San Jose, Costa Rica -- afternoon

I'm really not writing as often as I had expected I would. Oh well, nothing ever goes according to plan. Anyway, I guess I've got to get used to writing "2003" now.

I spent New Year's Eve on the white sand of Manuel Antonio under a star-lit sky, with palm trees at my back and the cool breeze off the Pacific Ocean on my face. I toasted the new year with a healthy swig of Chilean red wine.

I have now been here in Costa Rica for a month. My immersion is continuing; my Spanish has improved, due mainly to the steady acquisition of a larger, wider vocabulary. My salsa and my meringue are coming a bit more slowly. I think the latter isn't so much due to a lack of skill as it is a lack of courage. I'll get it down though.

I'm really looking forward to this new year. In many ways, it's symbolic, but I had been ready for a fresh start. This will be a year of fresh experiences, of living life to the fullest. This will be a year to take risks, because that is the flavor of life.

But it's interesting to set forth so alone. And technically speaking, I'm homeless. I have no permanent home. Viewed with a certain lens, that may seem pathetic or dangerous, but as I see it, it is a form of liberty. But again, living such a transient life may make it hard to set down roots. That security is the objective of so many people the world over. At this point in time, that objective does not necessarily attract me. In fact, settling down may actually be an aversion for me; I equate it with monotony, which is just a waste of life.

I'm really beginning to itch to set off solo. There are just three considerations before acting on that impulse. First, I want to be confident of my proficiency in Spanish. Although I don't expect to be fully fluent any time soon, I want to attain a high level of proficiency, namely in my speaking skills. Right now, my listening/understanding skills are almost peak.

The second consideration is cultural. Here in Costa Rica, and surely throughout much of Latin America, dance is fundamental to the nightlife. My meringue is not doing too bad, but I feel that my salsa needs some help. All that spinning and turning takes a lot of practice. I'm looking to bring my dancing to at least a decent level before hitting the road.

Finally, my third consideration is psycho-mental. Very simply, I must have the courage and determination to take that first step on the path toward my dreams. With faith in God and faith in myself, anything is possible. But it must be the strain of faith that is absolutely unshakeable. May this new year be a fulfilling one.