September 10, 2010
Wednesday afternoon took every bone of strength for me NOT to burst into tears while saying goodbye to Hollis to hold it together long enough to get through customs. Every part of me wanted to break down, turn around and go back home with him but I knew breaking down while sitting & waiting for the plane SOLO would not only prevent me from ever stopping the sob fest, it would also give me a headache, make me ugly (I’m not a pretty crier) and take away from being ‘STRONG’. Which is the theme of the next few months.
The plane ride was also another treat. I was seated next to Freddy Villanueva, in my eyes translated into pure angel. He ended up helping me through the Peruvian airport and right into Father Alberto’s hands. He told me in Spanglish that he has lived in the US for the past five years working & putting his two daughters through school while his wife lives in Lima. He comes back and fourth every 3-4 weeks and stays for a weekend. I couldn’t believe this! I was in tears because I’m leaving for three months – but then will be back, like back for good. His trip never ends. The gave my emotions a temporary thumbs up while I thought back to my own relationship & how part of me never wanted to leave it!
Well, once we arrived at the airport my next adventure was to find Padre Alberto because I would be staying at his house for the night and tomorrow we would be going to Chincha Alta together, or at least that is what I thought the plan was. Considering I had no idea what Padre Alberto looked like I felt a little anxious but there he was standing in the little fishbowl that is the arrival lounge with a sign… The funniest thing about this was once we reached the Padres Home he parked up on the side of the road and told me to ‘wait here’
Wait here?
Alone? In the dark?
Seriously?
Seriously, this man gets out of the car, goes inside to the compound & eventually comes back from the garage. In the meantime he locks the doors and my heart rate increases, my thoughts are only dark and I’m thinking. “Oh, god. Now what?”
No worries though, nothing happened and of course it was my own thoughts that got the best of me. Inside the compound was beautiful & simple & I was thinking, not bad. If this is anything like what my living arrangement will be like, not bad at all.
I will tell you I was wrong, very wrong & I’m still working out the kinks at the moment.
The next little bump in the road when I figured out Alberto wasn’t taking me to Chincha; no no he was driving me to the bus terminal. The bus terminal? He wasn’t coming with me on this bus excursion either- just me, myself & I & all my insecurities & worries of course J
The adventure really ends here though, thankfully I made it to Chincha in one piece and Brother Blaise was waiting for me – thankfully. The drive there was interesting though because it goes from busy, hectic city life to nothing but Sand. Mounds, hills, valleys & sand, I couldn’t help but look out into the vastness of what lay ahead of me, thinking of the time, adventures, frustrations, and challenges I will be faced within the next 90 days.
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