Melançon Enterprises • a multidivision multinational since 1980

$314 for a Feb 1 trip, one way, Boston to Mexico City, on Cheaptickets.

Not easy to find actual government information on visiting Guatemala (and whatever you think of governments, the US and Guatemalan governments are where to get information on visa and travel requirements, not yourtravel.info...) but here it is:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html
http://www.minex.gob.gt/Visor_Pagina.aspx?PaginaID=21

Couchsurfing Host: Oh ok. Sounds good. She likes to sleep in the passenger seat. Don't let her scratch the walls. She likes to do that too.

Monday evening after leaving Mary's work (SAIC) and an amazing meal at the Chicago Diner (vegan Philadelphia cheesesteak, polenta lasagna, and chocolate mousse and chocolate chip carrot cheesecake – we shared all our dishes) Mary showed me the immigrant justice mural a healthy walk from her apartment in the now heavily Mexican Pilsen neighborhood. I spotted some old machines with wheels and had Mary look and she said they are small printing presses, not set up yet, in the Yollocalli space. She will follow up!

Rochester, New York, via Amtrak, with Fox.

Heather and Afam look like they are doing really well, even as they go through the stressful time of the two of them applying to law school and medical school simultaneously!

Heather fed us well-- a beautiful arrangement of hummos and carrots and salsa and chips and more, desert of dates and entirely fake wafers that I could have, and pasta the first night and vegan chili she somehow had waiting in their freezer.

Not two weeks back from traveling Europe with two small bags – people were amazed I traveled with so little – and never feeling a lack, and immediately i've been carrying much more around with me-- at Grandpa's house now with a half-dozen books, sleeping bag, food... as well as the original two bags.

Must ruthlessly weed out the unneeded...

I still haven't figured out if German families never blow their noses, or use secret handkerchiefs, or have very well-hidden tissue boxes.

Toilet paper has worked fine for me so far.

Plus, I do have a handkerchief along and laundry is done every two days.

Rome is strange. There are spots that get wireless internet, but the network connecting to seems to change each time.

The Via Piazza Venezia subway station on Via Napoleone III 35, for one.

Paris is lovely, even for a very long walk.

Incredible time connecting with so many great people.

Couldn't find paper in my semi-reorganized room to start a list of Need before India— er, Europe so here it is, digital-style:

Need to Do

• Clean room suitable for renting it out!
• Process business cards into something
• Mow front lawn
• Get ONE patch in
• Presentations

Need to Bring

• Stefan's clothes
• Three pairs of pants
• Floss
• Full toothbrush
• Extra SD card?

There's a window by the bathroom in the back (aft, for those nautically/aviotically? minded) of the plane that angles down, looking out, at the small white clouds over the blue-black rippled ocean:

Life is awesome.

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Saw "Last Chance Harvey" on the flight. Rather liked it. I'm a sucker for the finding love, of any sort, stories.

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Boston is rather pretty too. Green and brick if you look in the right places leaving the airport.