So I'm sitting in Trujillo right now, wasting some time at a wonderful little café called Casona Deza, eating like a Capresse quesadilla on a wheat and deliciously grain-y tortilla and sipping on some key lime lemonade. Yea, I know, my life is hard.
It's kind of funny though. You'll hear a lot of volunteers say things like that- make a comment about how they're luxuriating and laughingly make a sarcastic comment on the difficulty of their lives. To be honest, though, I think we do live fairly basic, simple lives in areas that range from adobe walls, outhouses a mile away and impossible to get to at night, concrete castles, holes in the ground labelled toilet, dirt dust and sand, torrential never ending rains that threaten the next population wiping flood rivaling noah's ark and the perfect storm, mold, flies, moldy flies, etc.
But when we get to the regional capital for that once a month meeting... well, everything is a luxury. Your daily Starbucks run to grab a quick cup of Joe, cause no caffeine is like the full moon to your cafe werewolf? I make it a point to get off my 2 hr bus ride, grab a taxi to take me and all my things to the mall, and spend the next few hours refusing to leave this little part of what feels like the USA. It's kind of ridiculous how much money I'm willing to spend, knowing that the people with whom I work and live by will never be able to indulge the way I'm doing at that moment. I doubt most of them even know of Starbucks, except for what they may have seen on some television show on some american channel.
Do I feel guilty? A bit. Will I stop saving up money just to splurge it all in the capital? Hell to the no. I try to argue that I deserve it, but we all know that's not true. No, what it is is that this kind of luxury and pampering is what I'm used to in the states. It's my old life, and it was comfortable and nice and air conditioned, and I didn't even know how good I had it because that's how good I had it!
I don't even know where I'm going with this, it's just a thought I had for a split second that I just wrote down real quick. I want to go back to the states some day and think back to these days, read my silly rants, and smile with nostalgia. That's all.
Anyway, I was going to talk about vacationing and how much of it I happen to be doing this month. See, normally I go into the regional capital and just chill there for about 2 days, get some shopping things done or mail things done or destressing things done, but this month has been different. This month has been full of group 15 leaving to head back to the states now that their 2 years of service are completed. This month has been the Independence day of my mother country. This month is also Fiestas Patrias, aka Independence day, of my host country. All of this means a lot of travelling, a lot partying, and a lot of time spent not working. Sure, it's isn't just me- the people I work with have dropped the ball on their end a number of times, but that's normal. What's not normal is me choosing to go to a friend's despedida (goodbye party) instead of meeting with socio and rescheduling my meetings. That's weird. It's been happening all this month! Plus, I have plans to travel to Chachapoyas- JUNGLES! WOO!- and I don't feel bad about it.
I love traveling, whaddyagonnado.
August is med checks and the Lima Half Marathon, so I'll be away in Lima.
September is the Amazon River Raft race, so I'll be away in Iquitos doing crazy awesome things.
October is when the 16ers will be slowly leaving us, so more despedidas and saying goodbyes.
I hate saying goodbye. Maybe that's why I feel so bad this month. I'm not just missing days in site and in work, I'm missing all these people with whom I've just started to make good friends with. July is a mixed bag of suck and awesome. Maybe my projects will pick up and things'll get better? Maybe I'm about to go to the post office and pick up a package there that's been waiting for me for about a month and that'll make me feel loved? Maybe I'll get the guitar that my best-y let me borrow restrung and be able to practice and that'll keep me occupied? Maybe I'll go to the beach and half a few beers to celebrate a birthday and another volunteer leaving GAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.
Do Not Enjoy.
But I do know that those who are leaving are off to bigger and better things, because they're just too amazing to not be. The world wouldn't make sense unless all of them were achieving greatness. SIGH. Still doesn't stop me from being kind of sad about it all....
On another note: When travelling, double check whenever going to a place to exchange money. Guy at the money exchange place tried to trick me and then didn't give me all my cash. I sat there and berated him in Spanish, telling him what an awful human being he was trying to steal from a young girl who served in another country as a volunteer to help children, how the kids I teach know better than him, how he lacks any and all valor and should be ashamed, how sorry I feel for his friends and family for being associated with him, and how unfortunate it would be for him to have children and pass on such lack of morals to them. Well, not really the last bit cause that's super mean, but COME ON, lying bastard! Made him give me back all my money and went next door.
Be careful in your travels, friends, because although most people are super awesome, there's always that damn 1% messing up everything for everyone.
Altight, pretty sure the cafe I'm at is like... wtf is this girl just sitting here for more than an hour? Weird one.
So I'm gonna peace out and hope this gloom that's been hanging over my head goes far far away...
Peace and Love,
missing everyone like crazy!
Go get some Starbucks (grande ice caramal macchiatto with soy milk is my go to sugar charged escape in a cup) and think of me <3
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