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December 8th, 2018 I’m writing this from the top of the Pinkylluna ruins in Ollantaytambo, Peru. I live here. I left my house around 9:15 am, arrived to the entrance of the ruins at 9:20 am and by 9:30 am I had escalated and found a seat with a view. This is my favorite place in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The fresh air, the challenge, the point of view, it makes everything that happens down below feel so small. Trickles on raindrops are falling from the clouds overhead and I couldn’t be more happy to be here.  From Lima to Ayacucho to Hualla and Sacsamarca, Cusco, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Aguas Calientes, Puno, Arequipa, Iquitos, Marcapata and so many other places in Peru along the way, I’ve found a home here in this beautiful country.  Back in April of 2017 a friend from Lima suggested I look at a job application for a non-profit organization based in Peru. Unemployed, and seeking adventure and some stability, I applied. By early June I had interviewe
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Happy Anniversary!

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Ayillanchu. Happy anniversary! I have officially spent one entire amazing year living in this beautiful land we call Peru. I can hardly believe it. It has flown. Perhaps the quickest year of my life so far. Perhaps the slowest, but honestly I think maybe the fastest.  Time is so odd. You change and grow and learn and become someone new everyday.  I have less than 400 days left living in this beautiful country. I’m beginning to think- do I really have to go? The answer is likely no, I don’t have to, which I already know is going to make leaving that much harder. 757 days total, and 366 days have just disappeared.  Couldn’t life just hold off one year more? Oh how I wish. Maybe it can. I guess I don’t know for sure just yet.  I went home in May for the first time in over 11 months. Nothing had changed and everything was magnificently lovely. From the friends I got to see and catch up with to the time spent with my family and pups.  I blubbered like an ab
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April

I thought March was a crazy month? ... Well, it was. ... But holy smokes, April flew by in a blur of chaos. The end of March brought the news that I would be getting an increase in vacation days. So naturally- I booked a plane ticket home two days later. That's right folks this girl will be making a stop in the United States for the first time in what will be over 11 months gone. I wasn't expecting to be going 'home' until September so this May surprise is extra special. I'll be home by chance, just before my birthday, and home for Mother's Day as well. Things I'm excited for, in order of excitement: 1. my dogs 2. food 3. my family/friends 4. food 5. food 6. tv 7. fast internet 8. english 9. stores 10. food Early April brought me a visit from friends! Emma and Victoria, my former coworkers from my job last year back in the states made the trek down to Cusco to visit me, and see the lovely Peru for themselves. It was so much fun to have
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The Grass is Always Greener

The grass is always greener. The past, the future, it was better or it’s going to get better. We miss things and long for things and dream of things to come.  My brain is always occupied with memories of adventures and happy places. Blueberry fields, apple orchards, museums in Santa Fe, farmers markets, lobster shacks on the coast in Maine, paddle boarding, Guernsey ice cream. And when my brain isn’t entirely consumed with memories I’m constantly daydreaming about exploring the rest of the world, where I’ll live next, what food I’ll be able to eat there, what I will do on the weekends.  And then I look out my window. I’m living in Peru, and isn’t this one of my dreams? How is my every second not occupied with overflowing happiness to be here, to have this opportunity? It is, but it wears on you. Every challenge is emboldened by homesickness. I’m missing my dogs  and  running a near constant risk of consuming a parasite.  About a week ago now I discovered that the bug bite
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#thatonetimeincolombia

Off to Colombia! We jetted off together early on Monday morning off to see a new country! We even got to sit next to each other on the plane! I haven’t done that in years and years and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I was even able to sleep a deep sleep on our short hour ride.  We got off the plane onto a steaming tarmac and passed through customs together, it was truly exhilarating completing a customs form as a “family.” My bag didn’t arrive from Panama and so unfortunately I was left to swelter the rest of the day in the Cartagena heat in my jeans.  After one hell of a time finding our hotel, dad and I set off to explore the town and find something to eat. We spotted the popsicle shop I’ve been reading about on blogs and yes we did stop in.  We enjoyed an amazing first meal in Colombia and had a great pizza dinner before we (read: I) crashed immediately upon return to the hotel.  Our first day was delicious, and long, and hotter than hell, and marvelous, dad even bough
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#thatonetimeinpanama

My journey to Panama started with just some brief challenges and slight complications. A cancelled flight left me spending the night in Bogotá alone and dad and I taking separate rides to the hotel to meet up there in the middle of the night (basically... okay closer to 7 am). We never slept because we couldn’t help but catch each other up on our journeys. He brought blueberry bagels from home and we were able to find cream cheese right next to our hotel, yummmmm! We ate fish and chips, egg sandwiches with cheese, drank Panamanian beer, ate shrimp, and more fish and chips. Oh and popsicles, and bubble tea. We’ve been doing alright... The Panama Canal was surprisingly better than expected. We enjoyed our time there and were glad we went.  Everyone was lovely even though we were challenged by never being able to find our way around the city which somehow constantly felt like a maze.  The weather was so lovely, sunny and hot. The food was great. Panamanians kind. Spanish s
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Here’s the Synch

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"What’s the synch?” -Kim Possible Here’s the synch, I live in Ollantaytambo, Peru, I work for an amazing non-profit, I miss my family and my dogs a lot and often. Those are the basics, but you already know all of that so here’s some juicy gossip on all the details of my oh so thrilling life. My parents came to visit back in December, and after a 24 hour delay in Dallas, and me stuck alone in Cusco on Christmas Eve, we recovered with a full nine days together here in the Sacred Valley. It was beyond a dream to have my parents here and getting to show them around. We hung out in Ollanta most of their stay at a lovely little hotel, they brought me so many presents and so much food from back home, it was truly marvelous. Can you say Cheeze-It heaven? I can. We spent our days hiking the ruins here in Ollanta, eating at my favorite restaurants in town, cleaning and fixing up my apartment a bit and some shopping at the artisanal market in town. We went into Urubamba just fo
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