Expectations
Transferred from original diary(posted May 11, 2006)
SUMMARY:
Alright, the nervousness is gone for the moment, now I'm excited. Here are my expectations.
FOR DETAIL LOVERS, ONLY:
It's May 11th!!! Almost 1 am, and I'm considering going to bed and finishing the packing/Peru prep tomorrow. It shouldn't take too long, I don't think, but we'll see. I have a tendency of underestimating the time it takes to complete things. Anyway, in about 13 hours, I'll be on my way to the airport, heading south for the winter, literally! So here are some of the things I'm expecting/imagining might happen in my voyage:
MY ARRIVAL:
1. I will arrive in Lima after more than 20 hours of travel (I have a huge layover in Miami). I will make it through customs with flying colors, impressing the officials with my impeccable-ish Spanish.
2. I will be greeted by a driver, holding a sign with my name. I will ask for the sign as a souvenir, and the driver will instantly become my first resource for Peru info.3. I will be taken to the intern house, where Jared (another intern) will greet me and show me the ropes. He'll put my fears at ease, show me where to get food, and he and I will become fast friends for the duration of our time in Lima together, and beyond.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
1. Earthquakes. Peru is earthquake-prone, so I'll be on my guard for tremors all summer.
2. Beaches. Lima is said to have beautiful beaches, although it's not a very sunny place. I hope I live near the coast and the water's warm enough to swim in.
3. Peruvians are supposedly really friendly, especially the men when there are single women. I plan on salsa dancing a bit, but nothing too much more crazy than that. I'm headed to Peru in a professional context, and want to use this opportunity to learn about expatriation and government operations. I'm not just going to have a good time with friends and learn the culture, although I'm hoping there'll be plenty of that, too.
4. The food is apparently some of the best in the world, from what I've read and been told. I want to try guinea pig (yes, eating it!), and the local drinks. I've heard good things about Peruvian beer.
5. Activities I'd like to try: Sandboarding (like snowboarding, but on sand), skiing in the Andes, eating an Andes Candy in the Andes, going to the zoo in Lima, basking in the hot springs and arab baths (hopefully starting my first weekend there!), shopping, tours of Machu Pichu and the Nazca Lines, maybe a tour of the Amazon, trips to Chile and Argentina, and maybe Brazil (I really want to go to Iguassu Falls, in Brazil).
There are plenty of other expectations that I have, but I need to get some sleep if I'm going to be ready to go on time. This is it, it's coming true! Look out world, I'm goin' to Peru!
posted by Jessica @ 3:04 PM
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