The Final Four

{{Por la tierra, por el cielo, busco un sentimiento nuevo}}

I now have fewer than four days left and am madly engaged in the favorite activity of all travelers: packing. Guillem's old room has become my packing station, with potential clothing and stuff that I may need--from work gloves to a Peru guidebook to malaria medicine to jeans to my passport to my camera (with its charger!)--strewn all about. I made myself an extremely detailed list of everything that I think I may need, some of which may still be skinnined down (since I don't want to look like the proverbial American female tourist who brought her entire wardrobe with her), but I still have the feeling that I'll end up in Peru and realize that I'm missing that one little thing that is now 5,000 miles away. But the world has gotten much smaller than I think most of us realize, and who knows, that little thing is probably sold in Urubamba too!

It is finally hitting me that I am actually leaving for Peru soon and I cannot wait. I'm so ready to dive off into the unknown, but I am quite nervous as well. These next days are going to pass me in a haze of packing and shopping and final tasks to wrap up around the house, but I am making a point to stop and enjoy the little things that make "my house" and "my family" and "my city". The bright pink roses that are still, somehow, blooming outside Guillem's old room. The sound of my parents' footsteps in the kitchen over my room every morning. The smell of old books with crinkled spines and lovingly-finger-worn pages at Powell's on Burnside. The taste of my peach black tea. The feeling of calluses growing as the metal strings on my violin indent my fingers. 

I will miss all of it, but next thing you know, I'll be getting used to the little things that will designate my life in Urubamba, and too soon as well, I will be missing those. 

So, I attempt to make sense of the clothing and stuff sprawled out across Guillem's old bed, thinking that I will soon become a part of another's family just as he became a part of ours. 

Preparation count-down

The nervous butterflies are starting to kick in as I realize that I only have 9 more days in the States before I fly off to Peru for the first 3 months of my bridge year. And I have so much to do between now and then! The house to organize, clothing to buy, boxes to unpack, emails, phone calls, and letters, my final goodbyes to my horseback riding and violin instructors, plenty of family time, and the last goodbyes to friends. And, of course, the most important element: packing! It's quite crazy, I have to say. But I am so excited; if I could jump on the plane to Lima tomorrow, I would. 

People ask me sometimes if I am jealous of my friends who are heading off to college or just getting settled in, my friends with their new dorms and hometowns and roommates. I don't regret my decision in the slightest, though I did feel the slight stirrings of jealousy when we were in Williamsburg yesterday and my dad and I saw all these William and Mary freshman on orientation and shopping at the bookstore. That all seems so far away from me now, however. I know that all of us, whether we are off exploring a new country or simply a new state, will have tons of new friends, experiences, and stories that will shape us for the better and that we will get to excitedly share when we next see each other. It's not the question of if you'll see friends, but when, where, and what new stories we'll have to tell.

And super exciting news of the day: I found out who my host family will be. And they look amazing! My host mom's name is Karina Delgado Ocampo and here is the little description about her. "Karina is 26 years old and has lived in Urubamba for 10 years. She is the omther of a beautiful 5-month-old baby girl named Killary, who is very active and barely ever cries! She also has a small dog, Kiya. Karina enjoys taking walks, cycling, plants, and practicing English. She is a wonderful cook, and often prepares meals with her mother who lives in the house as well." I'm sure I'll get to try lots of authentic Peruvian recipes with them! :D

Alright, time to get back to my long list of house tasks!