And so it begins...

So obviously this blog was started with a different purpose in mind, but now that I'm in Lima for 3 weeks I figured it would be a good place to post my experiences.

This trip is an interesting "new" experience for me. I've been on long trips, I've been on trips to places where I don't know people, I've been on trips by myself, and I've traveled for work before. However, I have never done all of these in one.

I flew out of San Francisco on Sunday 4/6 with the intention of ending up in Lima late that night, but that was not what the airlines had in store for me. I ended up missing my connection in Los Angeles and spending the night there to catch the same flight the next day. It was then that I began to realize what made this a different traveling experience than any before it. There was nothing familiar. Nothing personal. As I sat in a random hotel room with only my carry on bag watching TV I looked around me there was nothing that connected me to the room. I've stayed in hotel rooms before when I have missed flights or otherwise, but there is always something to bring me a sense of familiarity. Most often it's the presence of someone else or something simple like clothes. I'm not trying to say that I'm attached to these things. I'm just saying that having something that ties me to home provides a feeling that I have difficulty explaining. Anyways, all that changed when I met some friends for dinner and we had a relaxed meal at an Italian restaurant.

Sunday morning I woke up and went to catch my flight. Arriving in Lima late at night on Monday night I reached the hotel around 1am. My immediate priority upon arrival was not to go to sleep, but instead unpack my bags and make myself feel "at home". As I unpacked I realized that I didn't feel like such a transient anymore.

Now I'm waiting at the office. And so it begins...