Happy Sunday! Make a memory today and take a moment to enjoy those people in your life who make this journey all the sweeter... – Tiffany Rodriguez

After spending two days in San Jose, which was supposed to only be one night, but as always plans change, it’s 9am and I am finally bound for Panama (my 24th country) where I can now check off my bucket list visiting every country in Central America. The border crossing at Sixaola from the Costa Rican side fronts to Guabito and the pedestrian bridge you walk across by exiting one country and entering the other is quite the adventurous feat. With every step you can literally feel the wooden unsecured boards moving beneath you and looking down doesn’t help the situation, as there are often large gaps to the river below. Successfully crossing the bridge in the Caribbean heat with my 40lb backpack, the 8-minute walk drains what energy I had from the beginning. Glad to board the air-conditioned bus I’m excited to get to Bocas del Toro and be reunited with my friend Coco who lives on the island and helped me obtain the hostel job at Surfing Donkey months ago. It will also be good to get rid of the extra weight I’ve been carrying, which is a book Shayne left in SJDS, something about how to pick up dudes discreetly (strange) and Paddy’s enormous full size Canadian flag, just in case you forgot where he's from and that he loves maple syrup.


Thankful I got my beach day in when I first arrived to Bocas as the next few days are overcast and rainy. Since, there is little to do I spend my confined indoor days researching flights to Thailand since Coco is kind enough to lend me her computer when she’s at work. Another travel tip that I’ve learned is when you are afforded the luxury of time by traveling either with an extended period or without the limitation of a return date, utilize this by dedicating an entire day or more to researching flights or other forms of information, because this is one way I’ve found to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. After patiently scouring the Internet and doing multiple price comparisons, I was able to find a one-way flight to Bangkok from LAX for $577.20 departing in mid August when flights are the cheapest for the year. My second surprise of the day came when I received an email notification that M3Films sent me a $100 donation via my PayPal. I cannot thank those enough that do chose to support me financially and help me live out this amazing journey, especially since my sole intention of traveling to Asia is to be reunited with my birth mother for the first time in South Korea. So once again a huge thank you to everyone, especially Jan Dunn, my case worker with Dillion International, an adoption organization that another Korean adoptee referred me to and after two long years this dream is soon going to be a reality.

Troy.. I just took a little whirl through your blog and it would take me hours upon hours to read the entire thing which I do plan to do one day.. but what I want to tell you is that you inspire me above and beyond belief. I wish I had the opportunity to just travel the world like you and see all the beautiful places and meet wonderful people but I guess travelling somewhere new once a year for me is good enough. I know that even if i don't ever see you again, or maybe I do... I will always remember your passion for travelling and think of you when I have those moments upon my travels!!! I love you buddy- happy we met!!!! Just wanted to tell you that. You have inspired hundreds already I’m sure of it. Hakuna Matata. Yes Kace, Hakuna Matata my friend!