Live An Adventure Podcast

The summer of 2011, from June 19 to August 14, I traveled from Palermo, Italy to Manchester, England, 2080 km / 1290 mi. I visited 50 cities in 5 countries (The Vatican and Monaco count as countries hehe). These numbers are just that, numbers. They do not convey the joy and gratitude I feel in my heart for having met so many wonderful people and visited so many amazing places. I met most of them through Couchsurfing.com. They welcomed me and made me feel home for a day or two or more. We shared meals and stories. We walked around cities and beaches. We laughed and we were quiet. We learned from each other and shared our views on travel and life. Each place became a memorable moment because of them. I thank every one of them for making this the most awesome trip ever !!   Martina, Bruna, Katryn, Natasja, Iwona, Sven: Praia A Mare Nunzio, Vito, Natalia, Emma: Matera Marina and her daughter: Taranto Mina, Maria, Agata, Alessandro, Luca: Sorrento Julie and Juliet...

El Mar Necesito del mar porque me enseña: no sé si aprendo música o conciencia: no sé si es ola sola o ser profundo o sólo ronca voz o deslumbrante suposición de peces y navios. El hecho es que hasta cuando estoy dormido de algún modo magnético circulo en la universidad del oleaje. No son sólo las conchas trituradas como si algún planeta tembloroso participara paulatina muerte, no, del fragmento reconstruyo el día, de una racha de sal la estalactita y de una cucharada el Dios inmenso. Lo que antes me enseñó lo guardo! Es aire, incesante viento, agua y arena. Parece poco para el hombre joven que aquí llegó a vivir con sus incendios, y sin embargo el pulso que subía y bajaba a su abismo, el frío del azul que crepitaba, el desmoronamiento de la estrella, el tierno desplegarse de la ola despilfarrando nieve con la espuma, el poder quieto, allí, determinado como un trono de piedra en lo profundo, s...

By Walt Whitman Italy, France and England await. As I make the final preparations for a summer adventure, I feel so thankful for the opportunity I have to do what I love: to teach and to travel. Here are a couple of my favorite stanzas from one of my favorite poems of all time. Enjoy! H a p p y S u m m e r !! :o) 1 AFOOT and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune, Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing, Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms, Strong and content I travel the open road. The earth, that is sufficient, I do not want the constellations any nearer, I know they are very well where they are, I know they suffice for those who belong to them. 4 The earth expanding right hand and left hand, The picture alive, every part in its best light, The music falling in where ...

Pablo Neruda Oda a la vida                                         Ode   to   life La noche entera                                     The entire night con un hacha                                         armed with a hatchet, me ha golpeado el dolor,                      has broken me with grief, pero el sueño                                        but sleep pasó lavando como un agua oscura    like dark water washed away piedras ensangrentadas.                     ...

Buenos Aires, 2007. My first trip in South America, summer 2002 South America has been amazing! 8 weeks visiting Peru, Bolivia, Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. This past week I've spent a fantastic few days in Buenos Aires. I am a bohemian. One of the bohemian singers-songwriters I admire most is from Argentina. His name is Facundo Cabral. I had the chance to go to one of his recitals in Costa Rica while teaching there. I have listened to his music since I was a teenager. Now, guess whom I saw having coffee as I walked down Recoleta ? Yeah !! A friend told me that these kinds of moments happen to me because I have the best karma. LOL When I first saw him I hesitated for a minute to approach him for an autograph. I didn’t want to interrupt his conversation with a friend. But I had to. I went in the café and said: Don Facundo, could I have your autograph? He immediately asked me: Where are you from? I told him: Guatemala, he then he says loudly: Waiter, a coffee f...

Dear Mom, Today is your day !! Today I want to thank you for being the best mom in the world !! I have so much to thank you for.  Thanks for carrying me in your womb for 9 months mom. Thanks for taking care of me as a baby. For changing my diapers and holding me when I cried or simply to show me how much you loved me. I am so thankful you taught me how to talk as I love words so much !!  Words are so wonderful when you speak them, read them, write them or listen to them. Thanks also for teaching me how to walk because I l o v e going out for a walk  !! Thanks for feeding me and for cooking every day for me and my brother and sister !! You know how much I l o v e your cooking !! You are an amazing chef and you cook with such joy !! You sing and smile when you cook, putting all your love in every meal. Thank you for that mom. Thanks for taking me to the doctor and for giving me the medicine I needed when I got sick. I am thankful for all the times you to...