In Which Jimmy Gust Introduces his Blog

This is my second attempt at starting a blog. Hopefully this one will receive more effort and time than my first attempt.

I am a recent college graduate, graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in Anthropology. I served in the Marines for five years as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist, with fourteen months of those five years spent in Iraq. I still have no clue what I want to do with my life, and so I will just wander the earth for a while.

On January 8th, I am flying to Belize City in Central America to explore and experience how people live outside of the American cultural bubble. I plan on budget traveling for as long as I still have money, with the final destination being Panama. However, upon reaching Panama, if I still have funds remaining, I shall continue my journey down into South America. I would love to reach Peru and participate in an Ayahuasca ritual (which is what my Senior Thesis paper was about, the changes made to the ceremony due to tourism).

I have just over three thousand dollars for this trip, and I am hoping to remain traveling for at least three months. I have no real itinerary, except to visit Caye Caulker and the Ambergris Caye in Belize, and visiting every country in Central America. I want to volunteer with NGO's when possible, to make the journey more meaningful, as well as to break up the monotony of drinking, partying and revelry. I also want to get a basic grasp of Spanish, both through studying Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, as well as taking lessons during city stays.

I am only taking what will fit in a single backpack, which will be carry-on sized. This is my gear list:

Hygiene
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
First aid (band-aids,advil, immodium)
Contacts and solution
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Nail clipper
Ear plugs
Deodorant
Brommers Soap
Glasses
Chapstick


Gadgets
Netbook
Ipod and headphones
Camera and charger
Cheap watch
headlamp

Clothes
Rain jacket w/ hood
2 t-shirts
2 long sleeve button shirts
2 pants
3 socks
3 underwear
Shoes
Flip flops
Swim shorts
Belt

Random
Small travel towel
Neck Pouch (for concealing passport and other important documents during travel)
Clothes line
Books (Ethics of Ambiguity by de Beauvoir, and Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky)
Notebook
Pen
Small lock
sunglasses

Documents
Passport
Photocopy passport
Atm card
Wad of cash

Once I arrive in Belize, I will buy a knife and a shaving razor.

Any recommendations on what else to bring or what I won't need would be appreciated.