Prologue

Hello there!

I am happy that you are here! This blog exists for many reasons---as a journal of sorts, and a means of keeping in touch---but for the most part it means that you are important to me and I would like you to know what is happening in my life.


As you are most likely aware, there are many tremendously exciting things in store for me over the next many months. I will be traveling all over this fine world of ours in roughly the following itinerary:

January: Belize and Costa Rica
February-July: Bhutan (with very short periods in Japan and Thailand)
July-August: Switzerland, Austria, and Germany
with more possibilities to be added!

On the right there is a recent picture of yours truly backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire this past fall with best-friend-o-mine Emily Baldwin and some other awesome people, photo courtesy of the über-excellent Patty Kaishian. I'm including this picture because I think it captures the mentality I aim to hold throughout these journeys---of looking up and about while pushing my limits, and exploring breathtaking places with new and old friends. And down below is a handy map of my destinations as I currently have them planned!

My goal with this blog is to post stories and pictures, and any other nifty information I wish to include, so that I may share my experiences in these far-off places with you, whom I will be far away from, but whom are dear to me. Be prepared for posts to be irregular, though I will try to share my experiences often, and will most likely be very eager to do so. Also, please know that you may always contact me by email for any reason, since I may also be contacting you that way for more personalized stories and such. My email is carolyndecker92@gmail.com.

And so, it is five days before I embark on the first leg of my many journeys in the next year. It has very suddenly turned to winter here in Deerfield, Massachusetts, which I consider home, and I must say that I expect to miss the snow while I am in the tropics next month. Yes, I am one of that rare breed of cold-weather-liking people, but please do not misunderstand. I am super psyched to explore the coral reef of Belize and rainforest of Costa Rica! I am already packed, which is unusual for me, but I believe I am all squared away as far as gear, medicines, and travel documents are concerned.  Luckily, I am much more enthusiastic than anxious at this point to begin this grand adventure. This is a good thing!

For tonight I leave you with a short passage from one of my favorite books, Robert Heinlein's Time Enough for Love, in which the main character, who goes by many names but is mostly called Lazarus Long, says about setting out for a new adventure: "Stand with me on Man's old planet, gazing north when sky has darkened; follow down the Dipper's handle, half again and veering leftward...try once more with inner vision, hearken now to wild geese honking, sounding through the endless spaces, bouncing off the strange equations--There it glistens!"

Mit liebe,
Carrie