Hello Reader. The flight to Costa Rica seemed quicker than it should have been. I slept a little, but had planned to do some super introspective thinking and writing… but they were playing some Angelina Jolie film on the in-flight, so that took precedence. I didn’t know just how different my experience here would be until I arrived. I had a many friendly and pushy taxi drivers offer to take me directly to my hostel’s door. I nearly accepted until I realized that a bus would literally cost one twentieth the price and take about the same time. The hostel I stayed at had chalkboard walls, book exchange, and most importantly a bar. I immediately met the two hostel owners, who had, prior to moving to San Jose, lived in Boston. They moved down to Central ... read more

Hello Reader. We woke up on Sunday around one pm. Mike, Camille - our couchsurfing host - and I grabbed showers then headed to an enormous park in Bordeaux. We met Perrine, Jamie, Reme, Carla (another couchsurfer/Camille's sister), and Tahira. Mike and I broke away for a half an hour to find a kebab shop (sidenote: ordering kebab in French isn't as easy as one might think.) The sun was pouring down, the conversation was light and fun, and all I could do was laugh about everything that went wrong the day before. Nothing could break my good mood. ...then a bird pooped on me. Mike broke out in hilarious laughter at the irony. Wanting to take out my would-be rage on someone, he took off one of his shoes for defence as I chased him, ... read more

Hello Reader. Mike and I had contacted a couchsurfer named Joao in Porto who was more than happy to host us for the two days that we would be there. Joao was by far the most bizarre host I've had. I loved him immediately. I really enjoy people who are different and are comfortable with that. Joao was an unemployed photographer who sometimes would DJ under a female's name. He had a few party wigs and the high-heals to match. See what I mean? But I knew it was love when he woke up after our first night at his flat, wearing nothing but a towel, and greeted Mike and I shouting 'Who are you?! How did you get in here?!' Mike and I nearly died. He was the coolest! Again, I digress. Mike and I ... read more

Hello Reader. After leaving Valencia, and so many good people, I was ready to start seeing new things and meeting new people. Nothing takes your mind off being sad like tons of cheap food, fresh squeezed orange juice every morning, and traveling around a foreign country good friends. The plan was to travel through Morocco for a few days with Ali, Harri, and Mike. Ali and Harri would then head back to Valencia (and then back to England the following week) and Mike and I would continue traveling together through Portugal and up to Bordeaux for Angela's Birthday Bash. (If you remember, Angela's the awesome Kiwi I met in Toulouse when I stayed with my Couchsurfing host, Benny.) Our bus trip from Valencia to Tarifa was an overnight one. The long ride was made much easier ... read more

Hello Reader. Now, where was I...? Last you heard, we had just lost a couple of Belgian twins, Harri's family, and a boyfriend named Laurent. Spirits were high in the group, or as high as could be expected with our inevitable separation only a week or so away... so, not-so-very, in other words. Chrysa, Alice, Harriet, Sue, Mike and I did our parts to keep ourselves together and positive as much as possible during these final days. We were hanging out with Olivia more (I have mentioned her before - I went out with her for a big night). She's a sweet girl from England. She had been in town for almost as long as Harri and Ali, and also frequented New O's. (There is still much debate/tension as to who went to New Orleans first ... read more