A rushed reflection, for now, because I am about to go on Mes de Mision, the month-long service trip with the students at Miguel Pro. I´ll have no access to internet or phones, so I won´t be able to talk until February. BUT, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Truly.
The turn on the new year was, well, insane. I´ll make this short and sweet. I went to the beach with the host family. We just chilled most of the day, and then at night the girls (me, Stephanie, Edda, and Nitza), went to a nearby beach to party with friends. BUT, my host sister and cousins demanded that I dress up like the Peruvians do. I told them I didn´t bring any nice clothes, so they dressed me up in theirs. It was a 3 v. 1 situation. Then they assured me that there would be a lot of girls wearing less clothes than I was... Cheers to cultural experiences?! It wasn´t that bad (because I made them give me leggings), but then I went to Cesar´s house where some other volunteers were spending the new year. We ran to the shore before midnight, and. it. was. insane. I thought Christmas was crazy?! There were fireworks everywhere, big ones, small ones, one that looked like it hit a house. People were lighting stuff on fire everywhere. Popping champagne bottles. Eating 12 grapes with 12 wishes. Wearing yellow undies for good luck. And putting a mixture of corn, lentils, rice, and some other stuff I don´t really know about in their pockets for good times. Peruvians beat Americans by far in how they party. Damn. We went back and I tried some cow heart. Nom nom nom. Played some flip cup, walked around, tried to get into the club for free but didn´t manage it, and then the hole in my mouth where my wisdom tooth used to be started hurting, so I went back home EARLY at around 4:30 or 5am. Spent the first of the year on the beach shores, sunkissed under the strong Tacna sun.
2010 was a big year for me. I graduated from LMU, I made some good, lasting decisions for myself, I moved to Peru. And now begins 2011 in Peru. To hope. To peace. To love.
Every time I look at the night sky, I look for Orian first. Though the night sky is different here, I can still see Orian. Look to the heavens, and we look together.
