Two Years Later

I left for my foreign exchange on July 28th, 2013.  It's now January, 2016!  It's been a long, long time.  I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks back in Lima the Christmas after I got back.  Since then I have been working and studying and enjoying my time back in the US.  I feel a pang in my heart whenever I think about Peru.  I miss the hustle and bustle of Lima, and the exhilarating freedom I felt living there.  I'm back in my hometown currently, good ol' Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  I just finished my first semester at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County and am very pleased to be working on another upcoming trip.  I'm applying to study abroad in Fiji! I hope everything works out.

Thanks for everything.
G

Updated March 21, 2018:
Nearly four years later, and here I am.  I graduated with an Associate degree and am now studying Political Science at the University of Wisconsin--River Falls.  I traveled to Fiji in 2016 and lived there for a semester.  Now I'm trying to get back into the blog game.  Check out the page I'll be updating from now on:  www.gingerpinkerton.blogspot.com
Cheers!

Finality

So I've been back for a bit less than 3 weeks now.  It's been a while since I last posted, nearly a month ago.  Let's see how much I can remember.

I'll base this part off of my photos.  My last week in Peru I didn't go to class.  I went out with friends, enjoyed myself, spent as much time as I could with my favorite people. 

Let's see..the following photos are from a day's visit to Barranco, which included lunch, sightseeing, and some last minute souvenir shopping.

Leche de tigre

Beautiful (but expensive) paintings

Some more photos from my final days:

Feeding pigeons in the center of Lima

One of my favorite views strangely enough

Swinging in the park

It was really fun actually

My cheesecake from my last dinner

My last dinner in Peru

Like shown in the photos above, my last official dinner in Peru was pizza, inca kola, and cheesecake.

On the night of the 27th, we headed out to the airport a little later than expected due to traffic, getting there about 10:30, but it didn't end up making a difference, we had plenty of time.  I checked two large suitcases (at no extra cost despite the half kilo overweight) and had a backpack and duffel bag to carry on.  About 8 other exchange students had also shown up at the airport despite the late hour to say goodbye.  We all sat and talked and ate mcdonalds around a few of the tables in the food court of the airport in my last few hours.  At 11 something (I don't remember what time it was) me and Alexis (another girl leaving that night) decided it was time to say goodbye and go through to security.  I kept it light, gave hugs and "see you soon"s to the students, said goodbye to my family members, and got a nice polaroid of me and my two best exchange friends Connor and Emilie.  I stood with Connor and Emilie while Alexis finished her goodbyes.  She was very teary and I was fairly calm.  I said to my friends "As long as I turn off my brain and don't think and don't remember, it doesn't hurt and I don't cry". Then I ended it pretty swiftly, deciding not to prolong the goodbye, and gave a final wave and walked through the line to get to security.  I blew a final kiss and crossed over to security.  We went through security easily and paid two dollars because of the two days we had overused our visas.  Then Alexis and I said goodbye and went to our separate gates (I was heading to Atlanta and she to Miami).  When I was finally alone (well, surrounded by lots of tourists and airport staff) I felt very strange and felt a few sharp urges to cry but managed to keep myself together.  I felt so, so, so different from all the people around me (I almost felt superior to them, as shallow as that sounds).  For some reason I felt angry at all of them.  These were tourists.  They came for a week or so, took their photos, bought their souvenirs, and then left without leaving much of a trace and without making any ties or bonds.  Leaving didn't hurt them because they hadn't made any connections and weren't really leaving anything behind.  I had a feeling that most of the people sitting at that gate with me couldn't relate to what I had done or how I was feeling.  They didn't know that I had just said goodbye to my old life.  I'm sure there's a word or term for feeling negativity towards people that haven't been what you've been through.  Or maybe it's a really simple word that's used commonly and I just can't think of it.

When they called my section I got up and they did a quick search of the bags (not just to mine, to everyones) and I got on the plane.  And it took off.  The plane finally lifted off the soil and in that second maybe my heart cracked a little (I just started crying as I'm writing this). I left Peruvian soil and felt so strange and a bit hollow.  We were up in the air and it was over.  My exchange was over.  Just like that it was OVER.  I had known this day would come since the very beginning and the countdowns had taken place and my last day had ended and goodbyes had been said and I'd left my friends and my house and yet it didn't seem quite real that it was over.  It seemed sudden despite all the preparation.  I was just sitting on the plane and all of a sudden that thought came to me, that my exchange had ended, and I couldn't believe it, and I don't really know how else to explain it. 

My flight was horribly uncomfortable.  It was an overnight flight, 1:30 AM to 9:00 AM and I would have liked to sleep as much as I could but my genius self couldn't figure out how to recline the seat (and even if I had managed to recline it I don't think it would have made a difference). Despite my pants, boots, shirt, over shirt, and blanket, I was freezing.  It was seriously so cold.  I watched part of a movie (Shawshank Redemption).  Shivered and clutched hopelessly at my blanket.  Attempted to fold/bend/roll myself into comfortable positions so I could sleep and failed miserably.  Probably annoyed the crap out of my seat partner with all my moving and slouching and curling sideways on the seat. 

We finally landed in Atlanta and the sun was shining.  For some reason I had to claim my luggage and recheck it (I've never had to do that before) even though I had a connecting flight.  Maybe that's the norm but it was new to me.  Security staff with drug sniffing dogs circled around us as we waited by the luggage carousel.  I had to get a luggage cart and struggled to get my two massive suitcases onto it.  Then after a short walk I rechecked them.  I went through some confusing security (it's astounding the difference in security between the united states and south america) and finally got through.  At one point a man in security (while looking at my passport) asked me why I'd been in south america.  I said that I'd gone for a year for foreign exchange.  And he said "were you brave?" and I said "yes" and he waved me onward. I lugged my heavy duffel bag and backpack and found the train.  I rode it for a bit until the terminal for my next flight.  A woman on the train commented that she liked my braid. 

Something funny that I noticed while I was walking to my gate was the various southern restaurants that I didn't recognize.  Chickfilet or however the heck you spell it.  One restaurant that sold chicken and biscuits which for some reason I found hilarious.  I could tell I was in America just by the way people dressed, specifically the young people. 

I got to my gate and was confused by the signage and had to ask if this was the gate for Minneapolis.  One lady said she didn't know (my thoughts *why are you sitting at this gate if this isn't your gate and you don't know where it goes*) and then two guys informed me that it indeed was the gate for Minneapolis.

I sat down and waited.  I decided not to get anything to eat, I didn't feel hungry anyway.  I boarded and slept a tad.  I was confused because I thought it was going to be an hour long flight and it turned out to be two (something to do with crossing a time zone, I don't know, I was confused).  After the plane landed in Minneapolis I was became increasingly aware of the fact that within a very short amount of time I'd be with my family after 11 months.

When I got off the plane I came to the realization that I had absolutely no idea where I was meeting up with my family.  I decided to follow the signs and get my luggage and figure it out from there.  I walked down to the baggage area and was a bit embarrassed when I tried to pull a luggage cart out from it's line only to finally look up and see that you had to pay for them.  I was a bit angered at that.  I only had twenties and peruvian money and had no idea how I was going to lug my 50 kilos of luggage plus duffel bag and backpack to wherever it was I had to go.  I was getting only slightly panicked at my point.  I had to get a hold of my mom to figure out where they were and tell them to come meet me.  I pulled out my phone and wasn't surprised that I couldn't make a call (peruvian phone, peruvian service, american soil).  I decided to overcome the awkwardness and ask a gentleman who was standing nearby if I could use his phone.  He handed it over and I turned around and dialed and held it up to my ear and had waited no more than 8 seconds when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around and there was my family!  And I hugged my mom and saw my dad and my siblings and they had balloons and they all greeted me and there were a few tears and I handed back the man's phone. 

My family and I made the long drive back to Rice Lake, stopped at the house to drop off my bags and change, and then headed out for lunch at Culver's (I'd been looking forward to that lunch for months).  That night I gave them all their gifts and talked and told stories for a long time, until my throat hurt.

And now I've been back for 3 weeks.  Things have been good.  I have stayed in contact with just a few people.  I feel fine most of the time, things are normal, and to put it bluntly, I'm not as depressed as I thought I'd be.  Well, as long as I don't sit down and close my eyes and reminisce and think about all my beautiful memories, I'm fine.  I think I'm doing pretty well because I'm pretty set on returning.  And by 'pretty set' I actually mean 'it's actually happening and no one's going to stop me'.  I'll be back to visit and I'll be with my friends again (minus my exchange friends..) and I'll do the things I used to do...

I'll sit and pet the cats and coo over the sweet kittens and bask in the sun in Parque Kennedy.
I'll walk from one end of Costa Verde to the other, then do it again while Eduardo pushes me on his skateboard and the wind is whipping through my hair and the second before every crack in the sidewalk I'm scared that I'll fall but I'm grinning from ear to ear.
I'll watch the lights show through the jumping fountains at parque de las aguas and maybe I'll buy some hot chocolate if it's cold.
I'll hop on a combi and fight for a seat and hand over my sol fare and wrench open the window so I can watch the buildings as they go by.
I'll eat lunch in the food court at La Rambla and see a movie in the big theater.
I'll drink Inca Cola and eat choripan dipped in aji, and salchipapa with ketchup and a fried egg, and picarones and alfajores and arroz con leche.
I'll walk around Real Plaza, and Jockey, and Open Plaza, eat ice cream from 4D, and have a ginormous Bembos burger.
I'll sit in the plaza and look at the Presidential Palace and people watch in Plaza Mayor.
I'll swing and play on the play set in the park behind my school even though it's meant for toddlers and I'll have the time of my life while doing it.
I'll eat pollo a la braza from Norky's or Rocky's or maybe I'll pop into Papa John's with Andre to surprise Eduardo while he's working.
I'll sit in 'nuestro lugar' just to bask in the memories and watch people bike by and remember everything that happened there.
I'll go to parties and dance and laugh and sing along to the music (well, to the parts I know).
I'll go to our special booth in McDonalds on Guardia Civil and I'll have some chicken nuggets because that's how it always was.
I'll visit Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima and look at the wall and see that blasted plaque and see GIRGER PINKERTON and I'll laugh even though it still hurts a little.

I'll walk the routes I used to walk and I'll take the buses I used to take and I'll meet up with the people I always used to hang out with and it will all be great again except that it won't ever be exactly the same, something will be different, because I won't be an exchange student anymore and never, ever again will I do any of these things as an exchange student, even if I come back to visit a billion times, I can't ever recreate that.  And that makes me really, really sad (and now I'm crying again).  Even if I hated the curfew, I will still miss leaping off my bus and sprinting down the street to get to my house in time.  Even if school bored me half to death, I'll still miss my plaid skirt and tall socks and laughing with my classmates and I'll especially miss sitting on the hot clay tiles with Emilie and Tami and Victor while we soak up the sun.  Even if I didn't love the food, I'll still miss having most of those dishes on the table (even if I wouldn't eat them it's nice that they're always there to remind me it's Peru) and the true Peruvian feeling of ceviche, picarones, causa, papa a la huancaina, and arroz con leche.  And I know that mostly everyone reading this won't really understand and they won't know the places I'm talking about but it would warm my heart a little bit if someone who read this does know those spots and maybe they'll be there and they'll remember this and they'll remember me and it'll be almost as if I left a trace.  It makes me so sad to think I'll never be in Peru again as an exchange student and it won't be the same, but I just have to think "maybe when I go back it will be even better".  I have to believe that. 

Te amo Peru y te amo Lima y en este momento me siento mas triste que he sentido desde que deje de pisar tierra peruana.  Tengo muchas lagrimas pero se que es porque tengo tantos hermosos recuerdos y por eso debo de ser agradecida por siempre.  Para el resto de mi vida, podre acordarme de mi hermoso ano en Peru, desde el momento que llegue hasta el momento que me fui, tendre miles y miles y miles de recuerdos hermosos para llenarme el corazon y por eso te agradezco Peru, me cambiaste y me diste una nueva vida y hiciste que me crezca el corazon y no se como lo hiciste pero ahora soy diferente y mi corazon esta bien lleno (y mis ojos tambien de lagrimas) y nunca te podre agradecer suficiente.  Estare esperando para el momento cuando estoy en tu tierra de nuevo.  Con todo mi amor, Ginger (o Girger si me conoces asi).

Happenings

A while ago, our Interact club went to 'La Maternidad' which was like a clinic for young mothers to go to to have their babies.  We handed out packages with baby clothes and blankets for each of the mothers' babies.  The youngest girl there was 13 and she had a baby girl.  One girl had twins.  Most of the girls we saw there were 16 or 17 I would say.  Abortion is illegal here in Peru so that's why there were so many young mothers. 

Hmm what else have I been up to...I've been doing a lot of gift shopping for souvenirs to take back to the United States.  I actually have like 4 grocery bags of gifts to give away for when I get back!  Tons of cool Peruvian stuff; little stuff like bracelets and key chains, and a few bigger items for my close family.  I am really excited to give my family their gifts :)

Yesterday I went through my suitcase and threw away any garbage/useless things, and separated some old shoes/clothes that I won't be taking with me.  I have bought a second large suitcase to haul back my accumulated clothing and gifts that I've bought here so I'll be packing that up in just a few days.

I have one week left as of tomorrow.  I leave Friday night, the 27th.  Well, technically I leave Saturday the 28th at 1:00 AM so I'll be heading to the airport late Friday night.  I am really looking forward to the following things:

• Being with my family 
• Hanging out with my siblings
• Having my own room
• Being in a known, comforting environment
• Trust and support from my family (I miss them a lot <3)
• My big bed
• Familiarity
• Foods/restaurants I actually like
• Being able to participate in my old hobbies/sports
• Not being sunburned after 5 minutes of sun exposure in the summer
• A weird/small part of me is looking forward to going back to school and seeing people

I will miss:

• Independence to go places and do things (feeling like I am taking care of myself)
• ^ Being able to go pretty much wherever
• Every store/brand available, big malls, abundant places to shop
• Public transportation (cheap buses, taxis at every turn)
• A few foods (Choripan, salchipapa (I can make that one at home), aji (I'm going to bring some back with me))
• Kioskos (little stands on most streets that sell very cheap snacks and drinks)
• The big city life of Lima
•  Mild winters that don't last more than 6 months (why wisconsin why)

I am both very happy to be going back and very sad to be going back.  That's the weird thing about exchange, it really messes with your head.  On one level you are excited to get back to your old life, to do the things you used to do, and to be with your family and friends, but at the very same time you dread going back because you don't want to leave the new life you made here, your new friends, it's almost like it's a new YOU that you have to leave behind.  All the memories that you've made here, all the places you visited and people you met and interacted with, you have to leave it all behind and from what every exchange student I've ever known has told me is that going back is like waking up from a dream, that it's like you dreamed your whole exchange year.  Being back in the United States will be a difficult adjustment, and it's hard for people to understand.  Luckily my family is awesome and they understand that it will not all be sunshine and roses. 

I've loved my time here, it has not always been fun and happy times, but it's all been a learning experience, and that's the point of exchange. 

Peace out
-Ginga

Earthquake!

I was sitting in Spanish class at University two days ago, just being a diligent and well behaved student (lol) when all of a sudden, everything began to shake!  It went on for about 5 seconds!  For the first couple seconds I didn't have enough time to comprehend what was happening, then I was like "Oh my god! EARTHQUAKE!"  We all jumped out of our chairs and rushed towards the door (someone actually knocked over a table which just increased the panic) but by the time we reached the door, it was already over!  I looked online just now and supposedly the magnitude was 5.2, and the epicenter somewhere on the central coast but I'm not sure.  It didn't seem terribly strong to me, but was strong enough to scare everyone!  I wasn't scared, just had a lot of adrenaline, and for me it was more exciting than anything!  In all my 10 months here, there have been tons of little earthquakes but I had never felt any of them until now!  I would always get home and my host mom would be like "Did you feel the earthquake??" and I'd be like "There was an earthquake?".  And I was actually quite disappointed every time one occured but I didn't feel it!  So, I'm glad I finally had the chance to experience an earthquake haha.  However most people here dread earthquakes and are very afraid of them, and with good reason--in 2007 there was an earthquake here that was 8.0 magnitude!  So everyone here thinks I'm crazy when my response to the earthquake was "That was awesome!"

Sorry I haven't posted!

My gosh I haven't posted in so long!  I'm really sorry, but my days are getting busier and busier.  As of today I have less than a month left in Peru.  It's a horrifying thought.  Did I not just get here?  I remember stepping out of the airport, it was late, around midnight, and I was surprised by how cold it was outside, and I felt a heavy, cold, humidity in the air that left everything wet.  I can't believe that my exchange is nearly over.  It's been quite a ride. 

We had our final rotary trip last week, in a city called Ica.  We went sandboarding on the giant dunes (I was a bit scared to do it but I'm glad I did in the end) and road buggies over the dunes which was awesome and when I eventually come back to Peru, I'd like to do it again.  We also took some boats to go around these islands that had sea lions and penguins.  I felt a little dizzy/seasick from this part of the trip haha. During this trip we also had a big rotary conference.

I got back from that trip a little under a week ago, I think.  Since then I have been compiling a list (and checking things off that list) of things I want to do and places I want to go before I leave.  My days are busy and tiring but I don't want to waste any time now that I'm down to weeks.  I can't believe I'm down to weeks.  I bought a second suitcase a few days ago to haul some of the things I've accumulated over the year (and I'm going to bring back lots of gifts!)

Yesterday we had a Rotary Despedida (going away event for all the exchange students).  I made this video to present: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhw7xEBpyfY
However there were so many acts that the students did (dances, songs) and they took such a long time that we didn't end up having time for my video....bummer.  It's been on youtube for like a day or two and it already has like 140 views.  So that's cool!

Me speaking at the Despedida

Today for lunch I went with a bunch of exchange students to Chili's to say goodbye to a girl named Mandy who is leaving on Sunday.  It was a nice day.

That's all I have for the moment, sorry nothing else comes to mind!
Lots of love
Ginger

Winter's Coming

Hello all, it's been a while since I've updated, sorry about that, I struggle to come up with things to write about sometimes haha.  Here's a few things:

• Last week, both Paul McCartney and One Direction had concerts in Lima.  I didn't go to either of them, I would have liked to go to the One Direction concert but I don't know, I never really got up off my butt to get tickets so yeah..haha.  I did pass by their hotel though!  Unfortunately, I missed when all 5 of them walked out onto the balcony of their room to wave to the crowds of screaming peruvian girls below.  It would have been cool to see them.  
• The 25th was my birthday!  I am now 17!  That's weird haha
• It's is definitely cooling down here!  I think summer has ended, I stopped wearing shorts a few weeks ago.  Now it's cool in the morning and hot (with sun) in the afternoon and then chilly at night.  Soon the sun will stop coming out and it will get damp everywhere and chilly all day and then I'll know for sure that it's winter here.  
• I don't remember when exactly, last week sometime, I saw this movie in the theater:  It's called La Cara del Diablo (The Face of the Devil).  It's a Peruvian made movie, and it was super cool because it was in Spanish and it was so great to understand everything, even the peruvian slang that they used.  And it was really funny because the movie was about this group of friends that take a trip to Tarapoto (a city in the jungle) and that was really funny to me because I went on a school trip to Tarapoto!

• I don't remember if I talked about Easter at all, well here there was a lot less commercial influence, by that I mean that I saw no chocolate bunnies, easter baskets, dyed eggs, really nothing that makes me think of Easter in the United States.  No easter candy at all really.  I had a day or two off from University.  That was about it.

I can't think of anything else right now, byeeee people :)
-Ginger

School

Now that I'm living a bit closer to USIL, I've been attending more regularly.  I have class Tuesday-Friday (with Monday, Saturday, and Sunday off, yay).  I have class starting at 9 in the morning, and normally have class until 11 or 1, leaving me with either a 2 hour or 4 hour break before my 3-5 spanish class.  I have only attended 2 days of spanish class so far but I think they will actually be helpful.  An example of something I've learned:

'Do you remember the girl I talked to you about?' Normally I would translate this to "Te acuerdas de la chica de que te hable?' but I learned that the correct translation is "Te acuerdas de la chica de la que te hable?"  Or at least I think that's right lol that'd be embarrassing if that wasn't correct...anyways lol.

And one of these days I will buy the practice book to participate more in the class. 

Like I said, my class starts at 9 so I usually leave at 8 or 7:50 to get there 10 minutes or so early.  Then after my spanish class I head straight home, and normally arrive around 6 or 6:15.  I can't walk very fast because I'm still recovering so that's why I take so long.  Today I have no class because it is some kind of holiday, it's 'semana santa' = holy week, I don't know much about it.  Several of my classes are in English. 

I don't know what elseeeee. 
Bye