On The Road Again

It's been nearly a month now since I returned to the snow-capped peaks and endless blue skies of Colorado. As I look back on my time in South Africa, the two months I spent there seem like a blur, full of good times and lessons learned, and it is still hard to believe that time passed that quickly. Now, as I prepare for the next leg of my journey, I find myself wondering how fast the time will fly over the next four months. I think about all the lovely people that I will meet, all the delicious food I will eat, and all the obstacles I will overcome, and I challenge myself to truly absorb all of those experiences. I have found that it is quite simple just to "do" things in life, but it is far more rewarding and beneficial to actually "experience" those things. Take eating an apple for instance. You could choose to eat an apple purely for its nutritional value, or you could truly absorb the "experience" of the apple: taking time to appreciate the bright red color, indulging slowly, and melting in the delicious decadence of the fruit. You may even study the core, comparing it to like shapes, or maybe making a craft from the seeds. Clearly, the latter option makes an apple both more exciting and more memorable, and as I discover what awaits in the big wide world, I want to indulge in the same manner. I want to melt in the "delicious decadence" of life. I want to allow the very essence of each new place to seep through the pores of my soul, and emanate from the fabric of my sentences.

Tomorrow that challenge begins with a plane ride to Cuzco, Peru. Once at the airport, I won't have far to travel, as my living quarters appear to be directly across the fence from the runway. As far as I know, I will be living in an apartment with one other volunteer, and our home stay family consists of a middle aged couple and two children. I will be sure to post more details on the arrangement once I arrive. During my time in Peru, I will be participating in a special program that helps teachers in the region develop lesson plans to teach English more efficiently. Because of the thriving tourism industry there, it is very advantageous to speak another language, English in particular. Unfortunately the children will be enjoying their summer vacation during my stay, and I will not have many chances to teach English directly to them. 

So with that, I hope you will continue to read the updates. I can't guarantee their quantity but I can guarantee their quality, and as with life, the latter is much more important anyways. Don't forget to do what you can to make the world a better place, because in the long run, we're all just passin' through.