The Climb
La Ciudad de las Flores, La Perla de los Andes, Tarma, my new home. I´ve spent my past week and a half getting to know this city that I will soon call my home. The first thing that will catch your eyes is the surrounding mountains and all the surprised, yet welcoming faces. There is a beautiful Plaza de Armas and plenty of stores for all your needs (lucky me). I spent the first few days with the other volunteers from my group that are also going to be calling Junín their new home come July. I really can’t complain, Junín isn’t ready for the amazing group that is being sent here. I am lucky to have three of my closest friends coming with me, but at the same time I am having to part with some amazing people that I know at the end of the day will continue to be in my life (because they have no choice, I will call them on the daily until they answer- that’s you KATIE). We were told that Junín often goes under the radar, people don’t specifically talk much about Junín, but I think we are so lucky to get to live in such a beautiful department with a rich history, rolling mountains and views for days- Junín has everything for any adventurous soul and if you couldn´t care less about the thrills Lima is only a few hours away.
Very much like the first days at training, the days here go on for years but the weeks end in the blink of an eye. Being alone for the first time was a bit of a shock, of course the first thing I had to do was call someone because I didn´t know how to work the bathroom. You know life gets real when you don´t know how to do previously simple tasks, for example using the bathroom, doing laundry, taking a shower, getting to places in general, and most importantly being able to communicate about more than simple tasks and greetings. We really are lucky to have such a great support network- I called Natalie, a current Youth Volunteer and the Peer Support Network (PSN) representative here in Junin, we shared many laughs and she easily explained how to squat and flush. Another thing that was new for me here and what I struggled with the most my first few days was being alone a lot, back in Chaclacayo my family is always around and when I´m not home I am out with other trainees. But here both my parents work for the majority of the day and I am having to step out of my comfort zone and make core relationships that don´t come easy or quickly. Throughout this process I have been super positive, you think that there are things you will never do, well you can go on thinking that but it doesn´t happen until it´s actually happening- be ready. For example, showering where you previously just took a dump (sorry we are like old people here and openly talk about ´shit´) when I first got here I was thinking, hmmm looks like I´m not showering for these 15 days, but three days in where was I? I was attempting my first bucket bath while standing on my toilet thing; I don’t know what to call it. Didn’t think I would ever clean myself where I shit but hey I was doing it and now I´ve done it—at least I don’t smell right?
I´ve found that to survive and flourish here it´s necessary to do the unthinkable tasks and cherish every single little win, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Throw a party when you only have to take 4 breaks, instead of 20, while climbing up your mountain during the hottest part of the day (260 stairs to be exact’ yes this is how many stairs I have to climb to get to my house and yes, I´m either singing ¨The Climb¨ or ¨Climb everyyyy mountainnnn¨ in my head). Some days that might be the only positive incident or encounter that I have, and you know what I´m going to take it. These experiences are really showing me the importance of the little things and that it really doesn´t take a lot to put a smile on my face or turn my day around when it’s not going my way when I don´t let the negatives cloud my mind. Also, it is really important to know that it is up to me to make a difference in my life and in each day, I know the days where I don’t want to leave my room are coming and when I refuse to speak anymore Spanish, but I can´t let them defeat me. I am strong and I got here for a reason and I am not going to let myself get in the way of a new experience or my own happiness. Now I am done with my positive vibes/ si se puede rant.
So what have I been doing the past 9 days in Tarma sola? I´ve given many speeches, which was me basically repeating everything the person introducing me said, but hey what am I supposed to do when I have a written out speech memorized and the person says all my main talking points. I´ve coordinated activities with my socios that I was given, we were sent here with a blank calendar and a long list of things to do and how we go about completing those items is up to us. My group is also the first group from PC Peru that has site exploration for more than just a few days, which I personally think is beneficial because we are SPOILED at the training center and in Chaclacayo. Also, this gives us the opportunity to see how life is really going to be as a volunteer and gives us a feel for our new cities before officially moving at the end of July. I am currently staying with the family that I am going to live with for the next two years, and above I mentioned a climb that I have to do to get to my house and it is very real and happens twice a day. But the climb is definitely worth it once you get to the top and see the view of the city. The first few days I barely spoke any Spanish, but I did improve my English (which yes is already starting to fade, it´s pretty frustrating when you can think of a word in one language, make that two) because I was constantly on the phone talking to the other trainees- thank tha lawd for free RPM calls. But after the first week I got to a state of being content. It´s so weird when the days start feeling normal but at the same time it´s great because this is actually how my life is going to be for the next two years.
The real questions are what am I going to do for the next 9 days and what happens next? I know I still have a lot of activities to complete and I know I will make it happen. Si se puede! What happens next? I have this overwhelming feeling of gratefulness and joy right now but it won´t last forever, so how am I going to handle the situations where I feel the opposite? Since arriving in Peru, I really haven´t had a day where I was just really sad. So how am I going to handle that and how am I going to do it by myself? I know I will be able to reach out to others but it´s not the same as having someone by your side or having someone hold you when you feel broken. By the end of this journey I am going to know so much about myself, which is an end benefit, but first I have to go through all the obstacles and work my way through it. I don’t think anyone can truly prepare for the really bad days. I keep reminding myself that when the days come I will manage because I am strong and at the end of the day it will pass even if it feels like an eternity. So yeah, we will see how I feel in the days to come but for now I am grateful for this experience and I am especially lucky to get to share it with my peeps here.
So my advice for others-
*Never talk yourself out of doing something out of fear- you are capable of so much and I am sure that everyone around you knows that even if you, yourself, don´t
*Take advantage of the time you get by yourself- take in your surroundings and I hope that you are in a situation where you can be proud of what you are doing, even if your aren´t doing it well at least you are trying
*Observe others- really take in what is going on around you, when you see someone is down think of ways you could turn their day around- remember it´s the little things
*Something anyone would learn if they moved to Peru is how important relationships are but here you really have to put work in to reap the benefits, but in the end all the work is worth it. Try to take some time out of your day to sit down and have a conversation with someone and you might be surprised with what you learn.
*There is always more to learn whether it be about a person or a place and don´t just observe, ask questions (AYE using that D.I.V.E model- Enrique would be so proud)
*Find the purpose in your life, it can honestly be anything but don´t stop looking for it and when you find it don´t forget it. Currently at this very second I am enjoying a high of this experience. I know that this won´t always be the case and when I am feeling useless it will be important for me to remind myself the reason I am here, and how good it feels when I´m at the top. I know that I´m a newbie in this whole situation and that I´m technically not even a volunteer yet, but I´ve already gained so much from it- relationships, knowledge, purpose, motivation, wisdom, and happiness.
*Stay positive by always looking for the good in every situation. For example, my climb is always as bad as I remembered but one the view is spectacular and I wouldn´t get that if I was living in the city, plus I´m going to be in the best shape of my life with a rockin booty and thighs.
I currently can´t post any of the amazing pictures I´ve been taking but I promise I have them and I will share them once I´m back in Chaclacayo. Also, I saw a llama and that was pretty much amazing. Miss and love everyone, hopefully I can post again before I go back we will see. Also, sorry if anything doesn´t make sense and just overlook my punctuation because I´m having to use this funky keyboard in an internet cafe.