A grand adventure

"THE WORLD IS A BOOK, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY A PAGE." 

-ST. AUGUSTINE

Blue and white interstate signs appeared from the black of the night, increasing in size before disappearing over our heads as the big bus barreled down the dreary interstate. Unfamiliar color combinations and words served as reminders that we were somewhere else---somewhere unfamiliar and new. The steady rumble of the engine, the swiping of the windshield wipers and the whooshing of the pavement passing under our feet was all there was to be heard; all else was as dark and quiet as you would expect a bus at 2am with only a handful of passengers to be. 

Our destination was downtown Amsterdam---or at least that's what we were hoping. We bought no tickets and the driver spoke no English; we just climbed on board, grabbed some seats, and hoped that wherever it was going it could bring us back in time for our next flight.

We did make it to Amsterdam. We walked a few streets, talked to some locals, and grabbed some Chinese take-out before making it back in time to the airport. ("When in Amsterdam," right?)

Traveling means different things to different people. Ask Roberto about his travels, and he'll enthusiastically begin recalling plates of food---but I think of that rainy night in Amsterdam. The uncertainty of the unplanned, but the certainty that it will all work out fine. The regard of the world beyond our salted caramel frappucinos and neatly paved roads as something not unwelcoming and hostile, but waiting. To look your fear of flying on airplanes, sketchy characters on unfamiliar streets, and the ambiguous unknown in the face and say you're not stopping me.

I've missed that feeling ever since.

Tomorrow I'll be boarding a plane for two months in Peru. My bags are packed (well... mostly), my tickets are printed, and my poor appendages have been loaded with vaccines until it hurt to move. I will be rigorously learning Spanish and volunteering with a Christian organization in Cuzco that provides for those in need... and maybe some of that being-a-tourist-with-a-camera stuff, too.

As for the other frequently asked questions, "Why Peru?" "Is your husband going with you?" and "Why?" Because Europe is so predictable; nope, he'll be waiting in California for my postcards; because I can. Respectively. :)

I've heard it said that the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time in a foreign country is truly a priceless, unforgettable experience. I look forward to the people I'll meet, the pictures I'll share and the stories I'll be able to tell. Major thanks to my amazing husband for being crazy and supportive enough to let me do this, and a thousand apologies to those of my friends who've been told we'd get together after finals only to read this blog and realize I never had the time to make it happen---but I'm looking forward to fall!

Please keep me in your prayers as I embark on this grand adventure (and watch for more posts...)!