And so it begins...

Hello everyone,

First off I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you that came out for the WalkAbout send off party before I left for MN. It was wonderful to share one last debaucherous evening with all y'all!

Secondly, I sit here on my flight to Lima with a heavy and very sad heart. My friend (and for some of you, your's too) Christopher Fucile was killed on Sunday in a car accident. For those that know him and those that missed out, Chris was a very funny, sweet, charismatic, and albiet loud-mouthed gregarious man with a heart of gold. He will be greatly missed in my family.

So really at the moment I feel a bit lost in my head as I begin this journey to South America. If there is one most important lesson to start off with is a poignant reminder that life is so fragile and special- that to miss this opportunity to be present in one's life and all the special gifts we are given, is to really sell our potential short. Live life to the fullest everyone, make it count.
Adios amigos o amigas,
Amanda

A nomad at large- Lala's South American Walkabout

Hey everyone!

So this is the start, not quite yet the beginning of my South American Walk About, but the start of my updates as to where/what the heck I am doing! For those of you I don't see and/or talk to on a regular basis let me quickly fill you in-

On September 9th I will be living the country to go to South America for approx. 5 and a half months. (I will be in MN for Tadan's first week of 6th grade and will be back in MN 2 days before his b-day Feb 27th.) This trip is will be an opportunity to do documentary work (esp. my Literacy Through Photography work), update my portfolio, and most importantly develop relationships for further work in the future. Oh and I'll surf a bit too! This trip is self-financed hence why I've been working so much and unreachable.

Anyways- My first stop is Peru where I will spend my 30th b-day on Machu Piccu, from there I will be in Bolivia for 2-4 weeks volunteering at wildlife preserve. Then I plan to spend November and December in Chile and/or Argentina or both working with children in LTP workshops as well as collecting oral histories, hopes, dreams, etc from folks I meet. In January I go to Buenos Aires and travel along the coast through Urugauy stopping along the way to surf. During the first 2 weeks of February I will be exploring the set-up period of Carnaval in Rio. I will then travel back to Peru via upriver on the Amazon.

Crazy? Yes! Excited? Extremely!!

So like I said I will be posting a blog of my journey and the adventures that will ensue, there will be photos and audio as well. You can find a link to it via my website- www.medianomads.com

If any of you have any advice, thoughts, South American friends or program contacts, any audio recording equipment, backpacking gear, as well as anything else you think would be helpful let me know!!! I appreciate all of you as my friends and all your good thoughts that you may send my way will be much obliged.

Cheers!
Amanda La France