Hi everyone,

The job is done.... Lina and I both just finished with our jobs! Now our sabbatical really started!

It's a strange feeling that from now on we will not share one of the major values/ expectations in our society: working! We need to get used to the idea that (temporarily) not participating in working life or focusing on our careers is not a bad thing... on the other hand we are convinced that this trip will enrich our lives and personalities anyway... The other thing is that we probably will suffer from some withdrawal-effects. We all are so focused on always being busy, always doing something... the coming year we will do nothing... or only when we want to....

... I'm sure that these feelings of reflection will be gone immediately when we will land in La Paz (Bolivia) ...

Last friday we started with our anti- malarial drugs (Lariam). Despite all the possible negative side-effects and the most horrifying stories about Lariam, both Lina and I feel OK. No hallucinations, depressions, nightmares, insomnia and all other mushroom-related effects.

I only suffered from the ‘sausage- effect'.... friday night I was turning, turning and turning.... the next morning I was ‘well-done'.... But as long as this is it we're happy... (thanks, doc!)

The next 2 weeks we will dot the i's. We need to find out what clothes (and other stuff) we want to take, or better what we can take. We found out there is not so much space in our backpacks as we had in our minds...

Now we both feel that we are ready to go. We have been preparing for one and a half year already. Honestly, we are both fed up with preparing. We just want to go! Sometimes time's ticking so fast that you can't keep track, but now it feels that time's ticking away so slowly that we both get fucked up... that's what I mean with withdrawal-effects....

Ok, folks, that's it for now.

Take care

Lina & Marco