A taste of normality

The other day I went to the US for coffee. Then I walked back out onto the street into Peru again. This magical space warp is commonly known as Starbucks. And I actually went more than once. More like three times in three days during a shocking dip into urban life last week. I made my first trip back to Lima after three months in the mountains, and although I absolutely love the easy-going Andean lifestyle, Lima was a refreshing return to "normal" life.

In the short but busy trip, I started each morning with a grande coffee from Starbucks, which feels exactly like a US Starbucks except that the menu is in Spanish. Then I was off to the Peace Corps office for a 9 to 5 day of meetings. I am working with the Women in Development / Gender and Development (WID/GAD) committee, which is a 5 member team in charge of developing gender-related training programs and resources for Peace Corps staff and volunteers. It is a relatively new committee, and we spent almost two full days working on mission statements and developing a set of objectives to direct future WID/GAD activities in Peru. It was a lot of nitty-gritty work, and by the end of the three days, I was tired, a bit frantic, and totally strung out on coffee. In other words, the most normal I have felt in months. I also got to meet a bunch of new volunteers, eat good food, and get updated on all the Peru gossip. All in all, a very successful first business trip.

Now I am back in Huaraz, but things haven't slowed down much. I catch another night bus tomorrow to go to reconnect in Pacasmayo, where all the Peru 12ers will be together for the first time since November. It's going to be a crazy time on the coast, mixed with official business of course. Sorry to all of you who are still battling the last days of winter, but I'm off to the beach!