Samara.

I arrived in Samara, and I didn't kill or maim anyone. I still stand strong on my love for automatic cars, this stick shift shit is simply not for me. Atleast this clown car that I am renting for way-too-much-a-day has power steering and power brakes....but everytime I think that I have this whole "stick shift" thing down I pull some dumb shit: for example....

-passing a truck, putting car in 5th gear to do so, after passing - going back down to 4th but accidentally put into 2nd gear...car clearly doesnt like this and freaks out and the truck which i just passed almost ran me over.

-missing my exit...going down an empty dead end street...trying to make a 3 point turn and stall, 6 times. thats 2 times for each point in the 3 point turn - and by the end of it there are 3 cars beeping at me -- clearly not as amused as i was at my inability to drive in reverse.

I could go on, but for my parents sanity I will stop there. Mom and Dad (and Shawn) - I promise...I'm not an AWFUL driver, just a couple slipups, and I'm still ALIVE!!! woohooo!!!

I arrive into Samara in 4 hours and miss Brian and the video guy, Nate, by 10 minutes. Kill well over an hour outside of the amazing house I will be staying at. House locked up - I'm held hostage by my car which makes Adam's golf cart look like a luxury ride - because I don't want hoodlums to steal my shit.

My internet won't work on my ancient laptop - so I'm forced to borrow some internet time from one of the boys - who are more addicted to the world wide web than I am!! Holy shit.

Gotta go. Pura Vida. Pray for waves, cause right now its FLAT.