Learning to Swim: Finding Diamonds in the Rough

Imagine for a moment: a bird; maybe the same one just outside your window. See her gliding through the air; free as the clouds that sift through her wings. Now imagine, if you can, that bird being plucked from the sky and thrown into a large strongbox full of water; the top immediately closing and locking shut. There is no way out, there is no point in calling for help. The bird must learn to swim, or drown.

Many of us long for things we have yet to experience. Places we've never seen, people we've never met; the great unknown possesses a certain appeal that is tantalizing but also deceptive.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting before arriving here in Lima. But upon exiting the airport and taking in this new world I had thrown myself into, I immediately realized the total contradiction of what I imagined and the unappealing reality that stood before me. It didn't take long for me to realize just how inapt I truly was in this new place. The surroundings, the culture, and the language were all elements in this cesspool of foreignness that I was being forced to tread. After just a week, I think I have finally learned the true exactness in the term "sink or swim".

Now, I can't say that I am effortlessly paddling through the waves just yet. This bird is still very much struggling to adapt to her new surroundings; constantly kicking and breathing to keep herself afloat. But I will say that the most wonderful people you will ever meet are more likely to be found in the lowliest of places. Every person I have met thus far has been a life raft, keeping my head above water. I had not been working in this new school for more than twenty minutes before I fell completely in love with those children. They give me a purpose here, and reassure me every day that they want and need what only I can give them. I am so thrilled to wake up every morning with resole; knowing that what I am doing will make a difference in the lives of these children. This has been a driving force as I continue to familiarize myself with my new surroundings and slowly grow to love everything about this experience.

So, one day at a time, but loving every minute of it, and finding beauty in the....well.....not so beautiful. ha.

* Sorry I don't have many pictures yet, but the one above is the view from my rooftop at dusk. Down the hall from my bedroom on the top floor, there is a door that goes onto the roof where the laundry is hung to dry. It has easily become my favorite place; to think, to listen. This is the first place I finally had a moment to myself on the first day. I looked around and thought, "Okay; I can do this."

All my love. Till next week!

Three days and counting...

After months and months of planning and preparation, we are now just a few short days from take off. For those of you who are new to this story, let me fill you in:

It was around late fall of last year that I began my correspondence with an internship adviser at BYU. I had heard from a member of my bishopric-who is also an adviser at the university-about different internship opportunities in Peru. I was told the internships are generally for Education/English majors to teach English as a second language, but I was curious as to the likelihood of a theater major being invited to teach using drama and performance as a language/learning tool. After proposing this idea to my adviser, it was all a matter of sending every resume and CV in my arsenal to the school directors in Lima and then waiting for their response. It took a good few weeks, from what I remember. I was on holiday break, walking out of a movie with my family when I received the call. Not only was I being accepted as an intern, I was being invited to introduce an entire performance program to this elementary school. This news was followed with a wave of both excitement and anxiety. The responsibility of starting up an entire program in a foreign country was one of-if not the most-daunting task I had ever been faced with. Despite the intimidation I felt, I accepted the position without hesitation.

So now here we are. The amount of work in preparation for this experience has been extensive, but now, there isn't much left to do accept board that plane. I cannot even begin to express my joy and excitement for this opportunity. I know it will be a great adventure. Peru, alla voy!