Last blog, over and out

So much to say: (SEPT –OCT 2011)

As my time here rolls to a close, 4 weeks left in fact, I obviously want to close out this blog that I started at the beginning of my journey. When I first started it I was fresh out of the military and couldn’t think of anything else to blog about except my packing list. Even the name “Peru, Practically Speaking,” has feeling of an Army officer’s official report. I wanted to start a blog that gave cut and dry, realistic advice to future volunteers; I wanted to essentially write a good ole’ Army AAR (after action review) that others could learn from. I can remember many of my fellow volunteers telling me that they thought I was going to be ubber-intense simply by reading my all-encompassing gear blogs before I even got into country. But then, little by little, as the blog continues on, you can sort of feel the way the Army in me slowly started to percolate out of my blogs, and drip by drip the Peace Corps filled them back up. I started talking more about the experiences I was having and my thoughts in regards to them; in the simplest of terms, I was writing about my feelings. I wrote about parties and traveling, other volunteers, and my host family. I wrote about work days and down days, happy days and rainy days. Pretty much a pretty typical Peru Peace Corps blog.

All told, I feel that this blog has captured (albeit with large gaps in the narrative) a sort-of transformation within me, which I feel any good travel blog should do. I know that I am leaving this country a different person, and I hope I’ve captured enough of my experiences and thoughts within this blog to allow for the reader to see it as well.

With that said I sort of want to close this blog in a similar fashion in which it was formed; writing about packing lists. Though this time I feel you’ll note a significant difference in my tone. I honestly can’t remember what exactly I put down as my “essential items” on the first few blogs ( I won’t be around internet for another week and a half so I can’t pull it up at the moment,) but I’ll try my hardest to remember. I can recall writing about boots and clothing for sure, the benefits of Gore-Tex and Vibram soled foot wear; both of which wore out in two years. I can also recall mentioning aid kits, personal hygiene stuff, and possibly even underwear and long-john pro’s and con’s; all of which will be used up and replaced by the Peruvian equivalent. I vaguely remember sleeping bags and camping gear, and possibly even duffle bag choices for packing for the campo; which, of course, is entirely up to the personal interest of the individual.

Now, when I consider all of these options I have to honestly say that you could arrive to Peru with a day pack full of clothes and bathroom supplies and do just fine. Every volunteer will have a capital city to buy missing toiletry items and every volunteer will come to know Topi-Top at some point or another to fulfill their clothing needs. So as much as I hate to admit it, and as frustratingly vague as the packing list is that the Peace Corps sends weeks before departure, it’s actually pretty accurate. Within two years any adaptable volunteer will find solutions to their logistical needs, I guarantee it...As I write this I’ve already been critiqued for not at least adding SOMETHING of use, so here it is, you’re words of advice; 1. If you have big feet buy sturdy shoes that will last because you can’t find anything bigger than EUR 46 in Peru, 2. If you have wool allergies bring your own long-johns, 3. Chaco’s may be the brand name of Peace Corps footwear, but better left at home since the mountains are too cold and the coast is too dirty, and 4. if you are athletically inclined and just can’t wait to do some pull-ups, definitely buy the Rouge Fitness pull-up rings. They can be looped over any soccer goal in Peru and were key to maintaining my fitness for two years (and I didn’t get paid to say that). So there you have it, a little bit of Army and a lot a bit of Peace Corps, Peru Practically Speaking- over and out, 2009-2011.