This time tomorrow

It's the eve of our departure for our Andean adventures. A year and half of brainstorming, research, writing, semi-frantic phone calls, 3am emails, and planning-- and finally we're off to Bolivia. Paul "Pablo" Dosh and Nicole "Danger" Kligerman ready to take the world of Andean natural resources, social movements, feminism, and salsa dancing by storm, joined, of course, by a cohort of researchers, family, and friends throughout our trip.

To say that I'm 100% full of excited bliss would be an overstatement. As per usual, I'm overthinking (what if our bus falls off the side of the Andes?), checking my packed bag millions of times for the 4 sticks of Chapstick I've carefully packed, and attempting to take calming, zen breaths as my heart races. I'm trying not to make preconceived notions of what this research project (in both outcome and methodology) will be like, instead attempting to be open to the infinite possibility of living for two months with new people in a new place. How our collaboration and egalitarianism will take shape surely will be an interesting process...I'm open minded and excited for all that's to come, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Coincidentally, the song "This Time Tomorrow" just came onto my computer as I write this. "This time tomorrow, where will we be?" the Kinks ask me. We'll be in the sweltering heat of Miami in the literal tomorrow, but in the figurative sense of tomorrow, who knows?

We plan to update this blog on a regular basis, allowing for our family, friends, and whoever else to follow along with our Andean adventures, research project, and reflections. Paul and I will take turns writing (he's excited to write in purple, of course) and hopefully will be able to update it on a regular basis. I hope you enjoy it!


From the humidity of suburban Philadelphia to the 37 degrees Fahrenheit of La Paz, Bolivia,

Nicole