My Toothbrush Smells Like Wet Dog

Justin here... OK, so I just went to brush my teeth and noticed that my toothbrush smells like wet dog. Yuck... guess it might be time for a new one. Josiah and Cynthia are convinced that their Costa Rican mountain water is safe for us to drink, but, if that is true then why does my toothbrush smell like wet dog after I rinse it in the water?

I must make a confession... I'm getting a little tired of cold showers! They seem so adventurous at first: third world country, tropical setting, indoor/outdoor living, and cold showers. They all just seem to go together. But, I admit, I'm not that hardy. Sure, I have a capacity to endure changes and differences and to roll with things like this. But then there are the times when I remember my nice cushy American life and want it back - right now. Just being honest.

Emily and I were talking last night about how we, as Americans, go camping and have our little hiking adventures. Along the way we find ways to think it's cool to grow our beards out, get smelly from not showering, rough it by cooking burgers and dogs over a fire, and to sleep out under the stars. We come home, pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves how adventurous and outdoorsy we are, how we love to be out in nature, etc. We might even stroke our inner caveman as we tell our friends our stories, and think that, if we could have our way, we'd much rather live that way than have our nice houses and all the modern conveniences to which we've grown accustomed.

Then we come to a place where we meet people who are doing all of these things day in and day out and just calling it life. No adventures here, no stories they're excited to tell their friends about when they get home, just life. Hiking 8 hours to get to civilization, living in a hut, washing your clothes in a creek... no REI catalog moments, just all in a days work. No special moisture wicking clothing or gortex hiking boots either to make like a little more bearable. Just hot, sticky, lots of bugs and all the joys of a simple life to go along with it.

I admit, I'm a good American when it comes to liking and preferring comfort. But it's really good to get a fresh perspective again on what most of the rest of the world goes through to just survive.

Funny thing is, for them an adventure would probably be getting on a plane, flying 4 hours to America, going to some big city and sleeping in a hotel!

Kind of random, but what came to mind! Love to you all!!!