The Awesome Office

This map of Panama made me laugh out loud. "Can you hear me now?" "Bueno!"

It’s almost time hippies! I’m going to embark on my first vagabond journey, and soon! I’m off to another land in less than two weeks!!! ZOMG! I know I mentioned that I’m trying not to get too excited, because I fear it will turn into anxiety about the journey, but I just can’t help but get super jazzed about the adventure ahead.

I know you’re looking to this blog for expert advice about travelling and stuff. I know you have a goal. And I know that goal is to have people shake their head at you and think, “damn hippie.” It’s what we all want in life. Well I’m here to help! You want to know how free spirits get ready for international travel… Well I got the goods for you.

You want to know what I’ve done to prepare for this journey into a faraway place, where they speak a different language and have things like cartels and malaria? Well, I’ve been preparing… And HARD!

“Prepare, prepare, prepare.” -The Friggin’ Hippie

You see? That’s my motto. I love preparing. It’s fun to prepare in all sorts of ways. First, you pre-pare. Then you can just pare. And when you’re done with that, you won’t have to post-pare. But it’s always best to do the prepare part first. I’m thinking that if I say the word prepare enough you guys wont realize that I have nothing prepared. Is that a good technique, or what?! I just mind schooled ya’ll.

Check out what I’ve been doing to get ready:

• I put in a new hair wrap and am planning a few more.
• I’ve been flossing daily and palm rolling my baby dred.
• I’m going to an Occupy event tomorrow.
• I’ve been practicing the harmonica.
• I wrote 3,000 words for NaNoWriMo.
• I’ve researched other trips that I might want to take next year. Istanbul looks beautiful in the spring. There’s this little hostel that looks amazing and has an awesome view of some dome thing.
• I listened to fifteen minutes of a Spanish learning CD. But I already know my colors, so I figured I was good to go.
• I thought about what my work schedule will look like when I get there. That one’s pretty legit, you have to admit.
• I found a movie theater in a hostel to crash in for my first night in Panama City (also pretty legit-it counts as finding lodging).
• No, I wasn’t kidding about that last one.

So, have I told you what I’m doing down there, yet? Oh man, it must have slipped my mind. Well, have you ever heard of a little thing called Housecarers? It’s pretty friggin amazing! You apply to hang out in people’s houses for free. It’s a you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours kind of thing. You get a place to stay. They get a warm body in their beds and a piece of mind.

So I’m going down there to see a chick about a housesit… in the jungle… on the ocean… in Panama. Right? I know. There will be three toed sloths in my back yard. They are my favorite friggin’ animal, dontcha’ ya know? There will be gorillas and guerrillas. As long as I make it out alive, I will be certifiably bad a**. If not, this blog is going to get a bunch of hits. Pretty white woman disappears in central America? That shiz is 24 hour news network gold. Have fun with this one Rachel Maddow. Is that even a person? I don’t have Cable.

I’m used to living without TV, deodorant and shoes so I’m pretty well suited for some jungle living. As long as there’s a hammock and some WiFi so I can work and check out some online nursing programs, I’m set. Anywho, I’m off for the evening! I have a lot of “preparing” to do.

Love & Light,

-The Friggin’ Hippie