A foot in Two worlds

Well friends my time in Peru is coming to a close. I have less than a month here in Peru and 1 week in my placement. It is strange to be in this place, kind of half way in and halfway out. I think it is kind of like the summer before my Yav year started, except there was more to prepare for, I knew less of what I was getting myself into, and I was definitely going into the unknown. Now it almost feels like I had put pause on my “old life” and I am going back to it. I know better than to expect that things haven’t changed. Even if everything there had stayed the same(which it hasn’t ) I have changed and thus can not go back to the life I used to have. I am not saying that the change in me is that drastic, but whenever you spend a year away from something or someplace your perspective changes. It is also a strange phenomenon to be straddling two lives. I know that I have written about this before and thus will not fall into redundancy, but just know that the phenomenon of knowing that you are about to return to completely enter into a different life is a strange one.

Advice for someone traveling to Peru:

1. There is a list of things you should always carry with you: Bottle of water, toilet paper(you don’t want to get stuck without it), a jacket(in may be REALLY hot when you head out but you never know how long you will be out and it could get cold. Plus a jacket is good emergency mosquito or sun protection), copy of your passport(just good to have), and cash(in Peru in denominations 5 or less cause no one wants big bills or has change)

2. Never say you are hungry until you know what is being served(chicken foot soup any one?)

3. If you are going out to visit a small rural settlement in the mountains bring pepto and expect to be unavailable the next day

4. On that previous note expect to get stomach aches hard core

5. If you go to a wedding expect it to start at least an hour late. For other meetings and occasions, at least half an hour late.

6. Make sure you greet and say good bye to every one in the room individually (usually with a kiss on the cheek)

7. Expect to be called gringo or gringa and don’t be offended. It can be used as a term of endearment.

I am sure there is much more and I will let you know when I think of it. Thank you again for all of your support and help. God Bless and I will try to post at least one more time before I head back to the States