Woohoo! I'm going to Ecuador. This will be my blog area for what goes on in my travels in South America. I have a ticket there and I have registered for school. I wonder if there is a cheaper school but this one did come recommended so no worries.
Crazy enough, I have more money. I was talking to my mother about the possibility of borrowing money from her. She then says "We will give you 800 dollars to pay for your schooling. Any more money for any other purpose would then be loan". I was grasping for what to say. I said thank you of course and that helps out tremendously, but part of me struggled. Part of me wanted to stamp my foot and whine "I'm a grown up. Mooommmm, I want to be independent and don't need your money". While I was grasping for words my mom states, "You will take the money". I said okay.
Still have to call my doctor and start rounds of vaccinations. I want to update/complete my couch surfing profile and apply for that South American Explorer membership.
The plan after Spanish school is to go south. Head through Peru and keep on going south through Chile. Loop back up through Argentina and probably end in Brazil. I'm going through Chile first because it is more expensive than Argentina. The book says I can do this on about 25 dollars a day. I figured it out and I need about 2500 and I have about 500 right now. I actually have more but living with a family in Ecuador for 5 weeks will cost 700 dollars. Spanish school is the most expensive part of this trip. I hope to earn 2000 from my serving job and I still have the "stimulus package" coming. That should be about another 500 dollars.
I plan on being back to the State for Christmas. Then I pretty sure I will still not want to settle down, so back off in the Peace Corps. All I know is that I will have no money when I get back. That scares me a bit because I have never been broke.
