Me extrano mi Peru mucho!

It has been nearly exactly 1 month and 1 day since I have arrived back in Canada. Surprisingly, reverse culture shock didn't really occur. Of course the first few days were a bit odd for me, being surrounded by so many caucasians and not greeting people with the regular kiss on both cheeks (I had to actually mentally stop myself from doing so when I saw my professor the day after I returned).

Today I was sitting in the planning studio spending 2.5 hours painting tiny houses grey for our study model. I have spent most of my time the last 2 weeks in the planning studio doing things like painting tiny houses, cutting out contours, sanding down said contours, and a lot of other tedious and mindless stuff that we have to do in urban design courses. Ever since arriving back in Canada, I have been thrown into work so quickly without a moment of respite that I just took it all in so quickly, because I had to. I had to (have to) do this work and today, while sitting painting tiny houses, I just thought about how weird it is that just a month ago, I was trekking around in Bolivia and Peru seeing the most amazing sites in the world and doing some pretty amazing things.

I'm saddened by the fact that I am forgetting Peru so quickly. A lot of it may because I am so busy in Waterloo, that I have no time to reflect or think about my 4 months in South America.

I really missed Canada during the last few weeks of my time in South America. And of course I am happy to be back, but at the same time I am so saddened by the return of normalcy to my life. The monotony of doing things like cutting tiny houses as opposed to the exciting traveling that I was doing in Bolivia and Peru. Even the most mundane thing that I did in Lima, such as grocery shopping or taking the bus - I miss. I miss the bus system and how chaotic it is, I miss Vivanda, the swankiest grocery store I have ever been to. I really miss South American people, and how friendly they are. I remember on my excruciatingly long transit back to Canada, I talked with so many Peruvians so easily. There is something so carefree about South American culture, the people are so friendly and warm. Here, I find that people can be friendly, but talking to a stranger can also get you some really strange looks depending on the person.

Perhaps I am just so fed up with working on this studio model, as I usually am. And fed up with the stress of having to find a co-op position and deadlines up the whazoo. I wish that I could return to my stress easy life in Peru, where after work I would take a leisurely bus ride to my yoga studio and relax. Or on the weekends when sometimes I would just take a walk around my neighbourhood, or go to Miraflores and just walk around, eat at cafes on my own and people watch with a glass or red wine in my hand.

I hope that one day I will return. Lima is a place that I could live in. I love Toronto, and I love Canada. But I know that my heart is never content staying in one place.