Self Defense

I have been doing a lot of reading to prepare for my trip. One of the websites that I think will be most useful is couchsurfing.com. One of the recommendations was to take a self defense class. I decided to do just that and talked to my friends Shannon and Trish. They know people in the martial art community and generally people who teach self defense. Trish said I should just be taught by Shannon because he is the best.

At first, I really enjoyed the classes. I still do but there is a difference now. Before, I kinda wanted to use the moves and beat the crap out of someone. I have always had a temper and a violent side. I have vigorously kept that side in check, maybe even suppressed because I did not think it was a good thing. Self defense class has brought that side out and I will admit it. I have missed the angrier parts of myself. I think I can keep it under control without getting hostile like I was when younger.

I have done about four weeks of self defense and have learned quite a bit. The biggest lesson was that I do not want to ever have to use these moves. I love fighting so I will keep up with this when I get back and spar with folks. I just hope that I never have to fight off a rapist or fight for my life. This should have been obvious but this class has cleared it up even more. I am small and weight freaking matters. I have thrown my body weight on top of Shannon and it truly does not affect him. Also grappling with someone who out weighs you is really hard.

Also, all the moves I'm learning will only truly buy me time. If I put myself in an unsafe place where no is willing to help me, I will have a very hard time. For the geeks out there, I do have ranks in intimidate but I rather not use them at all. Shannon often likes to say make them think that "the squeeze is not worth the juice". I can get this look in my eyes that says I will go ape shit crazy and not make it worth your time, but I usually get that look when I willing to sacrifice some of my own well being. I do not want to worry about hospital bills or injuries. I will keep myself in safe locations.

So in summary, I'm leaving in like 4 weeks and this scares me. It scares me a lot when I think about it. Self defense has been good because I can protect myself a bit but really it taught me how self defense needs to be a last resort. I hope to have fun, see odd and different things, and be safe. Wish me luck.

Expenses

My trip is costing more than I first expected. My mother is helping out by paying for the school part which is awesome so that I can afford the rest. I'm taking self defense courses from a friend which costs money and which I will blog about later. It is much cheaper because my friend is charging a lot less, but that is money I'm setting aside.

Also, I got my vaccinations today. The cost was 325 plus another 66 dollars in a month. I got 3 shots: yellow fever, hepatitis A, and B. B hurt quite unexpectedly. I also got some typhoid pills. Hep A and B are going to be good for a long time. Typhoid is only good for five years. The vaccinations actually are motivating me to stay longer in South America. I keep on getting nervous and thinking I will only do Ecuador for 1 month, but now I'm pretty sure I'm staying until December. Oh yeah, I need to buy pills for traveler’s diarrhea. Fun.

There are more expenses. I need to get tweezers and a needle for my first aid kit. I might have to get band aids as well. I need to get a big map of South America. South America on a Shoestring recommends getting earplugs, flashlight or head lamp, insect repellent, Swiss army knife, flash drive, and a universal sink plug. I think the plug is so I can wash my clothes in sinks. I have a feeling that I will be living more poorly in South America than I have ever before. I have done research on insect repellent as well. I plan on getting a lotion for my face and spray for the rest of my body.

I have more mundane expenses that I'm taking care of now. I need new shoes. I do not know how long I have own my sneakers but it has been more than two years. I need to buy new bras, pants (that fit - I lost more weight or inches or something), and probably more that I'm forgetting.

I also really need to create a basic plan on what I want to do in South America. I need to figure out which countries I want to visit and have time for. Then, decide what cities and sights in those cities. I will blog about my plan when I figure it out.