A decision has been reached!

So, thought I had better start writing again now my incessant pondering over how to spend the next 6 months is finally over (thanks so much to all my lovely friends who i bored to tears with my neverending "should i do this? should i go there? should i settle down, get a job and a dog?" type dilemas. I know you all just wanted to shout at me to "shut up and be grateful you dont have to go to work every day you lazy bum" and I'm sorry i carefully ignored pretty much every one of your words of wisdom- but go on....you always knew i was going to!!)

Anyway, after a rather swift u turn last wednesday (to the relief of my mum) i decided not to go the "try to fit every continent in" route and gave up on africa (but all potential boyfs will now be asked the deciding "do you want to take a sabbatical in the next 5-7 years to travel around central africa for 3 months" before being allowed into the wonderful world of caroline). So now, on the 17th June I am winging my way to rio for a fun packed 2 weeks in Brazil (becs....hope you have the mother of all schedules for me with plenty of necklace / flip flop buying time) before I fly off to kill myself in Ecuador. There i am planning on volunteering for 3 months in a shelter for abused women whilst also going to spanish school for the first month (god dammit, i will become fluent in spanish) in Quito (with its eternal spring time climate, to quote a certain guidebook). After that I am then planning on taking myself off to Bolivia and then to some combination of chile and argentina before ending up in Buenos Aires in time to fly home for x-mas, hopefully having spent a couple of weeks there learning tango (have decided this is to be my dancing and dialects -for want of a better word begining with d to describe learning a language - trip. I WILL come back fully able to converse in spanish whilst salsa-ing perfectly)

So, much as i spent my final few days before i went off to central america panicing buying everything in the travel shops, so i have spent the last few days bankrupting myself, convinced i have nothing of use despite having lived out of a rucksack only recently......god knows why i thought 2inch gold heels would be useful.....but they are pretty! Anyway, have also bought out Nottingham's supply of DEET and spent a fortune on malaria tablets and am now all kitted up (big thanks to Katie for patiently answering all my "will i need a wooly hat....will i need lightweight cardie" type questions with immense patience yesterday). Now just have the fun of the Isle of Wight festival this weekend to look forward to and then i am all set to go......hurrah.....another adventure here i come!