Adiós

Amigos,

I know it’s been a long time since I posted a blog (I was much better at updating this thing during my initial days abroad… that feels like an eternity ago).

This, I’m truly sorry to say, will be the final entry. For those of you who don’t know yet, I am giving up this life, these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I’m coming home. Going to pursue new ventures of which I couldn’t be more excited or ready for.

It was a little over 3 years ago when I set out on this crazy-ass journey. Since then, I’ve visited 20 counties. Have partied in Prague. Pulled all nighters in Seoul. Eaten pizza along the canals of Venice, gulosch on the river of Budapest, sashimi in the sushi bars of Tokyo, tacos in the markets of Mexico City, Pad Thai in the streets of Bangkok.

Have worked and resided in Korea on two separate occasions. Have watched the sun slowly fade on the staggering beaches of the Philippines, Thailand and Mexico.

I’ve spent days chilling on the Mekong River in Laos. Seen the Michelangelo in Italy, the famous temples of SE Asia, the churches of Eastern Europe. Have caved in Slovenia. Taken the train through Austria. Have snowboarded on the steep mountains of the Far East. Slept in numerous airports from Vietnam to the Czech Republic. I’ve visited ancient Mayan ruins bordering Guatemala. Have swam in the Sea of Japan, the north and south pacific and the Gulf of Thailand. Taught at a university in a small town in Southern Mexico.

I can speak Spanish (enough, at least). Can cook better than I ever thought possible. I have met thousands of people and made hundreds of friends spanning the globe. Lifelong ones that I can’t imagine having never known.

I’ve seen things that I never fathomed existed until I encountered them firsthand. Things that can’t be properly explained or captured in any damn photo, painting or film.

I’ve had moments that literally transcend time, that live on in my dreams, that still to this day, blow my fucking mind. These remarkable moments, these insane things I’ve come across, these unforgettable people that I have fallen in love with… well, they are the very reason why all this started in the first place. And they are also the reason why these have been the three most life-changing and enlightening years of my young life.

What follows is a montage of the past 9 months here. From my travels over Christmas vacation around the southern state of Chiapas, to the weekends spent at my favorite beach, to random jungle hikes, cooking lessons, friends and the hot Mexican girlfriend – these are the memories that have come to shape my time here. The memories I leave you with.

Enjoy… it was as fun as it looks.

Life

Pics of my hikes in Oaxaca, my fav spot to eat at Mazunte beach, our student's writing of a very useful phrase (I teach all the students that one) and pics of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas.

Chiapas, Mexico

Some takes from my hike around Agua Azule.

Chiapas, Mexico

Photos of the Canyon that I took a boat ride through on Christmas eve and of the Palanque ruins.

My weekend getaway

This is where I like to spend my weekends. The last pic of the beach from above with the red flag is my view from the open-air window of my $18 a night room where I always stay. Going to miss these weekends for sure.

Cooking

Learning Oaxacan memalitas and tamales.

Life

With Angeles, our friends, the puppy i found in my street that kept following me home and a baby sea turtle. Oh the reason i have a pink bandana on is because that was for a crazy parade when the whole English dept decided to dress up like pirates. Was cool.

Mexico

1^st: Yes… I’m fine. No… Mexico is not as nearly dangerous as the media makes it sound. There is a massive difference (and distance) in the culture, ideals and way of life in the southern states of the country as compared to the north, where certain border cities like the suddenly-infamous, Juarez, continue to cast a decidedly murky shadow over this cool-ass country.

2^nd: Thanks for all the repeated emails asking if I’m okay and for an urgent update. Makes me feel loved.

3^rd: The job is tight. Teaching university students 4 hours a day, 4 days a week clearly has its perks. And I’m not just talking about the sheer amount of hot girls in my class or roaming the campus!

4^th: There are 17 English professors at the school and everyone is enjoyable, fun and easy to work with. No shit. We work together, party together, eat together and travel together. It’s a good time.

5^th: This is REAL Mexican food. Fresh tacos with homemade corn tortillas, enchiladas with verde sauce, chicken with Oaxaca’s (pronounced wa-ha-ka) famous mole sauce. Every other Saturday morning my landlord and her daughter teach me a new Mexican dish. We visit the market, we prep, we cook and then we eat. It’s an unbeatable way to start off the weekend.

6^th Speaking of weekends… My town is nice. Nestled at a high altitude between sprawling mountain ranges, it has a true Mexican vibe, plus an awesome market. Yet, it’s small with limited resources for entertainment. So on the weekends, we typically venture to one of three places:

· Oaxaca city: There really isn’t an adjective that I can think of to properly describe this historic and Spanish-influenced city. Filled with beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, vibrant colors, interesting history, sweet architecture, insane food, mind-boggling markets, wild clubs/bars and chill cafes, Oaxaca has sincerly become one of my top three favorite cities in the world.

· San Jose Pacifico: A beautiful mountain town high in the clouds and high on mushrooms. Lendgendary for its hulicenegenics, this small town emits a sleepy, almost surreal vibe. Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Keith Richards, among others, have dropped by to sample the product.

· The coast: Lined with sick beaches, this is obviously where I prefer to spend my time. As cool as any coastline I’ve been fortunate enough to visit (and this list includes all of Florida, California, Puerto Rico, plus 10 islands in the Caribbean, along with parts of Thailand, Philippines and Hawaii).

So, yeah… life’s good.

And if you don’t know yet, I wont be home for the holidays. Staying here, hitting the beach, then traveling south the Chiapas.

I will try to update again soon. Peace.

Mazunte Beach

One of my favorite places in the world. We ht the beach every few weekends. Pics of where we sleep on the cliff overlooking the sea, Iris and Josh swimming natural pool and, well you can see the rest!

San Jose Pacifico

As you can see, this place is crazy-high. Oh and the dog was a random who went on a hike with us. We named him Rambo.

Oaxaca City