I am so glad to be doing this! The mysterious little "encouragements" continue and, although I am a bit nervous, I feel more than ever that this is right. My loan-payback is proving to be much less problematic than I thought it would be. I booked my flight a bit ago and gave myself 5 days for traveling after I leave Patillas. It's not as long as I'd like, but I don't mind. I can return some other time when I have more money.

My budget for traveling will probably be $400. I've found cheap hotels and guesthouses, found fares for ferry rides to Culebra and Vieques, bike rental, and snorkeling gear for Culebra. I really have no way of knowing how things will actually play out, and I like it that way. Although I want to make sure I'm not being too romantic and unrealistic, so it's good to have a rough plan like I do.

Here's where I hope to go

-Stay a night at the island of Culebra and swim at night in the Biolumescent Bays, SNORKEL( a cool word) in the day. Apparently Culebra has the best snorkeling locations in Puerto Rico. Flamenco Beach in Culebra is a half moon shape surrounded by mountains.
-Stay a few days at the larger island, Vieques. In order to get to the cheap guesthouse I will have to bike across the island with all my stuff. How light can you travel for three months? I will find out.
-See the largest rainforest in PR, El Yunque
-Stay a couple days in San Juan and Old San Juan

Luckily, those places are all on the East side of the island. I will have to visit the other parts of the island when I have more money. I'll miss out on the underground cave system and Arecibo, but I can cope.

Old San Juan

El Yunque National Rainforest

Biolumesence, Culebra Island

Vieques Island

Flamenco Beach, Culebra Island

MMMk to do list

-make resume
-send e-mail to 3t
-clean room
-start thinking of things I need
-find that Eco-store that had the crankable flashlights and buy some for Las Casas de la Selva

It begins!

Yesterday morning I received an e-mail from 3t of Las Casas de la Selva saying I was able to volunteer. I am so surprised at how easily this is playing out. I've also been noticing what seems like tiny encouragements from the world. Just small things that seem to magically pop up and suggest that I am doing the right thing by taking this plunge. And I'm not a person who believes in destiny or signs really. Of course I can regard them as coincidences, or just say that I notice them only because of my current state, but it's mysterious and I am listening to them.

This whole thing really feels right, but I will confide that I am uneasy at the idea of leaving on a plane by myself, with strangers waiting to receive me on the other side, at a foreign place, where I will remain for 3 months. Leaving "my comfort zone" is just what I want to do, but I can't predict how easily I will handle it. My spirit has always felt more wild than I let myself be. Maybe everyone is this way, but I have felt desire for so much more than I've ever allowed myself do, probably due to fear. Fear of success, fear of growing as a person, fear of my own potential. Failure or mediocrity has always been the more comfortable place for me. It's about time I let that go. Comfort isn't too functional.

Once I finally get a hold of Michelle, the student loan person that is apparently against being at her desk, I can find out about deferring my loans!

Human Potential clip from Waking Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-PajFU0ts