The Night Before

So.  I think I'm ready.  Even if I'm not, I'm still doing it.  I've heard nothing but good things from all of the people that I've talked to about the project in Peru.  I talked to a young lady a few days ago who had gone on the project a few months earlier and she assured me that my time there would be AMAZING!  She even asked me to say hello to the kids when I got there. 

Anyways, for the next week I'll basically be relaxing in Orlando, and if I'm lucky I'll make a trip to see Colin (if I'm lucky). Then I leave for Peru next Friday.  It's going to be a hectic day.  Aside from my mother's gigantic flow of tears which I expect to start at random moments during our vacation in Florida, I'm going to have to be completely focused on flying and God knows what else.  It'll be the most thinking that I've done since my final exams.  For some reason,  my lay over in Houston is only 1 hour, which is basically short according to some experienced veterans that I talked to earlier today.  Let's just say, I've printed out maps of the terminals. 

I've seen most of my friends for the last time, except for one and he has promised me that I'll be eating breakfast with him tomorrow morning.  There really is nothing like a good friend.  I am so privileged. 

I've got a few more things to do.  I still have to pack a bag for Orlando, and I've got to get this master notebook together.  Talk to you soon, probably from Peru. I doubt I'll even have time to write on this during the next week. 

Revelación

I am worrying, and I knew I would. 

I've realized that one of the things that I hate the most is not knowing things.  Being out of the loop has never really been good for me.  Besides irritating me, I think it gives me this empty feeling inside.  Basically, I like to know everything.  There's a reason why I have a Stalkbook and it is not to tell people about myself. 

Now keeping in mind what I've just said, you will understand why going to Peru is going to be a little difficult for me.  I'm not going to have a phone in Peru.  I figured it wouldn't be worth the trouble.  They cost about two hundred dollars, and then I have to pay $1.50/min if someone from the US called me and I would have to pay $4/min if I decided to call anyone.  In a nutshell, the prices are ridiculous.  Therefore, I'll probably be relying on email, and the occasional Skype conversation in order to keep me in the loop, which probably means I want be in the loop at all.  

Theoretically, it could be a good thing because it will probably help me to escape the little worries of my everyday life at home, but I don't want to give up the limited time that I have with my friends either, especially the ones that go to other colleges.  I've stayed in touch with most of them, and that makes me confident that i'll be able to in the future, but I can feel some of them moving away despite my desire to keep them near.  I'm scared this time away will only make it easier for them to gravitate away from me.  Of course, I'm probably just worrying too much. I guess, "we'll see."  Sometimes people surprise me, I can think of one right off hand, and I am very proud of him. 

Other thoughts in my head:  I hate alcohol, and my impatience with/other people's inability to respond to text messages.  People with twitter must be either strong, or famous.  Anakin Skywalker represents all people. 

Medicine

There's a huge likelihood that I'm going to get diarrhea sometime during my stay in Peru.  I don't know how and I don't know when, but I'm going to try my hardest not to get it.  I know it's going to be so unpleasant.  The water is Peru is basically completely different from water in the United States, and my doctor has told me that I should never drink from the tap water. So, I'll be drinking a lot of bottled water.  I'm not sure about the foods, but I've read that you shouldn't eat food from street vendors or any of the native fruits.  I hope I like all the foods they fix because the last thing I want to do is tell the family I'm staying with that I don't like something. I know that's terribly disrespectful.  Anyways, my solution to all this is a prescription, which I have yet to pick up from the pharmacy.  It's called Cipro. 

I also got some medicine for altitude sickness. Apparently, that happens to people in Peru, and I do remember reading about tourists having problems with it in my Spanish 204 class.  We actually gave a presentation on Arequipa. Thankfully, there is a small advantage to the high altitudes.  There aren't any Malaria carrying mosquitos which means I'm not going to get Malaria and die.  There are better ways to die in Peru, like by a natural disaster.  They're prone to almost every kind there is... earthquake, volcanic eruption, tsunami... you name it they're prone to it. 

Other thoughts in my head: "And this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."  If I had to live with any of my best friends, I'd probably kill them, especially Mark.