What I have in common with Hillary Clinton

Emotions.

You can skip reading this post, because its super boring, UNLESS you know a phone operator at COPA Airlines or a Peruvian FedEx truck driver. Then you must read.

I hit my low point in South American adventuring yesterday, having a glorious little breakdown, complete with tears and pouting and cursing in four languages (okay, I made up a swear word in Quecha becuase the only words I know of the indegenious Andean language are puma titi, stone caca, and baby wahwah, which do not quite convey the emotions I was letting out). I have not been feeling 100% DeAnn lately, which is frustrating although probably of much relief to those around me who have not had to deal with my hyperactivity and incessant talking. I am getting over a cold, but also just felt generally crappy, tired of hauling from place to place, and being plagued by the loss of my ATM card back in Buenos Aires and subsequent loss of numerous hours of life in trying to obtain money (the ATM card is wandering around Lima right now on a FedEx truck, I have issues with both credit cards in getting cash that way, blah blah blah).

The straw that broke my llama´s back, though, was trying to change my flight back to the USA to earlier this month. I really enjoy being in South America and seeing difference places and people, and had hoped to do volunteer work back in Ecuador once I go back there later this week. But realistically I feel ready to come back home and get a job and be on a normal schedule. I admit defeat - and want my gym membership, my family an easy phone call away at all times, and a sense of purpose and pride with applying my degree in the public health field. So I would like to come back earlier but I am having a heck of a time with COPA Airlines to make this happen. Does anyone have a relative who works the phones there and is compentent or at least nice or at least willing to let me talk to someone higher up?! 36 minutes of phone calls with them and I have not been able to get any of those things, or an earlier flight. Sigh.

I may seem to have been emitting a bit if negativity, but this does not reflect how much I truly value travelling and again, being here in South America. It is great being in Peru and I want to spend more time back in Ecuador (and how I will miss fresh cheap fruit and natural juices, and llamas and alpacas!) and learning more about not being just a tourist but life for people here. And I really am enjoying myself and am grateful to be here - and once I start working again will probably want to be off roaming around living out of a backpack again. But I have to declare my honesty that I reached a low point - they happen, and now that I feel much better it feels cathartic to ramble on about it.

But not very interesting to the reader. You know what IS interesting, though? Llamas and alpacas. http://www.lamaworld.com.au/lama_world19.htm