Some Break Ins and Break Downs

There have been some weird energies around lately and I have no other way of describing the most recent events. 

Sunday morning I had door duty at the main house from 9 am until 7 pm, covering for Sylvia as she went to a religious festival in the mountains. As I woke up to go downstairs I saw that the lock on our door was off and the people that run the house were talking about it. It turns out that where I am living was broken into that night between the hours of 1:30 am and 5:30 am, while 4 of us were sleeping in the house. Not one of us heard the criminals use a crow bar to pry the top lock off, take the gas can we use for the shower, the gas can we use for the kitchen, or an old amp in the downstairs music room. I live on the second floor and was completely fine, nothing of mine had been touched and I had not been harmed. In my last blog I had mentioned some weird vibes I had been feeling in the evenings when I would come back to this house, but this event validated those feelings. I feel generally safe here and will continue to always be aware of my surroundings and make safety a priority.

Saturday afternoon a man had been sitting outside of the door making handicrafts as many people do to sell in San Blas, but none of us had seen him before and he was making basic bracelets without many to sell. With some hindsight bias I feel like one of us should have spoken to him or figured out more about him because he is not a usual craftsman on our street. Besides that it was a petty theft and easy break in because of the broken second lock. Gas for heating is expensive here and whomever broke in has some karma coming after them. Throughout the day we had a man install two new locks and repair the door, one of the locks including a drop bar that covers the whole door. We also got new keys.

Besides living CSI: Cusco for a few hours I read a book in the sun, did some dishes, ate a Peruvian Nestle ice cream, and read some more. It was a pretty boring day besides the break in so for dinner I made pasta with sauce and cheese and finally got our girls night movie set up. The plan had been for over a week to watch Pride and Prejudice but either the sala was taken, we were all too tired, or we didn't have a projector. I got the new projector from Niki, the connector from David, and tried to get the Netflix version up on the screen. We struggled for a whole but figured out I had to actually drag the window onto the projector screen in order to view it. Once we got everything going Alex, Selene, Kaki, and myself munched on guacamole, Lays potato chips, and Coca Cola while watching one of the greatest chick flicks ever made. It was a fabulous evening.

Come Monday morning I had t work again from 8 am until 2 pm and this time I was trying very hard to find something to do. Most of the volunteers complain about having to pick up the slack for those that live here or they feel like all they do is work, and I was afraid that this could be the day I start complaining. But no, I found ways to be productive and to entertain myself. I was going through my emails and saw Memorial Day deals from Pacsun and Victoria Secret, and one other place that I cannot mention because I know my parents will be reading this and I used it as a gift to them. I ended up taking advantage of Pacsun's buy one get one 50% off deal and found a 25% off and free shipping deal online to buy 3 possible dresses for recruitment when I get back to FSU, some bathing suit bottoms, and nice tank tops to layer once I get back to the US. With all of my coupon codes and such I saved over $100 and was quite satisfied with my ability to return online purchases in a store within 3 months, which is perfect timing for when I am back home. I also took advantage of Victoria's Secret's 7/$26 deal where I could get 7 pairs of underwear for $26 so I bought 14 pairs and am so excited to have new underwear when I get home because lets face it, who doesn't like new underwear?? While I was placing my order online the housekeeper saw what I was buying and, in Spanish, asked me what I was buying that for and gave me a semi-disgusted look. I'm pretty sure all Peruvian women wear are granny panties.

Anyways, after all of that I was able to make a creative gift online for my parents, because father's day is coming up and my mom deserves some love from me as well while I am gone. To mom and dad who I know are reading this, wait to open the package that I had shipped to the house on father's day at the same time. Also know that I love you both so much and would not be able to make it three months by myself in a foreign country without your infinite love and support. 

While I was also on my shift I had my mom send me some recipes from back home because we are putting together a cook book here at the house and I needed to contribute five recipes. I asked her to send me the recipes for my Aunt Nancy's pasta salad, my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Eric's Portofino pesto, No Bake Cookies (NBCs), Philly Velvet Dessert, apple crisp, and my grandmother's Whoopy pies. I typed them up, send them in, and decided I wanted to make NBCs for the house. So after my shift I was on a mission to get all of the ingredients, which was difficult to some degree. I went out on my own and discovered they do actually have cocoa for sale in the tiendas so I got that, got one kilo of sugar, went to el Mercado San Pedro for one kilo of uncooked oats, went to Orion the super market for milk, 400 grams of unsalted butter, and peanut butter which they did not have. I knew where it was definitely and walked all the way back to an overpriced tienda that I had already passed and tried to get two jars of Peter Pan peanut butter (Peru has weird peanut butter so I had to get the best they had) because I didn't know how much I was going to need. The woman rang me up and I thought the total cost was 5.80 soles and so I gave her that but then she showed me the total clearer and it was 45.80. I didn't have that many soles on me so I had to put it back and walk all the way back to the house without all of my ingredients. 

Once I got back I asked Kaki to go get one jar for me because my fingers started swelling from the altitude and walking so much. So she agreed, I gave her 24 soles to cover one jar of peanut butter, and got everything else ready for when she came back. When she finally did I started making the famous cookies! First I had to measure one cup of butter from 400 grams between two slabs of it and I figured out one cup of butter is 225 grams. So I measured that out, added 4 cups of sugar that did not melt down like I wanted , 8 tablespoons of cocoa, and one cup of milk to the pot on the stove to boil for one minute. Then I added one cup of very expensive peanut butter and 6 cups of oats to complete my doubled recipe. In the end the kitchen smelled great and my cookies got glowing reviews. I was so excited that even under Peruvian circumstances, I could still bring a part of my life and family into the Healing House. I was so proud I sent a picture to my mom via text.

Like every other Tuesday a group of us goes to the Montay Shelter in San Jeronimo to work with the (very) young mothers. Today instead of giving them treatments we did a girls day and pampered them with scrubs, lotions, and manicures. I love going there and seeing the girls that have stepped up to the plate of being a mother or those that had no other choice. It was great to be able to pamper them with what they really want and to make them feel beautiful. I saw some familiar faces from last time and had better conversations with all of the girls because my Spanish is starting to come back quickly. One of the girls from last week told me that my eyes look celestial and beautiful, it is rare for them to see such blue eyes and with my pattern. I then showed them how I can cross my eyes and they started laughing, and I relished in it. I am more than happy to be that crazy gringa girl that makes weird faces, struggles sometimes with her Spanish, but still gives them unconditional love and support and makes them feel like they aren't alienated for being young mothers.

After scrubbing multiple hands with a seas salt, tee tree oil, and peppermint homemade scrub, massaging their hands with lotion, and painting their finger nails with flowers I showed the girls pictures on my phone of where I live, my family, and me as a child. They thought that  my little cousins Parker and Peyton were beautiful and that my sister and I as kids were gorgeous. It gives me great satisfaction just to show them that small window into other parts of the world. That experience also made me grateful for my family, where I live, and for sex education and available protection in the United States. Sorry if you don't want to hear this, but many of these girls were raped and had no form of birth control, and contraceptives, or options after they were sexually abused to make sure that their childhood was not completely lost. Be grateful, not ashamed, of what we have available to us in the states as women. Coming back from my rant, they asked me and the other girls from the house to come back on Sunday and play volleyball with them, I felt so accepted by them even as an outsider.

On our way back we took the bus instead of a taxi, which only cost me .80 soles and was the first time I had taken actual public transportation in Cusco. We got off at an early stop in order to go to the best bakery in San Blas where I got a baguette and pan con chocolate, which was basically a sweet, fluffy roll with chocolate inside and heated up. I was so satisfied by that. Then we went back tot he house with thoughts of lunch in ours heads already at 11 am and decided to go to The Rock and figure out where we wanted to eat. We walked 5 minutes down the road to hike up to this rock that used to be a energetic center in somewhat ancient times. While we were up there we saw an Alpaca and a puppy playing, a filled pool, and Sara and I played on a see-saw. We all then decided to go to Presada, a vegetarian place for lunch and it was a great decision as I got the menu of Costa Rican pasta and rice and bean fried somethings. 

At 2:30 we had a meeting for the free clinic today and it was decided that last week I did my part in giving treatments so today I could sit out and I decided to read in the sun some more and Chucky the not so friendly cat came and curled up on my lap. The rest of the day I have been feeling very tired and run down so I called it an early night and hope I will feel better in the morning. But most people don't have as good of an attitude as I do about being here for so long. What has been monumental in my happiness here is taking it day by day, not having such high expectations of the things I cannot control, and to know that this is an experience I will probably never get again and that it is teaching me so many life lessons. I cannot say that others that have been here for a shorter time than I will be here for are struggling with such things and breaking down. I have a little over 10 more weeks but I know my family and the most important things to me will still be there when I go home, so I am not stressing about missing them or anything.

I am here for a reason and I plan on taking full advantage of my time here. I encourage you all to live deliberately every day and focus on the present moment, because that is all we truly have. 

From the Sunshine and Hail Come the Best Stories

Great vibes lately!! I am definitely coming into my own here in Peru and am taking the adventure day by day. Some days are more entertaining than others, but how we deal with the ups and downs of life reveal our true character.

On Wednesday I had to work in the afternoon, right after I posted my last blog. So from 2 pm until 8 pm I was responsible for answering the door at Healing House, answering calls, making appointments, and doing small chores. Wednesday was very quiet, it seemed as if everyone was out of the house doing something. It was gorgeous out but started to turn gray around 3 pm. There were only two other people with me at the house for a couple of hours; Selene from Canada was studying for her yoga teacher certification in the kitchen and Julia from South Africa was creating a flyer for her full moon fire ceremony that would happen on Friday. Julia told me a worker was trying to get into the other house, the one that I live in, so I went to unlock the door for him but it was stuck. After trying both locks multiple times I went inside to get a different set of keys. I left my keys in the main house while trying to open the other house for the second time and I even asked Selene for help as Julia went to make copies of her flyer down the street. We could not let this poor man in for the life of us and it started to rain and then hail. It can be 45-55 degrees outside and hail because the clouds form so high up over the freezing mountains. We communicated to this man that we were locked out and he left. Then we tried to get back into the main house and realized neither of us had a key for it. So for about ten minutes we stood outside in the hail waiting for someone to come by with a key because no one was home, and people are ALWAYS home. Selene eventually had to go back to yoga training so I was left to wait with one of the ladies that came to teach a class until Julia arrived back from the printer. It was a great learning experience!

Working door duty all day I had no need to go back to Casa Verde, where we had been locked out. It turns out that someone had slammed the door really hard to shut it and the lock pin dropped, securing the door from the inside without a way to unlock it from the outside. The only way to unlock it would have been to climb over the wall to get into the house but there was a large gap that would have been impossible to jump. It was only me and David though that were sleeping in Casa Verde that night, so our other option was to set up camp in the yoga salon at the main house or sleep in someone's room if they had an extra bed. Fortunately, our neighbors got home at around 9:45 pm and let David climb the wall separating the two homes to unlock our door from the inside. It all worked out but the door has some permanent damage from us pushing on it so hard trying to get in. 

On Thursday I also had door duty but this time I had the morning shift from 8 am until 2 pm. It was gorgeous out again so I spent my first few hours in the sun reading and cuddling with Chucky the cat. After I finished my book I spent some time in the garden under Julia's advisement. Pruning back some flowers, picking peppers, and adding to the compost I think I will begin to develop a green thumb while I am here! 

It is also one of my responsibilities to buy things for the house when people come by selling them, especially flowers if the ones we have are dying. On Thursday they needed to be replaced so I bought 20 Soles worth of flowers to have put into the large glass pickling jars we use as vases. I emptied the old flowers and salvaged what I could of them, making a nice decoration for my room here!

After I was off of work I went to el Mercado San Pedro with Alex and Selene to get some oats, clementines, apples, and bananas for some cookies we were making that night. I also had my first large grocery store experience here at Orion. It is just like a normal grocery store in the states, but a bit smaller and the ketchup is in pouches instead of a bottle, weird. Oh and by the way, a bag of Chex Mix costs 13 Soles, about $5. Apparently it is a rare commodity and American delicacy here, making it easy to upcharge the American's who are the only people that buy it. Anyways, I got some tomato sauce, also in a pouch, more butter, pasta, pineapple juice, toilet paper, and Champagne because there is always a reason to celebrate in Cusco. 

We trekked back to the house and those last 30 steps or so to the house are killer, but we made it. I unpacked my food and headed to a little tienda for some eggs, a Twix, and a MilkyWay because I haven't had candy since arriving and I wanted to treat myself. Then I happily watched Ship Wrecked while eating my chocolate bars and crashed because I was so tired and I had felt really weird that evening. 

Friday morning Alex and I both had the day off so we decided to take a day trip to Urubamba and see some Inca ruins as well as the salt mines. We had planned on leaving at 9:30 am, with buses leaving every few minutes or so. The night before though I had many unsettling dreams and did not sleep well. So I slept in accidentally and we left by 10:30, which was fine because we took a great taxi to the bus station and the driver told us we could get a mini van to Urubamba, which would be faster for only a few more Soles. Taking the opportunity for quicker transit we payed 6 Soles for the mini van only having to wait 3 minutes to get on, also bringing 9 other people to Urubamba. 

We were going to Urubamba as a means to get to Moray and Maras where our sites were. The man sitting next to me in the van smelled like salami, and I couldn't tell if I really hated it or not. But about 45 minutes into the hour and a half drive we were pulled over for a security check. Everyone had to give their ID's for documentation and it is not safe to travel with your actual passport, so normally I have a copy with me but I did not that day. Instead I gave the officer my Florida ID and Alex gave him her Michigan ID and we were fine. About 20 minutes from Urubamba we passed the exit for Moray and we realized we had to go down into Urubamba before we could go to Moray. 

Under the impression that we could get a bus to Moray from Urubamba for 1 Sol, we looked for the bus station but no bus route of the sort existed. So Alex and I found a taxi that said he could take us for 90 Soles, which we thought was ridiculous. Bartering it down to 80 Soles and trying to communicate in strict Spanish we later learned it was so expensive because he would drive us to Moray, wait and hour while we looked at the ruins, then drive us to Maras and wait an hour while we saw the salt mines, then drive us back to Urubamba. Finally we relented and accepted the plan, eventually recognizing that it was a good deal having no guide or not booking through a travel agency. Our driver's name was Oscar and he was very young and kind. With all of this forced independence while traveling and communicating with others, my Spanish is improving very quickly!

It cost me 10 Soles to enter Moray and Alex 5 because she had gotten a student card at a travel agency back home. At Moray we saw the Inca agricultural ruins and were able to hike down into them. We had packed a lunch so we ate at the bottom of the ruins and it was awesome. The terracing was used to create a 15º difference between the top and bottom terraces to facilitate different plant growth. It also makes for a great picture. 

Then we drove 30 minutes to Maras where they have the salt mines and literally all there is are the mines. It cost us 7 Soles each to enter and it was gorgeous. We were able to climb down into the mines as well, walking along the small paths. I also tasted some of the salt, risking a parasite in the water to taste this glorious substance. Totally worth it and satisfying, though I have yet to experience a parasite here, knock on wood. Anyone that really knows me knows that I LOVE salt. I put it on everything and was happy to stand in it, taste it, write my name in it, and be surrounded by it. We spent about 30 minutes exploring the salt then 30 minutes shopping at the tiendas at the top of the mines. I got a Peruvian flag bracelet, a leather notebook that is beautiful, and two bags of salt from the mines. One bag was first class salt without impurities and the second back was second class but had more natural minerals. 

Heading back to Urubamba our driver saw the goofy side of me because I was so happy and comforted by good vibes. Descending into Urubamba I was blasting some Kenny Chesney and just appreciating the opportunities I'd been presented that day. We got to the bus station, each paid Oscar 40 Soles, then immediately hopped onto a bus to Cusco, which took us two and half hours but only cost 4 soles. The bus was packed when we got on and people were already standing so the driver told the teenage boys in the back to stand up for Alex and I to sit. I felt bad for making the boys move but appreciated the kindness towards tourists. 

Once we made it back to Cusco we had to get a taxi to our neighborhood of San Blas during rush hour, and that was very difficult. After about 10 minutes we finally found a driver that was willing to take us for 6 Soles and we made our way back just in time for Julia's fire ceremony in honor of the super moon. I got out of the taxi and had to carry wood down our street to the house for the ceremony, full of energy because of my awesome day but quickly drained because of all of the climbing and altitude changes. So I skipped out on the ceremony, made some easy scrambled eggs, then came back to my room to warm up and watch The Young Victoria on Netflix and fall asleep right after. 

Saturdays we host a kid's program for locals from 2 pm until 4 pm. This morning I agreed to take part of Alex's shift so she could go to the arts market before she leaves next Saturday. During this time I created a PowerPoint for the kids, showcasing facts about the Amazon rainforest, pictures and sounds of animals, and making them aware of it's diminishing size. Afterwards I answered the door for some Cusqueños that were with an American they were hosting and got his contact because he is doing a study abroad program from Georgia and wanted to get to know other people in the area. Sometimes I forget there are other American's my age in Cusco just studying from the states. Then I took a shower and got ready for the kid's program. 

For the first 30 minutes we do yoga with the kids to calm them down and normally the boys choose to sit outside because yoga is "girly". Today we included some movements that resembled animals and other physical aspects of the rainforest to keep the theme going. Then I did my PowerPoint presentation with all 12 kids attentive the entire time, they especially loved the pictures and sounds I had included. After my presentation Sylvia and Gian Carlo taught them the In the Jungle song and they sang that while I got my mask craft ready for them. The plan was to have them draw their favorite Amazon animal and wear the masks. It went over surprisingly well and the boys even got into it, many of them drawing tigers as a show of manliness and strength. The girls stuck with butterflies. It just goes to show you how gender roles start so early in life, thank you multicultural film. After the successful craft we had a snack of cookies similar to Nilla cookies with caramel in between with coconut shavings on the edges accompanied by apple juice. The kids really enjoyed the program and I think it was very successful compared to some most recently.

 

After the program I played with some German Shepard mix puppies and went to some tiendas with Kaki, the girl from Chicago, to get bread, more eggs, and snacks for our girls night tonight where I fully plan on putting Pride and Prejudice on the projector. Alex also made a lentil Sloppy Joe as a substitute for meat and it was actually quite tasty. I have had a great day so far and every time I have felt truly happy in the past few days I give thanks and emanate gratitude for the opportunities I have had, the people I am with, and the good vibes. 

I often think my generation and those before me don't take enough time to be grateful for what we have or what we experience, too easily getting caught up in the small problems and discomforts of life. I encourage you all to be thankful for the small things in the coming days and see how it improves your daily interactions and mindset. Gratitude is powerful and has the capacity to change your vibrations to a more positive level. Try it! I am thankful for all of my readers and supporters out there, you are all wonderful! Happy Memorial Day weekend back to the states; stay safe and remember to give thanks!

It's a Whirlwind

This week so far has been crazy, this is the first moment I have had time to sit down and write. It seems as though things at the Healing House can be really quiet or a lull sometimes and then out of nowhere a ton of people show up or we have a large event to participate in. 

The other evening a man had been hosting a breathing workshop at the house and left his phone in the studio. He came back a few hours later and it thankfully had not been stolen. I went back into the kitchen after that and asked everyone who the patron saint of lost things was and Sylvia told me it was Saint Anthony. A lot of people had been losing their phones or wallets that live int he house and kept finding them, so I thought Saint Anthony was watching over us especially. This shocked Sylvia that I was even aware of things like that. I often get put into stereotypes, like many other people, but Sylvia didn't know where to put me anymore. I feel like a lot of people expect me to be pompous, not aware of my surroundings, or intelligent because of the way I look, the fact that I am in a sorority, and because of my financial standings. One of my goals in life, other than being completely true to who I am, is to shatter expectations. It made me really happy to have Sylvia say that I was shattering the expectations she had for me when we met before our departures at FSU. She didn't know I was a Reiki Master, that I had been raised Catholic but left the church, that I graduated in the top 5% of my class, and so on. I attribute a lot of who I am to my parents and those who support me, because I was in fact a judgy, pompous, and not so confident child growing up. It took a lot to get to where I am today and I learned the hard way how to be confident and to love myself even when others do not. I encourage each of you to find something you love within yourselves or about yourselves and honor that, even if others do not. 

Monday I had a Reiki sit in again and we were able to do the meeting outside because of the slightly better weather. We were working with the symbols of Reiki, mantras, and trying to read auras. It was also Aurora's 22nd birthday so we had some banana bread with chocolate and a passion fruit bread for her as a cake! When you are traveling it is nice to get an actual birthday celebration and to feel loved. During Reiki so many firecrackers were going off and they are random so it makes me think of the Hunger Games; a canon is set off every time someone perishes. That is literally what it sounds like and makes me laugh every time. After Reiki we went to Lila's for a menu for 5 Soles. The meal included a vegetarian barley soup, white rice, lentils and potatoes, a very small salad, and a fried vegetable patty, which was all delicious but I could not finish it. Then I went back to the house to take a full shower!!! Again, the water would be hot for five seconds then go stone cold, so I asked Don David for his expertise and he came to the conclusion that the gas heater we use would turn off after being turned on, so he manually turned it on so I could have a warm shower. It was so satisfying to wash my hair completely. There is very little humidity in the air here so my hair has been moisture deprived, but continues to get blonder if I have it in a bun with the high UV levels. 

That night I had been in the kitchen with some of the girls and saw a book and a bunch of copies on the table that were apparently for the book club we were hosting at the house in coming days. I read the title to be The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, a book my mom and my Ayurvedic doctor back home had recommended me to get before I left for Peru, but I couldn't get ahold of a copy. I was so overcome with this feeling of happiness that the Universe was working in my favor. Think of how awesome it is to have things fall together like that. So I got a copy of the book for book club and have started reading it. By the way, here in Cusco they will make copies of any book or reading material, despite copyright, for about 11 Soles, $4. I had become friendly with two girls that had just come back to the house from Machu Picchu, who were leaving in two days. Hannah and Katherine have been traveling South America since the fall with their mother and have been homeschooling for high school. Monday nights are free salsa lessons at Mama Africa's in la Plaza de Armas so I joined them, thinking it would be nice to go out dancing and experiencing Cusco with other people closer to my age. We got there and as the tall blond I am instantly singled out because that is rare in Peru, but I was trying to keep a low profile. After learning the steps with everyone else I realized I was not half bad, I just had no previous experience. So after everyone else danced in partners for a while the instructor asked me to dance and I told him no, because I was nervous, about one foot taller than him, and because I didn't want to make a fool of myself. Seizing the moment I began to dance with him and it is true that when you have a good partner, you also look good. Eventually he had to step onto a platform to twirl me, but then came down, got our arms crossed, and tried to go underneath mine but instead got his face stuck in my cleavage. This is an actual salsa move but the fact that I was so tall, it worked out in his favor and we got free mojitos... But I was working early in the morning giving treatment in the city so I declined the drink. 

Tuesday morning I was ready by 8 am to go to the Mantay Shelter in San Jeronimo to give Reiki treatments and massage to the women that live there. The shelter is a wonderful place for girls who have been raped and had children as a result, to live until the age of 18 with their kids. The girls are victims of rape and incest, so it is a really sad situation but I was glad to help make them feel a bit better. Kaki, a girl my age from Chicago, Tara, a mother herself from Canada, and I took a taxi into the city for about 30 minutes for 10 Soles to get to the shelter. The actual city is much different from the tourist area of Cusco, with business people and workers trying to get around. I got to see the Engineering University, a kids public school, a boys private school, and the prison. Once we got to Mantay we realized non of the girls had signed up for treatment, so we just found girls around the house. The first girl I worked with wanted Reiki so I did my treatment and she fell asleep, but I felt like she had a lot of angels with her, so I told her afterwards and she told me I had beautiful hair. The next girl I worked with was much more talkative and quite sassy. She didn't want Reiki, but a massage so I did that for her. Within a few minutes her friend was on the table next to us getting a massage as well and they held hands, chattering away. After her treatment was over I asked her how old she was and she said 15. A girl at the age of 15 had stretch marks and a small child. She and her friend were quite chiste (funny) and were talking to Kaki and I about a girls day. The girls get Saturdays completely off and other people watch their kids, so they wanted us to come on Saturdays instead of Tuesdays to paint their nails, listen to new music, and just relax. I am definitely doing this and have found me niche, I also want to play with their adorable babies. Not all of the girls are so happy though, the girl Tara was working with didn't even want to show her face or talk at all. The reality they face is so beyond me, I am just happy to give them thirty minutes of relaxation.

We took a taxi back to the house instead of the bus for comfort and on our way saw the kids of public school No. 88 marching through the sidewalks in decorative smocks celebrating their school to be of the highest ranking four year in a row.

 When I got back to the house around 10:30 I made myself breakfast of 3 kiwis, a banana, and peach juice that I could eat in the sun as we had GORGEOUS weather again finally. Then I came back to my room, meant to clean it but didn't feel like it, and watched an episode of The Nanny instead.

Around 12 Kaki messaged me on Facebook from her room, not even 10 feet away from me, asking if I still wanted to go to this little restaurant for lunch and get pizza. I immediately responded YES and she laughed. I could hear her laugh because both of our doors were open and I laughed back at the fact that we were communicating via Facebook instead of in person or by yelling. Technology these days. So we went to my favorite place, I got the Margherita pizza again and was very happy. 

On our way back to the house I had to pass out flyers to the locals for the free clinic we host every Tuesday, offering Reiki, massage, acupuncture, etc. Then I came home to get my computer because I had door duty at the main house from 3-8pm at the peak of the clinic. Let's just say I never used my computer because I was giving treatment for the clinic almost the whole time. At one point a very old man came in with his four daughters for Reiki because he has Alzheimer's Disease. His dementia was so bad that he would walk in and out of the house not knowing who he was. So because Reiki is the laying on of hands to heal, three of us tried to get him to sit down for a while so we could give him and two of his daughters treatment. He would not sit so I had the idea of playing music and dancing with him so I could give him Reiki. It worked for a while and then he became impatient and I had another woman who wanted Reiki so I did a 30 minute session on her. I cam back to see that the old man and his family were still there so I had to babysit him almost until they were done. By 7pm he had spit on me twice and shook my hand 7 times to introduce himself. It had been such a long day and I was drained of energy as well as patience. After the large family had left we had a meeting about the children's program we host every Saturday and tried to get a music/art/theme plan together for this coming Saturday to be more organized. I almost fell asleep but was so hungry and didn't want to go out for dinner to Giancarlo and I went out for groceries and came back to make a pasta feast. 

Giancarlo plays the guitar and is also a Reiki practitioner so we had been working close together all day and were both tired and hungry. We got the ingredients for dinner at a small tienda and started cooking back at the house. Giancarlo didn't want to boil water normally so he used the electric water heater to boil water and cook the pasta (too much) and it turned out to be spashitti because it had been overcooked and began to clump together. We weren't expecting to cook for four but we did anyways and didn't make or buy enough sauce. Giancarlo also lost half of his diced onions on the floor, we forgot to put the garlic in, and the mushrooms were canned. But everyone appreciated the gesture and were somewhat satisfied by the edible food. While I did the dishes Giancarlo played the guitar and sang with Sylvia a ton of Beatles songs, some Train, and songs I had never heard of. The atmosphere was great and it really made me love those moments of music and good people coming together. Around 11 I got tired and went to bed but apparently they kept playing until 1:30 in the morning. 

Today my only obligation is to work the door from 2-8 pm so I got to sleep in for the first time in a week. Surprise, I have been here for a week! One down, eleven to go. But I woke up at 8:30, went back to sleep and woke again at 10:45 to the beautiful live music of some Cusqueños that were practicing at the house. It does not suck to wake up to sunshine and Hound Dog by Elvis Presley. There are some really great things about Cusco and one of them is the love and continuous practice of all kinds of music. Now I think I am going to make myself some scrambled eggs and kiwi and make a edit a music video for one of the ladies here. Life is good and I'm staying in the here and now! Remember to be compassionate and loving every day.

Working hard or hardly working?

I haven't blogged in a couple of days because I have been busy and I don't want to be "that girl" that posts too much. A lot has happened in the last few days! After struggling the first day I definitely fell into a groove. 

What changed everything was the support of my family and friends via Facebook, having an open mind, and the people at the Healing House. Thursday during the day I pushed myself to go to the main house to eat lunch, aka a mango. While I was cutting my mango I met Amy T., who was also fairly new to the Healing House and from Canada. I had been holding back a bit with the people here because they have been here for months, and it was really intimidating having not been given a real run down of how everything works around the house. So I introduced myself to Amy, realized she was new too, and we instantly hit it off. Having someone that makes you comfortable makes a huge difference. Amy has been traveling South America for two years by back pack so I let her use my computer for some logistical things that day and we later headed back to the main house for a dinner gathering as a send off for Anne, the German, and as a happy birthday for Mallory, a volunteer that was moving to the Sacred Valley with her boyfriend. The thought at the Healing House is that everyone contributes something even if it isn't a physical object. I didn't have any food to offer to cook so instead I helped prepare food and I took pictures so everyone could remember the night. Keep in mind the kitchen is maybe 12 feet by 15 feet maximum and we had ten people cooking at one point. The close proximity becomes useful as when the sun goes down it gets in the low 50's and upper 40's and the house is not insulated or outfitted with any sort of heating or cooling system. Today I really began to wonder why Peruvians did not believe in fireplaces... Anyways, we were cooking, listening to music, exchanging stories, and bonding which made me feel so much better about knowing the others and knowing my place and purpose in the house. 

In the end we had about 15 people share a meal of quinoa, roasted veggies including zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, and onions, a salad made of broccoli, avocado, mango, and lime juice, homemade guacamole, garlic bread with tomato and basil, peaches, homemade sweet potato chips, and cucumber spears. I was so happy to have a fully cooked meal at the house and to share it with such an amazing and different group of people.

After eating we cleaned the many dishes and made our way to the living room for a little dance party before most of the group went out to their favorite gringo bar, Wild Rover. At this point many of us showed off our hoola hooping talents and I realized that they were extremely talented, especially Mallory. I asked where she had learned to do the tricks and illusions and she said at festivals (super hippie moment). The House closes to guests at 10 pm so Daniel and Giancarlo, Cusqueños, had to leave so the gang went with them to Wild Rover missing happy hour which ends at 10. At that point I came back to my room and watched The Nanny on Netflix until I fell asleep, which was fabulous. 

Friday I had a meeting with Niki, the director of the Healing House to discuss my plans for my photography class/project and for my energetic and spiritual talents. I will delve into those talents later. After my meeting Amy and I were supposed to meet with Alex, a Peruano, to go slack lining and to climb the Temple of the Moon here in Cusco. He was supposed to pick us up at the house at 12:30 but did not arrive until 1:30, this is known as Peruvian time. Most people know I am notoriously late for almost everything, but here I am early! Once Alex arrived we went to Mercado de San Blas for a menu, which is a 3 course meal for super cheap, normally 5 soles ($2). After the vegetarian meal at Lila's, frequented by dirty hippies and such, we were going to head up the mountain but it was pouring and freezing. So once the rain chilled out we went back to the Healing House trying to convince Alex to take us slack lining on Sunday, but being a Peruvian he could make no such commitment, also being a bricherro. In Cusco there is a unique phenomenon of the bricherro, which is a native man that flirts endlessly with gringa women to have them buy things for them, for sexual relationships, and ultimately as a ticket to the United States. There are plenty of bricherros around Cusco but many of them come from Lima for the summer just to be a bricherro. You can spot one if he says hi and recognizes half of the gringa women passing on the street. I definitely am aware of the possibility of finding love abroad, but I don't feel like that is going to happen during my stay here, not at the moment anyways. We all know I've had my fair share of international affairs (Germany, Canada), no pun intended, I don't need another at the moment. The rest of Friday it rained and I made pasta, green beans, and kiwi for dinner. That night I Skyped the family back home and it was wonderful to tell them for an hour and a half about my experiences so far and how well I am adapting. I didn't get homesick, just a bit jealous that it was warm there and they could cuddle with Boomer, my best friend of a dog. I fell asleep relatively early that night because fireworks woke me up at 8 am, set off multiple times an hour all day long for no reason. ¡Viva Peru! 

Saturday morning I woke up just as early because of fireworks but also because I was going to sit in on a Reiki class that Niki was teaching. For those of you who do not know, I am a Reiki Master. Reiki is a Japanese practice of healing by laying on of the hands to facilitate the movement of an unseen life force energy (ki). There are four levels traditionally of a Reiki practitioner and I was certified this past year when I came home from school for a break or on weekends. I was most recently certified as a Master, being able to pass attunements of Reiki onto others and being able to teach the actual practice of Reiki healing. I am not asking you to accept this practice or my beliefs, I just ask that you respect them and have an open mind about it. If you are interested and want to learn more just to learn more, a link with information is above. This Reiki work is also why I am interning at the Healing House, a large part of me was drawn to this opportunity because of the alternative and holistic teachings and practices available at the Healing House. To continue, Saturday I sat in on a Level I and II course that also included an attunement. It was draining to give so much energy to the group through meditation and sharing, but definitely worth it. After the Reiki training I participated in a chakra workshop to enhance my understanding of the 7 traditional chakras. 

Saturday after the two classes I was so drained energetically, emotionally, and physically. Despite my lack of energy I rallied for one final goodbye celebration for Anne, going of course to Wild Rover for happy hour. Happy hour means that a double rum and coke costs 8 soles ($3), compared to dollar drinks at the Strip back in Tallahassee. Lets just say I was disappointed, but it is a known fact that such high altitudes enhance the effects of alcohol consumption, just saying. I thought I was looking good last night for not having showered in a few days because it is almost impossible with the cold weather and lack of hot water. The Pacers vs. Nicks game was on at the bar and I was definitely going for the Pacers, hometown heroes. While I was cheering them on two guys from the UK started to flirt; I will not be impressed if you buy the same drink as me fellows. The Pacers won, I was hanging with the group, and then spotted a guy with a Penn shirt on, turns out he and his friend just graduated and were from Andover, Massachusetts (love those Boston boys). Eventually I started talking to the 3 gringos that were wearing v-necks and made extended eye contact when I walked in. They were from Australia, loved the accents, but were all short and good for a nice chat but I had no other intentions. So after small talk I danced with the group, did some cheers to "Namaste, bitches!" and headed home in the cold because I had another early morning today for Reiki. 

This morning I wasn't sure if I really wanted to sit in on the rest of the Reiki course because I have already studied it and I was extremely tired from the 5:30 am fireworks today. Coming to the conclusion that I need to honor my commitments and do as much as I can while I am here, I put on 3 jackets, a scarf, and started trekking towards Niki's house where we were doing the class across town. I was quite proud of myself when I asked the gardeners outside of the door if it was her house, in Spanish, and that I was correct. So more Reiki, some group meditation, and a few hours later I headed back to the Healing House to run some errands and try to get a quick shower. The key to showering here is to do it when it is sunny out and when there is plenty of gas to heat the water. You turn the right knob on for 6 seconds, off for 3, then on again and wait 5 seconds for the water to heat up. I got it my first time, so excited to finally wash my hair and then the water went ice cold and so did my doused hair. It was not my lucky day to take a full shower, so I will try again tomorrow. I am taking care of my hygiene still people, don't worry, I'm not coming home with only a back pack and dreads. It was gorgeous today after 3 days of continuous rain and hail, so I only wore leggings and a long sleeve shirt, sporting my Florida State Croakies as I was finally able to use my sunglasses. I went to el Mercado de San Blas to get some more mangos, pears, bananas, and kiwi. Then on my way back I stopped at a tienda (corner store) to get eggs, peach juice, butter, gatorade, crackers, and Chips Ahoy cookies. It's safe to say I'm stocked up for about 4 days then I will need more fruits and veggies because I normally cook at the house and it is strictly vegetarian. After Reiki I was really craving a good pizza so I convinced Amy to go to a restaurant with me to satisfy my urge. It was a great decision, having gotten garlic bread with cheese and a Margherita pizza that was way better and cheesier than I expected. The rest of my day I worked at the house answering the door, doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning shared spaces. Amy and I tried to go out to a bar on our street called Siete Angelitos, Seven Angels, to hear an Amy Winehouse cover band play, but we realized we were drained and the band didn't come on until later than we hoped. So we headed home!

Tomorrow I have another Reiki sit in, this time for level III and I will be working with healing stones and auras. I am really excited to be in a place where these practices and studies are widely accepted and facilitated. I look forward to learning a lot more about the metaphysical and spiritual fields as well as more about myself as I am on my own through this journey. Please know that I am not trying to force my beliefs or practices on you, I just hope to bring some awareness to other activities through this blog and make a small difference if possible. The power of positive thought is amazing and that is what I really want to promote as well as infinite love. So I want to say I love you all so much and hope you are open to receiving it! 

Please Prepare for Landing

Brace for impact, because here is a long winded post about how my first day has been. 
So last I left you all I was in Miami and I was feeling really pumped after having downloaded some new music for the trip, and excited for my journey. I soon realized that would be short lived because true to my nature, change scares the fuck out of me. I might be able to tell myself that what I'm doing is easy and great, but dealing with it is a whole other story. So I'm going to share them with you!

Let me start by describing my flights during the wee hours of the morning. I went from Tampa to Miami on a short flight with plenty of extra seats and then boarded a plane at 1 am in Miami (after a 6 hour layover) along with a ridiculous number of elderly white people who were traversing the Andean countries as part of their bucket list. Now I've been to Europe twice, the first time flying first class to Italy and the second flying coach to Germany. Most of you know I am 6 feet tall so airplanes are never comfortable for me anyways, but this flight surprised me because of its capacity for entertainment. I flew Tan into Lima and the inflight entertainment included a personal touch screen on the seat back in front of me, loaded with over 75 classic pop culture movies and the newer ones as well. I had 5 hours to watch Life of Pi, Oz the Great and Powerful, Les Mis, The Descendants, Taken 2 (HELL NO), and my choice of the greatest Disney Pixar movies ever created. Long story short I fell asleep not even an hour into Oz and missed out on those great opportunities, but there is always the longer flight back! 

I was surprised by the entertainment available in coach because flying Luftansa to Germany I had a choice of five channels that had new-ish movies on repeat. And when I was flying first class to Italy I had the same entertainment experience as this time, which blew me away for some reason. What also blew me away was how delicious and common my inflight meal was. I have it labeled on my ticket that I requested a vegetarian/vegan meal and I got my food before everyone else, opening the hot meal to be surprised by perfectly cooked penne pasta covered in a sweet red sauce. This was accompanied by a small salad with Italian dressing, mixed fruits (YES), and a hot roll with vegetable oil butter and SALT. Normally a vegetarian meal is some random spicy rice and unidentifiable vegetable. I was so happy I took a picture of it for you all. 

Around 5 am Peru time (6 am FL) I disembarked in Lima, went through customs, had to claim my two fifty pound bags, and go outside to come back in and get my boarding pass and check my bags for my final connection to Cusco. At this point I really regretted not packing lighter. I made my way to security, threw away another full Fiji water bottle, took out my computer, and the security guys laughed at me because I didn't have to throw away my full water. That's how you know you are American. After the slight shame I made my way to the gate, flew for less than two hours, and made it to Cusco at 9 am. Sorry if you feel like I'm writing a novel here, I just want to be as detailed for you as my mind is when I'm going through these things. 

I was picked up by a fellow internship volunteer at the airport, took a taxi up the tiny streets of Cusco to our neighborhood of San Blas (just imagine that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when everything starts tunneling smaller), dropped my bags off in my private room with a private bathroom that I will have for one night only, and then went into the main house where all of the classes and healings take place. If you don't know I'm staying at the Healing House which is a holistic healing center run by an American that has made close relationships with the people of Cusco. After acquainting myself a bit with the grounds I headed to Mercado San Pedro to get some fresh food, having to pass through the central attraction of la Plaza de Armas. I can compare the architecture and the roads to those of Venice and Florence. At the market I got some fresh kiwi, a mango, organic raisins, cashews, pears, and toilet paper because they don't provide it at the house. 

After bartering in Spanish with the help of the other students from FSU that is volunteering we headed back to the house. I have been drinking out of a giant water bottle because the tap water here isn't safe for me, but they have giant filters at the house that I can use later on. I washed one of my pears, went back to my room, ate the pear and some cashews, finally got some sleep, and woke up around 5:30 and it was already dark. I will no longer be able to count on an 8:11 pm sunset from the beach. But what is gorgeous about Cusco is that I can see all of the houses on the hill lit up from my room, reminding me of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. 

After I woke up I spent some time online, checking Facebook, Instagram, iMessaging my mother, etc. Then I went to the main house, sat in the kitchen and watched Anne (a German <3) cook her dinner of mashed potatoes, garlic, chives, and asparagus. Eventually the rest of the house mates came into the kitchen, talking about the day they've had or where they are going tonight. During the day the city is in the upper 60's, low 70's and at night it gets down into the 40's because of the lack of sun and our altitude (11,200 ft.). So I bundled up in my Northface jacket, Sperry's, and my favorite multicolored wool scarf to get some hot tea in the Plaza de Armas which is just about a 5 minute walk from the house. We couldn't find the tea so we asked a man in the Plaza and he showed us where it would be closer to the house, but he also said he doesn't give more than 30 seconds to people normally and he gave more than that to me, so I should keep that in mind for next time. My first real flirtation in Cusco and he was pompous, no different than Tally!

Then I came home having to walk quite a way up some steep stairs to get to the house, and I started to feel dizzy and my heart was working hard. So I went to my room around 9, bundled up into bed, and it hit me that I miss home A LOT. I messaged my mom saying I wish I could sleep at home and just spend the days here. The homesickness combined with slight altitude sickness really made me upset and I vented on Facebook. All of the people that reached out to me made me cry tears of happiness but it was so cold that I didn't want to get up and walk 5 feet to get toilet paper to wipe my face. I started writing this post wearing two North Face jackets, a scarf, fuzzy socks, and covered by 4 heavy blankets. After getting some love on Facebook, having a good cry, and watching The Shaytards on YouTube I fell asleep ignoring the nausea. 

I woke up this morning around 9:30 am, got used to the light and cold, looked at my notifications from Facebook, Instagram, CNN, and SnapChat then talked to my mom for a bit before heading to the main house for some fresh kiwi for breakfast! At this point my mood had improved a lot and I am getting more comfortable with my surroundings as well as with the people. I don't think tonight will be as bad at all because we are going out as a last hoorah for Anne, the German, because it is her last night with us in Cusco. Oh and the nightlife in Cusco is said to be great, I will update you all more as I experience it myself! Today we are also supposed to be hosting the Club Deportivo Cienciano of Cusco, which is Cusco's f utbol team, for a yoga session. I do love international athletes...

Here is to a new day in Cusco, a new mindset, and good intentions!

Airport Life

I am in the process of departing to Cusco, Peru at the moment; as I sit at gate J15 of Miami International Airport I realize I have been doing this since 6 weeks old. With plenty of frequent flier miles I can attest to the not-so-glamorous airport life, but tonight is the first time I am flying overseas by myself, no friends or family to tag along.

I started to pack yesterday for this three month journey and came to the conclusion that I could never backpack through Europe because I pack undoubtedly much more than I need. I have my basics for the cooler climate and more conservative culture: jeans, heavier jackets, flannel pajama pants, converters, too many different colored v-neck polos, and of course my collection of Pi Phi gear and my Global Scholars t-shirt! I can't forget the 30 disposable cameras I'm bringing as part of my lesson plan for my photography class I'm teaching at the Healing House. Two 50 pound suitcases later I am a definite female that still admits to being over prepared rather than a terrible traveler.

In the days leading to my departure I wanted to focus on my family, friends, and soaking up the sun on the water of St. Pete Beach. I also realized I had to see Ironman 3 and Gatsby before I left, not sure if I could see them in English or at all while In Cusco or Lima. I tend to ignore the fact that I actually have to prepare in order to go on these international adventures in the days before I leave, so true to my instincts I only began to pack last night (a big step up from last summer's trip to Germany where I packed two hours before I left for the airport...). At around 2 am the anxiety set in as I figured my carry on would explode if I tried to fit the rest of my shoes and jackets in it, resulting in the adoption of a second suitcase and the fees that come along with it. Waking up this morning after packing a majority of my clothes I was still anxious because of all of the little things like my computer, gifts for my hosts, and the all too looming thought of forgetting something. The worst of it came after laying out in the sun for hours as I had to get ready to leave for the airport, I absolutely hate leaving my family even to go to school and I was even more fearful of missing my flight.

Pulling up to the American Airlines curbside checking at Tampa International Airport I felt the tears coming on as I said my goodbyes, dropped off my luggage, and turned to walk inside. I took some pictures with the family, hugged my dog, and later Instagrammed those moments of course after I went through security and made it to my gate in under 7 minutes.

One thing I am always disappointed by is having to throw away my mostly unfinished drinks before security, this time it was a fresh strawberry kiwi Snapple that I didn't even get to read the fact on the cap.

I digress... Anyways I'm sitting by my gate because the Admiral Club is on the opposite side of the airport further denoting my American-ness. I was quite excited though to have remembered a Starbucks gift card I had to use at the airport for giant bottles of Fiji water to last me through the plane rides and a special treat of Izze sparkling blackberry juice, my last hoorah until I'm back in the US. I'm taking this time to blog because as much as I love paying $7.95 for wifi, I am definitely ready to experience the different culture and customs of Cusco. I may be anxious but I am also very confident that I was called to do this for a greater purpose. I am prepared through my Omprakash training, language training (still studying those old high school Spanish binders I knew would come in handy), and the support of my family, sisterhood of Pi Beta Phi, and the international scholars I am linked to.

Here is to the next three months of change, personal growth, and community growth! I am ready for the challenges as well as this long night ahead of me! See you all abroad...