10 Years in South America

10 years ago today I took a leap of faith and I left the USA for a new adventure in South America. This adventure first took me to Punta del Diablo, Uruguay, where I worked managing a small hotel on the beach, El Diablo Tranquilo. It was a lively (and lovely) experience and one that …

Peru… the love affair continues

It only took me sixteen years to return. "Why so long?" you might be wondering... you wouldn't be the only one. In 1995, I had the amazingly strange turn of events (and luck) which brought me to Peru. I had been planning to study abroad in Chile and to stay with friends of friends. In …

Ah, mate, meat and more. Uruguay, the highlights.

Actually, to be fair, I haven't actually had all that much meat. It's actually been a LOT of starch and my body has been less than happy with the unbalanced meals I've had. Rice, potatoes, noodles, calzone, pizza... a few vegetables and the slightest bit of meat. Mostly salami and hot dogs. Mmmm.* *note sarcasm. …

Dreaming of Dad

What a strange dream. It’s been ages since I woke up crying from a dream, let alone nearly sobbing. I wasn’t sad or stressed before going to bed, so I’m really not entirely sure what even brought it on. I’m still weepy today even thinking about it. Two nights ago I was dreaming about dinosaurs …

Christmas A-New

Merry, merry everyone. I have to say, I'm feeling particularly joyous this year. It  is the first Christmas in 5 yrs that I've had a reason to buy presents and the first one in nearly 10 I've truly enjoyed. For those of you who don't know, my father died the day after Christmas in 2000. …

Being an Adult Orphan

I've been thinking a lot the last couple of days about my last post and I really feel I must clarify a couple of things. Being an adult orphan (and yes, it sounds strange, but lots of people seemingly feel the same way as I've discovered through various google searches) creates some strange notions and …

A-ha moments

I feel like I've had a few of them lately, but none of them are completely clear. Much like that last sentence. Forgive me as I ramble. After a week of lots of great news and business developments, littered with lots of big setbacks, I decided to crawl into bed on Sunday and stay there …

Master Cleanse – Day 6

Boy, did I do it wrong today. I got up, had my salt water flush, and then it was nearly 5 hrs before I could manage to get even my first lemonade (limeade today) of the day. I feel weak, light headed and I know I haven't done myself any favors. I even have a …

Master Cleanse – Day 5

I made it through yesterday without any real cravings for chewing. It was still a bit of a tough day, but I was able to focus so much on my business that I didn't really have time for anything else. I can also say I've been a little bad as far as taking my baths …

Master Cleanse – Day 4

Ok, so the first three days are supposed to be the hardest. I'm finding today to be the most diffcult so far. The day isn't over yet, and I'm not really hungry, but I just want to taste something other than lemonade or mint tea/water. And I want to chew something. I miss the social …