As I sit here and read everybody else's pre-departure thoughts, I am both reassured and inspired-  I am reassured that everybody else is feeling the same confusing mix of excitement and nervousness that I am- and I am inspired by all of you guys, your wise comments, and your bravery to face something completely new... I couldn't ask for a better group of people to take this adventure with!

I am scrambling to gather up all of the things that I need for both the trek and for our stay in Coroico. I've never been South of Mexico, nor full-blown backpacking before, so this is a whirl-wind of new experiences for me (including the packing!)  I have always dreamed of taking a trip like this- one where I could immerse myself in a culture completely different than my own, write, and really find myself, but never thought that I would actually have the courage, or the chance to do it. Last year in my anthropology courses, I read the ethnographies of anthropologists who studied in remote places and saw things that most people will never know about, and thought to myself: how brave of these anthropologists to put themselves out there... you would be too scared to do that Sonja.  Now, as I am less than 24 hours away from leaving my little home city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I am actually doing this!  I am proud of myself for taking this step, and so excited to get to know each of you better.  I think by going to school in a town like Boulder- a little paradise- it is easy to forget what else, and who else, is out there.  I am most looking forward to gaining a new perspective on the world, on people, and on the country in which we live. I think it will be extremely interesting to learn about Bolivians' perspective on the U.S. versus on their own country and other countries.  I hope to come out of this trip with a better sense of who I am, what I believe in, and what I don't.

I am most nervous about the pathetic amount of Spanish that I know, but am confident that we'll all be able to lean on one another for support, and make one another's experiences unforgettable.

Here's to Bolivia!  See you all soon- safe travels!