A Beginning and an End

It seems to have taken a long time but the day has finally arrived. Tuesday, December 9th I left for Peru. Much thanks to Garth for the Delta Buddy Pass that allowed me to fly affordably the 11 hour flight from Portland to Lima via ATL (not to mention all the back and forth until I actually got on that final flight!). A layover in Atlanta, allowing me a nice visit with my cousin Bob. It was good to spend some time with family I hadn't seen in a couple years. I'd like to also publicly extend my thanks to the many kind people that have allowed me to stay with them over the past two months and have gone out of their way to help me in various ways. I feel so honored and blessed to have so many wonderful, authentic and benevolent people in my life!

Six of these folks joined me for a 'last supper' at Bridgeport Brewery in Portland. Good bye was much more difficult for me this time around, not because the friendships are deeper than the ones from the east but because of the actual finality of it. When I left MD the immediate adventure was focused in the USA and it seemed more like a beginning. But now, without a phone and uncertainty of the duration, I've left not only my friends and family back east but new, budding friendships, my baby and my puppy. I don't know if I'll ever see Bear again. He is nearly 13 and I'll be gone a long time. And to be honest, the responsibility level my son has displayed since I moved out has been very disappointing so I also worry about him a great deal. Now it feels like 'the end' and before leaving Portland I spent a few days mourning and feeling maudlin. Not to mention I'm a bit tired and weary from all my recent travels and would be somewhat content to settle down somewhere and "grow moss". I know this due to my anxiety levels being very high. There are a lot of factors at play including South America being waaay out of my comfort zone and for the first time I understand why people say I'm brave. Not feeling it right now...spent the better part of Tuesday springing saltwater from my eyes. It's a foreign feeling as I'm normally super excited for any sort of adventure and even when I spent 16 months in Europe in my 20's, I never experienced anything even remotely like this. I'm hoping peace comes once I get going.

My last weeks in the US included another trip to Napa for five days, soaking in hot springs and cycling 27 miles from St. Helena over quiet streets, past beautiful vineyards and through quaint towns (Yountsville is my favorite) to Napa where I stayed with a friend. Back in Portland, board games, dinners with friends and an evening of dancing and immense fun while listening to my longtime friend Justin Sheehy perform filled my time (thank you for creating a new meaning/memory for the song Wild World!). Clay and I started Thanksgiving with the Turkey Trot. In 52 minutes we jogged about three of the four miles through Washington Park and ending at the zoo. This is significant since Clay isn't a runner and I've slacked off considerably since the Electric Run in early October. I was very proud of him! Despite my frustrations he really is an awesome person. Then we had dinner and played games with 40 friends and strangers. Friday a small group of us went to the lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony in downtown PDX. Just one year earlier Clay and I rode to Ohio with my best friend and spent the weekend with family in what was one of my most enjoyable Thanksgiving holidays in many, many years. Interesting how much difference one year makes...

I'm convinced that the delay in Atlanta was by God's design. After five days, including an overnight in the airport and in the same clothes since I left Oregon (but clean underwear!) I was more than ready to leave. The second to last person to make it on the plane and a two hour departure delay but I finally landed safely in the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately my backpack didn't and I'm long overdue for a shower and some clean clothes. It's been so long in the making it doesn't seem real. Although I shared a cab and the taxi driver tried to rip us off. Now I'm just trying to focus on the exciting parts, like the fact that it is almost summer here, the upcoming hike to Machu Picchu and trying my hand at sand boarding in Huacachina. At the same time I'm kicking myself for dragging my feet and not being able to get my visa for Brazil before I left. This means, if I can't get it in Peru then I will miss Carnival in Rio, which is a major bucket list item--along with the Amazon rain forest in Brazil. Grrr!