You Won't Know About It Til' It's Over...

As so many may know, I will be leaving for the Cloud Forests of Ecuador in June. As of today, I am exactly 4 weeks out from my trip and it is really starting to set in. I feel like I'm going to the end of the Earth by myself with nothing but a rucksack and a day pack on my back. It's so nerve-racking, but oh so exciting too. I can't help but think of all the things that could go wrong, but I also can't help but think of all the things that could become the best memories I'll ever have.

My awesome new rucksack... which is already full.

I'm diving into the unknown for an entire month with nothing familiar to me. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to contact home the entire time I'm there. Apparently, my cell phone will be roaming during my entire stay there. I'll be able to call home at the rate of $5/minute. So that... likely will not happen. I can text home for 50c/text and receive texts for 20c/text. So... that'll be limited too. Those of you who contact me regularly via text, please try not to text between June 4th and July 4th unless I text you first.

I would really love to bring my laptop along with me, but I don't know if I'll be able to. I would love to, so I can keep everything logged in, including photos and logs. However, I'm going to a very poor country and I'm concerned it may disappear. Plus, I won't have internet access where I'm going, so it's not like I can contact home with it anyway. More development on that later.

I'm really going to miss everything here. I think the hardest thing will be leaving Klause behind for so long. He's my partner in crime... I'm going to hopefully survive on the few pictures of him that I've stuffed in my day pack. I'll of course miss Ben and Mom a lot too. I know they both better bring my dog with them to pick me up from the airport... Haha.

My Awesome, Amazing Dog, Klause-man!!!

It's definitely setting in, now that I've packed just about everything. Life is going to be so different. 4 changes of clothes for an entire month? Showering outside? Living out of a rucksack? Can you say the word "CHANGE"? It all is going to happen so fast!!!

Excitedly nervous... defines me in this moment. And I wouldn't have it any other way...

With Love and Andean Bears,

Ashley