flashback: december 8, 2006

it was a friday afternoon and i embarked on a long flight to the other side of the world. i wouldn't reappear on anyway until sunday afternoon. i was on my way to sydney.

that year i just wanted out of the city. sydney and new zealand offered warm climates and good friends. over email k-livealittle and i booked up a packed schedule of stuff to do on the south island of nz. the north island would be spent with friends i would meet i sydney. in sydney i would just bum around more or less.

this past sunday morning i woke up thinking, "i am going to cambodia." i knew i wanted to travel for the holidays, but wasn't so determined. when i got a break i got onto kayak to discover airfare was 3200usd no matter which way i sliced it to see the temples of angkor.

i redirected my efforts to any airport that wouldn't screw me over in the world. i seem to go through this every year. i finally ended up with a one way flight to cancun for 150 usd as my base.

going in, the one way ticket home just after new years would be more than a round trip ticket during the rest of the year. the obvious options, belize city, guatemala city, and oaxaca (ss-lehman calls it my mexican hometown).

for only the reason of bus distance i ended up choosing tuxtla gutierrez. i'm actually not sure what is there. but it is near san cristobal de las casas, a town i've often heard as the amazing place in mexico. that is where i will likely spend the new year.

back in 2006/2007, i spent the new year on a beach in new zealand listening to crowded house music in a light warm drizzle.