The joys of an American holiday season.
I have no shame in saying that I have barely thought about Peru and my home in Lima over the past three weeks. I have been too busy enjoying winter weather, time with my family, familiar streets, the English language and lots of visits with friends.
In the weeks leading up to my trip to the States, I was the most homesick I had ever been. I yearned to come home and in nearly everything I did I remembered, "Just two weeks until the States..."
No amount of homesickness could have prepared me for the feeling of pure joy and gladness I have felt since being home. The first few days, I was emotional wreck. On Christmas Eve, we went to see the Tennessee Titans play the Jacksonville Jaguars and I cried at the first note of the National Anthem. That evening at our Christmas Eve service, I cried while singing the familiar lyrics of Christmas Carols. I cried when hearing country music on the radio and when seeing the cheerful face of my parents dog.
And now, as I enter my last week in the States, I have once again become emotional and feel unprepared for my return to Lima. Yesterday as I sat in the Nashville airport waiting to pick up my mom, I sat listening to some wannabe country music star playing music for the whole lounge. In the moment, as I saw the sign for a beloved Nashville deli and heard "Welcome to Music City" come across the loud speaker, I was overwhelmed by my love for Nashville.
For my whole life, I have wanted to move away. To see the world and to live in a bustling city. Even a mid sized city like Nashville, felt too small for me. But now that I have done those things, I have moved away and lived in a huge city, I am drawn to the quaint, familiar feeling of Nashville. To the feeling of home.
Nashville is my home. My family is my home. Though I currently make my life somewhere else, it doesn't feel like my home. Just like all the travelers who have gone before me, I finally know the sweet joy of being able to simply come home.
I sense a vacation
I am at that point where a vacation is so close that every day is a struggle to do anything but think about my vacation. It's made exponentially worse by three things:
1. I'm going to the States.
2. I'm going to the States for Christmas.
3. I'm going to the States for Christmas for four whole weeks!
All I think about is what restaurants we are going to go to, all the fun activities we have planned (Christmas light viewings, Alvaro's first live NFL game, a basketball game at my Alma Mater, hot chocolate...) the list goes on and on and on.
For all of the above reasons, the past week has been particularly difficult. I have learned a lot about my tolerance level for separation since being here. I used to think I was some tough traveler who could survive for months on end without any form of homesickness. Ladies and gentleman, that's a lie. I have discovered that around the six month mark, I start to become very, very homesick. If I want to be really honest though, I start to lose it. It feels as if a crazy person has inhabited my body for the past week, going from happy to angry to confused to I just want to go home!! in about five seconds flat.
Though I am yearning to leave Peru for a little while, I know I am not ready to leave Peru for good. That's comforting. It's hard to see that on the days when the only thing that will make me happy are law abiding drivers and sweet tea, but when I look around me I know that part of me loves this place.
But just because I love something, doesn't mean I don't need a break. I have two countdowns going: 10 days until we leave and 11 days until we touch down in Nashville. Tomorrow we hit single digits and then the real excitement begins!
1. I'm going to the States.
2. I'm going to the States for Christmas.
3. I'm going to the States for Christmas for four whole weeks!
All I think about is what restaurants we are going to go to, all the fun activities we have planned (Christmas light viewings, Alvaro's first live NFL game, a basketball game at my Alma Mater, hot chocolate...) the list goes on and on and on.
For all of the above reasons, the past week has been particularly difficult. I have learned a lot about my tolerance level for separation since being here. I used to think I was some tough traveler who could survive for months on end without any form of homesickness. Ladies and gentleman, that's a lie. I have discovered that around the six month mark, I start to become very, very homesick. If I want to be really honest though, I start to lose it. It feels as if a crazy person has inhabited my body for the past week, going from happy to angry to confused to I just want to go home!! in about five seconds flat.
Though I am yearning to leave Peru for a little while, I know I am not ready to leave Peru for good. That's comforting. It's hard to see that on the days when the only thing that will make me happy are law abiding drivers and sweet tea, but when I look around me I know that part of me loves this place.
But just because I love something, doesn't mean I don't need a break. I have two countdowns going: 10 days until we leave and 11 days until we touch down in Nashville. Tomorrow we hit single digits and then the real excitement begins!
Peruvian Thanksgiving
It's a weird feeling being outside of the US for Thanksgiving. Unlike other holidays, that are celebrated in the US and Peru, here no one knows much about Thanksgiving. If it weren't for my Facebook news feed or CNN, I probably would completely forget about the day. But thankfully, we have a small community of Americans in Lima who throw one impressive, traditional Peruvian feast.
There's an American girl in my class and her mom was sweet enough to bring me a slice of pumpkin pie last Thursday. As I ate my piece of pie, sweltering in the Peruvian summer heat, I realized how strange it was to be eating an autumn dessert at the onset of summer. But I'll take what i can get. That evening, I indulged in way too many carbs, delighting in two different stuffings and an array of casseroles. I skipped on dessert that evening, choosing to spend my calories on Stuffing Round Two.
After my second Thanksgiving in Peru, here's what I'm thankful for:
- My supportive family that loves me from afar and continually encourages me even on the toughest days.
- Alvaro, for being my driver, translator, cultural ambassador, dictionary, body guard and sounding board for this past year.
- For his family who have taken me in like a daughter by loving and protecting me.
- My job, because I am fully aware that it is by grace that I am in this position. My complete experience in Peru changed when I was offered this position.
- For this feeling of adaptation that has allowed me to feel more comfortable and independent in this strange place.
- For the days when my Spanish rocks.
- For the days when my Spanish is awful, they remind me that I still have a lot to learn.
- For all my children, they may drive me crazy but I love them to pieces.
- For my next year in Peru, that I may learn and more fully understand this foreign land.
- For my sweet Emmaline who has been my constant companion and brave soul on this expat journey.
And the most timely thanks: that in 22 days I'll be hopping continents and headed towards four full weeks in the USA.
There's an American girl in my class and her mom was sweet enough to bring me a slice of pumpkin pie last Thursday. As I ate my piece of pie, sweltering in the Peruvian summer heat, I realized how strange it was to be eating an autumn dessert at the onset of summer. But I'll take what i can get. That evening, I indulged in way too many carbs, delighting in two different stuffings and an array of casseroles. I skipped on dessert that evening, choosing to spend my calories on Stuffing Round Two.
After my second Thanksgiving in Peru, here's what I'm thankful for:
- My supportive family that loves me from afar and continually encourages me even on the toughest days.
- Alvaro, for being my driver, translator, cultural ambassador, dictionary, body guard and sounding board for this past year.
- For his family who have taken me in like a daughter by loving and protecting me.
- My job, because I am fully aware that it is by grace that I am in this position. My complete experience in Peru changed when I was offered this position.
- For this feeling of adaptation that has allowed me to feel more comfortable and independent in this strange place.
- For the days when my Spanish rocks.
- For the days when my Spanish is awful, they remind me that I still have a lot to learn.
- For all my children, they may drive me crazy but I love them to pieces.
- For my next year in Peru, that I may learn and more fully understand this foreign land.
- For my sweet Emmaline who has been my constant companion and brave soul on this expat journey.
And the most timely thanks: that in 22 days I'll be hopping continents and headed towards four full weeks in the USA.
One Year: August through October
To celebrate my first year in Peru, I am looking back at the past year. I am recalling the complicated journey that brought me here and seeing how things have changed over the last twelve months.
August
In August, we began the second half of the school year, while my northern hemisphere friends went back for a new year. I'm not quite sure I will even get used to this seasonal flip.
I learned that pet stores in Lima, unfortunately, do not offer the grand variety available in most US stores so I resorted to making a scratcher for dear Emmaline. On the "to buy" for my next trip to the States: cardboard cat scratcher refills. Going to the US has turned into a shopping trip, I'm turning into a Peruvian.
I experienced frustrations with the traffic in Lima and struggled to find a productive routine. Most noteworthy is that I experienced my first earthquake tremor. Long gone are the days of hurricanes and tornado warnings. I am now a pro at earthquake evacuation.
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| We celebrated Alvaro's dad's birthday with a mariachi band! |
Sometimes living on a different continent than my family and closest friends is just. plain. hard. I usually try to be pretty brave and put on a tough face. I'm stubborn, which helps me to push through the times when it is hard and tell myself, "No, you live here. There is no going home." For some reasons, the first week of September was particularly tough. Two days in a row, I started crying on the way to work. Uncontrollably crying as I was overwhelmed about my life in Lima and where do I go from here and wouldn't it just be easier in the States. One day was especially hard, because try as I might, I couldn't pull myself together. My kids noticed and then another teacher noticed. I felt utterly pathetic. That is until, one of my kids vomited right next to me and that unexpected event turned my whole day around. Thankfully, whatever caused those days of emotionally insecurity passed rather quickly and I once again felt certain in my time here.
The sun finally started to come out, which probably helped me have a better attitude about Lima. I began to ride the bus like a Peruvian and realized my true, pure love for my Kindle.
October
The month of apartment searching! I saw the good, the bad and the really ugly before settling on a large apartment with the perfect location. Through my apartment search, I learned an array of new vocabulary. Alvaro's family graciously accepted to help me through the process and through them I learned a lot. My first big apartment search was an international search and I did it!
One Year: May through July
To celebrate my first year in Peru, I am looking back at the past year. I am recalling the complicated journey that brought me here and seeing how things have changed over the last twelve months.
May
The month of May started with the kickoff of Peru´s new Tourism brand: Marca Perú. The first push of this campaign was the release of this video that brings a small taste of Peru the country to the small town of Peru, Nebraska, USA.
I started to assert that I am indeed not a tourist in Lima and can not be fooled by tourist prices. After my eternal summer: a full summer in the States, an usually warm Fall and then hopping into the southern hemisphere for their summer, finally winter arrived in Lima. I found relief from the heat and humidty but most importantly, was able to wear my long neglected winter wardrobe. I learned new slang words and discovered that children will make fun of my accent when speaking Spanish.
The most excited thing that happened this month: Alvaro and I went to Nashville!!
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| Alvaro's trip was educational: he received a Civil War lesson from my dad... |
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| and a lesson in donut fillings from my mom. |
June
The first week of June, Alvaro and I were in the States enjoying sunshine, familiar food and time with my parents. The day before we came back to Peru, I had a complete meltdown in my parents´ living room. Since getting my new job, I was working close to 80 hour weeks between school and the institute, I couldn´t bear the thought of returning to such a schedule. Before I boarded the plane, my parents made me promise one thing: I would quit my institute job immediately upon returning to Peru. I did just that and the next day I made this countdown.
July
We started with an endless search for a frisbee. Such a simple piece of plastic and yet it's nowhere to be found in Lima. Thankfully, Alvaro's godmother who lives in New York was kind enough to bring us a frisbee when she visited at the end of the month. I played soccer with the boys in my class and started earning respect. I also showed them that girls, indeed can play soccer. I also took a Lima bus for the first time and it wasn't as bad as I thought! A very, very important cultural step.
And then, the great moment: My last day at the language institute. Though I only taught there for four months, but had been involved in the process for a full year. It felt like I was finally able to put that phase behind me and move on towards a better experience in Lima.
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