on the brink of the journey

I sit here in front of the fire praying for a safe flight and a journey to South America that is a simple and easy one. I am thankful for all of those who have helped me to achieve my dreams of travel and adventure. I am thankful for my friend Jade, that she is alive and on dry land, that she just danced with the africans on african soil, and how inspired I am to live like she does, with pure love for her art and life.

I leave for Santiago day after tomorrow. For one month I will live with a family I have never met before. After that, my hopes are to find a group of friends who are of good company to live with. For the first month I will study spanish in a class from 8:30am to 1:30pm, then I will come home and eat lunch with my family and retire to my room to practice until dinner. Then I will hopefully do some exercise and enjoy the summer nights until school starts in March. Then, a full semester of all music classes taught in native chilean tounge. All semester.

The winter starts in June. I will probably not ski till then, but I hope to get to Patagonia before that. In fact, I will have to, because rumor has it that they close its borders for winter. The coast seems amazing, with every region containing completely different natural features. The mountains are huge outside of Santiago, with no trees. This changes as you go south.
My holiday vacation from school has prepared me for this time in my life. I spent two weeks skiing in Southern Colorado with my friends. I was trapped in Matt Moon's house for three days as six feet of snow fell all around us. We skied Colbank Pass outside of Durango in waist deep powder. I sat for hours in hot springs and snowshoed, felt the mountains become buried in immense amounts of moisture. It was true peace. I met the next generation. I met my two youngest friends, Luka Sonam Fowler and Jehrico Carl O'Friel. they will both ski. or snowboard..

Now I look for what I have worked and focused on for so long and accept what I have to leave behind. Like a giant force on nature, like magma, I go to chile, nothing can stop it now.

So many times I have left from my mothers house on tours and to festivals, on trips all over the place. Each time I find a new corner to leave my things where I know they will be when I return. This time, I leave only things I feel are me, no excess. In this exotic place I hope to live simply, and return simply. My dog sesame will grow a year older without too much romping through the mountains, though I hope he gets enough. And my brother and sister will grow one year older as well. We will see who besides my mother will actually visit. And my father, I pray for him, that he stays healthy and active, and doesn't hurt himself in the process.