Unexpected Vacation

Today is January 21st, 2019 and it also the day that we celebrate the life of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States. However, more importantly, it is the eve of my first trip in almost 8 months. This time I will be going to…………. Panama
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It has been 7 days shy of 8 months since the day I sat homeless and unemployed in the Fort Lauderdale Airport pounding my first blog entry as I prepared to board my flight to the Dominican Republic. Since that time, much has changed, as I am no longer homeless. I now sit freezing in my Northwest DC apartment pounding on the same keyboard that I did that cool spring day in April. However, some of the circumstances remain the same….as I am technically unemployed again. No….I did not get fired from my job, but rather I have been forced to take an extended vacation without pay. I work for the US Federal Government, which has been “shutdown” for officially over a month and thus, I am not legally allowed to work. However, before you shed a tear on my behalf, there are many people who are still required to show up to work and selflessly serve the needs of this country, all while not earning a paycheck. Those are the ones who deserve your sympathy.
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With that being said, this isn’t a political article, but rather the beginning of my next blog covering my trip to Panama. It is 5th country that I will be visiting in the Central American region and depending on the political situations in Honduras and Nicaragua going forward, possibly the last. This was a trip that I actually planned about 5 months ago for the middle of February. However, given my current situation, I decided to move it up to tomorrow. Between airline credits and good post-holiday deals, I was fortunate enough to only spend an extra $81 to change 4 flights. Tomorrow, I will be flying out of Reagan International in DC to Fort Lauderdale and catching a red-eye to Panama City. That is when my next adventure will begin for the better part of 13 days. As was the case in the Dominican Republic, I will maintain a regular blog covering my travels. In addition, I will update the Accommodation Reviews page with reviews of the hotels/hostels I stay in while in country. I am excited for this (unexpected) opportunity and hope that you enjoy the subsequent posts.
 
Robert Brown

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