Round 2

01.11.2016 Monday

 The last half of my Colorado Christmas vacation as told by pictures:
Christkindl Market in Downtown Denver with Becca and Laura is becoming an annual tradition.

I get by with a little help from my friends... I'm sorry! I couldn't resist.
If you didn't take a selfie of getting ready for church Christmas morning... did it really happen?


Our Mexican-cuisine-themed Christmas dinner led Matt to decide to rock the 'stache. Looking good hombre. 

Decorating gingerbread houses is significantly more difficult after a few glasses of wine... but I still believe that Polly's and my house would delight any gingerbread man and his family.
 Volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House with the fam bam.

Congratulations to these two! Can't wait to be Maid of Honor for my sissy! Even though I sometimes pretend that I don't like her growing up and finding a man...

Homemade gift exchange with the whole family is one of my favorite Christmas traditions... especially now that I'm 21. Two flasks!

 Denver Zoo Lights is still awesome even when the temperature is in the teens.

 One last game night of Telephone Pictionary before I go...
Yeah guys. Let's go eat crappy Mexican food for my last U.S. meal... At least there are cliff divers.
I avoid packing in style... 80's wedding dress style apparently.

See you soon, beautiful.

 .....

 Going back was harder than ever going at all.

 I've been back in Peru for a week now and the adjustment back into my South American routine has been relatively easy since I knew what to expect as I stepped onto the plane. As it turns out, life doesn't stop for anybody (Thanks for the advice Perks of Being a Wallflower!), so it's really been natural to fall back into this lifestyle. Yet, it has been harder than leaving home the first time. After a truly memorable Christmas full of adventures and loved ones, it's hard not to itch to be back home for the summer. The heart of a traveler is like a child choosing a puppy in the pet store: unsure of what to choose, wanting everything, and not understanding the difficulty but also unexpected joy that comes with every decision.

 So here I am, back in Peru teaching English and exploring this country until I fly home on May 12th for the longest single period of time that I've been in Colorado since starting college. As always, I'm trying my darnedest to focus on the here and now and not on the various future adventures and memories I plan on making in the U.S.A. Living in a foreign country is not everything that I expected, but it sure as hell is worth it. 

 I can't wait to see how much these last four months impact my life just like the first four did.

 Ciao!

 "There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder."
- Ronald Reagan

 Paso a paso, dia a dia, continuo a vivir.


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