Utah and Fam!

So I finally made it home to see the family.  The first couple days weren't that great for me cause it consisted of some pretty heavy guilt tripping / counseling from the padres about my life choices.  But after we made it through that everything seems to be going pretty well.















I played tennis with a friend kurt, fixed my dads car replacing the battery with him ( might sound easy... but on a chevy lumina.... its not!), played cribbage with mom and brother (she said she remembered it from when she was a kid but it had been ages since she played), saw some old mission companions, hung out with my 2 sisters (2 of 4) and extended fam, and went to the movies with my brother.  Nothing too exciting... just a lot of relaxing.  Its nice to go back home and eat home cooked meals and just be around your family..... for awhile :D

I went to cabellas for the first time ever... that was really cool... I got some cool stuff there too in the discount cave.  Most the clothes I am taking on this trip are the kind that dry quick.  I bought an extra pair of colombia pants cause I only had one pair.  I also got some hiking books and some new sandals since I lost my first pair in Guatemala and left another pair in seattle.  So... I found this hunters underwear... cause hunters don't shower for days and they STANKY!  so... these underwear have silver fibers in them... which are antibacterial.... normally $20 a piece... I got em for $5 a piece... which still seems expensive... but hey.... If I have to choose between bathing in a cold river... or wearing silver lined underwear......  haha... some days I might just be "the smelly bearded traveler"  is that gross?

So tonight I fly to new york and in the morning I fly to aruba.  This is officially the last flight of my jet blue pass.  I have a 1 way ticket to Aruba and I'll be back when I'm back!  Haha... this feels kind of crazy.  I will update my blog whenever I find a computer and have something to write about... but I am trying to pack light... Right now the plan is to go to Aruba for awhile (till I get sick of it I guess) then boat to Venezuela, over to Colombia, down to ecuador, peru, bolivia, Argentina and probably chile.... heck.. maybe I'll even see brazil, paraguay and uruguay while I'm there.... why not right?  but those last 4 aren't musts.... the first countries are....  Right now the plan is to do everything on foot... car... bus... train... u know?  Even getting back home... I am hoping to take a boat around panama... stay awhile in costa rica.... and then all the way up through central america Mexico and end up in san diego.....   but there is a possibility that the border patrol will contact me in 6 weeks and I'll have to find a way to fly home.... we'll see!

Wish me luck!  And for all of you who think I'm gonna die... I hope you're wrong!