the oldest frontier in the americas (is untameable)

I keep losing my posts before I post them, so I am frustrated and will keep this short.

I am currently in Santiago with Rob, after visiting Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Sosua, and Cabarete. Alex and ROb went to Cabareta while I was in PP, after meeting some girls on the bus. I went to see Lucia in PP but missed her by about 5 hours. Alex freaked and wanted to leave while I was gone, and after complaining the whole time and loosing the key to the apt he and Rob had, ROb was happy to oblige and put him on a bus. He JUST made it back to the states tho because of delays. Santiago is kind of a disapointment. We leave for Jarabacoa today,a nd then work our way down to Barahona.

I think this trip will produce a book. Lots to say.

If there's something you'd like to try...

Well, by way of an update, I'm saying goodbye, which is funny because this will also serve as a re-introduction.

In January I decided to stay on the East coast. I had left San Francisco for the holidays and to spend 3 weeks with my friend Gianluca, who was visiting NY from Italy. Also, my friend in SF got evicted, and then my roommate decided she was planning a move to Austin. Since the apt with my friend Ryan fell through (they couldn't find a 4 bedroom) I had no guaranteed place to live. Conveniently, on the day I took my final exam, the week after I got back from LA and the week before flying home, I got a call from my old boss that a job had opened up for Study Abroad adviser. I knew I'd be doing them a favor, and I decided to take it, even though it was part time. Since then, it's been frustrating since I haven't had much luck finding part time work to work around my schedule at Purchase. I've temped and catered, but it's been sporadic. I have, however, been reading a lot, thinking, writing, hanging out, and figuring out how to relax, be happy, and find a direction. I've also been taking a grad level art history course and studying German.

So, I had applied to go to Sweden on a research grant. My proposal made the top 10 but ultimately wasn't funded; only 4 were chosen of the hundreds of applicants. I've thus decided to stay at Purchase for one more year. I will be able to save some money, have health benefits, take classes, work as a research assistant at the museum, continue studying German, ride my new Vespa around, and continue enjoying the music, art, and people of NY. I will also be applying for various graduate programs, mostly in NY and SF Bay area, so it is better not to travel too much.

But it's me, and my wanderlust won't let me sit still for too long. I spent 5 days traveling cross country in May. Paula and I drove overnight to Chicago, where we hung out with Sam, and then drove through Kansas and Colorado. I had fun, and maybe I will write about it one day. Basically, America is beautiful, and there are some nice people in the midwest, where it is cheap, but our cities are disgraceful and are values are way off.

I thus decided it was time finally to visit the Dominican Republic. I leave on Sunday for a two week trip, in which I will explore all aspects of the island. City life in Santo Domingo, beautiful tropical forests and a smaller city in Barahona complete with gorgeous beaches, wilderness in Jaracaboa, including the tallest mountain in the hemisphere outside the Andes/Rockies, and finally a resort in La Romana. Flight courtesy of JetBlue flyermiles, everything else dirt cheap. I'll explain everything I do when I get back. Internet access will be limited.


So, I'm looking forward to this, should be fun!