Welcome change! Goodbye Oregon! Hello to South American Adventure!!

The last time I wrote you, I was planning on moving to Corvallis, Oregon this fall to begin my progress toward a Master's in Writing degree. I had also recently split up with my partner of over 6 years. But wow, July was good to me. August was amazing. And I decided, at the beginning of it all, that I was on a roll with positive the changes in my life, and I shouldn't stop while I was ahead, but that I should keep on keeping on until forever, or at least until I was satisfied that my life is finally going in a direction I want it to go in desperately and is being guided my me and my own exquisite desires.



I thought...I am a free agent, someone who can be and do anything I wish, as long as I'm willing to face my fears and work hard enough--
and, after a good deal of wandering and wondering, my trail is leading me south, south to South America again! The next time I write you, it will be from Buenos, Aires, Argentina, where I will take a certificate course in Teaching English as a Second Language lasting one month. After that, my plans are to head for Patagonia, where I will take Spanish courses, climb (hopefully), explore, and decide what the future holds for this excited and excitable girl from Dixie from there on out. Perhaps I will find a job in Bariloche, where I'll be studying near the Patagonian Andes. Or perhaps I'll find an apartment share in Buenos Aires while teaching English and learning to Tango and writing. Perhaps I will continue to travel until I find a place I want to stay for a while. Whatever happens, I feel fully ready to begin the next leg of my journey.

So, during this summer, with the knowledge that I will be leaving this beautiful Northwest soon, I have been trying to take it all in even more than ever. I've been backpacking near Mt. Hood, I've been traveling to the San Juan Islands and Northern Washington with friends, climbing near Portland, cycling to the river outside of town, and competing in the famous Hood to Coast foot relay from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast (I ran 4 legs, totaling 23 miles!).





All in all, it's been incredibly memorable. But I am itching to begin the next phase of it all. On September 18th, I will fly halfway around the world and end up in another season, under different stars. I can hardly wait!