First Update!

I'm alive and well.  I have a list of topics to cover.  Currently, I have just left Oaxaca.  So far, I have seen Tulum, Bacalar, Merida, Rio Lagartos, Valladolid, Izamal, Mexico City, Oaxaca (city), and Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan coast (Oaxaca is a state, and the capital is Oaxaca de Juarez, or just Oaxaca).  There have been a few negative experiences, but overall, the trip has been wonderful.  People are friendly and generous, the food is delicious, and there is so much natural beauty and fascinating history everywhere.  Yes, there are problems in the country, and there are places you should not go as a tourist.  However, please don't reduce the entire country to the worst story you hear on the news.  Every country and every person is a complex set of traits, and it's important to appreciate the good in everyone.

I started keeping track of my spending in my notes app on my phone because I hadn't found a good system I liked yet to manage finances on the trip.  I had the big things - accommodation and transportation and most food, but my accuracy is much better starting with July 1 because  I just found an app that is perfect!  I can record spending in different currencies and it converts to USD automatically, and I can add tags for common things like accommodation, food, and transportation.  I can now have an easy picture of my daily spending...  and I am over budget.  So, I'll be cutting back for a while.