Back in the United States

I have arrived back in the eastern US, strategically missing winter and arriving just as spring begins. The weather is fantastic, the air smells fresh and it's great to be out of loud, polluted cities and back among family, friends and loved ones.

I arrived with bits of memories of the trip floating around in my mind, like the lingering tastes in one's mouth after a big dinner: the NY blizzard which delayed my flight to Buenos Aires, the guitar player in some plaza who played the song that has the phrase, "en Buenos Aires, los zapatos son modernos", the Chileans I met on the bus to the social forum in Brazil who helped me realize I didn't feel North American, the social forum which had everything I loved about "Planeta America Latina" and more, the drunk Uruguayan man on the sidewalk in Montevideo listening to accordion music, the energy and pride at the worker-run factories in Buenos Aires where I realized (again) that capitalism is not a natural economic plan, and that there are alternatives which can work much better, the people of Mendoza, a city where time stands still, where friends helped me slow down and appreciate their company, wine, music and community, listening to cumbia music and drinking soda on the boat back to Uruguay at dawn, the parties in Montevideo welcoming their new president, the late night talks at hostels in Venezuela and the hope and momentum of the country's Bolivarian Revolution.

The greatest and worst thing about traveling is meeting new people and making new friends. It's great to meet them, but difficult to say goodbye so often. A lot of the people I ran into on this trip are like minded, kindred spirits who enjoy traveling, learning about different countries, politics and cultures. It is wonderful to meet these people from around the world and share stories, experiences, opinions and perspectives. The sad thing is that eventually you have to split up and go your separate ways, separate trips, separate lives.

I'd like to mention some people who really helped me get this trip (and others) going. My family, for their endless support and encouragement; my good friend Lucas Palero for introducing me to the hope, devastation and marvels of Latin American politics, history and culture; and my girlfriend, or companera, April "Justicia" Howard, whose advice, spirit, editing skills and company makes food and life taste better.

I'm sure I'll be heading down south again sometime soon. But the trip doesn't end here, so please keep in touch. This blog isn't going any where either. I'd like to keep using the blog as a space for ideas, observations, commentary etc...on this upside down world. The website, www.upsidedownworld.org will be expanding momentarily to include a broader coverage of issues from Latin America, with regularly updates from that region and elsewhere in the world. I will continue to be involved in journalistic endeavors and the like (I am still finishing up some pieces on Venezuela) so keep your eyes on www.upsidedownworld.org for more. Thanks again for reading and please stay tuned.