book that changes lives. True statement. I realized after reading this book that I don't really need that much in life, I'm pretty content with simplicity. Financial independence is still something that I strive for but I believe a more frugal lifestyle can only help me achieve this. I also realized that I would just love to wake up everyday and be a Spanish teacher and an athletic coach (wrestling, football, baseball). I can just hear my Dad saying at home, ''I told you so!" He always claimed he saw me as a coach or teacher, well that is really what would make me happy. However I feel like I have things to accomplish and places to see before I settle into this lifestyle.

Thanks for reading, I put no minutes of planning into this blog post, more of a journal entry for me, getting my thoughts out in the open on the public forum. I promise my coming posts will have more value for you. This was more of a personal blog entry to rid the thoughts, now that I've done that, time for a little meditation, which is always more attainable with a clear mind... or is it the other way? A clear mind is more attainable via meditation, ahh yes what a beautiful cycle, more on this later...

Goosebumps and 'Hope'

2009-01-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

"America is a friend to each nation and every man, woman and child... and we are ready to lead once more" 44th President of the United States Barack Obama

It has been some time since I've seen a leader or public speaker who has the ability to captivate an audience and transcend goosebumps at the end of each powerful statement. Barack Obama has that power! Since my roommate Josh and I are abstaining from having a television, youtube has been my one-stop Obama shop for the regular dose of powerful speech and goosebumps.

I really feel like we once again have a great leader steering the fate of this country. Being fully aware that change for the better will not come overnight but with many days of 'cutting the fat' of unethical government and commercial practices. It is truly time to become responsible in all manners of our lives and I know it begins with myself personally. The United States of America has had a 20-year period of excessive consumption on luxuries that we cannot afford, once again, it begins with me. It's a great feeling to actually listen mindfully to our nation's leader, I can't recall the last time I've had this sentiment of trust and faith in the captain of the ship. A fresh start for us all, the key is simplicity. One of the greatest things I learned in 2008 in Argentina, happiness can be revealed through simplicity. Hold me too it por favor!

A New Year

2009-01-04T04:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009!

Yes I know I am four days late on the whole New Year's blog post however I have just arrived back in the confines of San Diego from a 2-week 'unplugged' visit in Colorado visiting family. By unplugged, I mean without much use of internet, it was great being with family and seeing old friends. However, this time home with family was a good time for me to objectively view my current place in my life and what lies ahead. After a year of great travel and cultural experiences, I have a sizable amount of financial debt to go along with the rich experience and perspective gained in the last year. 2009 will surely be a great year as I am faced with new challenges, more responsibility and more expectations.

My way of transitioning the calendar years is to ponder on what I learned in 2008 and how it can be applied in 2009:

You really are what you eat: This was by far the most healthy year I've lived on average in my short 24 years. Much of this had to do with being on my own in a new country and relying on a healthy diet to keep me out of 3rd world hospitals due to illness. From what I've read and lived, two simple things may help you avoid costly medical bills, prescriptions, etc.; healthy diet and exercise... bet you've never heard that before :) . I look forward to being even more healthy in '09 in regards to my diet and I also plan on running a marathon. Due to convincing of a great friend, I've also decided to take up the practice of boxing and muay thai, just to keep in shape. Look for more posts on the martial arts game and marathon training this year.

The most interesting person in your life is the one most interested in you: This is a paraphrase from the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and has been repeated many times by my good friend Amit. Nothing can be more true if you sit and think about it. Think of those people in your life right now, friends or family. Do you really want to spend any energy or worry on people who could care less about you? I'm a firm believer that you always have to take care of yourself before you can care for others but in some instances caring for others has a direct correlation in self-care. Studies show that volunteering and helping other human beings creates a natural feel-good effect on the conciousness and may strengthen your immune system. Moral? As Jimi Hendrix said, "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace."

I dislike losing money twice as much as I enjoy earning it: Not that I've really ever earned a substantial amount of money but I do know one thing; it's easier to get into financial debt than to get out. I currently sit with nearly twelve grand of debt that I didn't have a year ago and am mapping how I can pay it off in one year, it's not easy but it will be sweet to be in a financial surplus this time next year. However if you were to ask me if I were to go back a year and change anything, I would not, the last year was the most educational year of my life and the education you receive from living in foreign lands and travelling is more than a college education, it's priceless.

In any struggle, creativity is your friend: In hard times with relatively high national unemployment and a struggling economy, this is where we must be most creative and I believe many more entrepreneurs will flourish in the coming years. If history repeats itself, think of the '70's when Carter was President and the economy was in a slump after Vietnam. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs seized their opportunities and are sure-handed role models for today's striving entrepreneurs. Always strive to work smarter not harder... hopefully I'll follow my own advice.

Es Como es: Now that I consider myself fluent in Spanish, I look to apply it as much as possible since I really do enjoy speaking Spanish more than English. However this is not where I'm going with this. Es como es translates to ''that's how it is.'' When things aren't going your way, try to see it as a breakthrough instead of the world against you because in life, es como es, it is what it is. You can't change anything that has already happened, it is what it is and look for any positive that you can from the situation. My good friend Mike taught me this just by living with him, he seemed to always find the positive in any 'es como es' situation. I look to find the positive in even the most unfortunate situations that I'll surely encounter this year. 2008 was a year for the ages in which we elected our first African American President, our economy is on the rocks, my favorite comedian George Carlin passed away, people were scammed into a $50 billion dollar ponzi scheme, Fidel passed the reigns to his brother and the US further polished its unfavorable reputation in the international community.... es como es. Here's to a great 2009: Cheers, Prost, Salude, Salud!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

2008-12-26T10:42:00.001-08:00

A week has passed since I've arrived in my home state of Colorado to celebrate the holiday seasons with the family and friends that I love. Every visit to Colorado since my departure after high school graduation has been short and sweet. This visit has been relatively different. Maybe it's my perception that has changed or maybe it is the struggling economy reaching all homes and families or a combination of both. The people here, especially in my hometown of Salida, are really down with a low or negative energy. I am witnessing firsthand the struggling economy reaching the back roads of our country at a time when everyone is supposed to be joyous celebrating their respective holiday.

I was sitting at a bar in our town last weekend watching some football and that one Christmas song kept playing in my head "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." just then, I witnessed a friend's mom storm through the bar in a high-strung ball of stress because of lack of money, being lonely, etc. Those who were trying to help kept saying, "it's the holidays, tough time of year." Let me get this straight, the most wonderful time of year really ends up being the most stressful time of year for many... especially in a struggling economy, why is this?

Your number one answer can be pointed to the fact that our religious family holidays have succumbed to the pressures of corporate America and has become a consumer-based holiday. I believe we should give gifts to those we love at any point of year, not just on Jesus Christ's birthday. What is so wrong or politically incorrect about that? The pressure for lower to even middle-income families begins to build around mid November and takes full swing on black Friday, day after Thanksgiving when all the blowout sales take place. This year especially has been very alarming since the Wal Mart employee was trampled to death in Long Island due to frenzied shoppers who somehow forgot what the true meaning of these holidays are. It seems to me this holiday season was a great national gut-check for our conusmer-based society. I thoroughly enjoyed spending my time with those that I love and didn't ask for a single gift, though my Mom gave me several books to add to the collection, thank you Mom.. you really didn't have to!

The point I'm trying to make should be absolutely clear by this point, I only hope that for a country that has had a 20-year party of over-consumption on the next hot buy for the bigger and better, we are beginning to realize what really is important in these times and any time for that matter.... friends and family. Material pleasure is only satisfying until the next best thing comes out, which happens more and more rapidly these days in a Web 2.0 digital world. Let's take some time, even one day during holidays from time to time to keep the credit card in the wallet and show our loved one they are loved by being there for them, hugging them, and letting them know what really matters, a simple "I love you."

Lose Your Shoes, $50bn Fraud and Internet vs. Sex

2008-12-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

First off, thank you to those who took their valuable time to respond to my last blog, it means a lot. Much of my time recently has been filled with job interviews, networking events and reading. Being unemployed has been an absolute blast because I've been able to fill my time with reading what I enjoy, authors Robert Kiyosaki and Deepak Chopra specifically. Also I've been able to enjoy the finer side of San Diego; farmers market, Argentinian restaurant and a Spanish tapas bar. However, I'm fully aware with the many interviews I've had recently, one of them will pull through and provide me a paycheck in exchange for my time, woopie!

The recent current events have had me engaged. What's the latest?

Did you see Dubya's reaction time? Though he hasn't necessarily been the brightest President and has probably been worn out from 8 years of being surrounded by dead-end ideals and administrators, he sure hasn't lost his cat-like reactions. Who in the world who has seen this hilarious seen doesn't wish at least one of those shoes connected, it would have been one of the most remembered scenes in his Presidential career. I commend Bush for being quick to duck out of the way and laughing it off, however I don't think he's fully aware of how large an insult shoe-tossing is in Arab countries. It made me think that Bush and Cheney probably play ''duck the shoe'' at their holiday gatherings every year, how else could have Bush ducked quicker than De La Hoya could manage against Pacuqiao? Cheney and Bush probably had a recent ''duck the shoe'' game just to prep for Bush's last visit to the country he liberated.

Enough with shoe games, let's talk about something that really does concern me and should concern anyone who has any kind of investment in ''securities.'' Former chairman of the Nasdaq stock exchange, Bernard Madoff, was arrested and charged with fraud which has affected some of the world's largest banks and is estimated at a value of $50bn, 33 billion Euros. You can read the article here. This is likely to cause hedge funds to go out of style as well. What comes of frauds like this and the Enron scandal? I hope it leads the average investor or citizen to become financially educated instead of always relying on your financial advisor who probably knows less than you and has just mastered sales jargon. My opinion is if you really want to place your hard-earned or inherited money into the markets, read up and educate yourself on what the hell you're doing. How do you do this? Read Benjamin Graham's "Intelligent Investor," "Prophecy" or "Financial IQ" by Robert Kiyosaki or any literature by Warren Buffet. Don't let yourself be a victim of any frauds or schemes.

The final piece of news that caught my eye today was how nearly half of the women surveyed by Harris Interactive would rather go without sex than losing their internet connection. Meanwhile, almost half of men in a similar survey earlier this year by electronic retailer Comet would give up sex for six months in exchange for a 50 inch plasma television. This is how we know we are truly in the digital age. It makes me wonder if this could be a cure for overpopulation? There's no doubt that people are addicted to clicking on the 'inbox' tab, opening messenger chats and have blackberries attached to the ears at all times, but giving up a basic human need for it? It just goes to show that sex really isn't even a human need anymore, just a luxury that is a backseat complement luxury to your plasma screen.

What can we conclude from all of this? When losing your investment to a fraudulent hedge fund, show how pissed off you are by throwing your shoes at the situation and telling your significant other that you're a reborn virgin who can't escape internet blog junkies like myself.

It's a strange world we live in and I love every minute of it, after all it is the most wonderful time of the year right?

I Need Your Thoughts!

2008-12-09T14:35:00.001-08:00

Hola Hola everyone!

I'm now back in California, as many of you know already, and actively ''starting from scratch'' as I like to think of it. I sold my car before I went to Argentina so am actively searching for employment, a place to live and an automobile, or a scooter :) . Amongst all of this, I do wish to continue one of my passions, which is writing. I've received many compliments from those who read this blog and would love to continue.... so....

My next task is what I should do with this blog. Pura Vida came from the Spanish reference of a pure life, which in my opinion, can be lived anywhere whether I'm writing from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, California or Colorado. Regardless, I was thinking that I continue writing that which is of great interest to me and could possibly benefit you and your life for the better, or search for your pura vida. This includes health, diet, exercise, sport, media, current events, comedy or travel. The point is I've had people ask what I planned to do with my blog now that I'm back in the 'boring' United States which most of my readers are fully aware of. Well, I do plan to continue my writing but am not sure whether my readers want more of one niche topic or a very general delivery on my future posts.

Therefore, I would love to hear from you whether you want to read more on the aforementioned topics or whether you could care less... an email from you saying "I don't give a damn," would suffice. Maybe I could even create a new blog tailored to whatever you want to read. If I don't hear anything, no worries, I'll continue to write. I just love to hear from you as well!

Hope all is peachy in your world, and in an effort to gain more Spanish-speaking readers, I will tranlate this, so please pass it on to anyone you know that speaks Spanish or Spanglish. If I am aware of Spanish-speaking readers, I will translate the majority blog postings!!! Take care

Hola Hola todos,

Ahora estoy acustombrandome a la vida aca en California. Estoy buscando trabajo, un lugar para vivir y un coche. Deseo continuar con una pasion para mi, escribiendo. He recibido muchos elogios de los que lean mi blog.

El proximo objectivo para mi es decidir que debo hacer con el blog. El nombre, la pura vida, significa vivir una buena vida. Sin embargo, alguien puede vivir la pura vida en cualquier lado del mundo, ya sea en Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, California o Colorado. Estaba pensando en escribir lo que me interesa y pueda influirles a ustedes por el mejor, en su propie busqueda de la pura vida. Esto incluye la salud, ejercicio, deportes, medios de comunicación, acontecimientos de actualidad, comedia y viajes. Lo que quiero decir es que me han preguntado muchas personas que voy a hacer con el blog ahora que estoy viviendo en los EEUU que es tan conocido. Me gustaria continuar escribir pero queiro una opinion de ustedes, los lectores.

Por lo tanto, me encantaría saber de usted si quiere mi opinión sobre los temas antes mencionados o si no les importa... un email que dice "No me importa," esta suficiente. Si no recibio nada, voy a seguir escrbibir, solo quiero su opinion!

Espero que esten bien y que sigan leer la pura vida!!

La Bomba de Tiempo

2008-12-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

"Bomba Hoy?" Reading the flow of text messages every Monday would all entail the same topic, 'bomba de tiempo.' It literally tranlates the the bomb of time. So every Monday evening in the cultural arts center Konex located in the Abasto shopping region of Buenos Aires the bomb of time takes place. Not your typical bomb of time, this one is in the form of percussion drums transcending a high level of energy to an audience in attendance just to de stress.

Bomba de tiempo is a drummer group led by Santiago Vazquez. The group has an improvisational style and creates a very festive, rave-like atmosphere for the crowd. Each week, a new guest accompanies the drummers and throws their own style into that continuously changing style of the group. The guests would range from Ecuadorian vocalists to saxophone players to hip hop vocalists. One of the fourteen members would rotate every half hour and serve as the conductor for the rest of the players. Each conductor had their own style and you never hear the same set twice, it's continuously new!

From the moment you enter, the drums take hold and slowly begin to impart a positive, high energy into your bloodstream. You look around and notice people of all ages and backgrounds feeling that same energy, it becomes contagious as the night goes one. The two hour event really starts rocking the crowd with thirty minutes left and you take a momentary gaze around the audience and notice ten different forms of dancing, which do you choose? La bomba de tiempo has no judgement on which form of dance you take part in; jump, swivel, rock, just find a way to move and let the energy take hold so you are no longer aware what day of the week it is. You notice parents with young children on their shoulders rocking, a young man with his shirt off on someone's shoulder performing spiritual-like movements, young women shaking the salsa hips, and hippies swivelling and swirving. Bomba doesn't care, just move por favor, let your body go. By the time the last drum beat has vibrated the sound waves one last time for the evening, you are now ready for the rest of the week to take place, no more stress, no more worries.

You remember why you would come to this event every Monday you had the opportunity to. Thank you for taking a step into our shoes and those who are true 'bomba heads' in Buenos Aires. This is a reminder that music is there to serve you, let it absorb you transform your energy to that which is feliz. My hope is that when if/when you are in Buenos Aires, your Monday evening is taken up, la bomba de tiempo is yours for the taking. Handle this bomb with care, if not, you'll find yourself as a bomba head and never consider leaving.... which case of the Mondays would you prefer to have?

Experience Life in the People You Meet

2008-11-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Our first days in BA, we were in for a good year...

Maybe it has yet to sink in, I am back on US soil sitting here in San Diego doing my best to stir up my memory bank to recount the last year of my life in South America. I spent much the time on my long flight home- between connections in Lima, Peru and San Salvador, El Salvador before arriving at LAX 20 hours later- reviewing what I might have learned by living abroad for and extended period of time. Besides the obvious of adding a new language to my toolbelt, I struggled to put into words what I have learned. Maybe it's not all that practical or maybe it's too practical that I just haven't noticed. I find these days to be very interesting because it feels like I just went into a time warp for a year and WHAM, here I am back in San Diego, just one year later. It was this same time of year just nearly one year ago when I departed to Argentina with my good amigo Mikey to discover a new world eternally and internally.

I will never forget how Mike and I were feeling when we first arrived in Buenos Aires, everything was new and we had all of one contact that we hadn't even met yet. Uncomfort was at a high level for both of us and we were not sure what to expect on a daily basis. We felt like we were just passing through and traveling instead of our new residence for the first month or so. My Spanish was sorely lacking which created even more discomfort. I think, looking back on it, Mike and I depended a lot on each other, much more than we really knew at the time, to get accustomed to our new home. Time was in slow motion all until we moved into the Salta house aka Casa de Eduardo. It's a huge international residence where we met about 10 new friends all at once, many of whom we are still in touch with. This is when our full residence of Argentina began, we were in a rough neighborhood of Monseraat, which made us feel really into the mix. The landlored, dueno, of the house is a middleaged man named Eduardo who is a character to the fullest. He is really hard to describe in one sentence but he always makes people unsure whether they should love him or hate him. It was at this house that we developed some great friendships and true learning process launched into full swing.

Fast forward nearly 9 months later and I was at the point of departure from South America having to say my goodbyes, or better yet 'hasta luego's' to all of the great friendships that I was fortunate enough to have developed. I think it was in the last week of my time in Buenos Aires when I just began to realize that my experience was fully based on the people I met. It's all about the people... whether it was a crazy landlord named Eduardo or Pamela- the Uruguayan landlord who we lived with the last 6 months in San Telmo- or it was a great profesora named Julieta who has an impeccable sense of humor. Then was my Bomba del Tiempo buddies Brian and Lucho. If you're asking what the hell is Bomba del Tiempo, I write my next blog about this. Then there was my good buddy Rodrigo, who is one of the most intelligent young men I've met who studies his brains out and enjoys a good porro at any available moment. How can I forget the best Argentine futbol player we played with, Marcelo who was like a field general and made Mike and I better every game we played with him. How can I forget my three favorite students who made English Teaching a sincere pleasure; Leandro, Emilio and Rodolfo. These three individuals opened my eyes to seeing that they are much like adults in the States, just doing what they can to provide more for their family in a volatile economy. I wish Leandro much luck in his goal of going to the US or Australia to start a new life.

Representing Argentina with Lucho

Last Bomba del Tiempo, l to r: John, Mikey, Brian, me

My favorite students l to r: Leandro, me, Rodolfo, Emilio

I was also able to meet many great people from other countries around the world; Sophie from France who was like our mom at the big international house; Timm from Germany who was a polite Adrien Brody look-a-like; Sam from the UK who was a melancholy young man but always provided a very blunt point of view of how the world works; Andy from Scotland who is very opinionated and will let you know what he thinks whether you like it or not; Keegar from Ireland who could run past 5 defenders with ease and score a goal with a Guiness in his hand; Pauline from France who was a doll-faced housemate the last several months in San Telmo; Jenny from Australia who was also a housemate for four months in San Telmo and one of the nicest girls I have ever met; Isaac from Brazil aka the big goofy Brazilian who had the most unique dancing style at our Bomba de Tiempo outings; Dave from England who also became a great friend from the futbol field and is one I hope to keep in touch with down the road. This blog wouldn't be complete without mentioning one of my new best friends, Barry from Cuba who has been a citizen of Argentina for 12 years and produces music for a living. He is one of the most admirable people I have ever met for the way he lives his life and treats other people. Barry laughs and smiles more than anyone else I've ever met, his positivity is truly contagious and his athletic lifestyle has him looking like he is 30 years old even though he's really 44. We met him on the futbol field and he became a workout partner and he even challenged me to a wrestling match after my last futbol game. I took the big guy down before he flipped me over on to my head and gave me a nice scar on my forehead to come home with. That is my Barry scar and a constant reminder not to wrestle big Cuban guys but more a reminder of the great friend he is to me. All of these friends I hope to keep in touch with and have stimulated my interest in visiting their countries to take a peek at their lifestlye.

Final day toast, l to r: Barry, me, BJ, Mikey

Barry showing off the scar he gave me, one strong dude!

the infamous 10 vs. 10 game, the futbol crew!

Buenos Aires is home to the largest ex-pat (US citizen) community outside of the US in the Western Hemisphere so I formed a ton of relationships with fellow yankees as well. Jessie from New Jersey who became my best girlfriend in BA, she was the most hospitable person I knew and I wish her the best of luck with her big goofy Brasilian hubby, Isaac; Josh Wolpe, a fellow Coloradoan who was a housemate in the international house before he moved on to Israel and eventually back to Denver. He was well known for his gigantic salads, Wolpe Salads, that is now a part of my cooking regimen as well; Alan from Las Vegas who is another opinionated SOB and drew a laugh from me many times with his curt personality; Carlos the big man from Houston who was like a big teddy bear and became a friend to anyone he passed in the street; Sarah from San Diego who was actually our first and only contact when we arrived to Buenos Aires, it all started from her; John from LA who was actually born in Argentina but lived most his life in LA then moved back to BA, he was with us everyday and it felt like we had been friends for years; Nate from Pennsylvania who represented for Americans on the futbol field with his physical play and hustle that could match anyone's talent; Kyle who was my fellow red head brother from San Diego and actually lived in the same apartment complex as I my second year of college, yet I didn't meet him until we played futbol together in Argentina, go figure; Eric Olsen who is from Aspen and worked with my brother then moved to Argentina with his girlfriend (Argentine), he was one of our great buddies on the trek through Torres del Paine and can light up any room with his outgoing energy; then there's William Alan Whittle Jr. or BJ as we call him who was my roommated all through college and is basically my brother from another mother. I consider him family and he made his own move down to Argentina in September and will be staying at least until April. I am truly proud of him for making the move and sticking with it. It was a sincere pleasuer walking the streets of Argentina with this 6'4 blonde-hair, blue-eyed California kid because he drew the most interesting looks from the people and was even likened to Nick Carter, the famous Backstreet Boys singer by some of the locals. It was classic! Remember BJ, you're not a tourist, you live there; And finally one of my best friends who went through the experience with me step by step and is practically full Argentine now, Michael Cando aka Chinito since he is Phillipino and all Argentines call any people of Asian descent Chino. Mikey is one of the most positive people I know and kept my experience in Argentina from ever being dull, he always had something exciting going on and kept me in the excitement and I owe Mike nothing but my full thanks and appreciation for sparking the idea in my head to move to Argentina with him, one of the best things I've done in my life and he has continually sparked my interest in seeing other parts of the world that I will someday see. Thank you Mikey, good luck with the rest of your time in Argentina.... who knows if you'll be back to the States :) .

last night with the Argentines, l to r: Rodrigo, Mike, Brian, me, Luchoht

ke, Brian, Me, Lmom's last night in BA, first row: Mom, Jessi, Isaac. Second row: Me, BJ, Mike, Simone, Pauline, Jenny

This is a blog posting about many strangers to most of your readers but this is all I can think about when I think of my experience in Argentina, it was about the people who shaped my experience. It would not have been the best year of my life without any of these people mentioned and the many others that weren't mentioned. When I was struggling with a way to put a closing to the experience on my last day in Argentina, I had to follow the advice from Barry and put all of the memories into my heart, not my head. I will forever store this experience in my heart because thats where it belongs and that is where these people belong. I am now back in the States and still struggle to sum up my experience abroad so I feel a bit lost in my transition but the best way for me to sum up the experience is remember the PEOPLE who made it what it is, the greatest year of my life yet.

Tudo Bom in Rio de Janiero

2008-11-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Bem Vindo a Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

All of those amazing photographs of that you see of that city placed on the beautiful Brasilian coastline are real! Trust me, my mother and I had do some of our own little investigation to see if that dangerous, yet lavishly designed city called Rio de Janeiro really did exist. I remember the first time I saw a photo of the Christ the Redeemer- one of the 7 wonders by the way- overlooking that beautiful coastal city with the bay and Sugar loaf in the background, I had a long conversation in my head about how I would get there and when. Well, that long convo in my head was negated when my mom mentioned she would be going there to visit her friend Carla, whom worked with her through an exchange program at Monarch Ski Area in Colorado several years back. Great, I´ll just tag along with ma and get some free room and board with our friend Carla and her amazing parents, who speak very limited English, not a bad gig eh?

Copacabana Beach

We arrived on Tuesday, November 4th around 10pm. It was election day for the United States of America so you could sense this relief in everyone around the world. A relief that signified the end of that phony Bush Administration, whew!!! That was a long 8 years wasn´t it?? Anyways, Carla was there to greet us at the airport and get us on the next bus heading into the city where she lives, Copacabana. We arrived at Copacabana Palace, right on the beach and I suddenly thought it was all too good to be true, ¨no way, we´re gonna be staying in the palace.¨ She immediately crushed my all of the sudden high maintenance hopes by saying its only a one block walk behind the palace. The heavy ocean air blanketed us on our short walk and the smell of the salty Atlantic Ocean just 20 meters away filled the air. Carla´s parents were there to greet us and help us with our bags. Her mother is a very nice, polite Japanese woman named Bette and her father is a big Brasilian man named Carlos whose English vocabulary is limited to ¨I love you.¨ So that meant a loving, accomodating household and good family fun. As soon as we walked in he was watching the election day coverage in Portuguese which he immediately switched to English coverage for us. Just 90 minutes later, the screen was displaying what I never thought I would see this early in my lifetime. Barack Obama is the next President of the United States. I send out my congratulations to Obama and look forward to what him and his administration have in store for such crucial time for our economy, country and the world at large. By the time people in the U.S. had whiped their tears from the historic election it was 3:30am in Rio and the perfect time for me to discover my shampoo had exploded everywhere in my bag. I enjoy cleaning shampoo out of my luggage at odd hours of the morning I don´t know about you...

Acaí bowls, love ´em!

The next day, Carla took us for a walk along the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. We stopped about every hour or so to taste some of the Brasilian flavors. Our first stop we had Guarana, the Brasilian natural energy drink. Then in Ipanema I had my first Acaí bowl in quite some time, I love Acaí!! In the states, it´s a bit more expensive since it is imported, yet in Brasil it comes at such a reasonable price. Walking along the Ipanema beach was amazing as I had the famous Brasilian bossanova song stuck in my head ¨Girl from Ipanema.¨ The sounds of Portuguese being spoken at all angles was like music to the ears anyways. On paper, Portuguese is very similar to Spanish but phoenetically it´s a stark contrast. Another interesting contrast from Argentina and Brasil is the health lifestyle. Argentines typically smoke cigarettes much more and the Brasilians are really keen on working out and staying fit to maintain their beach bodies, its like everyone in Rio was queuing up for South America´s Next Top Model, which they could easily be in any country... Brasilians are beautiful people. There was a gym everywhere you looked and even a gym right on the beach in Ipanema, Muscle Beach, a nice imitation of Muscle Beach in California. They definitely work hard for the beauty they strut, but alot of it still comes natural, damn them!waves crashing at Ipanema beach

cloudy day on Ipanema Beach

Evening time came and Carla had to study for an exam so her parents took my mother and I out to dinner at their club which sits right on Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon which sits in between the Christ the Redeemer and Ipanema beach, it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The club had it all, swimming pools, spas, tennis courts, futbol fields, volleyball/basketball courts and one of the best restaurants in Rio. They treated us to a fine meal that consisted of rice, an assortment of seafood in a yummy sauce, vegetables and a caipirniha to complement the meal. In the seafood, I later found out we had eaten shrimp, octopus, crab, lobster and a bunch of others that we couldn´t exactly translate. Caipirinha is Brasil´s alcoholic drink of choice which can be made with Cachaça-a rum made of sugarcane-cut up limes, sugar and ice. They aren´t made to fool you or sneak up on you, because you clearly taste the alcohol to the fullest. We were also serenated by Carlos who, when discovered I speak decent Spanish, began singing his favorites from Carlos Gardel, a famous Argentine tango singer. It was classic, our conversation was limited and we both had Portuguese/English dictionaries in hand in search for our next sentence. Though, with some Portunol (Portuguese, Espanol), we were able to communicate a bit more. The meal was fantastic, one of the best I´ve had in South America.

Christ Redeemer: 13 stories high, one of the 7 Wonders

Mom and I trying to measure up to the Christ; our photographer couldn´t fit it all

Day 3 we went to Christ the Redeemer with guided by Carla´s mom who was so patient with us and our lack of Portuguese. We took the train up Corcovado hill which supports the 13-story Christ emblem and holds it nearly 2,500 feet above sea level, which is just several kilometers away. There is no wonder it is one of the 7 Wonders, it is massive and quite an accomplishment for man to get it up on that hill overlooking the city. Another interesting fact is that it is in Tijuca National Park, the only national park that is inside a metropolitan city such as Rio. The train ride up apparently took us through jungles and we saw all forms of birds, fruits and plants. A group of Brasilian samba artists also graced us with their presence and made the ride really feel like we were in the heart of Brasil.

view from the Christ Redeemer over Rio, Sugar Loaf in the distance

After a nice buffet lunch that consisted of more seafood and caiprinhas, Bette took us across the bridge to another town called Nimeroi where the Museum of Modern Arts placed on a cliff overlooking the bay back to Rio awaited us. The Musem itself from the outside was impressive, built like a spaceship by the famous Brasilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who also built the capital of Brasilia! The inside didn´t have much in the way of quantity but exceptional quality. Our return back across the bridge to Rio was hampered much of the way with rush hour traffic and a sudden rain storm. We were able to see a slight sunset before the showers unleashed, however.

Museum of Modern Art created by Oscar Niemeyer

view of the museum with Sugar Loaf in the background nearing sunset

Our final day in Rio, we rose early once again to visit the famous Pão de Açúcar, Sugar Loaf. Sugar Loaf is that beautiful upright hill that you see in most Rio photos. It appears as if its an island perking out of the bay from the distance but is actually connected to land. We took the cable car through the air up to the top of Sugar Loaf which once again magnified the beauty of the city, even on a cloudy day. I realized the importance of how lucky I was when we sat atop Sugar Loaf, since I was seeing decisively the most beautiful city I´ve laid my eyes on, not to discount the many other great cities I´ve come across. The only one that may compare is San Francisco. Rio, besides its danger and favellas-shantytowns- is city with infrastructure placed on and all around incredibly beautiful Brasilian coastline. Sporadic green hills reach to the sky along the coast and inland which provides borders to the different areas of the city, the lagoons and beaches are second to none I´ve ever seen and the locals are as equally funky as the cityskape they inhabit.

View from Sugar Loaf, Christ in top left corner and Copacabana Beach on the far left

It´s no question why I feel so fortunate for the last 6 weeks of travel. I´ve seen some of the most incredible natural (Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Iguazu Falls) and manmade (Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer) wonders there is to see in South America and the world. Not to mention the most beautiful city, Rio de Janeiro. As I write this, I am nesting on the island of Florianopolis, Brasil which is in the southern part of the country. To give you an idea of my continued but soon to be ending travelling fortune, this is an island with 42 beaches. Stay tuned for more on the next posting which will also be wrapping up the South American travels. Until then, find a way to get to Rio.... ask your madre, perhaps?

P.S. A big thanks to Carla and her family for feeding us, giving us shelter and tipping us off as to where to avoid and when. Rio is a dangerous city for tourists and if it weren´t for their kind hospitality, my mother and I might had become City of God´s newest residents.

W Circuit Trek in Torres del Paine

2008-10-31T07:07:00.001-07:00

"He who finishes a journey is not the same as he who began the journey" ~ Chinese Proverb

Trembling legs, sore knees, cold hands, uphills, downhills, lakes, forests, rivers, rocky beaches, cabins, tents, snow, rain, sunshine.... we literally had it all, a mix of all types of landscape and weather in the span of 4 days on the W Circuit trek. Most of all though, we had the most beautiful views that any of us had ever seen. A group of five young, open-minded, adventurous Gringos set out on the W Circuit on October 20th not knowing the beauty that would be encountered. Our group consisted of my good friends from San Diego Mike Cando and BJ Whittle who now both live in Buenos Aires, my brother Dana, our friend Eric who worked with Dana in Aspen, and myself. We had all seen the pictures and heard stories from other trekkers of the nice views that Torres del Paine provided, however we all approached it with few expectations and a genuine happiness for escaping the city and being in the outdoors. The W circuit is roughly 80km long and provides a mix of rugged and easy terrain, it was very dynamic and always changing.

Glacier Gray

Day 1:

Our first day, we set out from Puerto Natales at 7am and arrived by bus to the Catamaran dock at 10:30am. We had time to spare before catching the noon ferry ride across Lago Pehoe to the western part of the W, Camp Pehoe, our first campsite. So we killed the time waiting for the ferry by going to see Salta Grande, a beautiful waterfall that makes for some good picture opportunities. Our optimism was carrying us high as we kept saying "How does it get better than this?" We had no clue what lied ahead. After the 3o minute ferry ride across Lago Pehoe we quickly dropped off all of our bags and set out on the 11km trek up the left arm of the W to see Glacier Gray, the first glacier most of us had seen in person. We set out on the trek at 1pm with a full tank of energy and curiosity.

the crew at Glacier Gray (left to right: BJ, Eric, Mike, Dana, Me)

It took us nearly 3.5 hours to reach the glacier through the 11km up-down trail. Shedding layers and putting layers back on every 20 to 30 minutes would set the tone for the next couple days as the weather changes so rapidly, remaining comfortable was a task not to be overlooked. Stuffing our mouths with coca leaves also got us through the 22km round trip on the first afternoon, coca leaves are a great source of natural energy and are used whether you're an Andean trekker or a coffee shop fanatic in Peru. After seeing Glacier Gray from a distance we went down by the lake to touch the chunks of glacier that had broken off just for the claim to fame of touching a glacier. Our trek back to camp took us just under 3 hours since it was more downhill. Even so, it was a good sample of what trekking was all about. Arriving back at camp at 7pm that night, I was completely taxed and struggled just walking to the bathroom. BJ was battling his own leg cramps as he made the mistake of lying down before stretching. Twenty two kilometers, roughly 13 miles for you yankees, in 6 hours absolutely wiped us all out. We then shared a small pasta dinner, took a few swigs of whiskey to battle the cold and went for cover in the sleeping bags around 10pm. Day 1 was in the books and we were exhausted, yet satisfied to be camping under the Antarctic air in such a beautiful place.

Day 2:

sunrise at our camp Day 2

We rose at 6:15am on the second day in time to see a beautiful sunrise in our campsite. We each had 3 hard-boiled eggs and some dried fruit to get the engine running for a solid 28km trek that lied ahead of us. It was 7am when we started our slow pace on the trek. It would take a good 30 minutes to get the blood going and overcome the sore legs in order to develop a solid pace. We arrived to Camp Italiano, base of the middle arm of the W, Valle Frances. We left our heavy bags and equipment there at the camp. Valle Frances is known to have crazy weather so we weren't too sure how far we'd go. We ascended the valley and saw our first major wildlife, what we like to call the devil deer, because its' antlers looked like devil horns. We were able to get within 10 meters of it to snap a couple pictures before it disappeared across the river. The weather was very cooperative so we continued. It was a pretty steady uphill and it was putting the legs through more exhaustion. We got high enough to where we could see some of the towers (torres) through the trees, so we continued until we could find an opening to snap some pictures and get a good view. We ended up going all the way to the lookout, mirador.

Bienvenidos a Valle Frances

Two and half hours later, we arrived at the mirador around noon and all we could say was WOW!! This was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen, the prettiest valley any of us had ever been in. We were surrounded by the rock cliffs 270 degrees around us until the opening of the valley where we could see the turquoise lake in the distance. There are no words to describe what we felt at the mirador in Valle Frances. A nice lady from Israel, Tulie, joined us at the mirador and graciously offered us some tea, which hit the spot. We ended up spending two hours at the mirador admiring the beauty around us, consuming some yummy tea, oranges, granola bars and chocolate. I had never experience such a feeling of being surrounded by overwhelming beauty. I left my broken pair of sunglasses there at the mirador to essentially keep an eye on Valle Frances for me. BJ summed it up best by saying leaving Valle Frances was like that dreadful feeling of breaking up with a beautiful girlfriend, so hard to do but we had to carry on.

break time on rocky beach, we earned it

We left the mirador and began our descent back to Camp Italiano at 2pm and arrived in a speedy 90 minutes where we re-collected our luggage and I was one glove short. I think some animal came in and stole my other glove when we were gone, either way I hope it was put to good use wherever it ended up. On our way to Camp Los Cuernos, where we would stay, we found a rocky beach where we would end up laying for a half hour, it felt so good to be lateral after all that trekking. Then we finished off the rest of the 28km with a short 2km trek to the camp where we were reserved to rent tents. The Camp messed up our reservation and ran out of tents so, fortunately for us, we were able to stay in the lodge for the same price. We were looking forward to camping until that night a major storm came through, we then knew everything was working out in our favor.

Day 3

the cleanest water on earth

Our departure was delayed on day 3 due to the crazy storm that was still spitting snow at 7am when we were going to start trekking. Instead we waited for a bit and let nature take its course. We began the day 3 trek at 10am after a very yummy breakfast served by the Camp Los Cuernos kitchen staff. We trekked through snow, rain and sunshine on this day and really took a slower pace to rest our legs a bit, even though most of this day was uphill it was only a 15km trek as opposed to the mid 20k treks on the previous two days. We even found time to play a little hacky sack on a windy point overlooking the beautiful Lago (lake) Nordenskojl which is the most turquoise water. We arrived at our next Camp, Camp Chileno, at 4pm. We were just able to see the front of the towers at sunset from this camp, it provided quite a view for dinnertime. We were due for an early betime yet once again since we had planned to awake our final day at 4:30am to go see the towers for sunrise. Many trekkers of the W Circuit claim they don't have the energy on the 4th day to rise early and make the two hour uphill trek to the end of the trail to see the towers at sunrise. It was our goal full on to see the towers at sunrise, it would cap off the trek perfectly. After a yummy pasta dinner and two pisco sours as a nightcap, we dozed off around 10pm.

Day 4:

4:45am came very quickly and we all contemplated staying in our warm sleeping bags, but we knew full and well that we can sleep when we die and this was our one opportunity to see the towers at sunrise. After a quick tea-time with Tulie, our Israeli friend, in the lodge we mustered the energy to commence our final ascent of the trek to the end of the trail with headlamps and all. The morning was very calm and we felt we were the only people on earth awake. Ninety minutes later we arrived to the end of the trail and had the closest view of the towers. We couldn't quite see the top as they were dipping into the morning clouds but even so, they were impressive and it felt as we reached the end of the world. We all embraced and congratulated each other on completing the 80k in 3.5 days and of course had another cup of tea with Tulie. Something about drinking warm tea on a cold peak, it tastes ten times better than it tastes at the dinner table. The sun peaked over the mountains and clouds to the east for a short 15 minutes before disappearing for the whole day as a storm rolled in for the rest of the day. The luck we had on this trip was unbelievable, everything worked out perfectly. A pair of Brazilian guys were ascending to the end of the trail as we were on our way down, later they informed us that they missed the sun and could barely see the towers, thus waking up at the butt crack of down was worth it afterall.80km, 3.5 days and we made it

We made our way back down the right arm of the W in several hours in time to catch the bus back to Puerto Natales. A great sense of accomplishment filled us all and we all felt somewhat changed in our own right. My 29 year old brother summed it up greatly by saying "I've been around the sun 29 times and nothing compares to 4 days on the W Circuit." I couldn't have summed it up better. We experience a little bit of everything but in the end it all worked out so perfectly which may make this a boring blog post. Exciting blog postings include about how one overcame adversity and what he/she learned from it. This is a blog post of a group of people feeling so much freedom in one of the most beautiful places on earth and overcoming the daily stress on the legs, knees and ankles. All of our physical pain never led to complaining, we were all too consumed into the beauty around us, it was sensory overload to the fullest. I'll always remember the feeling we experienced in Valle Frances, tea time with Tulie, shedding layers only to put the jacket back on 5 minutes later, the taste of coca leaves pumping energy to the legs, breathing in fresh Antarctic air, drinking fresh spring water from the rivers, waking up at 6am to eat cold hard-boiled eggs watching the beginning of a day, rest breaks consuming peanuts and chocolate and the list goes on. It was all about those small details that made up the trek. It's great to be in nature because we kind of revert to animal instincts, all you really think about is how to stay warm and how to keep your energy level up. There were no thoughts of regular societal worries, the economy, jobs, politics, etc. My mind was fully concentrated on the sensory overload and what I needed to do to have more energy or keep warm, it is very liberating. All in all, it was the best 4 days of my life!End of the trail

A special thanks to my brother, Mike, BJ and Eric for experiencing it with me!

Patagonia Express Parte I

2008-10-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

This first leg of our Patagonic experience is a tale of animals. It was as if we were in one gigantic zoological viewing area. Our first full day in the province of Chubut, Argentina was full of aquatic wonders. Our rent-a-Fiat got us to Puerto Píramedes right in time to board the boat to go view the Southern Right Whale. Every October, an estimated 1,050 Southern Right Whales fill the bay near Puerto Madryn and Península Valdés. Five minutes into the boat ride we were able to see a small colony of sea lions on the rocks. Then we went a little further out until we were luckily surprised by seeing a school of dark dolphins circling the boat, the captain continued to mention how lucky we were since dolphins don´t usually populate the bay until mid December. Due to the mass amount of seagulls from above, there must have been some good feed taking place, since the dolphins stir the fish to the surface which provides ample opportunity for bird feeding.

Sea lion soakin up the sun

Dark Dolphins showing off

The fascination by our dolphin surprise was enough to make me almost forget about why we were on the boat in the first place, that was until we saw the massive Whale surface in the distance. This was the first time I had ever seen a whale that was not named Shamu at San Diego Sea World and let me tell you, Shamu pales in comparison to viewing a massive Southern Right in its natural habitat. It was as if we were paparazzi on board stalking the whales as they would surface several times before taking a deep dive and allowing us to snap the classic tale picture. Typically, a mother whale would be with the baby whale, which itself was gigantic enough to ingest a person or two. The mother would submerge and go deep to the sea floor to gather food while the baby whale would stay near the surface until the mother would come back to the surface and blow a fountain of water through its nose. We spent roughly an hour with our new whale friends before heading back inland filled with a kid-like excitement. I felt like it was my first trip to the zoo when I was 10 years old.

close up to the Southern Right Whale

The rest of our day one entailed driving around Península Valdés and seeing the many sheep and guanacos (similar to antelope or deer) roam the land until we reached Punta Cantor on the far east side of the Peninsula right on the coast. There we spotted a small colony of Magellanic Penguins and a large colony of Elephant Seals. Since the day two plan was to go see the largest concentration of Magellanic Penguins, we skipped right down to see the Elephant Seals loathe in their blubber on the beach. These animals were comical, all they do is lay their and make every kind of flatulent noise you can dream of and move around about 10 meters every 10 minutes. It appeared as if it was so difficult to move that they can only go so far at once before loathing some more and squeezing out a few more flatulent noises. The elephant seals provided the perfect ending to a perfect day. We then drove our little Fiat back down the coast to Trelew to our hotel, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kids once stayed as a side note. Something we took note of while driving in Patagonia is how much open space and nothingness there is. The sky is absolutely incredible here and provides some jaw-dropping sunsets and sunrises.

penguin love

As mentioned above, day two was penguin day. Punta Tombo, which lies on the coast about 100 km south of Trelew, is home to the largest concetration of Magellanic Penguins in the world. Magellanic Penguins aren´t the kind you may have seen in the March of the Penguins but they´re close relatives. These penguins were nestled up as far as a half kilometer inland from the shore. They were literally everywhere, so much so that I was afraid to step on a few of them. The penguin walk was on full display and made for many laughs, I am now a huge fan of elephant seal flatulants and the penguin walk after this trip. It was also really cool to see them swim under water, they´re like little torpedos underwater. That explains how they migrate all the way from Brasil down to the Falkland Islands every year. They feed at sea but breed on land.

It was an animal-filled first two days in our Patagonia experience. I now write this posting in Rio Gallegos in a 4 hour bus layover until we head west another 4 hours to El Calafate for the night before crossing into Chile tomorrow to begin the 4 day trek! We took the overnight bus to get here and were able to witness the magestic sunset in the right window last night and woke up in time to cock the head to the left to see the sunrise light the sky once again. Running off little sleep, I now remember what it feels like to be traveling again... by the way what is today anyways?

The Marvel that is Machu Picchu

2008-10-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

It was 6:15am when we first set our eyes on one of the marvels of this world, Machu Picchu. It was roughly the same time when it was rediscovered by an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, in 1911. Since then it has been flooded more and more each year by tourists from all over the world. When you actually see the old Incan city from first view instead of in a photograph it really makes sense why people come from all corners of the globe to witness the marvel of what was the Incan royalty get-away at the height of their empire in the early 16th century.

For those who don´t know much about the short-lived Incan Empire, here´s the skinny version. They were a very powerful empire that spread from today northern Chile, parts of Bolivia and almost all of Peru. Their engineering feats are still a wonder. Perhaps the most amazing characteristic of this empire was how great of engineers they were. When you are in the presence of any Incan ruin, be it Machu Picchu or another, you can witness how much damned time they must have spent building these perfect walls made of stone. Machu Picchu was jaw dropping to see the engineering feat. Studies show that about 60% of the construction done here was done subterranean to preserve the foundation of this site, largely why all of us tourists are still able to witness it today still standing. The location of this site is on the cusp of the Peruvian Amazon, lying to the east, and the Peruvian Andes, to the southwest. Large rainfalls and lush greenery surround this setting. Machu Picchu was built in between two larger peaks, Machu Picchu mountain to the south and Wayna Picchu to the north. Wayna Picchu provides the incredible backdrop to all of the famous pictures, my brother and I also eventually climbed it to get the true overhead view of Machu Picchu river and the Urubumba river. The Urubumba river wraps around the mountain on three sides and also causes a mysterious mist to pass through during the early mornings.

My mom, brother and I sat in amazement for about the first hour or so looking as the morning mists passed over this spiritual-like venue. It was that feeling where you really aren´t sure what to say, the mind´s constant search for words to label what the eyes are capturing. I feel this view was just too much for a label, it just is what it is... a marvel of this world. We then spent the next hour walking through the city and admiring the detailed stone work and the incredible water management system the Incans had created so they didn´t need to use irrigation, they really were brilliant engineers for their time.

bro and I in front of the main gate

hanging out with the llamas and alpacas, they still call this place home

exhausted from the climb, breathtaking view!

Then my brother and I decided we would hike Wayna Picchu to get the heart pumping and break a good sweat as the sun came burning off the early morning fog. Only 400 people per day are allowed to climb the steep, narrow trail to the peak of Wayna Picchu, fortunately we signed up in time to start the ascent at 10am. My brother´s quick pace up the steep trail led me to quick exhaustion and nearly a break for the quick vomit check, fortunately there were some slower trekkers in front that we caught up to and slowed our pace. Since he lives in Aspen, Colorado and is accustomed to the altitude he kicked my ass up the trail but I stayed closely behind because I hate to lose, especially when it comes to the brother. In less than 45 minutes, we peaked Wayna Picchu and saw the marvel from way above, it was as if we were looking at an architectural model of the Incan city from so high above. We could have stayed up there all afternoon and would have, if it wasn´t for the wicked mosquitos and dragonflies that harrassed us into submission until began our descent.

the sepia version of Machu Picchu from the top of Wayna Picchu

After a 45 minute descent that compressed the knee joints into that rubber-like feeling, we had to quickly rush to the exit in order to catch our mid day bus going down the mountain in order to catch the train back to Cusco. Unfortunately, our train didn´t leave until much later. Therefore we could have stayed up at Machu Picchu much longer. I can´t complain much because I was able to see the wonder but any regret that I do have is that I wish I wasn´t so rushed. It´s a place that I could have spent the full 12 hours. It was very sweet while it lasted but almost too short-lived, much like the Incan Empire itself.

Some notes about Peru in general:

The Incan empire was destroyed by the Spaniards in the 1530´s at the height of the empire, much of the death caused by the Spanish was caused by diseases brought from overseas rather than gunfire.

Peruvian food is outta this world, if you ever go, don´t forget to order: Lomo saltado, ceviche (spicy seafood dish), trucha (trout). In Cusco, they have cuy which is guinea pig. I didn´t try it but I hear it tastes like chicken, I´ll leave you to be the guinea pig... no pun intended.

If you have short time in Peru, definitely go to Cusco and Machu Picchu. Lima, you can do without, just another big city. Cusco is high altitude so treat yourself to lots of water and coca leaf tea upon arrival to battle altitude sickness. I hope you are able to go someday or have already been, its a fascinating country.

Stay tuned for more on our Patagonia trek as we see some Whales and Penguins then head to Torres del Paine for the 4 day trek in the Chilean Andes!!!

Until then, all my love!

Magical Cusco

2008-10-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was a case of love at first sight between ol´Cusco, Peru and I. The moment we got off the plane I looked around the little valley we are now in and just felt the magic of this place, or maybe it was just the altitude. Cusco, the historic capital of the Incan Empire, is now a city in Southeastern Peru near the Sacred Valley, where we plan to visit tomorrow. It is nestled in the Northern Andes at approximately 11,000 feet (3,300 meters). So it has taken our breath away literally and figuratively. The altitude has taken its immediate effects on us as I haven´t been at this altitude since last year hiking the hills of Colorado. We´ve consumed large amounts of agua and coca leaf tea to combat the altitude sickness. It´s also a custom here to suck or chew on the coca leaves, which I´ve partaken in as if I was a local. Besides the altitude, this city is downright fascinating, as it has still preserved much of the Incan culture. It´s a large tourist attraction but once you´re here you see exactly why people come from all corners of the globe to witness this incredibly spiritual atmosphere.

The one bit of bad news that I have in this post is that I haven´t found a way to upload the mass amount of photos I´ve taken onto these internet cafe computers. It appears I will have to wait until I get back to Buenos Aires to install the CD rom onto my laptop to then down/upload these pics for your viewing. For all I can do now is to tap into every adjective to describe this atmosphere.

Our plan for the week is an all-day trip to Sacred Valley tomorrow where we will take a look at some other Incan ruins, supposedly the next best thing besides Machu Picchu. Then Tuesday we will use to explore the whole of Cusco. Wednesday we begin our journey to Machu Picchu and will stay Wednesday night in Aguas Calientes and most definitely enjoy the hot springs before our early morning ascent to Machu Picchu on Thursday. To put it bluntly, I´m fortunate and overwhelmingly excited to be here right now. Maybe its being back in altitude and the mountains that gives me that comfortable home-like feeling. As my brother said today, high altitude is good for the soul if you notice most spirtual gatherings in the world are located well above sea level, it makes sense to me. Cusco is by far much more impressive than Lima and even the Lima faithful will admit it so it is great to know we only planned two days in on the coast and four days here in the mountains. I do apologize for not having photos on these blog posts but please come back to these posts in the next week and I will have some shots on here just to give you a glimpse of how lucky we are to be here.

Well, its time to spit out the coco leaves and go enjoy a beer or two with my bro, at this altitude it may only take one sip to feel the buzz... I love the high altitude attitude.

Stay tuned for more on the Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu near the end of this week, until then... Salud!

Deja vu in Lima, Peru

2008-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

That feeling has returned. That feeling of strapping on the travel pack and shoes to embark on a new cultural experience each day has crept its way back into my life. Though, this travel experience will include my dear mother who is along for the South American tour, now its no question from whom I inherited the travel gene. This trip has been preceeded by several months of planning yet very little expectations on my part. I have not thought much about this trip that we have now taken upon us for the next six weeks since I have been fully indulged in my ¨porteño lifestyle¨in Buenos Aires. The whole month of September in Buenos Aires was a rare, yet exhilirating combination friendships established here in South America and back in my previous chapter in life, college. Every minute of it was worthwhile to say the least. The daily crew consisted of Mike, BJ, Taelor, Alyssum, Barry and myself. It was like our San Diego crew reunited in Buenos Aires with the much appreciated addition of our good friend Barry from Cuba. We somehow always found each other on the same wavelength, which really is what great friendship is all about. My final night in Buenos Aires as a long-term resident was capped off with perfect vibes, onda, provided by BJ, Cando and Barry. How lucky I am to call these guys friends, they made me realize how great of a trip I was about to embark on since they each called on me to document as much as I could to provide them with the vicarious experience, as I hope to do for all of you who take the time to read my content.

My experience at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires was a very ideal travel experience as I almost missed my 6am flight due to the fact I had overstayed my 90-day tourist visa by three days. I knew I would be fined, a whopping $50 pesos, which didn´ t bother me so much. I found it to be a better alternative than a $200 peso trip to Uruguay just two days before going to Peru or going to Imigrations in Buenos Aires and paying $100 pesos to renew the visa. I just hadn´t prepared to wait in an hour long line to pay my fine, which nearly cause me to miss my flight. The sprint to the gate was priceless, I always feel like I´m in the Amazing race when I´m in these situations, maybe because it feels more like a competition (fun) rather than such a stressful scenario. Needless to say, I made the flight and arrived in Lima, Peru a mere 5 hours later.

Bienvenidos a Lima, Peru!

I had a day to kill here before my brother and mom were due to arrive. So I walked along the coast in the cloudy afternoon and was strangely reminded of San Diego. For this is the first time I´ve looked out over the Pacific Ocean since last year when I was a San Diegan. Lima is a large city, with over 50 districts. We are staying in the district of Miraflores which has a slight resemblance to La Jolla, though a less developed than the multimillion dollar neighborhood of La Jolla CA. However, its enough to make me feel deja vu as I walk along this boardwalk poached on a steep cliffside. I then went to a little sports bar to watch the Vice-presidential debate, which was a bit humorous to me, I elect Sarah Palin for hockey mom representative of the year, not Vice President. Anyways, my exhaustion got the best of me as I went back to the hospedaje early and fell asleep waiting for the arrival of the rest of the fam. 3:30 am is when my mom and brother arrived as they were both delerious from a long day of travel as well, they were due to arrive at 9pm but the stories of flight delays and other mishaps provided clear explanation to my not-so worried self. It was great to see them though, now begins the family journey...

Friday, we woke up and set out to go see a Pre-Incan art museum in downtown Lima, it was $45 soles to get to downtown just to find out the museum was closed for the rest of the year. Great! What else is in downtown Lima I inquired to our taxi driver. No hay nada. Ok, well that was splendid, we made the most of it by walking every square meter of the park before returning to Miraflores for a nice lunch. Then it happened. That need for adventure that my brother and I carried throughout Europe last year came creeping back in as we saw the paragliders flying over the coast. Yep, lets do it we said without hesitation after we were told the relatively cheap price. We spent a good 20 minutes paragliding over the coast of Lima, Peru which provided the adventure the day had been missing. What an incredible feeling it is indeed to be flying over the ocean and the steep cliff faces. I´ve always wondered what it would be like to fly and even capturing a slight glimpse through paragliding provided fulfillment to that lifelong curiosity. Then, we fed our dinner appetite with a Paella dish over looking the Pacific Ocean. A frequent thought that creeps into my mind is, wow I feel like I´m in a scaled down version of San Diego, this is all too much deja vu!

Saturday, our last full day in Lima, we set out South 30 km from Lima to see the ruins of Pachamac. Pachamac is a great site of ruins and was supposedly the holy place for three different Pre-Incan civilizations leading up to the Incans. Each civilization that conquered the previous built their temple up the hill from the previous civilizations´temple ending with the Incans´Temple of the Sun. Ironically enough, the sun finally came out from hiding behind the clouds as we approached the Temple of the Sun. It´s quite a relief to have some sunshine on this beautiful coastal city of Lima before we venture further inland to Cuzco tomorrow.

Some things I´ve noticed so far about Peru in general is how overwhelmingly nice the people are here. From our taxi driver Fernando, who was my escort from the airport and has become our full-time taxi I was so impressed with him, to the guys who took us paragliding to the people in our hospedaje. They have all been such amazing hosts and would make any traveler consider moving here for their welcoming smiles alone. Another interesting thing about Lima is the over abundance of horn-honking that takes place. As our driver Fernando explains, ¨its just our culture, its what we do.¨ Many of the taxis will honk at you, especially if you look foreign like I do, just to get your attention because they all think that you need a taxi. I´ve heard some interesting beep tones, you could download them as your ringtone. As you walk the streets of Miraflores all you hear is beep beep. The nose is filled with the smell of seafood and the cool breeze from the Pacific is slightly reminiscent to that of where else... San Diego, did I say it was deja vu yet? How could I not touch on the food here? Since I moved to Argentina and tried my first taste of Peruvian cuisine I´ve been a huge fan. Wow, until I arrived in Lima and got the actual fresh ceviche, pescado saltado and other rice and seafood dishes. This is the best seafood I´ve ever consumed without a doubt.

It´s been a pleasurable few days here in Lima, especially being back by the Pacific Ocean. We now head off to our next adventure, Cuzco followed by our trail to the infamous Machu Picchu. Stay tuned for more....

Planning vs. Living

2008-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hola, Hola everyone! It's been sometime since I've posted anything. You might be thinking that Mendoza was so great that everything since has just been trying to fill the void for my last few months in Argentina... that's right I'm returning back to the states November 20th, however my mind and full concentration will be here enjoying every last moment I spend in this beautiful continent.
Truth is, I've been rather occupied in a time that I thought I would be very open to get a lot of writing done on this blog. The last two weeks, I forgot I even had a blog... can't you sense the passion for writing? I've been enjoying the weekly futbol games and continuing teaching several English classes a week. Among this well-established routine, I've also been playing the role of travel agent for my mom, brother and myself for the whole month of October and into November. More on this later. I've also been doing free lance work for a company down here called WebAr, translating web content from Spanish to English. A big thank you goes out to my Spanish Profesora Julieta for helping me find this work. It has allowed me to afford my final week in Buenos Aires before I set off to Lima, Peru to begin the 6-week continent tour.
Throw this all in with the fact that my good friend, BJ (college roommate) just moved down here for 3 months to get a taste of what Mike and I have been living. Our other college friends, Taelor and Alyssum just arrived 5 days ago as well. So, much of our time has been spent reminiscing, catching up on our current lives, and of course enjoying the moment, here and now.

For some reason, I've found this time to be very challenging to enjoy every moment, which I had become accustomed to. It's an interesting dynamic; mixing good friends from the states with good friends we've made here all the while trying to plan for a 1 1/2 month journey with my brother and mom. What has been most challenging you may ask? Finding my balance of planning and enjoying the moment with all of the friends here. Many also ask how I feel about moving back to the States in just two months. I've been doing some work to try to set up interviews upon my arrival (planning) but other than that I am doing my best to concentrate my energy here fully until I board that plane back to the northern hemisphere. When all is said and done in this posting, a very mind-ridding post needless to say, I am enjoying the dynamic of being around friends from past and present. We've been spending much of our time with our good friend Barry from Cuba. He is a very spiritual type and always reminds me to enjoy being in that moment with his contagious laugh. I've never seen anyone so happy constantly and I have to thank him very much for making me realize how fortunate I am to have all of the people in my life.

With my birthday approaching, I will use it to fully appreciate having all of my good friends here with me and commencing on a great journey with the family to see one of the most beautiful continents in each other's presence. Speaking of our journey, I do plan to keep this blog posted with updated pics and travel stories to spice things up a little bit, hopefully I can provide you with a medium to experience it vicariously. Our rough itinerary is as follows:

Lima, Cusco Peru (10 days)
Buenos Aires (2 days)
Bariloche (2 days)
Puerto Madryn; penguins, whales (2 days)
El Calafate (1 day)
Torres del Paine, W Circuit (4 day trek; National Geographic's top 50 things to do in your life)
Buenos Aires (4 days)
Iguazu Falls (2 days)
-my brother will unfortunately be cutting out on this part to fly back as my mom and I will continue on to Brazil
Rio de Janeiro (4 days)
Florianopolis (5 days)
-back to Buenos Aires until I fly back stateside.

As you can see, Buenos Aires is a very popular hub to travel this continent. This city, my home for the last 10 months, is full of international travelers from all walks of life which is why I feel I've experienced a little bit of each culture in one city, oh how I'll miss this city! Look for more to come as far as travels and the other great cultural aspects in Buenos Aires that I've been so fortunate enough to experience. Stay tuned for more!

P.S. I do want to mention a great source for many of your travel questions when traveling Argentina or any other country in the six main continents. The best way to have your questions answered is by those who have been there and done that. My planning has been immensely helped by the message board on www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree. Big thanks to them for reducing some of the time spent 'planning' instead of living!

Treat Your Palate in Mendoza

2008-08-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

That subtle sound of two-year old Malbec red wine hitting the glass as the tour guide poured enough for our long awaited wine tasting was so inviting that my girlfriend Dani and I were like two kids in a candy store. Our very first wine tasting brought us a smile and a Salud. Clink went the glasses and the smooth red wine glistened across our palate. Next, a sample of their Cabernet Sauvignon... pour, SNIFF, swirl, SNIFF, and again let it treat the palate. Leaving our first vineyard (Bodega y Cavas de Weinert), both Dani and I carried with us a satisfaction for our first wine tasting/tour, yet an eagerness to see and taste more.

We had looked forward to our Mendoza retreat since I received the great news she was coming to visit me. Mendoza is a smaller city that is a 14 hour bus ride due west of Buenos Aires. It sits at the eastern base of the Andes mountain range and is a very popular base for climbers from all over the world who attempt to summit Mt. Aconcagua, highest peak in Western Hemisphere. However, Mendoza is most well-known for its quality wine. What we didn't know was the quantity of quality wine they had, roughly 1200 vineyards/bodegas. Imagine for a second, Dani and I were only able to visit two bodegas which took about half a day, with an olive farm visit in between. You would have to visit 3-4 vineyards/day for a whole year to experience all of the wine that comes from Mendoza, at top ten wine capital of the world. In addition, this was the first wine tasting experience for both Danielle and I, so we let the wine take us in and make us feel warm as we retreated to feeling like little kids in a gigantic candy store.

Our next stop on the tour would leave us testing our patience for more vino as we pulled into an olive farm to see how olive oil is made along with tasting some of the region's finest fresh olives. I had never been much of an olive fan until I moved to Argentina and was forced against my will to try them, now I think of myself as the olive connoisseur. The powerful odor of olives greeted us upon arrival, which pre-Argentina would have made me gag but now had me salivating. We took a very brief tour to see how they converted olives into olive oil using a compression machine. The tour ended with my purchase of two big jars of olives, straight from the source. We also happened to meet another couple who were our age from San Diego (UCSD) who happened to be travelling South America together. Dani and the other girl knew a mutual friend.. (see Six Degrees of Separation post).Our departure from olive heaven meant we were going to our final vineyard, a small family winery that maintains a low profile and only specializes in red wines (vino tinto). Sounds like my kind of place. Cavas de Don Arturo was a very cute little family-operated bodega and the tour was much more intimate than other wine tours. One of the nieces, who happened to speak very good English, gave us a great tour and let us sample three of their four vinos (Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah). The Merlot was supposedly their strongest wine, so undoubtedly I bought a bottle of their Merlot before leaving our last bodega of the tour.

(Dani and I praising Goddess of Wine) (Dani standing at hut entrance to best carne empanadas!)

Just when we thought our tour was over, our bus stopped in front of a cathedral, supposedly the first built in Mendoza. Dani and I took a quick gander but quickly escaped this part of the tour to go across the street to a little hut that had a huge fireplace. Our curiosity led us inside, fortunately, where the aroma of freshly made empanadas warmly welcomed us. First we bought two empanadas each, wow we underestimated the appetite all of that wine gave us. "Dos mas por favor," mmmm. At first I thought it was our appetite, then I realized what was really happening. We were consuming the best carne empanadas I've had in Argentina. By the end, Dani had 3 and I had indulged in 4 of them, yummers.

Something about Mendoza really grabs your taste buds, it's really hard to explain. Our appetite re-gathered itself and sent us to a great restaurant that had been previously recommended called El Palenque. Wow, one of the best dinners I've had in Argentina... just one more treat for the palate to add to the tick marks in Mendoza. If you love meat and you are lucky enough to find yourself in the wine capital of South America, clean your palate with any kind of the carne on the menu. But that's not it, what seemed to make all of our meals so delicous was this honey mustard sauce that was served with it all.. just ask for '... a la mostaza.' Every meal that we consumed seemed to be the best meal I've had in Argentina. The food in Buenos Aires doesn't even compare. The Mendocinos truly know how to clean the palate to fully compliment their abundance of fine vino.

Dani and I felt it was all too good to be true so we wanted to just test one more place to 'treat the palate' on our final day. There's no better way to treat the taste buds one last time in Mendocino fashion than where else?.. A chocolate factory!! It provided the proverbial icing on the cake that was the exclamation point to our yummy Mendoza experience. Historias y Sabores is a small little shop on the outskirts of Mendoza that makes their own chocolate, licors in assorted flavors such as banana chocolate, mint chocolate and dulce de leche among many other heart-warming snacks. Not surprisingly, Dani and I found ourselves once again like kids in the candy store. We wanted a sample of everything but we cut ourselves off after several samples to avoid the over-indulgence stereotype of North Americans. However, we did leave with enough chocolate, licors and absinthe to let our friends in Buenos Aires witness how sweet Mendoza is.
Needless to say, Dani and I rode the 14-hour bus ride back to Buenos Aires with our taste buds satisfied and our tummies full of Mendocino yum yum. All in all, Mendoza was a great reminder that fresh air really does exist, Buenos Aires pollution was turning me into a non-believer of good air.. ironically enough. I thank Dani for being such a fun and outstanding travel companion and an even more outstanding girlfriend. For those of you who have never been wine tasting, you should try it, I promise it will be a worthy experience. What I can't promise is that it will be as SWEET as Mendoza!

(Sunset leaving Mendoza)

Olympic Love

2008-08-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Every four years, that´s it. I like to think of these two and a half weeks as a time that all nations can participate in competition without the use of arms or ¨weapons of mass destruction.¨ I didn´t have the pleasure of seeing the Opening Ceremony which is usually my favorite, just seeing all of the nations´athletes carrying their respective flag and carrying that giddy feeling which makes all of their hard work paid off at least in part. Obviously the Gold is the objective for these athletes but even to come together and share their like-minded passion is just as amazing in my eyes. I like how all of the athletes are able to visit each other in their Olympic villages and communicate about how they idolize each other or whatever, with language barrier and all. My favorite example was Kobe Bryant visiting Argentina´s Olympic Village to take pictures and show his respect to the Argentine futbol team, not to be confused with the basketball team.

Perhaps, the largest story of this Olympics has been about that one kid from Baltimore, Maryland, Michael Phelps, who should be portrayed as the next Aquaman for winning 8 Gold Medals. In doing so he immediately doubled or tripled his self-worth from sponsorships and could potentially accumulate $100 million worth in the next sevaral years, according to his agent.
Another thing that tickles my fancy about the Olympics is how the media keeps track of the medal count so closely as if it is a reflection of each country´s well-being. No kidding China has 46 Gold Medals, they start training these young athletes before they even reach 5 years old. Imagine being a young toddler and all you know growing up is one sport, day in and day out. You´re given one objective in life, to win Olympic Gold in your sport. Being the most populated country in the world and having that pool to cherry pick young athletes to train their whole lives away for this one objective, sounds like a formula for success in acheiving Olympic Gold if you ask me.

Many people ask me from back home what the Olympic coverage is like here in Argentina. First of all, I don´t have a television where I live so I read all of my news online which are highly U.S. based news companies anyways. The only actual competition I´ve seen on the television screens here have been the Argentine futbol, basketball and women´s field hockey teams. All other results have been delivered to me by espn.com (olympic section). All I know is that it seems like hundreds of records were broken in the 2008 Beijing games. Twenty-four records were broken alone in Swimming, supposedly much of this due to Speedo´s newest line of swim wear. Usain Bolt from Jamaica has lived up to his name and bolted past two world records in track and field. The majority of the publicity goes to track and field, swimming, soccer, U.S. men´s basketball (Redeem team) and of course that aquaman, Phelps. Personally, I would like to know more about all of the other sports in the Olympics; wrestling (personal favorite since I competed my whole life), judo, handball, fencing, etc. I await the year that these sports are showed some love by publicity as well. Something that I thought was most special was when I heard that Afghanistan won its first medal. That to me is more special than China´s triumphant 46 Gold Medals or even Phelps´8. In the midst of a war-torn country, an athlete can deliver some relief in Olympic form.

In conclusion, I´d like to give my own rundown and prediction on the game everyone in the basketball world is talking about USA vs. Argentina. Since I´m a fan of Argentine futbol, I can´t support their basketball team also, that would be overkill. Some friends have asked if I´m going for Argentina... heck no!! I think this USA basketball team has proven they´re ready to win Gold again at the level they´ve been playing. All of the Argentines I´ve spoken with claim ¨We´re still the Champions.¨ Well I can´t respond to that... yet, I hope the US absolutely destroys Argentina on the hardwood since they can´t on the grass. I´m looking for a 15-20 point win by the US team. Now, let´s see if my words jinxed the U.S. team.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who graciously represented their country for their love of the sport.

One Escape... A Little Footie!!

2008-08-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

I've been intending on writing a post about futbol, or soccer as its known in the United States. A conversation I had with one of my students spurred me to finally write about the world's most popular sport. Rodrigo and I were talking about living one's lifetime in Latin American countries such as Argentina. He briefly explained how playing futbol is the greatest escape to living in times of political or economic uncertainty or instability. Many of the people here and around the world have grown up playing futbol since they were able to walk. Ahhh, it all makes sense, thus the explanation to why I'm being crossed-up left and right on the field. For those unfamiliar with futbol lingo, being crossed-up refers to being beat or being "schooled." It happens to the best and worst of us. (Note: futbol is an international sport and I'm not directly correlating it to 3rd world countries).

The most experience I had with the sport was as an eight-year old playing in a little summer soccer league, essentially a way to get me out of the house and run around. To be completely honest the most I remember about my infant soccer career was how much I looked forward to halftime for the orange slices, the next Pele right? Since that time in my life until my arrival in Buenos Aires, I had completely lost appreciation for the sport. Then I stepped into my first pick-up game here and immediately began kicking myself, figuratively and literally.. eeehhh. I'm decently athletic as I played three sports in high school and love to play any sport in time when the opportunity has arisen since. However, I do enjoy the challenge of being the worst to step on the field.

Now it's been nearly three or four months since Mike and I have begun our ''out of retirement'' futbol career. When we step on the field now, we're about the middle of the pack in talent, feels good to actually out play someone else on the field... anyone else. Though I must be honest and tell you a little secret, those who I usually out play are other yankees. I've yet to step up the game to an international level, so to speak. Rodrigo was speaking some truth. For that one hour of competition nothing else matters but staying afloat on skill level against players from Brazil, Ireland, England, Argentina, France, Germany and Norway. It's become a weekly affair as Mike is the only one gracious enough to organize the games, thanks Mikey! Just that thrill of competition, even simple pick-up games, truly does provide a quick escape.

What's also very interesting to observe is the difference in styles between players from different countries. These are my short-lived observations: Brazilian players have style and are very flashy; English players play good defense and are intense; Argentines are very good passers and maintain possession a lot even if it doesn't result in a goal; and the beloved yankees play like its basketball without hands, however, usually lack much effectiveness to their style... like myself :).

Of course, there are exceptions, our friend Camara from Washington D.C. is one of the best forwards on the field. The best all-around player would be Marcelo, Argentine, who is that guy who makes everyone else better on the team. He's like the Michael Jordan of Argentine pick-up footie... and I, I'd like to say Scottie Pippen of the field but I think I'm still fighting my way out of "waterboy" status. What does your status matter when you're escaping the madness of everyday life anyways?

Below are two pics of just some of the guys we play with:

Left to right clockwise: Josh (England), Keeger (Ireland), Camara (Wash D.C.), Mischa (England), Etienne (Germany), myself, Marcelo (Argentina), Dave (England), Mikey (San Diego, CA).

Poo Poo en Mi Cabeza

2008-07-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

I was taking my usual stroll to work yesterday with the usual Monday morning mind haze. All was well as I approached Plaza de Mayo when all of the sudden a huge rain drop plopped me on the head. How rare, there isn´t a cloud in the sky on this cold morning.

Oh no, as you could have guessed, this was no raindrop. This was a pigeon´s way of welcoming me to the week ahead. I know this may have happened to some of you but this wasn´t just yesterday that it happened. This was the second week in a row, both Monday mornings, that a pigeon gave my red hair some character. I was in disbelief. Last Monday when it happened it obviously hit me as a surprise but two weeks in a row, not only the timing, but on the same block. This leads me to believe that it could have been the same freaking pigeon. Now you know why this story is somewhat blogworthy. Now this is probably the fourth time in my life a pigeon has let one loose on my head, I now believe that pigeons play target practice with red heads.

The first incident didn´t throw my character off too much, I was almost too tired to care and simply strolled into the next kiosko I saw to gather some napkins and comically explain ¨Una paloma hizo kaka en mi cabeza,¨ literally saying that a pigeon crapped on my head. The laughter and joy it brought to the kiosko workers was worth the Monday morning hair-dressing. Then came week two, when I had finally overcome the past and was no longer concerned about dodging pigeons´target practice.

PLOP right onto my head in nearly the same location as last Monday. This couldn´t be, I was in such shock and a strange form of anger came over me as I stepped out to the street and looked up to the building ledge and started cussing in Spanish. (For some strange reason its more entertaining to curse in Spanish than English for me, it feels more effective). Suddenly I realized that I must have looked like I was the one flying over the cuckoo´s nest since I was looking up to the skys muttering ¨hijo de puta, me cargo, la puta que te parió¨ In a nice way of saying it, I was telling this damn pigeon what I thought of it since it managed to crap on my head two weeks in a row. Note: It very well could have been another pigeon but I like to think it was the same pigeon and it has taken a liking to me. I then calmed myself after feeling like an idiot for looking up and cursing at a damn bird, I entered the same kiosko and it was like groundhog day with Bill Murray. There I was, once again, explaining how the pigeons have it out for me. The ladies at the kiosko explained how its good luck when pigeons drop a deuce on the cabeza. I then questioned whether it was good luck for the pigeon (crapper) or myself (crappee).

The rest of my day was filled with expectations for all of the good luck I have coming my way. I then started to think about being that pigeon, oh yes, I put myself in the pigeon´s world. There has to be some kind of cool award in the pigeon community for hitting the same target two weeks in a row in the same spot. I am still awaiting my invitation to the pigeon-crapping target awards ceremony, afterall, I am that target who somehow magnetizes bird poop. My route to work has changed slightly as I´ve learned my lesson, for now. I am almost tempted to walk the same way next Monday just to find out if this is a message from the pigeon gods.

Afterall, I could take the other side and believe that it was all just a huge coincidence, but hey at least I have luck on my side!

Los Campos Prevail... Victory or Defeat?

2008-07-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

The end of a four month national struggle comes to an end, by one vote! Since March when President Cristina Fernandez Kirchner increased export taxes on all major Argentine food exports without Congressional consent, the country has been in major unrest. Weekly protests and demonstrations from both sides, the farmers and the government, had become a regularity slowly boiling with rising tensions. I was truly beginning to question whether all of the farmers' protesting would change anything or have a major affect on whether this law change would materialize.

When President Cristina finally sent the decision to congress, most thought it was a small victory for the farmers. However, speculators like myself thought this was just continuing an inevitably long conflict that would end in misery for the farmers. Judgement day in the congressional building was last Wednesday, the 16th of July, which would end up being a 20 hour day from 8am to 4am the next morning. Rallies began on Tuesday from both sides, so much so that I was sent home from work because we couldn´t even hear ourselves think from our downtown office building amidst the shooting cannons, whistles and chants. One distinguishing difference between the farmers´supporters and the government supporters is the incentive behind their demonstrations. Some of the government supporters who gathered in front of the Congress building were paid by the government for their support. The supporters of the farmers gathered in Palermo, a neighborhood to the north of the Congress building, many of whom were holding signs saying ¨We weren´t even paid to be here.¨

The clock struck 4:22 am on Thursday in the Congressional building as the country desperately awaited the vote of one man. The vote count up to this point; 36 in favor of the tax increase and 36 opposed to the tax increase. This is a true representation of how divided this country really is but like any good democracy, it came down to a deciding vote, that of the Vice President Julio Cobos. He is head of the Senate and Cristina´s right hand man... or was. He then went on to give one of the best speeches before casting his vote, so powerful that I youtubed his speech several times which nearly provoked me to watch some of William Wallace´s freedom speeches in the movie Braveheart. Cobos delivered his vote against the tax following a sincere, heartfelt speech on why he must follow his heart and go against his government. Perhaps, he summed it up best by saying ¨I agree with the distribution of wealth, I also know that one has to see a reasonable profit. To redistribute wealth, one has to create it.¨

Well done and well said in my opinion. Now the country sits in surprise that all of the farmers´cries actually made it through to the government, this democracy actually works, wow. Even so, this was a microcosmic illustration of how divided this country remains politically and economically. At least, for time being, Argentina can do its part in providing even some relief to a world very much in need of its resources. Should the vote had been cast in favor, this country may be remembered as the one country who missed on seizing an opportunity to improve its own economy by helping the global food crisis, due to its own internal conflict.

Was this victory or defeat? The jury is still out. We shall see if the country can actually rebound from this crisis and put the economy on a long-term upward swing. However if you ask the people who have lived here their whole life and if history is any indication, don´t count on it.

Passin' Time in Colonia, Uruguay

2008-07-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

"Why would you ever go to Colonia, Uruguay?" This is a question that is most often answered unanimously by ex-pats by, "to renew my 90-day tourist visa."
Yep, that's it. Then the conversation usually continues about how little there is to do in this po-dunk, nothing town. For a person who grew up in a very small town, I was actually looking forward to getting out of the huge metropolitan zoo of Buenos Aires, even if it was only for 5 hours in the afternoon/evening time. It was that time for Mike and I to renew our 90-day tourist visa. Since we don't have work visas, neither do most ex-pats working in Buenos Aires, we must comply by the 90-day rule and leave the country every three months to get a little stamp on the passport that lets authorities know we wouldn't dare overstay our welcome in Argentina.

After a quick one hour boat ride from Buenos Aires, we were welcomed to Colonia by a confused climate. For one minute it was sunny, the next it was foggy, which actually transcends a beautiful array of colors in the rapidly changing sky. We began our journey through this so-called town of nothing by walking through a big construction site which signified at least they were trying to add some buildings to this town of nothing. We finally arrived to the main highway where our choice was simple, go straight to the center of the city or go right on the main highway towards Montevideo.

Although we would have loved to take a quick detour to Montevideo, we only had five hours to discover all of the nothing there was to do in Colonia. We arrived at the main avenue that passes through the town just about 50 meters after the sign. By the time we exchanged our Argentine pesos to Uruguayan pesos, the fog had begun to set in heavily eliminating any possible return of the sun. Our rather brief exploration of the main avenue reminded me very much of little towns I had grown up going to on the eastern plains of Colorado, where life is very simple. Our appetite kicked in and we located the most cheerful looking restaurant on the main avenue where the vibes were perfect. Jazz-like music played during the foggy, cold afternoon which somewhat put us in a Christmas spirit. I can't fully explain what provided this Christmas sentiment, maybe it was the jazz music or maybe it was the small-town atmosphere in a thick fog that reminded me of the winter clouds as a child waiting for a peaceful snowfall.

Our meal was more than plentiful, the first meal that I haven't been able to finish since I moved to South America. The afternoon had escaped us and the day had turned to night without notice. Keep in mind this was in the end of June when the days are the shortest of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. We had two hours left to kill in a calm, foggy evening. So we did what anyone else would do in our situation...... we rented little motorcycle scooters to drive around and fully explore what Colonia may had been hiding from us. Total cost? A whole $7 usd for one hour to ride around our sweet new rides. It was actually a thrill cruising the streets and highways of this little town since traffic was very scarce on this foggy evening. At one point, it felt as if we were the only people in the town, driving through the foggy night. The hour of exploration via motitos (little motorcycles) reminded me somewhat of all of my bike tours through Europe, for I had forgotten how riding bikes through an unknown place provides a rare liberating feeling.

The hands and face were frozen to numbness after the short-lived, Uruguayan version of motorcycle diaries. At this point, our time was up in Colonia. I think 5 hours was perfect to explore the town of nothing. So the next time they ask, "what is there to do in Colonia, Uruguay?" I'd like to do justice to the answer and replace the whole "nothing" talk, those little motorcycles are freakin' sweet! Ok, so maybe there was nothing to do, but I'd rather be doing nothing on a scooter than on foot.

Below are some more photos from the trip. Mike took all of these pictures, so give him the credit. The first photo is of a little park we saw right when we arrived on the main avenue. The following photo is of me on my motito. The final pic is a great nighttime shot in foggy Colonia... enjoy!

What is Buenos Aires Really Like?

2008-06-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Skimming the the NY Times today especially caught my eye since I found a perfect description of my current home. I couldn´t have explained the city I now reside any better. The author of this article does write for a living and has lived in Buenos Aires seven more years than I have. Everything she explains in the article seems to be a microcosm of my short-lived seven month hiatus in Capital Federal (Buenos Aires). If you are genuinely curious about what this city is truly like, please take 10 minutes of your day to read this article.

She mentions in one part of the article how it takes a while to settle down in an eternally unsettled place. This is exactly how I felt attempting to settle myself into this city that is never really settled itself. Buenos Aires is truly a place which keeps you on your toes, I still see things here that surprise the hell out of me. The only certainty seems to be that nothing is certain from the government to the economy to the citizens.

With all of this said, this city has surprisingly grown on me in the last few months and I´ve developed an unfamiliar pride in the country itself... especially the national futbol team. I´m riding Argentina all the way to the World Cup in South Africa 2010!

Six Degrees of Separation

2008-06-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

The principle of six degrees of separation was originally formed in 1909 by the Italian Guglielmo Marconi. The original idea was spurred by a study from the radio pioneer, Marconi, that simply claims that if one person is one step away from each person they know and two steps from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six steps away from each person on earth. This study has been found to have mixed conclusions on other studies since Macroni's Nobel Prize speech nearly one hundred years ago. In simple terms, six degrees of separation is referred to each time somebody utters the words what a small world.

"Wait so you study at SDSU, so where do you live?" I asked our Australian visitor Daniele. Already amazed that I met a student from my alma mater through our Australian housemate Jenny, I had to know more just out of curiosity. Through two questions of my innocent curiosity, turns out Daniele is living in the same house I lived my final year of studying at SDSU. She lives in the upstairs or as I know it, BJ's old room. Go figure, a simple dinner conversation which started as meeting just another friend of a friend turns out we happen to know the same neighbors and friends in another hemisphere.

What a small world it is.

This concept has always amazed me, partly to the fact we live in a planet filled with 6 billion inhabitants. Six freakin billion people! It really sparked my interest when my brother and I happened to encounter several peer travelers in two different countries in the Eurotour '07. However, the European backpacker community follows similar course partly in result to it being one of the most saturated routes for world travelers. Therefore, enough justification was on the table for the 'small world' philosophy to be fully convincing. However, my semi-annual life in Argentina has pushed me looking back into the eyes of six degrees of separation. Many of my current friends here, mainly those with whom we play futbol games, were introduced indirectly via my good buddy Amit, who lives in San Diego. Amit visited us in February and met a nice English lad Josh on the plane back from Rio de Janeiro (Carnaval) to Buenos Aires. We proceeded to play games of futbol with Josh and his friends, many of whom are now our closest buddies.

What a small world it is.

I now find it very difficult to disprove the six degrees of separation. The few travels I have thus far tracked in my lifetime have illustrated a common theme of one person knowing another through mutual contacts. The emergence of social networking on the internet will only bring people closer together, I'm convinced. The challenge for social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, etc. appears to lie in how to consolitate them all into one platform. A natural need for human beings is to be in contact with others, thus the creation of the internet. Each word that I write in this moment and upload for your viewing comes from my simple need to connect some message or thought to you. The need of connecting to others is one that has not been overlooked since the emergence of the internet. As of March 2008, nearly 1.5 billion of the 6.5 billion people on the planet have internet access according to http://www.internetworldstats.com/. The world average of internet use has grown by 290% just since the turn of the millenium.

Just think about how many people you may have in your social networks. All that time dedicated to social networking sites these days was once invested in the chat rooms just eight years ago. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the six degrees of separation is here and has been for a while. This trend is definitely closing the gaps between those in our network, hence the six degrees of separation could soon become a divided number, to the delight of statisticians all over the world. Hopefully they'll all be connected through one platform to form an outstanding principle greeted with little speculation.

Even if you thought we wouldn't see each other in a while, we may soon find each other through our friends.

What a small world it is!

One's Life into Literature

2008-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

If there was a book about your life, would anyone want to read it?

I can't recall where I heard this or whom I heard it from for that matter. However, this is a question that lodged itself into my memory bank and pulls at my heart strings from time to time. Some wonder why Mike and I made the move to Argentina? It appears to some that we have no direction, we're just aimlessly globetrotting with no long term goals in mind. Let me spare any argument. It's true, there were no real long-term goals in the decision to move to Argentina, it was more of a whimsical decision with more of a soul-searching sentiment. As for myself, the catalyst to the excitement in booking a one-way ticket to another country lies in the question above.

How many autobiographies or biographies have you read in your lifetime? I find it fascinating in reading books about others' lives to see how I might relate with the author and/or characters that carry the plot. I'm currently reading "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralson. He's also very well known for being the guy who survived a climbing accident in Utah in 2003 by cutting his own arm off, which was stuck between a boulder and a canyon wall, to escape and survive. Reading about the moments leading up to his gutsy actions in survival mode is fascinating. I find it to be educational on how to handle the metaphorical situations in life of being between a rock and a hard place. The countless other autobiographies and biographies I've read or even skimmed have all brought me to thinking about my own life tale.

In one of the many conversations Mike and I have had about travel and the wonders of all corners of the planet , he made a great point. "Everyone should write their own book," he claimed matter-of-factly. Each person has their own perception and can tell about it in their unique form. Some do it better than others but nonetheless something can be learned from each author. Writing about your own life tales may also aid in an objective view of your own story. Imagine how you might look at your past, present and future if you take a peek from the outside instead of the usual subjective focus. I'm now a true believer that everyone is the author of their own book and only they can dictate the next chapter. What's the most exciting thing that has happened in this current chapter of your book? Maybe the objective view will provoke more excitement or better yet, more appreciation of our individual tales.

Who knows? Maybe one day when you and I are famous, our rough draft will be waiting on the publisher's doorstep.

Vamos Obama!

2008-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I forewarn you, this will be my only piece of political writing on this blog. Whether you agree or disagree is fine with me, I´m just throwing my views into the mix... Isn´t that what all bloggers and even journalists do anyways??

Upon receiving the news that Obama has finally received that magic number of super-delegate vote and Hillary conceded, finally, a rush of excitement hit me.

A fresh face running for the White House!

It wasn´t much of a surprise to see that Obama was greeted hastily by his next opponent in his run for Presidency, Republican nominee John McCain. As if the continuous Tuesday-to-Tuesday battle between Hillary and Barack wasn´t enough. Now begins the real media frenzy in the race to the White House. Politics to me are like who´s the most popular kid on the playground. I ask anyone who really truly cares and follows this race until November to keep track of how many times McCain uses Obama´s lack of political experience as his advantage. Thank you Señor McCain, this is exactly one of the reasons I like Obama, he´s a fresh face and offers a new perspective to American politics. He hasn´t been in the game long enough to be fully tainted. I respect McCain´s history and being a POW in Vietnam and his long history in politics but as a person who has travelled and met many citizens of the globe outside of the US of A, a new perspective on our political playground has formed in my mind. It should be understood that the country needs a person who has actually lived outside of the country to offer an objective view.

Both Obama and McCain have policies that I like and dislike that I will not get into now but I wanted to offer my one piece of political opinion in the beginning of this political popularity contest marathon. After the Election of 2000, won by Al Gore... I mean Jeb.. I mean George Dubbya and the 2004 Election I do understand that whoever plays the game best between now and November will be the next President. Unless the landscape of American politics has changed and its truly about who´s most intelligent to take office, then I stand by my view that Republicans just play the game of politics better than Democrats. Not to say that either party is more intelligent than the other because when it comes to this game, its not about intelligence, its about who´s more likeable at any point in time.

What I really respect about Obama is he has yet to lay personal attack on any candidate´s history mishaps. From what I´ve seen, he´s only discussed policy on issues that really matter. What a concept? Either way after the last 8 years of the infamous Bush Administration, I do feel truly sorry for whomever is the next President as they have a large mess to clean up (No-end war against terrorism, all-time record national budget deficit, downward economy, etc.) After-all maybe a young, untested politician is really what it takes to have the energy for this cleaning process.

Anyways, I am refraining from writing anymore on this topic and I welcome any replies that discredit my views with facts or any opinions because essentially, these are only opinons. The only fact here is that 30 seconds of research went into this blog post. So please call the O´Reilly Factor for me and get the facts since I´m out of the country.

After all its all just a game in the end anyways right? Just ask John Stewart and Steven Colbert. Let´s have some fun with it!

June in Winter Slows me to Reflection Period

2008-06-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Winter has officially arrived here in the southern hemisphere, I strangely forgot what the cold can be like since I practically lived a year straight of summer season. My daily 20-block to and from work brings back silly memories of walking to and from school as a kid in the blistering cold winters of Colorado. The cold here is a bit different in that it is dense with humidity. Ask the people of the northeast US, humid cold is much worse than the dry cold that nestles the Rocky Mountains.

I woke up today and it hit me that June 1st has arrived and exactly one year ago, my brother and I started our journey through Europe. Wow! Then my mind started wandering freely back into the memories of the last year in my life. Furthermore, I realized that my residence in Buenos Aires has hit its six-month mark as well. Most travelers I meet along the way say once you've been in one place for more than six-months you might as well consider it home. Home until October at least. It's been a great day of reflection on what has happened in the last year. The education bestowed upon myself since college graduation has been phenomenal and it truly lies in the day-to-day life of meeting people from all over the world. My cooking recipe has picked up some new treats, the musical ears have been exposed to many new genres, and I have even managed to pick up a new language along the way.

The day of reflection could deliver several pages of literature, but today I'll keep it short and simple. I really used this reflection to think about those people in my life in past and present. It's amazing how much the lives of all my friends have changed as well. Some of my friends have just graduated from University and so begins their new educational chapter as well. Some of my friends are living very happily and successfully for such a young age and reap new knowlege everyday. Some other friends are living in other parts of the world experiencing their own worldly education. It's such a pleasure to catch up with friends and family, the few times it happens, to see how they are passing time.

How fortunate I really am to be where I am at this point in my life. Thank you friends and family and I will have more to post in this second half of the year residence in Argentina.

Tranquility and Beauty in Rosario

2008-05-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

Life in Buenos Aires was just becoming too routine and mundane with my work schedule here. I've been working much more to save money to fund more travel in this country. I had an itch to pack the bag and put on the travel shoes again since I hadn't escaped the city in over four months, Iguazu being the most recent. It's imperative to see the many places outside of Capital Federal to fully experience this country. The decision process on where to travel next was very short-lived since we had heard so much about the beauty in Rosario, which is just a 3-4 hour drive northwest of Buenos Aires. The beauty of the small city atmosphere, the beauty of the people (opinion of many that the most beautiful people of Argentina reside in Rosario) and the beauty of simpatico. It is a popular conception that people from Buenos Aires are a bit more snobby than people from the provinces. My tendency to see past the popular conception may be mistaken in this case. The two day hiatus in Rosario quickly proved this conception true.

We arrived Saturday evening around 6pm with a familiar excitement for being in a new place once again. It took the bus 5 minutes to transport us from the station to our two-day residence, Cool Raul Hostel. Omar was the nice young man, who sports big curly red/blonde afro hair, who is the heir owner of the hostel. Yes he is grandson of the cool Raul himself. The atmoshere of this hostel was much like that of a friend's house. Omar and the rest of the crew were so open and friendly, it was strangely as if we had all known each other for years. There was no awkward 'where are you from and what do you stand for?' conversation. The ice was broken once we arrived. My joy for travels were immediately refreshed in my mind once we met the other travelers passing time at the Cool Raul. After a yummy pizza dinner at the Malteria just two blocks from the hostel, we all started the night of consuming Quilmes (beer of choice in Argentina) and mingling with our newest network of friends. (In pic below/left is Omar, myself, Rodrigo and Shanina. Below center is Laura (Germany) and William (aka Prince Harry from England. Below right is Mike, his two girlfriends and I)

No plans had been set for the night until Omar approached us in his scratchy voice ¨You guys want to go club?¨ Needless to say, we simply nodded "Si senor" since we had heard so much positive about the nightlife in Rosario. Fernanda and Shanina, both from Buenos Aires, hopped in the car with Mike, Omar and I as we set out for the club around 2am jamming to Led Zeppelin. Strangely, the club we went to had an age requirement, no it wasn´t 21 years old..... it was 25 years old. Wow, I the feeling of bein under age gave me that excited feeling in my stomach for using some janky ID to enter the club. Shhh I know I´m such a rebel. We passed the night like rockstars in the 25 and up club only to sleep until 2pm the next day and miss out on the huge protests in Rosario.

Oh, you didn't hear about the protests? Neither did we until after they happened. Sunday was a huge holiday in Argentina, 25 de Mayo, which is the Argentine national holiday in memory of the Argentine revolution. We were well aware of the holiday but didn't expect there to be a 350,000-person protest in Rosario. Why the protests? You may have guessed it, the farmers are resuming their strike as a reasonable compromise has yet to be reached between the government and the farmers. After collecting our wits from our fun night, we walked the city which didn't take too long and were able to see the aftermath of the protests. People were walking the streets wearing flags, we weren't really sure if it was for the protests or the holiday... or both. (Pictured below/left is Parque Nacional de las banderas. Pictured below right is just one of the many who was sporting the flag. Blue and white was everywhere)

With all of that said, we still really enjoyed seeing the city center and Parque Nacional de las Banderas. This plaza had a true Argentine ambience with all of the flags and people dressed in the national colors, light blue and white. We proceeded to eat at VIP, a little restaurant along the river meanwhile watching the Boca Juniors futbol game. Boca Juniors is the popular team in Argentina and you either love them or you hate them. After walking the city to the fullest, we returned to the Cool Raul and mingled more only to live up another night as 25 year olds in yet another 25 and up club. Needless to say, Rosario came through with its promise of good nightlife, fresh air, nice/beautiful people and good small-town atmosphere.

Upon returning to Buenos Aires, I felt a renewed energy from the weekend travels. Before this weekend, it was as if I had forgotten that I was living in another country, it had all become too comfortable. This renewed energy stimulated from the Rosario weekend has only spurred my motivation to travel and see as much of this country as I can in the coming months. It all brought me in full circle to my message from Euro travels, live your life, it is so easy to forget sometimes we only have once to fulfill the life we want to live.

Too Happy? Read the News

2008-05-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

It had become a common routine for me, returning home from a good day of activities in Buenos Aires only to open up my laptop and check out the news. Talk about going from good mood to utter disbelief in the latest news story on cnn.com or bbc.com. News anymore, whether you receive it from your television set or internet, is synonymous with a prescription to turn happiness into a downer. Sometimes, you have to question how much you can take of Obama vs. Hillary, the Olympic protests, the Bush Administration´s Iraq policy, Zimbabwe´s new President/s, some idiot who tried to cash a $360 billion check in Texas, and the sad list goes on. If you excuse me while I go on a tangent, really American politics? How many different ways can you divide the votes? (black vs. white vote, men vs. women, Hispanic woman vote vs. white man vote).

Oh I´m warmed up now, tangent number 2, a kid tried cashing a $360 billion dollar check. The ignorance of people never ceases to amaze me, so sad you can´t help but laugh it out. Needless to say, the news was just a bit too ridiculous for my taste. After too many smiles had been turned upside down by the steady feed of depressing news, I decided enough was enough. A news fasting period, as I like to think of it, was in store.

The fasting period would be for 10 days, I went without checking the typical yahoo news, cnn.com, bbc.com or whatever it may be. The only exlusion from this group was espn.com, I mean come on, sports news aren´t that depressing unless you´re an avid New York Knicks fan. What would I do with this excess free time? I decided the internet is a tricky place, but lucky for us we can go anywhere that piques our interest. The time spent on my computer was now going to expanding my knowledge on different topics, mainly on wikipedia. I would choose a different topic each day which resulted in a new self-education system. The majority of my time went to reading up on health, cooking, history of Argentina, globalization, Ronaldinho and many more random topics. Another portion of the time went to keeping in tune with the world of commerce via the McKinsey Quarterly and Economist.com. This period of researching whatever the hell my little heart desired brought me back to restored happiness in terms of my internet reading. Things weren´t right, I was just letting my mind wander and the happiness was getting to be overbearing. Time had come to get back to the ¨real world¨and read the news.

My first visit to cnn online after a 10 day hiatus welcomed me back in open arms. ¨22,000 people killed in Myanmar Cyclones.¨ This number of casualties has now been estimated near 100,000. The harsh reality of natural disasters has come back to remind us of the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina just several years ago. My only hope for cause of action right now is that aid arrives to the few survivors in Burma more quickly than the case was in 2005 with Katrina. My thoughts go out to all of those effected by the cyclones. The fact that a large proportion of a country´s population can be whiped out in a matter of days is a cold reminder that all of our personal problems are very miniscule contrary to our neighbors around the globe.

I thought this was bad enough but the next headline grabbed my eyes even more, ¨Drug raid hits SDSU.¨ Great! Now my alma mater has a polished reputation for drug trafficking from Mexican cartels straight to the fraternity houses resulting in two deaths of drug overdose in the last year alone on campus. Ironically, the majority of them were Criminal Justice and Homeland Security majors. At least my resume will be nice and ready for my job interview next week in Medellin, Colombia as a druglord. See you in Miami! Needless to say, I´m feeling a bit sarcastic today. It only took one day for the news to recapture me in its illumination of the madness.

Back to espn and the wiki!

Waking Up in a New Room, Again.

2008-05-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Time is escaping quickly, I just realized I haven't posted anything in several weeks. I moved to a new part of the city, San Telmo, which is an authentic older part of the city known as the tango district. The culture is very rich in this part of the city as you can find a place to dance tango within nearly four blocks of corner and the nightlife is second to none. San Telmo is the place to be on Sundays as it hosts a large street fair where numerous creative artists make an appearance to earn a couple pesos for their hard work. The antique, cultural ambience in this barrio provides a confirmed sentiment that this is the Argentina I had dreamt of before flipping my world.

Not to be confused with Palermo or Recoleta, which are much nicer areas of the city, San Telmo still has everything you need and fills the role of tourist central on the weekends. However, it is not an area to be a naive tourist aimlessly wandering the streets late night, some of the areas in San Telmo are to be avoided after 1am. I've discovered the best way to walk 'shady' streets late night while alone (which is not recommended for white boys in Latin America) is to camouflage yourself with your surroundings. Not literally but walk with a purpose and have a sense you know where you are and where you're going (even if you don't), street smarts: 102, feel free to laugh it out. As I'm writing this, I search for the nearest wood to knock on as to avoid jinxing my white boy street smarts.

The house:
Now, the neighborhood is great but its really about that place we call home. I found this home on a local website for renting apartments in Buenos Aires called compartodepto where you can find more reasonably priced apartments than craigslist. The catch, be ready to negotiate in Spanish. This was my a great experience due to the fact I had to call the owners (duenos) of these places and arrange times to meet and negotiate price, if necesarry, all in castellano. The house we settled on is a Bohemian style artistic home that provides a rather endearing feeling. My distractions have been cut enormously since there is no television here. Without a television present, this has left a greater amount of time for reading, internet research and conversing in Spanish. Every day I leave work, I leave the English language behind as well. The house is very simple, artistic, cultural and only one language is spoken, Spanish.

Vanessa y Josephina loving life over some mate

Since moving here nearly two weeks ago, I've already noticed a difference in my conversational skills. One of the housemates living here is an Argentine, Danny, who is from another province and prefers to speak mostly slang. Therefore, we are learning a lot of street Spanish which is hugely beneficial. Josephina is the renter of this apartment and she is an incredible artist. She is the reason this house has such a creative, cultural feeling. Josephina is in her 40's and possesses of load of knowledge from her many years of travel. Her stories are incredible and my favorite is how she climbed the Incan Trail in Peru to Machu Picchu with Manu Chao, who is one of my all-time favorite musicians. She has the picture to prove it because I certainly did not believe her at first. Unfortunately, Josephina and Danny are moving this weekend to travel more. Alexis (the funny French kid), Jenny (Australian study abroad girl), Mike (Chinito) and I (Colorado) round out the rest of the international vibes.
Josephina y yo Mike and I with Danny and Josephina

Bienvenidos a Malos Aires

2008-04-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

San Diego Wildfires sound familiar to anyone? The smoky, toxic smelling air that filled southern California just 6 months ago has cleared, yet many are still recovering their lives, homes and normal way of life. Now that same smoky, nasty air is haunting the people of the province of Buenos Aires. For the last week, the fumes of wildfire have clouded the city leaving many people with medical complaints including respiratory problems, sore eyes, etc. Argentina's health ministry has said the smoke is not toxic but does contain high levels of carbone monoxide. Oh, that's just great, we all love inhaling carbon monoxide on our way to work or class. The walk to the offices yesterday morning was a perfect example, the visibility was not more than 2 city blocks in downtown and upon arrival I had a headache an a nice cough to accompany it. How we love our Buenos Aires.

The cause?

Remember the farmers' strike? Well, the farmers called a stop to the strike and warned the goverment to have a resolution by the end of the month. The fires that are turning Buenos Aires into malos aires have been started outside of the city in grasslands supposedly by farmers clearing the land to graze cattle. My first thought several days ago was, 'hmmm, must be farmers' revenge!' Now this is the thought of everyone including the government, as it has said it will prosecute anyone they find responsible for lighting the fires. Of course, the farmers are denying any such action. I'm sticking to my opinion that this is a case of the farmers striking back at the government, yet risking the health of the 13 million providencial residents. If this hypothesis proves true, the farmers sure have a way of standing up to the government. First they cut distribution of food to the butchers and markets then follow up by burning the hell out of the grasslands.

Que se yo? In translation, this means 'what do I know?' This could be a false hypothesis but the way I've seen things happen in my four months as an Argentine, anything is possible especially when the government is involved. What's with the pessimism Robin? Wow I am truly evolving into a local with my political unrest. Please don't confuse my foul attitude with my sheer joy of South American lifestyle, however some distrust in the political system comes with Argentine immersion. Wait, isn't that a world-wide custom?

view from our terrace

Creating Opportunities Through Teaching

2008-03-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

Another Monday approaches on the calendar and all seems normal. I experienced an unusual case of insomnia last night only gathering 1 hour of sleep, then managed to go to classes this morning with tons of energy. After the morning class, I did my normal walk over to the language institute to turn in my hours for the month of March. All was usual until I was greeted at the institute with a big smile and hug from a former student of mine. Alejandro Guevara (no relation to Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, the Argentinian Marxist revolutionary) was a student I had in three intensive courses in the end of February/beginning of March. The objective for class with Alejandro, employee of Saab, was simple; prepare him for the biggest presentation of his career.... in English.

No pressure, right?

Alejandro had a big conference in Santiago, Chile in the middle of March where he was to present to the President and CEO of Saab Aircraft Leasing. Alejandro is currently supervisor of the Aircraft Leasing division in northern Argentina. The scenario was if he did a good enough job with his presentation at the conference, he may have an opportunity for promotion in his division.

No pressure, right?

Well, through the three intensive classes I had with Alejandro, we had a good time prepping him for his delivery. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure how well he was going to do as he still hadn't nailed his presentation in front of me and I could see the possibilities of him struggling. As an ESL teacher, there are those classes where you just don't feel you did a good job of getting through to the student. Sometimes, you walk away from a class wondering what you could have done better to help him/her understand more, to make it stick. Then there are classes that you walk away from with an incredible feeling knowing that your students understand and everything was just clicking that class. Well, with Senor Guevara, I felt more of the former than the latter. I could only hope he pulled off a miracle to earn his promotion.

And that he did! Greeting me with a hug and a smile this morning with full appreciation and thanks simply made my day, week, and maybe even month. He claimed the little tips I gave him on how to conquer nerves, relax and deliver with confidence are what earned him this promotion and newfound happiness in his job. I beg to differ, I think he simply found it in himself and is lucky to be a quick learner, nobody executed that presentation but himself and I'm damn proud of him. There is no greater feeling in knowing that you may have created more opportunity for somebody else and their family. This may be the best 'case of the Mondays' I've ever had, what a beautiful day. His smile and happiness made me want to go teach thirty more classes today. But..... I think I will settle for the one more class I have this evening and approach it with a new found appreciation for the business of ESL teaching.

Los Campos Contra El Gobierno

2008-03-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

For most people who tune into the nightly news or news online you're sure to be updated on the War in Iraq, China/Tibet situation, Serbia/Kosovo unrest, or even Britney Spears' debut as an actress. However, for anyone interested in checking out South American news lately, you may have noticed the latest political unrest in Argentina. Since the beginning of March, the government, under recently-elected President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has raised export taxes on soy, beaf and wheat products. This increase in export taxes on the farmers has been described by many locals and supporters of the farmers as crippling. The export taxes on beef and soybeans are now at 40% and 45%, respectively. Today is the 14th consecutive day of the farmers´strike and the effects are now being shown in supermarkets not only here in the capital but the rest of the country as well. The prices of meat, eggs, chicken, bread, etc. have jumped noticably in the last week alone in my mercado visits. Once again, the Republica de Argentina is politically unrest with its government practices.

President Fernandez addressed the country on this current lockout last night on live television. ¨No me voy a someter a ninguna extorsion,¨ declared the president (literal translation: I´m not going to submit to any extorsion). She defended her position as claiming that the agricultural sector is one of the country´s most profitable with world demand growing for Argentine wheat, beef, corn and soybeans. Her position is that the government will use this extra money for wealth redistribution such as education, infrastructure, etc. However, Argentina is one of the world´s top exporters of soya, wheat and beef and any prolonged conflict will definitely effect potential export earnings.

Following the President´s speech, the majority of the country erupted into protests. Here in Buenos Aires, I was very content staying inside as the housemates and I could hear the pots and pans banging through the streets. The largest gathering in the city was at Plaza de Mayo (plaza in front of the President´s home Casa Rosada) where protestors made their voice heard through the night setting off fireworks and banging pots and pans. Protests have taken over all over the country especially in the farmlands, campos, where highways have been closed or shutdown slowing traffic due to angry workers. See pics below

The local people I have discussed the issue with tell me this is the largest protest in years. I had a great conversation about this with my students tonight to get a better understanding of what the middle class is so upset about. Leandro, Emilio, and Rodolfo all agreed in sync that it's not so much about the tax increase for the rest of the middle class, they just don't trust the governments' redistribution policy. The money to be redistributed by the government from this tax increase is disgressional, therefore nobody knows what it's used for. For example, the rucous crowds at Plaza de Mayo started out at only protestors only later to be confronted by people supporting the government. Funny thing is the people supporting the government are the poor people with no employment. Supposedly the government pays them in subsidies such as paying them sums for representing the government in times of political unrest, sounds like the tax increase and redistribution of funds is going to a great cause right? My students also told me there is a saying here in Argentina with a rough translation goes something like "Don't feed the fish, feed the bait that catches the fish." The bait in this case would be the middle class people who go to work everyday and pay their due taxes.

It could get even scarier if neither side budges not only for us Argentines but for the rest of the world demanding beef, wheat, corn, etc. I´m hoping that our newly elected President can at least put down the strong front and just have a sit down with Eduardo Buzzi, President of the Argentine Agrarian Federation.

If this doesn´t happen, we may not be seeing any meat, eggs, chicken, wheat, etc in our markets anytime soon, then I´ll either be booking my ticket back home, become a vegetarian, or take part in our own version of fight against hunger.

A Case of Writer's Block

2008-03-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am a victim or am I the cause of my own disease? It has been some time since my thoughts, initiative or concentration have spurred me to jot down some information or insights about my new lifestyle. No light bulbs have suddenly sparked my neurons to upload any witty posts or interesting revelations. Yes, if any of this sounds familiar to you, it is nothing more than a serious case of writer’s block OR better yet….. laziness, perhaps.

Justifying my lack of blog initiative by writer's block is a mere cop out, as if nothing interesting or informative for readers has come over Buenos Aires like a dark cloud. Speaking of clouds, it has been rainy season here in the Argentine capital. Maybe it was the Seattle-like weather here clouding my imagination or initiative to write. Ha, yeah can't you just hear Bill Gates and Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, laughing at this accusation. Both residents of Seattle.

The latest life of Robin here in Buenos Aires includes running the urban jungle of Buenos Aires, being 'schooled' on the field playing futbol with Argentines and Europeans, testing my rhythm taking salsa lessons, becoming more fluent in Spanish, testing new diets and much more.

Yes, in case you were wondering I will elaborate in more detail on each of these plus more on the English teaching front, by the way, teaching employees Business English has more perks than the lavish peso wage. Much more to come on the blog, thank you for your patience with my latest disease of .... lazynitis.

Ok we're back to reality!

Running the Urban Jungle of Buenos Aires

2008-03-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

You want to give your heart rate a nice jump to break a sweat and kill some stress or maybe you just have too much damn energy. Many prefer the gym, treadmill, or a nice run at the park. Yet, there are times when you're trapped in the center of the urban jungle and find yourself a bit too frugal to shell out extra cash for the gym membership. At times like these, you must face the sheer excitement of running the urban jungle.

And this is no normal jungle, Buenos Aires delivers some personal characteristics no other urban landscape provides in the same volume, dog crap

For anyone who has walked or ran this particular urban jungle, you may have noticed the massive amount of dog droppings on the sidewalks, don't blink or you might step in the landmines. This obstacle is the most known and feared in this urban landscape and calls for full attention when striding in your daily run. What is a run through this commotion and chaos like?

Strap on your shoes, prepare yourself to run through the jungle. You take your first step out to the streets and instantly smell the exhaust fumes being spit at you by the city buses-colectivos. Then the smell of pastries and empanadas take over from the nice lady across the street, at this point you know you better start jogging or you'll be derailed for a quick empanada stop. One block into it and the first obstacle comes, crossing Avenida 9 de Julio which happens to be the widest street in the world. You wait for that green light and do your best Forrest Gump impression to get across the 18 lanes in one light, first task accomplished. Now the fun begins, as you start the 11 block run down Ave. Mexico towards Puerto Madero. You take a deep breath then hold your breath for several seconds to avoid inhaling fumes as buses pass you by. It's sometimes like doing tantric breathing exercises while running, quite a difficult task. You hopscotch a nice dog dropping here, one there, you weave between the little old lady leaving the market and the kid innocently running along side of you. At this point the sidewalk is at full capacity you take the run into the cobblestone street and focus your steps one by one as to avoid twisting the ankle on any loose stones.
BEEP! A taxi goes whizzing by you from behind warning you to get back on the sidewalk as if this small one way street has no room for crazy runners. Back to the sidewalk to go for more spin moves, side steps and long strides/short strides to avoid adding dog crap to the soles of your 'jungle kicks'. You've broken a sweat now, breathing harder and harder only to hold the breath again as two more colectivos spit fumes in your face. You cross two more big intersections to arrive at Puerto Madero, ahhhhh. Observe the beautiful sight the port offers, for now, you're out of the chaos.

Take a deep breath, you've now arrived at a point of some fresh air and space to run a straight line along the river. The stretch along this beautiful river provides a literal escape from the jungle. You find yourself humming 'Break on Through to the Otherside' by the Doors. Now, the muscles are getting tired and the sweat beeds down your forehead and you're ready for the return home. Take three very deep breaths for you are about to enter the urban madhouse once again. Eleven more blocks of human weaving, jucking, jiving and dog crap hopscotching brings you back to the front door in sheer exhaustion. Congratulations! You've completed the urban jungle, a clearly spontaneous form of cardio exercise that somehow makes you keep coming back for more. Not to worry, the dogs will continue to plant more unexpected landmines for the next 'jungle run.'

Let's Mate!

2008-02-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sip, sip, hmm; it tastes like grassy, organic green tea and provides the kick of coffee without the jitters and negative side effects. This is the effect felt while sipping yerba mate (pronounced mah-tay). Yerba mate is a plant found mainly in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. You can find anyone in these countries sipping out of wooden gourds filled with dried, chopped leaves in a powdery mix called yerba. It is very common to drink mate socially at parks or anywhere, it is the health culture of these South American countries much like the North American health kick now turning to Acai, a Brazilian fruit. I have always been a health-concious individual, so I was very open and willing to sample yerba mate. The leafy taste was a bit much for me initially. Then I learned that not all mate tastes the same. Many different flavors are sold in stores and I have found Orange-flavored Mate to be my favorite.

So why yerba mate instead of green tea or coffee? According to scientists, mate contains 196 volatile compounds, of those 144 are found in green tea. Mate has 11 polyphonols which are phytochemicals antioxidants that help prevent numerous cancers much like lycopene in tomatoes, flavanoids in blueberries, etc. According to a 2005 study at the University of Illinois sampling 25 different types of mate, mate was found to have more antioxidants than green tea, http://www.yerba-mate.com/health.htm. Mate does have some caffeine in the leaves but is found to provide the mental alertness coffee does yet is calmer on the stomach. In my personal experience of drinking mate, I have found to have a kick of energy without the jitters I get from that Starbucks espresso. The distribution of yerba mate is as widespread as coffee here in South America, the same can't be said for North American distribution. Though mate is making its way to North America slowly, it may soon be a health forced to be reckoned with, if society is accepting of the mate-drinking process.

How is mate prepared? In a summed up version, the cut up dried leaves are poured into a wooden gourd about 2/3 full. Then, water is heated and poured into the gourd a little bit at a time. Then a metal straw is inserted and sip away. It is debated between countries on the proper way to prepare mate. For example, in Uruguay they only pour a very little water in at a time to preserve the flavor of the mate. Here in Argentina, they fill the gourd every time with the hot water. However, the water can not be boiling as it will kill the flavor of the mate and give you bitter-mate-face. For a more detailed explanation of how it is prepared please see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29.

I can not forget that the process of preparing mate might be a little too much in the fast-paced, fast food American lifestyle. Yet the culture of it all has found a way to my liking and I hope to bring it back to my friends and family. I now find myself drinking mate every morning, a great substitute for waiting in line at Starbucks. The energy and alertness I feel in teaching my students is attributed to yerba mate. Maybe someday the yerba will make its way to your tasting and then I'll bring the gourd and thermos to share in our new cultural past time. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but now I must get back to my mate for its getting cold.

Power Tends to Corrupt; Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

2008-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

I remember the day sitting in my squeeky chair my sophomore year of high school thinking of the plans for Friday night. It was the class before lunch, which many of you remember in high school not much was retained in our learning process at this time because of the hunger-caused impatience. There stood one of the most well-known, respected instructors of our high school, Mr. Sanger, in full animation spouting off history to actually make it sound interesting. Then he said what he claimed to be the most important phrase to remember from his class, "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." This was originally quoted by Lord Acton, an English historian and moralist. Mr. Sanger rebuked our clueless responses by promising that if we didn't understand it then, we would come across this realization someday.

I encountered the phrase again the other day as I was watching a well-touted streamed video on the internet. The video was recommended by several of my good friends and their description definitely caught my attention. If you have a free two hours in your busy lives, take a look at www.zeitgeistmovie.com. Those who created this film offer interesting insight on the truth of religion, September 11th conspiracy, and the underlying and scary potential of the Federal Reserve Bank. To stave off any potential religious debates, let's focus on the latter two. Quite simply the message of the film claims that the parties invested in the Federal Reserve Bank, which to my surprise or ignorance, is a privately run institution created by the nation's wealthiest, among others being the Rockefeller family. The money supply generated by the Federal Reserve puts the U.S. in position as the primary borrower of loans from the Fed. The minds behind this film offer bits of evidence to show that those vested in the Central Bank have been involved in provoking wars to cause the country to take out large loans to fund the war. The evidence shown in the film claim that these motives are what provoked our entry into WWII, Vietnam, and our current War on terrorism.

In lieu of not spoiling any more of this must-see film, I'll leave the rest up to you to decide the truth. Personally, I don't feel informed enough on all sides of the research to offer a legitimately informed opinion either way. This film has definitely sparked my interest to do more research on the true relationship between the central banking system and the world's political leaders. Also important for us to remember is where we receive our information. Many of our news providers today are under government control through the FCC, thus, is it possible that our nightly news is tuning citizens in to stories tailored for covering up the Federal Reserve's real intentions? It may seem like a stretch, but we should see that it's worth further personal investigation, in the least to be more informed individuals.

So what would you do if you had absolute power, would you be subject to absolute corruption? A great question to ponder for any of you future leaders.

Que Tal?

2008-02-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

So what's new with the working life in Buenos Aires Robin? Well, I must say it has been an interesting work experience the last three weeks. The English teaching has been very slow due to summer vacations here but is expected to pick up beginning in March. Therefore, I went looking for work elsewhere. I have one job offer with a legitimate web-design company based out of San Francisco. Problem is the offer begins April 15th, after tax season since it's a web design company for CPA firms in the states. Then I started working for a finance company that I found on Craigslist.com that supposedly paid $2500-$10000/month. After four days of working here, something didn't seem right about it. Not that it was necessarily 'Boiler Room' type work, but it wasn't right in my head. I could go into more detail but it kind of makes me sick that people are still working like this in this world and other people are foolish enough to buy stock from crooks like this. Again, I'll spare the details on this and let us move to something more positive.

Needless to say, I'm no longer working there and I now am back to the drawing boards of why I really came here, to teach English. So the pay isn't that great, I am now looking to start marketing myself to companies that need one English teacher for numerous employees. From what I have found in my numerous classes here is that the market is here and open. My next goal is to continue working with my language institutes to help me with my lesson plans. I will also talk to all of my students about companies they might know who are looking for my services. I am also looking at different mediums of marketing other than classifieds and craigslist. The more I talk to the students and locals, the more success I'll have marketing my services. For now, it all starts with the first steps and then I'll adapt and adjust to the barriers and challenges that come with the process. Until then, my first steps are under way.

Closer Look at Emotional Attachments

2008-02-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel that sting that comes from missing something or someone that you have become so comfortable with? Emotional attachment has always been one of the larger causes of depression, confusion, and resistance to what 'is' for human kind. I've started analyzing emotional attachment more than anytime in my life just in the last two months since it has been harnessing my happier emotions. The first two apartments we resided at here in Buenos Aires were very cozy and provided incredible comfort. Though, we only lived in each apartment for a month, I developed a strange attachment, especially our last apartment. Maybe it was because of the experiences that came in this home. We had our girlfriends from San Diego visiting for about three weeks, which also brought a very strong sense of 'home'. Their departure left me in a slight depression from the feeling of home and comfort the girls took with them. It's funny analyzing your own emotions and why you may become attached to some things and not others. It seemed I couldn't walk anywhere in our neighborhood with out rehashing some funny experience that we had with the girls. Maybe it was because the feeling of home and comfort the girls provided was more intense since we are in a completely flipped world. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying any of these emotional attachments are bad or searching for pity, I'm only trying to analyze the actual entity of emotional attachments.

A week ago, we moved out of our awesome apartment in Palermo to a large house that hosts 8 other international students along with Mike and I. Thus, time to battle the attachment of leaving luxurious Palermo for Montseraat, an area of the city that's a bit more dangerous at night but more cultural than 'posh' Palermo. I've never really been an emotionally attached type of person until my move to Buenos Aires, so closer analysis on my part has showed me that there is really nothing wrong with this. Things phase in and out of our life and my latest experiences with emotional attachments to places and people has provided a learning experience and an opportunity to gain a better understanding of myself and others. I think it is merely human nature to find attachment to something or someone that provides love, care, or comfort. I've yet to meet a person who has been able to bounce through relationships or changes without some discomfort or sense of loneliness. Perhaps, maybe this is one of our positive traits as it shows that we care enough about something or someone to develop some attachment. However, becoming attached to the idea of that something or someone may be where we go south with our emotions.

My latest reading is a book called Cut Thru written by Doc Lew Childre and it goes through the science of care and over-care in humans. He notes that all things that humans become attached to starts out with a sincere care to that entity, then some how turns into an over-care (attachment) and we become victims of our own care. Analyzing what makes the care turn into attachment is the basis of what I've been attempting to research through others and myself. If you've felt some sense of attachment to someone or something and have resisted the change that succeeded that feeling, you're not alone. Everyone experiences this, take a closer look at why your initial care developed into some sort of 'over-care'. Just remember, what you're attached to now will probably not be the same person or thing that you'll be attached to years down the road, so just sit back and be the spectator of these emotions in order to fully understand your emotional patterns.