Peruanazo

This is it!  There is no more time left…tonight I will be on a plane out of Peru.  I thought I would never say this, but I wish I could stay here more time.  I am missing everything already.  This is the hardest part, saying Good Bye.  The time went by so fast, it doesn’t even seem that I was here four months.  I want to stay longer.  One day I will come back to Peru.  Today, Saturday, is my last day here. It’s going by very fast, I need it to slow down.  I went to the gym to dance one last time.  When I was there I kept feeling that it was a normal day.  It didn’t feel like my last day there.  Even now as I am writing this, it feels like tomorrow I will still be here in Lima, going to church in the morning, after go to the gym, and then have almuerzo en familia.  That was my Sunday here in Peru.  I am will miss everything, a lot!!

On the other hand, I am also excited to see my family back home.  During this four months, I miss a lot of important moments.  I want to be able to enjoy those moments with them.  It is time for a new chapter in my life, but I will keep ties with Peru because for sure I will come back one day.  

Tomorrow I will board a plane back to the U.S.  My time in Peru will be over, but I hope to return some day.  I have good friends here that I will miss a lot.  Still, it doesn’t sink in that it’s over and on Sunday I will not be in Peru anymore.  I don’t like good-byes, but that’s how it is.  This time that I was here was unforgettable.  All the experiences good or bad were worth living.  Oh Peru, I learned to love you and I will miss you.

I learned and gained a lot through this experience.  I learned countless things about Peru, its culture, and its people.  Most importantly, I learned a lot of things about myself and this experience made me a better and stronger person.  I gained a new perspective about life and that you have to appreciate what you have.  I gained friends and amazing memories that I will  remember forever.

The day is almost here.  In about 15 days I will be flying back to the US.  It is getting to the point where I have contradictory feelings.  I really want to go home, but sometimes I want to stay here longer.  I will definitely miss my friends here.  A lot of people have told me why I don’t stay here.  Impossible, it is a crazy idea.  However, I know for sure that one day I will return.  I don’t know exactly when, but in the future I will be here again.

We spent a four day weekend in Cusco visiting various archaeological places including one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Pichu.  The experience was amazing.  I always dreamed of some day visiting the greatest city of the Incas.  My dream came true.  Finally, I have seen and been in Machu Pichu.  I have seen the mountains that make the face of the Inca.  Every minute in the ancient city was worth waiting for.  During this trip, I learned many new things about the Incas and how they saw the world.  Besides visiting Machu Pichu, we also went to other ancient places around Cusco that once were important cities for the Incas.  In the city of Cusco went to the cathedral and the sacred temple.  This whole experience taught me so much and now I have a better, more profound, understanding about the Incas and their culture.  One of the most interesting thing I learned was the meaning of the symbol of the Incas: Chakana.  The circle in the middle represents the navel of the world: the city of Cusco.  The top right side represents the three worlds the Inca people believed in: the underworld, the physical world, and the heavens.  The top left side represents the three sacred animals: the condor, the puma, and the snake.  The lower right side represents the three principles the Incas lived by: Ama Sua (do not steal), Ama Quella (do not lie), and Ama Lulla (do not be lazy).  The lower left side represents a saying that the Incas lived by: you help me today, I help you tomorrow, we work together.  It goes something like that, I can’t remember perfectly.  Machu Pichu and many of the other archaeological places hold interesting and amazing knowledge and secrets.  This trip has been the funnest, most phenomenal history class I have ever had.  I loved it!!!!