When I accepted this gig in the Peace Corps
back in February of 2011, I had no idea how far away August 2013 actually was. When I landed in Peru in June of 2011, the
stark reality hit me. And it hit me
hard. Here I was, living in a strange
country, (trying to) speak a different language, totally unaware of what was in
store for me. 27 months of not knowing
what’s going on? 27 months away from
friends? 27 months of living far away
from my family? 27 months of 24/7
Spanish? No, thanks! The thought of actually making it to the year
2013 without giving up was absurd. There
was no way I could make it; no way was I going to live in a different country for
TWO WHOLE YEARS. I think I came to a
silent understanding with myself that I would not last until 2013.
Yet, as I type this, we are already almost
half-way through January. What? When did that happen? How did 2013 sneak up on me like that? The words of one of my favorite Peruvian
songs explains it best, “Me enamoré. Sin querer, sin razón, sin motivo.
No sé como fue pero me enamoré.” Loosely
translated, it means, “I fell in love.
Without wanting to, without reason, without purpose. I don’t know how it happened, but I fell in
love.” How true that is. I fell in love with this country, with the
way of life, with my host family, with my kids, with the stupid television
shows, with Cumbia music, with
mangos, with marcianos, with naps
after lunch, with bailes, with trips
to the river, with bucket baths, with Spanish, with absolutely everything. Even the things that I hate, like loud
speakers blasting music at 6am and the Piuran heat, have become dear to me. I have fallen in love with all of the little
things that make up my time here. Yet
still, I don’t quite understand how more than a year and a half has already
passed me by. It’s definitely true what
they say, “The days pass slowly, but the months fly by.”
2013 has arrived. And with it, a million more experiences, and
finally, the day that I will go home.
I’m ready. I’m ready to finish my
time here with a bang and make as many more memories as I can. I’m ready to go to the river a million more
times; ready to drown myself in Inca Kola; ready to make a thousand more
friendship bracelets; ready to sweat profusely in this heat; ready to take a
nap every afternoon with my host sister on the mattress we strategically placed
directly in front of the door; ready to experience it all. I’m ready for the months ahead, and, come
August, I will be ready to go home.
Bring it on, 2013. I’m ready.
“It is said that you don't know what you have until it's gone. But, it is also true that you don't know what you have been missing until it arrives!”
--Tara Battaglia
