And she's off....

Holy cow I can't believe the time has already come!  Today was the last day of classes, and now I only have a couple of papers and four tests before I officially graduate from Arizona State University.  Everyone keeps telling me what a big accomplishment it is, but since I already decided that I want to attend graduate school it feels like a minor accomplishment towards bigger goals.  None the less, I am extremely excited to have a "normal" life for about a year before grad school apps are due.

So, what the heck am I going to do for an entire year?  As all of you already know I don't know what to do with myself when I actually have spare time, so instead of spending the summer here in Tempe I have made the decision to branch out and see the world before life gets serious again.  I really hope that by the end of this summer I will have seen about 20 different countries in about two months.  However, before I can leave I have to get my affairs in order. I already have a passport, I gave notice to my work, my landlord, and I think I have managed to get my bills all covered for the time that I'll be away.  The only thing I have left to do is to sell what belongings I have here in Tempe before I leave.  This way I won't have to pay to store my cheap IKEA furniture while I'm away, and hopefully it'll pad my pocket with some last minute cash I can take with me on the trip.  For some reason I thought leaving this place would be a little more complicated.  I thought there would be a lot more involved with planning this trip or an extra long leave of absence, but I guess it really is that easy to just pack-up-and-leave.  

I'm definitely not really going to miss living in Phoenix, but as with every city I have moved to and away from I will miss some of the people I will leave behind.  Hence, I started this blog.  Some call it nerdy, but to me-- to me, it will hopefully be a good way to keep in touch with many people as well as have some place for people to contact me since I will be without a phone for awhile.  I will still have my facebook account as well, but I figured this site would be a little more private, and I could post more pictures here as well since it takes so long to upload them on FB. 

So far I am hoping to visit Cancun, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on the first leg of my trip.  If anyone has any experience in these areas I would love to hear your stories and see pictures from your own adventures!  Tips and advice are always welcome as well since I have never really been out of the country let alone backpacking through the rain forest.

I hope this post finds everyone exceptionally well, and leave your comments below!

Cariños,

Stephanie

Oh ya- I forgot my shameless plug - May 14th-16th I'll be having a yard sale to sell all my stuffs for those who would like to come by and show their support!  Bring a beer and a smile, and I would love to say good-bye before I leave!