Strike in Cusco - view during breakfast this morning.
Many people have remarked to me that I must be brave to have set off on this trip around the world. However, I feel it requires a lot more bravery to return and start over. When I first get home, I´ll be happy to see everyone, and they´ll be happy to see me, but eventually, my family and friends will go back to their lives and I will be left to rebuild one. It is that transition that I dread the most. I knew this day would come eventually, but it seems just like yesterday that I was standing at the Shannon Airport waiting for what would the first of many buses, wondering to myself, can I do this? Will I make it a year? I never believed I´d actually last even longer.
So what are my plans now? I am not worried about finding a job back in Minneapolis, but I am worried about finding a job that will make me happy. I´m worried that it will be hard to go back to the working world after over a year casting about the world with no responsibilities, deadlines, and routine.
When these guys came down the street, the restaurant manager told us to move inside as they might not like the fact the restaurant stayed open and throw things up at us on the balcony. All was fine.
I´m worried I´ll be restless and unable to be content in one place.
I´ve come up with some ways to get through this rough time, however. I have lots of plans with family and friends this summer: camping, fishing, tubing, running, and general playing. The other thing I´ll be focused on: what´s my next trip? I have a list...traveling the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Tierra de Fuego by motorcycle, where I will sell said motorcycle to fund passage on a ship to Antarctica; back to Africa, likely starting in Morrocco and traveling southward around Western Africa; getting a car and joining the Mongol Rally from Edinburgh to Ulaan Bataar; trekking to Everest Base Camp, and finally a visit down under to OZ and NZ. It´s a start!
And with any luck, this spring I will be cruising around Europe in a Viking boat.
Holding the Peru flag.
But all these things require money, thus the need to go home and refill the coffers. I can´t complain, though. I´ve done so much in my last year that some may never get to do in their lifetimes. So even though the next few months ahead may be ugly, it was worth it. Embarking on this journey has been the single greatest thing I´ve ever done in my entire life!
I´m jumping ahead of myself, however. Jen and I have run into some obstacles here in Cusco. Unbeknowst to us, there is some national strike going on here in Peru, and everything in Cusco has shut down today. We were unable to get of here by bus yesterday as there were potential roadblocks, and we thought we might have to fly, but we were able to finally get a bus ticket leaving tonight, getting us to Lima tomorrow just in time to get to the airport to fly home.
A Cusco flag and banner.
It´s definitely been an interesting end to an interesting trip! I admit that when we were first told we could not get out of here since no buses were running, I almost did a cartwheel. My sister was not amused, but I secretly hoped I´d get stuck here. Alas, it´s not to be and I will see my familiar hometown sometime Friday afternoon. I shed tears as I write this, but there is much joy behind them. Mostly I´m sad because I´ll no longer have an exciting life to write about! I´ve really enjoyed writing about my adventures, and I´ve been so grateful to those who have read about them and written comments, sent smiles and words of encouragement. It´s made my whole experience so much better.
With that I bid you all farewell...for now.
