July 8, 2015 I got on an airplane from San Diego, CA to Barcelona, Spain. I found the temperatures pretty hot and the accommodations with A/C expensive. I have been in the process of finishing up completing a TEFL certificate and wanted to test out my new teaching English skills. The original premise of coming to Spain was based on the notion that I would intentionally overstay my tourist Visa to live and teach English in Spain. I was led to believe that everyone does it without problem. So I committed to a plane ticket. Only after this, I started to get cold feet. I ended up deciding I didn't want to live under the stress risking deportation nor did I want to risk my future entry into Europe. So then it was onto backup plan #2: Montevideo, Uruguay.


July 20, 2015 I got on an airplane from Barcelona, Spain to Buenos Aires, Argentina en-route to Montevideo, Uruguay. Why Montevideo? From my recollections of my South American travels several years ago, I remember the city to be tranquilo and demographically much like southern Europe. The terrain reminds me of northern California. If Europe would not allow me to stay for more than three months, Uruguay would. I can stay at least six months without leaving the country (for only a day). Plus Uruguay has a need for English teachers and August is good time as the school year goes back into session. The added benefit is that as it is winter in the southern hemisphere, I am paying much less for accommodations. The downside of winter is that I have been stricken with illness most of the time I have been here. First it was a head cold that lasted a week. Then several weeks later I came down with bronchitis. It has been a slow recovery. The illness probably started when I arrived in Buenos Aires to below freezing temperatures and all I had to wear was shorts, t-shirt and raincoat. Needless to say, I imagine it was rather curious to watch me walk through Buenos Aires in such weather as I searched desperately for a warm fleece and blue jeans to buy!
 After several days in Buenos Aires, I jumped on the Busquebus ferry to Colonia, Uruguay and then a bus to Montevideo, Uruguay. I found a top floor furnished apartment on the water and in the tourist friendly part of the city, Pocitos. I have a view of the Rio de la Plata/ocean and the cityscape.