Basement Farewells

As I lounge in the underground, bunker like basement of the Erickson household, deep in the historic Del Ray district of Alexandria, I ponder what better way I could spend my last night in the states, than with three awkwardly big bodied Erickson alphas.  No surprise I spent Friday night frequenting the Fairfax bar scene with the crew, and got mega wasted grilling waffles in Mansey's petite kitchen, leaving me not only physically exhausted but too mentally unresponsive to participate in the admonishing discussion regarding poisonous snakes, explosive diarrhea and festering blisters, that we will apparently inevitably encounter.  Luckily, my welcoming sleeping assignment is tantamount to hard wood floor, and will invariably place me next to Mike in his cold and subterranean basement, as if I won't be spending the next at least half year in agonizing sleeping arrangements with Mike as my sole and only accustomed companion.  Despite these discomforts, I remain adamantly prepared to begin our utterly spontaneous and unorganized travels throughout a region plagued with corruption, poverty, violence and oppression balanced with extreme natural beauty, rich bio-diversity,  indigenous cultures, exquisite food and wonderful people.  For all you readers with even the slightest bit of tacit jealousy, this trip is not in anyway unique to Mike and I.  Get out; Explore, See, Understand.  And if you need a catalyst for such life changing experiences, hope that the two of us will make enough moves to establish ourselves so that you can come and visit us, wherever we may be so transiently residing.  Until post #2, From Guatemala, Paz y Amor, Adios.