its a small world after all...its a small small world

well, this will be my last blog entry from Cuernavaca...Im gonna miss this town. Lots of good people, good times, and good stories.

Here is a great story.

I have been fortunate enough to get to travel a little bit in college and I have noticed something really strange that has happens to me.

This strange thing has occurred over and over again...Let me elaborate. I guess I really never noticed this until I started hanging out with my buddy, Jugglin Jesse. Jesse and I met while we were interns at Union Pacific way back in the summer of 2002. We both studied here in Cuernavaca albeit at different times and we have always had lots to talk about. One thing that Jesse said to me was "holy smokers, james, you sure are popular." Now I have never considered myself "popular" in the high schooler sense and i was never in "that group" in high school to be considered popular. I was more of the guy who was on the fringe of every group but never a card carrying member of that group. The reason Jesse said that was because every time we would go out I would run into people I knew. And it really never mattered where we went.

For example, Jesse and I were going to a juggling convention in Minnesota last year and we had a traffic accident in the middle of Iowa. Our car slid off the road and into about three feet of snow. The State Patrol picked us up and took us to a motel. The next day we got the car pulled outta the ditch and we drove to the Stuart Iowa Subway. While we were cleaning out the snow from the engine I see this girl that I knew that played basketball at UNO. Kinda weird...

Another example...I was walking my unicycle through Times Square last year and run into this girl from the Department of IS&T. I have been in bars in Chicago and have heard "JP!" and ran into friends of mine. kinda weird...When my brother and I went to South Beach for Spring Break last year I ran into four guys I had played baseball with while I was riding my unicycle along A1A. My buddy Rafal and I ran into some people that I knew when we went to Chicago for Memorial Day. No matter where I have traveled I have run into people I know.

This has been happening quite a bit...

And guess what...

I was walking down the street from my house yesterday, just minding my own business as a car passes. I hear the car stop and see the reverse lights follow me for about two hundred feet. I looked at the car and thought it was someone who needed directions. But then I thought "Why would anybody want to ask a gringo for directions." My deep thoughts were interrupted by a guy who said "Excuse me, but aren't you from Omaha?" Then I thought, "Now that's weird, he's speaking English." I then took a double take and realized it was my buddy Oscar from Omaha! Oscar played in a band called Surcos with two of my Argentinian buddies, Andres and Mariano. I gave the guy a hug and couldn't believe that I ran into someone that I knew from home. My buddy Jesse would be like "Yup, that's James...James runs into everybody and it don't matter where he's at."

Now THAT is weird.

Its too bad that I ran into Oscar on the second to last day here in Cuernavaca. Its always so much better when you run into people you know on a trip because there is someone you may be able to talk to or hang out with.

I don't know if all the people I run into is luck or coincidence or something else. I do know that it is a great feeling when you do run into someone you know.

ok...its gettin late and im gonna grab a beer tonight. Tomorrow Im heading to Mexico City before I head to Lima on Wednesday.

This is gonna be one helluva trip!

Adventure Awaits!

jp