Day of birth; 19 years later

To those of you who still remember me -

I have been on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca for the past three days soaking up a mixture of sun, cervesa, and culture. I am still healthy, all bowel movements are in order, completed my first successful wash four days ago (meaning the tattered dirty rags I consider shirts are now tattered clean rags), and I continue to meet awesome people.

My last blog was posted from a hostal in Puerto Vallarta, since then I have been over and up to the city of Zacatecas (via Guadalajara), down through Mexico City to the city of Oaxaca, and am now on the beach allll the way down on the coast of Oaxaca.

In the past week I feel like I finally settled in to what will become a four or five month trip. At first I was a bit all over the place, finding it difficult to stay in one location (possibly because I felt lonely, maybe I felt pressed for time, who knows!) for more than a day or two, but I am now settling down and will progress a bit slower.

Everywhere I go I meet people, very simple. In Oaxaca I had a close group of friends, consisting of five or six (significantly) older folk, here along the coast I´ve been with the same few guys for two days and hope to see them again in Puerto Escondido tomorrow or the following day. I want to get out to San Cristobal de las Casas within the next five days so I can reconnect with a few people. The travel social scene is so alive and so attractive. The people I am meeting are passionate, energetic, cool people who really seem to do what makes them feel good; I have great respect for that.

I decided to begin working hard to improve my spanish. From the two and a half week here and by the look of a few people I have bumped into, its apparent that I can get by these next few months with very little improvement. The basics which I have from highschool are very valuable, but unless I work at it, I will not get any better. With that conclusion comes the recent realization of how important language is. I am so impresssed when I meet someone who is bi if not trilingual. Being proficient in multiple languages is admirable, as well as powerful. I hope to be very comfortable with Spanish after my time here (and all about), especially after one or two week long classes in Guatemala where it is very cheap. If all works out well, a third will become a new challenge at Brandeis.

Thus the story goes that this blog is more of an 'I am OK and still having a good time' than a 'this is what I have done every moment of every day' sorta thing.

Dan, I appreciate your insightful, constructive criticism and would like to inform you that the clear liquid you speak of remains a mystery, but the cheapest mezcal (which is also clear) is considered to be the mexican moonshine, and is WICKED! Cheap booze and travellers don't make a good combination.... or do they?

I love hearing from you guys. I am so sorry I don't respond quickly, if at all. Its not the 8 pesos an hour at the internet cafe that I dislike, but rather me being a lazy bum. Nevertheless, its great to hear about whats going on at home. I hear nothing of the news from the states (barely a murmer about the inaguration!), so when I hear about what you grandma, or you Lee are up to, I really enjoy every bit of it.

Pop, your emails are the funnest nicest (but very blunt) shortest emails a grandson could ever ask for. I write everyday, all the time, thoughts, emotions, a regular journal, all of it. I am alone close to 50 percent of the time, the journal has become a real companion.

I love you and miss you all very much. Seems like I made it to 19 years without tooo many scratches. Hope to fill the time between now and when those numbers are reversed with exciting, enriching experiences, which you will all hear about!

All the best, from the one with the stinkiest feet of them all.

x