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I hope none of you were holding your breath for too long. I am back in Sandwich now. Actually, I've been back for a few days. I got back on Monday December 28. I know this is a surprise to many of you, but it was entirely necessary to return almost a month early.

I decided I needed to come back early about a month and a half ago. I had been wondering about this and when Greg asked me if I wanted to go back early, we talked it through and decided it was best to come back at this time.

The problem was not money or lack of need or anything like that. The matter was one of planning and pracitcality. I had orignially planned on returning January 20th, however this could have proven disastrous. On January 25th there will be a referendum vote on a new constitution. To put this into perspective, voting on a new constitution in Bolivia is about as significant as voting on a new constitution in the United States. While it is uncertain what the weeks leading up to this event could look like, there is a great possibility that streets could be blocked and airports closed. This is yet another landmark event that has the potential to push the country over into civil war if things get heated enough. If you remember, my flight into La Paz was delayed due to civil unrest because of related events. It is mostly all speculation as to what will happen. Some people say this is just going to be another day and life will go on with maybe a couple blockades and protests, but overall, things will carry on as usual. Others say that while Bolivia has had a history of civil unrest and heated demonstrations that amount to little, this is a little more extreme and could send Bolivia over the edge into civil war. Just to be on the safe side, we decided it would be best to return a couple weeks earlier than planned.

Now you may be doing the math or thinking I made a poor choice of words. I did say "a couple" weeks and this post is clearly marked January 2nd. Well, the extra week I tagged on was a bit of a selfish endeavor. My friends Phil and Michelle are getting married on January 4, and I figured if I'm going back two weeks early, what's one more if I can go to my friend's wedding. On top of that, I also get to see the Tvrdiks before they leave for Mongolia.

So I am back. I can't tell you what a relief it was to touch down on the runway of the Miami Airport. After an incredibly hectic time trying to get my visa, then finally getting my passport with less than a week left before my departure, I was getting a little nervous. At the airport in La Paz I was cleaned out of almost all my cash. In addition to my plane ticket, I was required to pay a $25 airport tax for flying internationally from La Paz. After I paid that and had all my luggage checked, just before security, I was asked to please pay my $15 Missionary tax. That's right. Because I inconvienienced their country by investing a couple thousand dollars in bettering it, they demand a tax. They would tax Santa if they could. I tried to pay, but as the airport official saw me take out my money, he quickly added, "We don't accept U.S. dollars, only Bolivianos". So I had to run over to the money changer, pay the $3 for changing money, hurry back, pay my missionary tax, get through security, then cross my fingers and hope they didn't ask for any more money. I was running a little short on cash by this time.

Anyway, I made it back fine. Things run so much smoother in the United States and you can tell the government is here to help you, not skewer you, and that makes me feel pretty good. I went to Charlotte for debriefing, and then flew into Chicago and had dinner at my Grandma's house. Like most of you reading this, my mom had no idea I was coming back, so it was a big surprise for her.

I look forward to seeing you all and sharing my experiences. I had a great time in Bolivia.

-Clay