January 24, 2010: Last full day in South America. My plane leaves in the morning, at 6:55am. I was going to stay at the airport overnight, because my buddy left tonight, but I got tired and checked into the airport hotel. A bit expensive, but I couldnt take it anymore, plus I was able to negotiate free internet access. Otherwise its .60 reais per minute. About a quarter a minute, but it can add up.

So this is it! I´m on my way home! It´ll take me three months, but i´ll get there. My plane leaves for Peru, then a connecting flight to El Salvador. From there Belize, then Mexico, then home.

Brasil was great! Spent the last ten days with one of my best friends from back home. We were in Rio for three days (the weekend), then headed to Manuas, which is near the Amazon, then back to Rio for another three days (again the weekend).

Rio was incredible. I´ll post pics soon. We were at a hostel the first night, but it was very crowded, three level bunks, and too many people per room, so we decided to go to a hotel. We ended up at a really nice hotel in Ipanema. Promenade Visconti (something like that). It was nice. A big change from the hostel life. People bringing up your bags, tv in the room, 24 hour concierge service. We really spared no expense. We even had our own driver. Well, he was the hotel driver, but no one else used him except us. We were chaffuered (sp?) everywhere! Although we were a block from the beach, and close to plenty of restaurants, so we also walked often.

We also had great weather!

The amazon was amazing! Fishing for pirainas, swimming in the river, alligator hunting, hikes, camping, all sorts of stuff. It was great. Pics will be up soon.

The trip has been amazing, but as I expected, i got a bit homesick today. Maybe because I want to be home to watch the NFL playoffs? jk. But I knew it would happen. Same thing happened when my brother came out to visit me. After he left I got really homesick. I knew it would be the same when my buddy left. And a travel partner from back also went home recently. We didnt travel together the whole time, but we were never more than a bus ride away from each other. Now she´s home, my friend flew home today, and I feel like, maybe I should just get back myself. But I was prepared to feel this way, and I know by tomorrow I will be fine. Plus i am really, really looking forward to going to Mexico. Especially Guadalajara!

But the trip now is a journey home. . It started in Mexico, and moved south through Central America, into South America. Now im headed to El Salvador, and will travel north, all the way home. Being alone is also something Ive been wanting to do. I want to take at least 10 days in complete solitude. Well as much solitude as possible, anyways. You always have to talk to folks. But its not very hard to meet people on the road, in fact, its hard not to. But at some point in the next month I want to spend 10 days just alone, thinking, meditating, praying, all that good stuff that gets difficult to do back home. Not that I havent been doing that all along, I just want to make it more focused, more intentional.

My buddy also brought me some books to read, so I have a lot of reading to do. He brought six books, on a variety of topics, from finance to fiction. Thanks for that Dave, and Eoin! I´ll list the books later, i cant remember all of them right now. Some of the books were recommended by a really good friend and mentor, so i´m lookinh forward to getting started with those.

So the next part of the trip begins tomorrow. There are multiple ways to split up the trip. By city, by country, by continent. But I break it up in visits. First it was Mexico, and Cindy came (one part), then my brother came to Peru (second part) then Clarrissa came to Uruguay (third), then Dave to Brazil (fourth). And now the last part, alone. But looking forward to it.

I love you mom, miss you a lot! Been thinking a lot about you lately. Thank you for being such a great mom!

Love you all,

Michael