It's almost time!

When I told y'all I was going to volunteer at an orphanage, how did you picture said orphanage? Maybe a big dorm like structure? At most, a handful of buildings? That's what I had pictured. Honey, was I wrong.

All volunteers received some additional information last week that gives us more details about our volunteer program. Puericultorio Perez Aranibar (PPA), the orphanage, is like a college campus. There are over 30 buildings set on a piece of land one kilometer long and a half kilometer wide. For those of us who have trouble remembering the metric-english conversion, here it is: one kilometer is equivalent to 0.621 miles. No wonder the pre-program information emphasized that volunteers had to be flexible to time/schedule. Classes rarely start at the appointed hour. No wonder! It ain't easy moving a class of 4, 5, 6 years old (or even older) children. The best analogy I've heard is that moving a group of young children is like herding cats . . . only the kids are bigger and can talk back. Yes, this will definitely be an exercise to demonstrate flexibility of one's mental self.

Even after three pages of emailed details on the program, which contained "be flexible" in every other sentence, I am not deterred. Nervous? Yes. Who wouldn't be? Single female, traveling to a South American country with a reputation that a tourist can not leave unless they get the please-just-let-me-die bout of diarrhea or pick pocketed. I'll be sure to update you on which option was given to me.

Oh, don't worry about my husband. He has a freezer full of homemade bread and meals. I'm more worried about my little, furry, orange shadow, Ginger. This cat is so funny. She even partakes in our pre-trip preparations by napping in open suitcases, leaving a toy mouse in my husband's suitcase, becoming super-shedder-kitty leaving telltale orange fur all over our clothes and giving us those you-really-really-don't-want-to-do-this-to-me eyes. My husband tells me that when I'm traveling, she roams the house calling for me. How's that for a guilt trip?

In closing, I should have internet access while in Lima. If that is the case, I'll try to post at least two short updates on the volunteer program.