Going hard before I go home

SO I've fallen off the blog wagon a bit (yeah I know that expression doesn't work because being 'on' the wagon is successfully quitting alcohol and this is the inverse and nothing to do with alcohol, but just let me use a tired cliche OKAY). Not much has been happening: I've been teaching oil execs the difference between past simple and present perfect, eating rocket pizza without tomato sauce, and feeling DISsatisfied with the LOST finale and the ensuing big gaping hole in my life. A hole that has just been filled with three bags of puppy chow and a visit from my mom!

Now starts the post-work travel binge, where I spend every dime of what I made teaching in South America (what are savings?). I'll break it down for you now, and hopefully not suck at actually blogging about it when it happens.

Nearest future:

Tomorrow morning, my ma and I leave for Iguazu Falls for two days of frantic waterfall photo ops and a border-crossing into Argentina that will save me $100 in visa renewal fees. Then on to Salvador (where all the food is spicy -- I'm screwed) and Chapada Diamantina nat'l park for my first real underground cave! Then back to Rio for more mom-time (read: eating in nice restaurants, actually going to Sugarloaf) until June 10.

What is even going ON in this photo? It is MAGICAL

Near future:

Literally the day my mom peaces, my good friend Nate arrives . From Rio, Nate and I'll head across Brazil to see the Pantanal for hopefully less of this and more of this. From there, we're Death Train-ing it into La Paz to chill in Nate's dope apartment, live dangerously, and try not to throw up from altitude sickness.

Remember that time we turned the champagne reception into a contest?

To quote Nate: 'I hope we're mocking our own large smiles here.'

Post-Bolivia, I'll island-hop over Lake Titicaca (lol. every time) with my friend Fresco (Matt --> Matteo --> Matteo Fresco. Props to Candida, queen of the nicknames) before continuing on the Gringo Trail up to Machu Picchu (because you gotta, right? summer of world wonders FTW). I'll ditch Fresco for Ecuador to do some solo travel including WHALE WATCHING and, like, climbing in cloud forests maybe. This part is still a bit sketchy. But whales!

July is humpback mating season!

In mid-July one of my fave SCIC compatriots, John Sears, is meeting me in Quito to head to Colombia. Imma be honest, I'm maybe most excited about this country than any of the others; every Colombian I've ever met is extremely awesome, and Colombia is on every travel org ever's top 10 places to be. A week in Cartagena will give me a little bit of a tan, too, before I ...

RETURN TO THE USA on July 23!

I'll be on the East Coast first before flying into Minnesota, so if you're in NYC or Philly or Minnesota (or Kentucky or Nashville or Baltimore or Houston or N/SC) I'd better see you. MMKAY?

Not so near (but near enough to be slightly terrifying) future:

I've been flirting for months with the idea of teaching in South Korea next year. I'm turned off for a number of reasons (teaching in SA has left me lukewarm and weary, another year without donuts) but I'm turned on (lol again) for others ($$$$$$$$! jk also enriching lives and getting to see Asia). I finally started the apparently grueling application process, so we'll see how that goes. This URL definitely will not be applicable if I'm in Seoul.

Well this is the longest post ever, I'ma go pack. xo y'all