Since my parents recently (well, it’s been a year, so not that recently!) moved to Miami, I feel that these mini between-destination pit stops work out well to my advantage. I get a few weeks of sun, poolside lounging, fresh fruit, and lots of Spanish. Talk about relaxing! Coincidentally, relaxing is just what I need after going 100 miles an hour (and then some) my last days in Peru.
Friday night, we all decided to take it easy in anticipation of the TEFL party to come on Saturday. We hung around Gloria and Kaitlin’s apartment (members of our TEFL class, as well as our exclusive clique, The Fanny Pack), drinking rum and boxed wine, and playing games. We laughed uproariously until the wee hours of the morning. It was a blast; many times, low-key nights like this make the most memories.
Saturday night was the big night. We had been told about the TEFL party at Maximo since the day we arrived in Cusco. People raved about how fun it was, and how all the long hours and endless workload of the TEFL course was all worth it in the end. The volunteers of Maximo Nivel were also invited, as well as the Peruvian students. There was free alcohol and free food. After 2 weeks of excessive typing, overbearing deadlines, and just plain much too much thinking overall, this party was our escape from reality as well as our celebration of completing the course. And, oh, did we celebrate.
We danced like it was nobody’s business, forming circles and hooting for those in the middle. The bar was dry before midnight. The DJ was inundated with requests, such as Thriller, and, our theme song, Karma Chameleon by the Culture Club (don’t ask). Our students from the mini-lessons were there, and, as it turns out, were quite the partiers as well. It was simply awesome to get to know them a bit more casually. Later, we were told that the party, which is held every month, hasn’t been that awesomely crazy in awhile. A+ in partying to the TEFL class of September, 2008.
Then, Mark and Ken, managers of Maximo, held a little graduation ceremony for us. Kaitlin ran up enthusiastically and began high-fiving everyone when she mistakenly heard ‘Kaitlin’ instead of ‘Vaila’, but other than that, no problems. Vaila and I took the mike shortly after, reciting a poem I had written for Mark in celebration of the end of so many long hours spent together. Laden with inside jokes, I’m sure for the casual bystander it was quite uninteresting. These things always are; the important thing, however, is that those involved were clutching their gut in intense laughter.
One of the nice things about this course is that our group of 8 spent so much time together. We all became so close in this short month, so embedded in a routine. It was very, very difficult for me to leave.
It was around this time that I began dating a Peruvian, who shall go under the pseudonym of Latin Lover. Latin Lover was the first Latino I have ever dated, if you can call 5 days, with a known deadline, that. While I looked at this as a casual, pleasant coexistence for the next few days, Latin Lover became imminently smitten with me, professing his love on Day 2. Over the next couple days, he would rarely leave my side, even facebook stalking my photos through the college years. He even displayed pangs of jealously when seeing me in photos with other men, 99.9% of which were just friends. It was the most intense relationship I have ever been in: at least a full 6 months of emotions packed into 5 short days. Surprising me at the airport with a small gift, complete with a love note, he waited with me until I had to go through security. This was all very sweet, and I almost felt a bit nostalgic that I was leaving this caring of a man behind.
Since then, I’ve received emails about how much he misses me, and that, when I return to Peru as promised (which I NEVER did!), he will be waiting for me. Needless to say, if I wasn’t freaked out before, I am definately now. I guess I just have that effect on men. Or are Latino men just that passionate?
After that last goodbye, my flights were simply loooong, with extra o's to accomodate for the 18 hour travel time. Due to the fact that I was EXHUASTED, written in caps to add extra EMPHASIS to the degree of tiredness, I slept most of the way. It was really disssssappointing, no significance to the misspelling, to see costs of everything go up so quickly outside of Cusco; in the Lima airport, I paid 20 soles for a cappuccino and muffin at Starbucks. Later, I encountered a Papa Johns, oddly, which advertised a personal pizza, side of cheese sticks, and a large Coke for only 17. Damn. The Panama City airport was not much better. There was only 1 restaurant there, selling huge sandwiches for way too much money. The rest of the airport was cluttered with hundreds of shops selling designer purses, perfume, clothing, luggage, and electronics duty free. There were tons of Chocolaterias, which sold numerous Hershey products for much more expensive than retail price. This was a very bad place to be hungry; there was a man who had set up a hot dog stand, but aside from this and the small restaurant, there was no real food. I never thought I’d say this, but I waited 3 hours to eat eagerly the airline food provided on the plane.
So, in conclusion to which is probably too much detail on the last week, I am at home. It is so nice to be back with my family, whom I have missed a lot. I never really got closure from The French Disaster, by which this past summer will hereby be known. These next two weeks will be focusing on healing the remnants of those scars and preparing to put myself out there, yet again, in Asia. I have caught up on my western TV (the Office and Greys started Thursday, so I made it back just in time!) and many of my current events. Also, I have been eagerly pursuing sleeping and dog petting as new hobbies. AND eating light yogurt, JIF peanut butter, English muffins, Coffee Mate, and ice water EVERYDAY. It’s good to be home!
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