Marci Soifer

I know I promised that May 2006 was the end. Actually, I really believed that when I said goodbye to Lima, it was the end of this travel blog...at least...for a while. Alas, here we are again; I have returned to the keyboard, and you to the reading of my rambling words and imagining my raspy pronunciation (especially raspy now...at 3:30 AM in Michigan).

Well, I can't believe that we have gotten back to this so soon. But, I guess I have to humbly thank you for your interest, and for preparing to embark on this new adventure with me. Thanks.

I leave Michigan tomorrow, and arrive in Bolivia on Friday night. I am really excited, but it is much less extreme than last time. I know no one in Bolivia, nor do I have any more of an idea what I am walking into than I did in December 2005 when I departed for Peru. However, after the positive experience of last time, the empowering period of reflection in the months thereafter, and the Spanish lessons I have been taking in New York, I feel pretty well-equipped for anything coming my way. This could be wildly inappropriate ease, or wildly predictable and warranted, but I guess that I will figure that out shortly. Besides, it's 5 weeks...not 5 months.

Either way, my backpack is taking shape again (full of clothing and art supplies), I purchased new hiking boots (you may recall that I left mine in Argentina), and I filled my prescription for new knee braces.

Here we go again...