No, the title does not have anything to do with the actual content of this post. While it IS entirely true, it is also irrelevant. I just thought I would use that little tidbit to draw you in. Cant quite argue with the results, can we? Aaaaaaaannnnnnyway.....
After six months of travel, being on the go all the time, riding a bus and sleeping in a different bed every few days, I decided to settle down. Well, for September at least. What better place than Arequipa, Peru's second largest city? I'm spending the month here being reintroduced to a little thing called routine.
I've temporarily traded in the hostel life for a different model of living. Now, I've got a cozy little homestay set-up with, what I am convinced is, the nicest family in all of Peru. My adoptive family is absolutely amazing and I could not imagine a more perfect situation.
One of the reasons I chose to set up camp for a bit is because it is important to me to get my Spanish dialed in a bit more. So yes, I'm back in school. As it turns out, when you actually take classes that you have an interest in, school is a pretty solid thing. But it's not easy. Four hours of intensive Spanish courses, five days a week makes my brain wish I had chosen the watch-paint-dry classes. In the end, I'm super glad I've given Spanish a legit shot and yes, I fully intend on adding it to my "known languages" on Facebook when this is all said and done.
Along with school comes schoolmates, and that translates into friends. I've got a great group of buddies now who also share the desire to beef up their language skills in the midst of their travels. We do normal friend things like go out to dinner, play fútbol, (the one with the round ball), go mtn biking, climb volcanos, and explore the world's deepest canyons. You know, normal friend stuff.
It's been fantastic to come home to the same bed every night. I love having a hot shower whenever I want. Something crazy happened and I even store my clothes in a closet just so I can enjoy the feeling of not living out of a bag. All good things. But even as wonderful as my new family, friends, and school are, I haven't quite got used to it. That whole routine thing hasn't really caught on for the long haul. I have to admit, I've still got the itch. No, not that one. The travel itch.
It has become clear that with so many places to see and things to do, I'm going to have a hard time sitting still for long periods. A month here is the perfect amount of time. Then, I'm due to move on to the next adventure. And I can already tell, it's going to be one I never forget.
At the beginning of October, I travel back to Lima to meet up with two of my best friends in the world. We will fly deep into the heart of the jungle because it is inaccessible by car. There, we will build a raft out of a few trees and then participate in the longest raft race on this planet. Four days sitting on some sticks while powering down the Amazon with a pair of sexy men sounds like my kind of trouble. But I still can't figure out why one of the necessary items to have on board your raft is a machete......
Well, those are the events of the now and the not-so-distant future.
Take care and may good dental health be with you.
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