GOODBYE NEWPORT, HELLO ADVENTURE!

Amid the chaos of the last few days' packing, last-minute shopping, and reluctant goodbyes, I have seemed to forget the fact that this is my last night.  In California.  In America.  For three and a half months.  It's absolutely unreal.  Everyone I love and everything familiar will be left behind in the pursuit of adventure,  a new sense of self.

And I'm EXCITED!

This summer has passed lazily:  Aside from working from home for a news journalism internship, I have been spending my days enjoying the sun-soaked beauty of my So-Cal hometown with some of my favorite people.  I was usually in pajamas for more hours of the day than I would like to admit.

It's not that my summer lacked adventure, but I had "adventures" in the over-used, casual sense of the word.  I had new experiences and met new people, tried new food, visited new places-- but at no point had I been completely stripped of all comfort and familiarity and made to confront a completely new culture.

I believe this is the perfect time in my life to have this new sort of adventure, while I am still young and a little stupid.  And I can't wait to blog about it!

During my jaw surgery last summer, blogging was my salvation from the immense frustration of a wired-shut, emotionally and physically painful recovery.  Though I couldn't speak, I could still reach out to the surprisingly large community of people undergoing the same process, seeking their help and guiding others who had yet to have surgery.  After all the positive comments I received, the blog became one of the things I was most proud to have created.  And here we go again!

Of course, a travel blog is a whole different ballgame, but the aims are similar.  This blog will be a line to my friends and family back home as well as a way for me to stay grounded amongst the constant newness of the coming months.

First stop: Peru for a few days with the family, then off to Chile!  Tomorrow begins the adventure of a lifetime!