Happy Anniversary to Me!

This month marks my one year anniversary in Peru. Happy Anniversary to me....

I arrived in Lima on January 6th of 2008. This week also marks my first anniversary in Ilo. I arrived here without any idea what was before me. A random town in the southern extreme of Peru. I really don't even know how I ended up in S. America in the first place. I suppose maybe I should start over and read my entire blog and I might pick up some clues! I think that part of it was to experience more of Latin America and S. America seemed exotic. Having been here for a year, it doesn't seem that far away and yet it is half a world away. It's been great to get to know this beautiful country with it's cultures, foods, customs, animals and people. There is so much more to know, but the good thing is....this is my new home and I have plenty of time to explore.

I arrived in summer to a small costal town with a funny name. I stayed with a loving and generous family who let me recuperate in their spare bedroom from my travels through Peru. It's so great that now they will be my family. It's easy to say, "life is an adventure" but really it's another thing to throw yourself into it completely. This last sabbatical has drastically altered my life. Meeting Richard was actually an opportunity I almost missed and an adventure I didn't embrace. It's so fun that people who were strangers are now family and a foreign town is now my hometown. Wow how things change in just 12 months.

I think it will be good for me to take some time to take it all in and think through my year. So....if you're in for some pensive thoughts...stay tuned.