Day Zero

I'm writing this sitting in my bedroom in Northampton Massachusetts. In three hours I will walk out the door and go to Logan Airport in Boston. Logan to JFK, JFK to Guayaquil, Ecuador, from there to Lima, Peru. Then hop on a bus to Pisco, three hours down the coast. With any luck, I should be getting there early tomorrow afternoon.

On August 15th, 2007, at about 6:40 pm, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale and lasting for about three minutes, destroyed approximately 80% of the city of Pisco, and killed hundreds of people. It's been more than four years, and recovery is ongoing. A number of organizations were established to help in the recovery, one of which was 'Pisco Sin Fronteras.' Jamie Thompson, a friend and neighbor who worked with them last year, told me about them when he heard I was looking for something to do. In a little over 24 hours, I'll be knocking on their door.

As for me, having finished two years of college in Philadelphia, taking a year off for adventuring seemed like a good idea. I just got off the phone with my sister, Bea, who as of this writing is biking down the east coast with her dog literally in tow. We both decided that this winter was a good time globe trotting.

This time tomorrow Bea will be south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and I will be south of the Equator for the first time in my life, cruising from New England winter to Peruvian spring. My year off now starts for real. Tomorrow will be day one.

For now, Adios