1 yr later

so... it has been a yr since i left on this journey and what a ride it has been.

It is difficult for me to describe this last year. Sensory overload is one way to put it, but it was much more special than that. I think i have grown a lot. Even just traveling solo and figuring things out for myself in completely foreign places has proven to be very empowering for me.

yeah, there where times when i got lonely. but dealing with it, moving passed it, and learning to hang out with and rely on just me has been very rewarding.

There is too much to reflect on from the last year to put in a single blog entry, but just know that i am doing fantastic and this last year has just been indescribably amazing for me.

People keep asking me things like "oh, what was your favorite place?" & "are you ready to go back to reality"

I don't know how to answer these questions. Every place offered a unique experience, all of them great. Did i find a place i think i could settle down and live? Maybe a few, but i would not say that i had the most spectacular experiences in theses places. The vibes there were just cool.

As far as going back to reality... I know what they mean when they say that. Plug back into the daily grind. But that is not what i want my reality to be. So i guess the answer to that is no. I am not ready to go back to their reality. I will continue to pave my own path, not knowing exactly where it will lead. But to be sure, i am enjoying it immensely.

I must say i have been missing my friends and family. I think so much of my strength has been drawn from knowing that you guys have my back. Call it a safety net, call it a sense of belonging, but whatever it is, and even though i was not always in constant contact, know that i draw power from you and you are not being taken for granted. Thanks for being there with me.

Because i was on the move so quickly, many relationships and experiences were constantly fleeting; saying hello and goodbye constantly. With such a short amount of time to spend with people, you find yourself (and this is quite true for many backpackers who i met) trying to relate to people and places as quickly as possible, which can make it tough.

that all being said, I have met quite a few amazing people from all over the world this last year that i will make an effort to really keep in touch with and try to visit. But I have also met a ton of douche bags.

I can't tell you how sick i am of the constant interviewing process that takes place. Where are you from? what job did you do before traveling? where have you been? where are you going? how long have you been traveling? Shut up and just drink a beer and chill out. If we relate, then it will happen naturally, without it being forced down my throat. fuckin relax.

At the end, if i found myself in a big group of people who were having the "interview" conversation, i would just leave and hang out solo. I was tired of trying so hard and it was annoying to watch other people try so hard.

Even though, i realize, that yes, that was probably me at the start of it all.

It will be a pleasure to hang out with people who will not force feed me their personality in fear that they will not have anyone to go out to the bars with because this is their last night in town and they are leaving tomorrow.

but this is a small gripe and i do not deserve to complain.

Coming back to my point, i don't think i could have sustained much more bouncing around with out settling somewhere. too much hello and goodbye. relationships and experiences become rushed due to time constraints and lack a genuine feel. It takes time to get to know people and places. And when there is so much out there to see, you feel obligated to push on. i felt that i missed out on some of the finer things on this trip by walking too quickly.

1 yr was a long time yes, but i could have done the exact same route much slower and probably had a richer experience. the places i enjoyed most were the places i stayed the longest. I was able to build a kinship and that made it special.

so... enough babbling.

An adventure is coming to an end, and a new one is beginning. The future holds unknown treasures that i look forward to stumbling upon.

I start work on the mountain as a snowboard instructor on the 20th of November. I am enrolled in the community college up in tahoe and plan to take some renewable energy classes up there too. I have a few other things in store, but those are the only two that are concrete.

i will have my cell in the states. same as last time.

415-321-0591

My blog will be going into retirement at this point until i decide to venture abroad again. if you want to know whats up, send me an email gutman62@gmail.com or give me a call. Hope you have enjoyed the updates as much as i have enjoyed writing them.

Peace

Brazil - Raining and Amazing

Seriously, only got 3 days of sun in brazil, but what a country!

Started in Florianopolis, a gorgeous beach town, where i met some local guys who took us on a hour hike through the jungle, surf boards in hand, to a secluded beach. I really recommend this place. Very tranquil and i could easily spend a month there.

After only 2 days, i left for belo horezante. My friend Guilherme, who i traveled for a bit with in peru/bolivia, was there and i got to stay with his family. His mom picked me up from the airport and we were able to communicate with her portuenglish and my spanglish. We got to their place and watched soap operas together for 2 hrs until guilherme got home. Soaps out there are pretty entertaining. I cried, laughed, and even learned a little along the way. Thanks Mrs. Parrah

Partied thursday night and then went out to his lake house the for the weekend. This place was so chill. get there, kick off your shoes, grab a beer and just hang out in a hammock. we went to the lake and did some wakeboarding and was just a very relaxing weekend. I got a little sick one night and had to go to bed early, but nothing major. guess the last 340 days of drinking every day is catching up with me.

Next was Rio. Ahhhh rio. would love to be here during the summer. Got at least one sunny day and the beaches were just packed with beautiful people wearing next to nothing. Brazilians are very comfortable in their skin. Fat, skinny, flabby, firm, all wearing speedos, or floss. I was either disgusted or turned on every 2 seconds.

The parties are non stop. I swear people do not have jobs there. We went to one club where there are just hoards of brazilian girls throwing themselves at gringos (they call em gringo hunters out there) Let me just say, that the desperation in some of these girls eyes was a little sad. And a little awkward. Plus you are not sure who is working and who is just trying to be a baby's mamma.

After leaving the party in rio, i went to sao paulo for the last part of my trip. I met up with my friend Caue (ka-way) who i met in chile. Stayed at his house and kicked it with his friends all weekend. they are just like me and my friends. We road bikes to the park and drank beers, played video games, and toured the city. I was even invited to a brazilian wedding which had an open bar, all you can eat buffet, and a funk band. SO much fun. Weddings out there were pretty similar to the US. except this was a fucking plush setup.

I just got back to Ajijic last night and it was great to see my dad. It is the end of a long journey and the start of a new adventure. I will update some final thoughts in a few days. for now, i plan on drinking some tequila and detoxing from a years worth of bouncing around.

Also really good to see my dog.