Buenos dias Costa Rica!!!!

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

Lunch: Curry chicken, white rice, red beans, coffee for 2500 colones (about $4.75)

Dinner: Beef steak, rice, beans, salad, avacado and an Imperial beer for 3200 colones (about $6.00)

I was woken up in a typical Costa Rican fashion... The buzz in the city streets, cars flying by outside my window, street vendors ringing their bells, and some dude coming into my room asking me for rolling papers.

Costa Rica has a pretty cool schedule. Everybody here gets up early so that they can do absolutely nothing all day long. Lots of hammocks.

Touchdown!

Well I made it! I mustered up the cojones to actually follow through with my crazy plan. I am actually in Costa Rica!



It was an uneventful flight down here. Being the spoiled airline-brat that I am, I sucked down about 4 glasses of wine and an Irish coffee in first-class prior to arrival just to ´cut the edge.´ It´s a strange phenomenon that whenever people travel to a foreign country where they don´t really know what is going on, their first instict is usually to get drunk. So, five drinks and two crappy movies later I arrived.



I took a friendly cab to Costa Rica Backpackers. I check in and try to sneak quietly into the dorm to drop my stuff off, as there are already three people asleep in my room. Dammit - I´m stuck with top bunk.



One last purchase before I left - and just to make Jordan and Jeff Thomas Jealous - The new Cowboys official sideline hat. Yes, you heard that right. Just released, and on the head of a skinny gringo with big ears before T.O. even gets to wear his on the sideline. Scoreboard!

It's Thanksgiving day. I've been up for a while having a few drinks with my dad and listening to some stories from when he was my age. My dad is an incredibly smart and productive citizen, but he could - and still can - party with the best of them.

I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't think it fully sunk it. I have been so preoccupied trying to sprint to the finish line with school and moving that I still don't feel like I'm moving. I did have my first moment of sadness whenever I was packing up my truck on Monday night. I realized that I am actually somebody in San Marcos. I have a life, a network, and a place in the town. I am nobody in Central America. That reality is sinking in and its a little intimidating.

I'll have some more interesting entries over the next few weeks. Hopefully some cool pictures and unbelievable stories.

Happy Holidays everybody!!! I hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers y saludos

Dismember the Alamo!!!

Location: San Marcos, Texas

It's a little more than three weeks now until I move. It's getting close!


I've been trying to cram as much into my last month as I can. I had a fun halloween this year! I participated in my first Zombie March in San Antonio! Hundreds of the undead marched from Hemisfair Park to the Alamo on Saturday night. My favorite was the gay zombie right in front of us that was skipping along singing "Brains! Brains! Brains!"


I'm starting to get a little more anxious about leaving. I've already gone through the full range of emotions about this new job. Nervous, excited, anxious, and particularly impatient. Over all the good is outweighing the bad. I'm starting to realize that it is going to be hard leaving behind all of my friends, family, home, school - basically I'm starting a new life.


I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with my brother before I leave. He's finishing up school also and the next 6-8 months are completely unpredictable for him, so I'm not sure if he will be able to come visit me. My parents are avid travellers and are already planning on coming down there to visit me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed about that.

It's pretty funny though... I've been spending the last year or two in San Marcos working really hard and busting my ass to get ahead in life. I'm been charging through school, experimenting with small enterprise, and working hard to start a career in public relations. I've just now finally reached the point where I feel well connected to some big businesses in Austin and have some incredible work experience. I'm geared up and groomed for a job at any PR agency. I'm going to leave all that behind.

It's ironic how a person can invest so much time and energy struggling for success, and then be able to walk away from it.

I find inspiration from the Dalai Lama, who teaches that Struggle is important. If you do not Struggle for what you have, then it doesn't have the same meaning. Struggle is necessary to understand life. Struggle is part of the journey.


I can't wait to start this new life. It's going to be challenging - but that's what I'm most excited about. I can't wait to prove to myself that I can do it. If I can do this, I can do anything.