Cusquito

Last night in Villa Carmen! As always, love this place to bits. The last trip was our first to get to know this place, and this time, I’ve felt like family (and worker). I have a feeling it’s just Peru in general and the way in which people treat foreigners—with the immense grand hospitality that I always am blessed to receive. This time, I’ve really felt so loved by people here at VC. Jonatan the Johnny look-alike who invited me to the insider clandestine disco outing (pero que no baila como lo original), Señora Charito who gives me double portions of food every night (hehe), Frank who asked me to consider teaching environmental education in the indigenous communities for 2 months, lindo little Jeffercito who kids around so much, Luchito who invited me to a Sprite in el pueblo, and Don Porfirio who took me on Frank’s moto to a mirador of Manu! Love the heat, the hard labor, the generous food portions, the fact that you have to accept that you “swell” in the selva, the passion for agriculture and fauna and flora that everyone shares over meals. Even Mr. Stick Insect and Sir Long-horned beetle who have hovered around our netted beds. But probs not the whoever who gave me those pus-filled bites, and now ugly scars, in time for kor’s wedding. But right now, the sounds that fill my ears is pure music. I love this.

Only 6 days till I fly out of Peru, and although I am way too excited to be home and in Asia and with all the festivities, I have had an incredible time in Peru. Gaaaah where do I begin! Ah, point form. Always helps with getting it all.

·      Salsa with the salseros and our grupito. Definitely my defining experience so far. I really wonder what we did every weekend with Mona/Kelly before this past weekend! Totes in love with Johnny Sulla Perceros and the waaaay heee mooooves. Why so mesmerizing! Mythology à The Muse. Mythology à The Muse (repeat 8 times). Franshesco+Johnny+Johan+Alfredo+Mona+Celine+Kelly: repeat 8 times. All the games the brincheros machistas play, all the classes they give and we take (son or lineal?), the striking out FOUR TIMES (oh man, a whole other paragraph), the ron in that mamak shop, the stroll in Magisterio, the next-day chat with Mona over empanadas, the sitting there and staring, the dying of happiness on the empty Mythology dance floor following one of them’s lead, the being in the “in” group (score!), the games we play, the first time we went outside to dance—stolen from the comfy embrace of little Johan haha, the anxiously awaiting an appearance at the Cusco es Fiesta concert (still funnn), the awesome last night without Alfredo that made all the difference, but seriously, the ridic striking out FOUR times. I was kinda hopeful the last time just cos it was the very last day, but nope! – gotta live up to the expectations, eh. I suppose we now just wait in anticipation of Enero, when we will have a grand reunion. It will be gooood.

·      Amazing nature, and the trips I’ve taken.  La selva y VC ya sabes que me encantan. Also feel like I know Parcartambo/Challabamba pretty well from having been through multiple times, purposefully and on trips to and from VC. Thanks for Yahayra, also got to see the south of Cusco a little—mainly through Oropesa and Lucre. Wonderful house party! Danced a bunch, ate a lot of bread and cake and multiple animals from lechones to gallinas, inclusive a lot of chica de jora. And going back to the very first weekend, when we hiked up beyond Sacsayhuaman to have a huatia! Ate a lot papas then, yay food. Being in VC includes a whole lot of memories too, like hiking with Daniel, helping in the kitchen, meals with everyone talking about uta etc, working in the plátano plantation, painting letreros, getting attacked by guacamayos, sitting in the dark laboratorio with J, getting moto rides jeje, and all those marvelous things! I’ll be excited to come back here—I’ve already been promised rides de paseo with Katy and Lucho to see more of the forest, and a whole host of other good things. I have awful scars on my legs now damn it, but I’ve been in the Amazon and that’s what it is.

·      I’ve really appreciated getting to know the sierra, too. It’s no longer a place that’s cold…well, still cold, literally, and the people too apparently. But, it has a special place in my heart now. I’ve lived and been in this zona, and have come to learn bastante about the way of life. Quechua, la agripecuaria, the bosques motanos/yungas, los huaynos.  And then learning the difference between the costeños y serranos.  Of course, I see Cusco extremely differently now. Even though I don’t spend a ton of time in el Centro itself, I love it. I know it, and I love it.

·      I know I haven’t said anything about my work yet…honestly that has been a challenge. In a way, I expected too much for things to be lax so I came with the attitude. Turns out I don’t have good enough work ethic; I don’t work hard enough! I’m so thankful that I’m ending up getting quite sufficient a stipend from ACCA :) I did really enjoy my work with Mona, designing that survey. I suppose that will continue! And then my side projects have been totally manageable, and Karen has been great in allowing me the flexibility to travel with the technical team. The office is totally wonderful, I love them all, but I’m most of all glad to have Kelly. Which is why I’m bummed that Cristina has left ACCA in Puerto i.e. I just lost an instant best friend. But, Joselo is around! And I hope the office is wonderful. Work-wise, I will be excited to return to pick up once more where I leave off. I just need to find motivation…that’s what’s been lacking. I’ll find it hidden behind a tree, I’m sure.

·      Social life wise, I am such a happy girl! I’ve found my best girl buddies in Mona, Kelly, Laura and Yahayra, girls I can count on for a good time! Guys wise, high five to the chicos at the escuela, several of whom I can indeed count on too for a decent good time :) And then there’s Elvis and Alex, the Ninoska group, Yngrid and pals, and then all the random people who’ve crossed my path in other ways. I am indeed blessed to be surrounded by people who care. Joshie was nice enough to say that people don’t forget me easily, so I hope that I can come back to a nice community. Although things change so constantly around here and always, so I wouldn’t be surprised to have to regroup, resettle and reestablish myself. Life is kept interesting that way, I suppose!

·      Joshua Fisher. I miss the dude. 3 months apart already, and we’ve crossed several (key) milestones over distance. After all the craziness of the past 2 weeks, creo que ya estoy lista para ser un poco mas tranquila. We’ll see what the time difference will do. It was here in Cusco that we had our real disagreements, our real convo, our real being okay with our situation. Weird as it sounds, the locura aqui helped a bunch with things, but I’m so much better adjusted to us. I’m just…much better. Good place con él. Pues, a little bit of our conversation:

“According to Josh, it won’t require that much change. But it means we have to be open and honest with each other about our feelings. Whether it’s about wanting to pursue something/one else, or not pursuing us. We’ll still talk when we want to, be comfortable telling each other that we miss each other or love the other. Meaning all this, with a selfless love. Giving each other the space that we’ll need to build our own lives, and not holding each other to expectations that will frustrate us or lead us to unrealistic or painful hopes.

-       not sure how hard or realistic it’ll be in practice, but we should be able to respect each other and understand if we decide to pursue something else/not pursue this

-       come the day that we’re together physically, if our emotions are in the same place and we feel the same for each other, then we can be together. This option leaves the chance for that. But we have to be honest at any point about our emotions.

-       on my part then, I just need to lower my expectations, and not need for him to be committed. I can still want for him to sacrifice for me (and he said that he feels the same way when I said that I don’t feel like he’s holding me back in any way in my life here), but I can’t get mad when he doesn’t (my own words…)

-       so yeah, in summary I do think that we just want to keep the status quo that we’re in, but to not hold each other to our expectations.”

Eso es lo que es con el menino. Pues, en 3 días ya me voy de Cusco. In some ways, I’m relieved to be leaving this life behind, for the moment. Haha I’m tired from all the late nights.  But, the year-long vacay continues, in whichever continent I’m in. I am glad too that I will be coming back here. Cusco has definitely grown, profoundly, on me. Walking around town today, I came to realize (proudly and happily) that this city is my home! So blessed that I was sent here, so I have the privilege of living here and learning about the serrana and cusqueña culture. Precious! Wouldn’t trade this for the world, despite the cold, the bites, the heavy liquor/chela intake. All that comes together beautifully.

Cusco, ciudad de mi amor y mi cariño. Hasta pronto.