437 Days Abroad

437 days.  That’s how long it’s been since I left my friends, my family, and my comfort zone for the adventure of Southeast Asia.  A lot has happened in those 437 days.  I’ve ridden an old Russian motorcycle across the entire length of Vietnam.  I’ve eaten the beating heart out of a snake.  I’ve gone SCUBA diving off of some of the most beautiful islands in the world.  I’ve explored thousand-year-old tombs and temples in Cambodia.  I’ve spent two long days slowly floating through Laos on the Mekong River.  I’ve drank one too many beers, one too many times, with some great friends from across the globe.  I’ve jumped off of waterfalls and I’ve trekked the green jungles of Thailand.  I’ve lit up a coconut with an AK-47.  I’ve found out the hard way that there is no place on your body that is safe from a hungry leech… no place.  I’ve been chased by gangsters and by lady boys and I’m not sure which one is more frightening.  I’ve trained at a backyard Muay Thai gym, taken a bucket shower out of a trash can, been attacked by a monkey, and started to learn a new language that I originally thought was impossible.

Being half way around the world it can be hard to find the time to share all that has happened with family and friends.  So after 437 days and countless misadventures I’ve finally made a blog.   We’ll see how it goes, but I’ll do my best to post frequently enough to keep everyone up to date with what’s going on in Blake’s world.  Thanks for reading!