The kingdom of this world...

Last night I attended an event that would prove to draw an interesting crowd.  Ok don't laugh when I say it, because it was actually very good.

I went with my mom and dad to a sing-a-long of Handel's "Messiah".

A what?

A sing-a-long.  You heard me.   So what it is, is there's a choir and orchestra, and soloists- the whole 7 octaves.  (that's a nerdy music joke...translated less nerdily- The whole 9 yards).   And as you enter, they'll hand you a choral score, and then you get to sing along with the chorus through Handel's "Messiah."

Now those of you that don't know my mom, shame on you.  Everyone should.  But she is very musically gifted, and grew up playing the piano and organ and singing.  And therefore passed along (and slightly forced) her 2 children to grow up with music as well.  I've spent my whole life in bands and orchestras and choirs and I can't tell you what a gift it is to be in a room with any number of people, and to come together as one group singing or playing music.  It's powerful to say the least.  So last night, we went up to Boulder and sat in a room with hundreds of strangers and just made music together. 

Unfortunately I think choral music in general is not as appreciated as it should be by the general population.  But it really did lift my spirits to see people from all different backgrounds and all different musical abilities coming to this event.  I love watching music lovers listen to music.  See them absorb it with their eyes closed and just let it really sink in.  If I'm ever sick in the hospital,  all I'll want is someone to hire a string quartet to come play for me.

That was probably a little over the top.  But seriously.  If you want me to get better, music is the way to do it.  If you don't want me to get better...we might need to have a chat.

In the meantime, check out this video of the Knight Foundation's "Random Acts of Culture" at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia.  And check out the initiative while you're at it! http://www.knightarts.org/random-acts-of-culture

Brushing off the cobwebs...

Well, at least a little bit on this old blog. 

Fact: I have not posted since July when I got my scruffy little black dog, Moche.

Fact:  I have been reluctant to post anything since I got my scruffy little black dog, Moche.

Opinion:  The past 6 months have been forgettable, and well...sucky.

So the truth is, settling back into life in the US has been much harder than I wished it would have been and I sort of feel like the last 6 months, I've been trying my best to run as quickly as possible through all the muck and mire that is cultural re-adjustment. 

Have you ever tried to run through knee deep mud?  It's not a quick process.  Nor has feeling comfortable in the states been.   I have a lot to be thankful for here though. And please don't get me wrong, I am thankful for my job, my family, my scruffy little black dog, Moche and for this period of pruning in my life.  But that's what this period has been and is.  Pruning.  And I am most certain that all 3 people who will read this blog post can recall a time of pruning.  It hurts.  It's not fun.  But it is what it is.  And what it is, is beneficial.  Maybe not seemingly so right now, but it will be.

The thing that has been the hardest (but will also prove to be the most rewarding) has been spending the last 8 months in a long distance relationship.   As much as I don't fondly look back on these last 8 months, I know wholeheartedly that Jamesson and I have grown so much through this.  So much so as a matter of fact that I, the girl who never believed that I could ever love someone as much or more than I love myself have realized that I, in fact, love someone much more than myself.   (cue up cheese-fest music).  This I am confident- we wouldn't have gotten this far in our relationship without these trials.  And therefore, though I may say it with a slight twinge of acrimony...the difficulty has been good.

Anyway...all that to say I think I'm going to start blogging again.  The light at the end of the tunnel seems to have turned on again.

Foreigner's Best Friend

Ok.  I won't lie.  I've been wanting a dog since...forever.

And now that I'm back in the US and will be here for quite some time (thank you college loans).  I thought it was only fit that I have a companion.  Plus I think that all the stress of culture shock had shaved a few years off of my life, and since dogs help people be healthier and live longer, I figured it wouldn't hurt to tip the old life expectancy scales back in my favor.

So I've had dogs on the brain for the past month, and then by sheer coincidence,  I accidentally walked into the Denver Dumb Friends League Adoption Center.

Then I accidentally strolled along seeing a lot of really really truly adorable dogs.  Big Dogs, Small Dogs, fat dogs, skinny dogs All sorts of dogs is what I'm getting at here..  And then.  I saw him.

Kennel 3C.  Staring up at me with dark eyes, a wagging tail, and hair that looked like it had recently gone through electroshock therapy.   Meet my new BFF and culture shock companion-

Moche

Moche, the canine formerly known as "Thunder" was a stray picked up in Pagosa and brought to Denver.  I don't know for sure his thoughts on being taken to a new city without necessarily wanting to go there; but I think I can commiserate with him, which is why he is my new friend forever. 

He's a 3 year old terrier something or another and is just cute as a darn button.  At least I think so.  From what I can tell he's a good dog, and likes long walks on a leash, reading love poems, piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. 

I decided to call him Moche after a very long brainstorming session with Jamesson.  I wanted to call him something that reminded me of Peru, and was easy enough for any given gringo to say.  Runner up names were Chato (shorty in spanish) and Mr. Taco (a mexican restaurant we frequented in Peru).  Moche was the name of an ancient Peruvian civilization that left quite a few ruins in the city where I grew up in my Peruvian life.  I figured Moche was also good because we could call him Mo for short.  Here's a link to some more Moche culture information for all you history buffs out there.

Moche is available for photo shoots and playdates.  But call soon, as I'm sure his schedule will be filling up fast. I mean...just look at him. 

Oh the marvels

This is what I learned from weather.com about Denver's weather.




98 degrees =  Hot.  Period.




What did we ever do before modern meteorology reports?

Dear Random Readers in the Netherlands (both of you), Philippines, Germany, Hungary, and Australia.

I would just like to take a moment to thank you for either mistakenly clicking on a link to my blog, or involuntarily being taken to my blog in a way that I'm not sure of. 

Every time I see a new red dot from a foreign country on my visitor location map, my heart sings a little. I don't really claim to know a lot about your customs, but gosh darnit if I wouldn't love to learn them and visit your country someday.  I very much hold onto the hope that I will be visiting some of those countries.  Oh heck, I'd love to visit all of them, and if I do, you can count on it having something to do with the fact that you stumbled across my blog, and it sparked my interest. 

So you know what?  Thank you.  You keep my wandering spirit thirsty for more adventures. 

Gillian

I went on a search today...

A search to find the best witch doctor that North America has ever seen.

I tried to call ABC to pitch it as a new reality show but nobody has returned my call.

Their loss.

So I really did go try to find a US version of my beloved Nacarino.  I come from a family with small sinus passages and therefore prone to a lot of sinus infections..   It's kind of like a family curse.  I'm not sure when, but somewhere in my family's past, a Cordova made someone mad enough to put a sinusitis curse on us for generations.  Whoever did that really was trying to make us suffer. Anyway,  my Peruvian "doctor" (no comments from the western medicine crowd please), was the only person who successfully helped my ailment for a long time.  And then I moved back to the US and ran out of his magic liquid healing.  And then 3 months later, my sinusitis came back.   I didn't think that there were any curanderos in the US, but was informed that there actually are and right here in Denver.

My heart skipped a beat.

However, this turned out to be one of those moments in life when you thought there was no hope because you thought that nothing like what you had in Peru existed in the US, and then you find out that in actuality there may be a little hope that there is an equivalent, and then you spend your Saturday morning looking for that equivalent, and then you find what is supposed to be the equivalent, and then you see it, and then you hear a horn in the distance playing the "Bwa bwa bwaaaa" tune that lets you know you've just lost and should now be disappointed.

Ok fine, so they do have herbs, and supposedly can help my sinusitis.  But strike one- They're US prices.  Strike 2- They're not in liquid nasal spray form.  Strike 3-  They contain no Peruvian moonshine...and they're just not from Nacarino!!!!

Oh well...at least I know to stock up next time I go to Peru.

Did I ever tell you about the witch doctor?

I miss my peruvian friend, the witch doctor.

I missed him 3 days ago when I had a fever

I missed him 2 days ago when I figured out I had laryngitis.

I missed him yesterday when my voice was still gone.

And I miss him today, when it's raining and gloomy and I have nasal congestion.

Oh Nacarino...donde estarás?   I need you to shoot ginger moonshine pepper spray up my nostrils again.


Anyway, beyond that wistful memory.   I'm starting to teach english again!   I'm volunteering with a group called Intercambio, and I will be teaching my very first group class tonight, after ooooh...about a year of not teaching.  Do teaching skills get rusty?    I guess we'll find out.   I'm excited to get back into the classroom, and perhaps there is some Gringo Bingo in these students' future.  You never can tell when Gillian gets in front of the whiteboard.

3 Day weekend...

Well...it's July fourth weekend.  Independence day for the USA.  Last night, I went to a barbecue at a friends house and then we watched some fireworks from a park nearby.  I give the fireworks a 7.   Overall good show, but when it came time for the grand finale...it turned out to be more of a mediocre finale.   But fireworks are still pretty...And I saw a shooting star, so you know...Bonus!

Anyway, I don't really have a lot to say, nothing extraordinary happened this week, nothing terrible either.  So instead of posting 15 random and boring things I've done, how about I just share some fantastic artwork I saw while walking around today at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival?  What do you say?  Deal?    Ok.   Deal.

Goldfish photogram 

by Ethan Jantzer

Dandelion silhouettes photogram 

by Ethan Jantzer

Red poppies, photogram 

by Ethan Jantzer

Green grass photogram 

by Ethan Jantzer

Nice, huh?   You can read more about the photogram process and the artist by clicking here

Just another Saturday Night.

 A Summer Saturday night.  The temperature during the day was 90 some odd degrees, a summer rainstorm blew in, blew out, and lowered that a bit at night, and the evening is closing in.  What do to, what to do?

Well, if you live in Denver, and have friends that are into the Twilight Saga, you head on over to Sloan's Lake park to see an outdoor screening of the second movie in the series.  I love love love watching movies outdoors and even though I can't claim to be a true Twilight fan (I haven't even finished the first book, and I probably wouldn't have started the first book if my friends wouldn't have peer pressured me into it), it was still fun to go watch it and see everyone else there that was so very into it.

And when I say "into it" I actually mean "dress-up-like-vampires-wear-assorted-twilight-paraphernalia-scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-when-your-favorite-character-appears-on-screen into it."   Oh yeah, that kind of into it.

I just thought we were going to see an outdoor movie.  Little did I know that when I got there, it was actually a screening that was set up to promote the release of the next movie in the series.  And at this screening, they had games, gave out twilight buttons, and had 2 actors from the movie there.  So the two actors weren't the big time actors, but that didn't stop the twilight fans from breaking out into hysterics when they came by.  I was walking up right as the actors were arriving, and right about the time the screeches of teenage girls (and some older women...and men for that matter) started to shatter glass.  It was loud, but I happily side-stepped the commotion and while everyone was pushing and shoving their way to get to the actors,  I snagged a nice spot on the grass with a fantastic view of the screen.  The three of us that were there enjoyed a delicious pesto pasta dinner (thanks Ruth), Salad and fruit (thanks King Soopers grocery store) and appropriately enough, Sarah brought a sparkling Blood Orange drink for us to sip on while we watched the vampires and werewolves under the stars and full moon.

A little bit later, a girl dressed up with her twilight garb excitedly walked by with a friend, recounting her celebrity experience and said the funniest thing I heard all night.

"OH MY GOD! He was sooooo close!  I could SMELL him!!!"

Ah, young love.

Wanna see something awesome?

Meet my newest form of transportation and Summertime Fun. It's my '73 Schwinn Hollywood cruiser....WITH A BASKET!  I took my 10 dollar bike to a guy who fixed it up for me (for more than 10 bucks), then offered to buy it because it looks so awesome, then understood when I said "Heck no sir. I like it too much." 

It's only appropriate that I got my bike back and ready to ride on the first day of Summer.  Happy First Day of Summer indeed.

Unfortunately, I did not spend the first day riding my bike.  I spent it driving to Pueblo, CO (2.5 hours away) in order to go see a client for Citron, but my boss is a great one, and will be reimbursing the mileage.

I did spend the SECOND day riding my bike...well, riding and then walking the heavy steel frame up a big hill because I have no leg muscles yet and couldn't make it all the way up.  In my defense...that hill was steep!  But I rode it almost 3 miles to a little cafe called Parisi where I met my parents for dinner and had a delicious pizza outside finished off by Chocolate and Sea Salt covered Caramel gelato.  Take a moment and let that flavor sink in...it was soooo good. 

All in all, a good day.

Have you seen my skills?

Somewhere between Trujillo, Peru and Denver, Colorado, my ability to parallel park got lost.

I found this out as I spent 10 minutes on the curb and switching back and forth between Reverse and Drive trying to park my Kia Sportage in a parallel parking only area of Denver.  Perhaps I am being too hard on myself, but I'm pretty sure I saw one or two people stop to watch...and point...and laugh.  Hard.

I mean, let's be honest.  I would have laughed...if I weren't in a tilted Kia Sportage because I'm the one who can't park.

Anyway.   In other news, things are going well at work.  I hopefully will have some pictures to share soon of projects I'm working on.  Including but not limited to the Boulder Rural Fire Department's fire house and Naropa University's Nalanda Reading Room.

Win.

Sadly,  I cannot remember the last time that I had white rice and beans and potatoes on the same plate.

Happily, my friend Kathy told me about the online coupon for Los Cabos- Denver's best Peruvian restaurant.

Ecstatically, I will be eating rice, beans, and other Peruvian foods 'til my heart's content...or until I hit the $50 mark.

Yum.

Looks like someone had a case of the Mondays...

Whew.  Monday.  You kind of did a sneak attack, huh? Well played.

Today was interesante.  Not the good kind necessarily, just one of those days when you think that everything will be smooth sailing and you'll finish everything you need to in a decent amount of time. Then you cut to 7 hours later when you are still staring at the same project that you were supposed to finish a long time ago but thanks to stupid Microsoft Word acting insane and just about doubling the amount of time it took for me to do everything.  Blech...

Well, anyway, it's over and hopefully tomorrow will let me have my smooth sailing time.

My week has consisted of...

1 day off work on Monday.

180 minutes of sitting in front of a lake.

200 pages of a book, read while sitting in front of a lake

2 barbecues.

8 trips to and from work.  I have a nice commute along alot of open space.

67 dead prairie dogs along that road...that part is kind of gross actually.

3 or 4 trips to Starbucks during those trips to work.

15 (or so) cups of coffee from various places

1 movie night with friends

4 days of work which consisted of lots of interior design and a little bit of frustration from moments when I couldn't remember some CAD commands.

2 site visits to clients

1 beer on a Friday afternoon at work thanks to a great boss that knows how to keep employee morale up after a busy week.

Cruisin'

Say Hello to the most recent addition to my life. 

This is a 1973 Schwinn Hollywood cruiser bike. It is also my new project.  And I love it.
And I love Craigslist for leading me to it.  And I love that I paid $10 for a fun bike that is 12 years older than I am.

Oh by the way, I have no idea how to restore a 1973 Schwinn Hollywood cruiser, but I will find out.  And I will you keep you updated. 

And I might put streamers on it.  To be determined....

Barf.

I don't know if you have seen or heard of a little book called "This is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks" 

It exists. I promise, and it will make you seriously question eating fried things again.  At the very least it will make you think twice about what you're eating.

Why do I bring this up?  

Because I can't watch the commercial for IHOP's latest big seller (see below) without thinking that it belongs in that book.  Pancake + Cheesecake + Extra Pancake + Fake Sugar Fruit Topping + Whipped Cream.  Yeesh.

Culture shock moment #18,848 (but who's counting)

You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose.
But can you pick out a brand of mouthwash in less than 20 minutes?


In the United States, US Americans are surrounded by options.  A lot of them.

One of my recent culture shock adventures has been finding myself on a number of occasions staring at the (too many) options ahead of me.

It's pretty bad with restaurant menus.  In Peru, your menu was written on a chalkboard.  You normally had about 2 or 3 options to choose from.  Normally you pick a restaurant based on walking distance and/or the menu for the day.  In the United States, you might have 55 (or more) choices at any given restaurant.  And how many restaurants might there be within a short driving distance?"  A lot.  That's how many.

Yesterday, I found myself overwhelmed with all the options for mouthwash.  Would I like Antiseptic or Whitening? Spring mint or Ice mint?  Name brand or generic?  And I literally stood for 15 minutes at King Soopers with a partially opened mouth I'm sure, just trying to decide, and feeling utterly lost about making the best decision for my oral care. 

And do you know what?   There are even more options for deodorant than there are for mouthwash.

I miss bodegas.

Oh hello there, Contessa.

My how you haven't changed.

So as you know, or will know now, I am once again employed by the fantastic office furniture dealership and design firm known as Citron workspaces.

Do you know what one of the nicest things is about working for a design company and showroom that sells really nice office furniture?

I sit on really nice chairs.  

Like the Contessa...Teknion's feature desk chair. 

So comfortable...so well made.

So much more money than I will ever be able to pay for a chair.

But hey, it's the perks of the job.  Would you like to buy one?  I can sell you one and design your entire office while I'm at it.   

Have you been to the farm?

Located in Colorado is something famously known around these here parts as White Fence Farm.

Hmm...how do I describe White Fence Farm?  Well...first start with a farm.  That's right a real farm, with a horse and carriage and sheep, goats, pigs, roosters, etc.  Then throw in 4 or 5 barns and country stores that sell all sorts of handmade goods, jellies, homemade fudge, etc. 

Then throw in a restaurant and all the delicious family-style food you can eat.  They make some delicious fried chicken, delicious mashed potatoes, delicious corn fritters, delicious...well you get the idea.  

And that, my friend, is White Fence Farm. 

Anyway, the reason why I bring this is up is because today is my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom) and for her birthday lunch we went there.  I hadn't been there in years, even though we went alot when I was a kid.  It was nice, and I just wanted to pass along the information of this unique place...should you ever find yourself in Denver, and itching to visit an old-timey farm. 

I don't really know what made me think of this...

Ok wait.  Actually, I do know. 

I read The Pioneer Woman's blog from time to time and today she has a contest where you leave a comment answering a question and you could win a nice Le Creuset French Oven.  The question was

"What has been your favorite vacation ever?"

For those of you know who know me, the "What's your favorite?" question has always made me a little uneasy.  From favorite colors, to movies, to seasons, to music you name the category, and I probably won't name just one favorite.  I don't like favorites...why must you pick just one?  What if there isn't just one? Why do you have to name superlatives and make all the others feel bad?  Why Ok???  

Ok sorry.  I just don't like picking favorites.

Anyway, the point is, my "favorite"  up-there-in-the-list-of-really-awesome-vacations has been a trip I took to the jungle with 15 of my closest Peruvian and US friends.   I can't even tell you all the adventures we had.  Well, I suppose I could, but it would get lengthy.  One night, we camped out on top of this mountain called Morro.  And I saw the most amazing night sky I've ever seen. 

I saw 18 shooting stars in the span of just a few hours.  EIGHTEEN! 

I guess I could just use a few of those to wish on now. That's all.

cue up angelic music...

Ok So it's been forever since I've blogged.

Does that have to do with the fact that:

a) I've been away for 3 of the 4 weeks that I've actually lived in the States?
b) I have been reluctant to blog because of the rough transition back in the US?
c) I haven't had anything to blog about because of no job?
d) I was busy in these last 3 days getting a job?
e) All of the above

The correct answer is e.
But let's take a moment and focus on d.

Yes that's right folks! I no longer have to check the "unemployed" box on surveys, applications, and other assorted documents.   As of about 10 o clock this morning, you can count me as a full-time employee of Citron Workspaces.

But Gillian...that office sound familiar! 

Oh yes my friends, that's because you may remember Citron Workspaces from my previous US life.  I worked there for awhile doing an internship while I was still in college.  I called them up about 2 weeks ago to meet up with my old bosses to catch up and to see if they knew anybody was hiring and if they could give me a recommendation.  Well, imagine my surprise (and elation) when I found out that they were excited to hear from me because they had an open position.  They let me know that they were very hopeful that I would be interested in taking it, and I let them know that I was very hopeful that they would give it to me.  Yada yada yada, cut to two weeks later. BAM. I'm employed.

So you know, if the spirit moves you, you can start singing the Doxology now.  And if not, maybe you can just be silently happy that I can start to afford things now.   I know I am.

P.s.  Here's a fun fact.  I can work 2 days at Citron and make just as much money as is needed to live comfortably for one month in Peru.  No, it's not that I make that much at Citron...it's just that the cost of living is so cheap in Peru.

Consider my mouth agape...

I just can't pass this up. It's too much.

I haven't been able to wrap my head around this since it happened.

I have to blog this.

I just returned from visiting my brother, sister-in-law and new niece in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (again) and it just so happened that the same weekend we were there, Vera Bradley summoned her legions to the same city for her annual outlet sale.

Friends, I cannot tell you how crazed some women will get over the promise of 40-75% savings on these products. I myself don't really understand it. Maybe there's something that I'm not seeing in these paisley paroxysms; a hidden message within the quilting perhaps?

Well, in any case, the point is that 65,000 women drove from different states...even different countries (ok fine, probably just Canada) to camp out overnight in order to get into this sale where they will then have to wait in a check-out line for FOUR HOURS. I heard on the news that the spending limit per person is $2,500; but some lady got together a group of people and bought Fifteen THOUSAND dollars worth of Vera Bradley products.

So you know I just got back from Peru, and this is one of my culture shock moments.  I'm trying my best not to make too many comparisons between Peru and the US, but good grief!

Just to know that someone will put that much effort into one day of shopping for products from one designer. In Peru, $15,000 could buy a family of 6 adults 937.5 days worth of generously sized restaurant meals (3 meals a day). That's food for a family of 6 for like...2 and a half years! YEARS!!!!!!

Ok...even blogging about it doesn't help me understand it any better. I think I'm just going to have to let this one go...

Three week marker

Is that all it's been? Three weeks? Really?

Sometimes life feels like "Yay life!" And you wish time would slow down more so that you can enjoy it; and sometimes (like now times) life feels like "oy vey...life" and you're sitting in front of a calendar wondering why three weeks feels a lot like 8 weeks.

I guess it's been a productive 3 weeks though...not in the I got a job sense, but in the sense that I suppose I actually haven't been too dormant since I arrived up north. In 3 weeks I've been to Canada, twice to Indiana to visit my brother, sister-in-law and new niece, once to a cooking class where I picked up a fantastic curry chicken salad recipe, out with some friends a few times; I had a jam session with a 2 piece band I may start playing with, and a great coffee time with 2 old bosses which (I hope) may turn out to be a job lead.

Oh, and I finally saw Avatar. Pop culture catch-up is always the hardest.

How Craigslist is changing my life...

Ok don't laugh at me, but I think I'm addicted to Craigslist.

If you don't happen to know what it is, Craigslist is like an online community classifieds section where you can find anything (in theory) from a job, to a car, to community events, to pets, and (if you're into that sort of thing) a date for Friday night. There are however, no guarantees that your date won't be a major creepster.

Anyway, what I love about craigslist is not only reading the section entitled "Free" which helps me to imagine what kind of possibilities there are for my future apartment which will in fact need to be furnished; but I also just like the fact that I feel like it's helping me to tackle this thing called "getting to know your hometown again."

For instance, the other day, I found an ad for a free Zumba class Tuesday night, so I called my friend Missy who is always up for some fun, and we headed over to the Balanced Fitness Studio where we experienced our first Butt-kicking (and shaking) hour of the workout that combines salsa, merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton, and what turns out to be my arch nemesis- Samba. I'm never going to Brazil. The salsa, cumbia, and merengue I already knew some of the steps from Peru, but holy moly, Samba? Have you ever seen those exercise videos with Senior citizens, where they do just about as much as they can, but still are doing about 40% of what the instructor is? I'm pretty sure that's what we looked like.

I just don't have the leg muscles...or the booty shaking muscles.

Maybe there's a senior citizen samba class somewhere? I'll check craigslist.

Patience is a virtue...

...a virtue which I have not.




Apparently, not when it comes to things like jobs and making friends anyway.
I still haven't gotten any solid leads on a job.  BUT as my friend Patty reminded me the other night by chat, it has only been 8 days since I even left Peru.  Somehow time passed away and was reincarnated as a snail...or molasses. 

I left alot of really great friends in Peru, and so far (in these mere 8 days) it has been difficult to remember that making good friends takes time.  It took time in college, it took time in Peru, and it's looking like it will take time here in Denver as well. Shucks, I was hoping something about the friend-making process had changed in the last three years.

But, fortunately, I do have two very fantastic best friends that are here in Denver.  Best friends, that I have in fact known for 15 years.  I think that means I might be getting old.  The fact that I can say things like "15 years ago" and it doesn't put me diapers or preschool.  Ok ok, it puts me in 4th grade, but still.  Anyway, these girls are amazing, and I for one am very thankful that they are here in Denver.

I think I do this every time I move to a new location.  I flip out after an hour of being there because I haven't automatically made 10 new friends who I can hang out everyday with.  I think I am an instant gratification type person when it comes to adjusting to a new place/life.  I get all huffy when I don't feel settled right away.  Part of me thinks- I know I'm going to like it here, and I know I'm going to have friends, so why can't I just have them now?  Let's skip the whole waiting and getting to know you process.  Just be my friend already! 

What can I say?  I'm a little pragmatic at times.

Anyway, the hunt continues for the elusive job and friends.  My next tactical move for finding friends?  I signed up for a 3 hour cooking class Monday night.  Food and potential friends?

You betcha.

It was either this or counting sheep...

Ok show of hands- Do you ever have one of the those nights when you have been thinking about something and you just won't be able to fall asleep until you write it down or think it all the way through?

 (My hand is raised.)

I don't know why I can't sleep, but in hopes of helping me achieve that lofty goal, I am composing this blog post to share this idea that's been gnawing at me a bit tonight.

Is it possible to live a simple life in the US?

This question I suppose surfaced earlier this evening as I began to think about all the things I "needed" to get in order to start my life in the US.  Obviously, I need a job to be able to earn an income, but what about all the other stuff too?  I got a cellphone to help me look for that job; I will be needing a car to get to job interviews and then to an actual job; I will be needing car insurance to drive that car; I will be needing health insurance to pay for something that might happen if I wreck that car; I will be needing an apartment to go home to after I work at that job; Food to eat so that I have enough energy to go to work; and in the words of the great king of Siam "et cetera, et cetera, et cetera"

These are all needs in the US...well, as far as I can figure out, these are the basic needs to live a fairly middle class life.   That doesn't even include the luxuries of things like fully furnishing that apartment with appliances and other assorted things; computers; internet, television, (though some may consider those things necessities as well).

In Peru, I believe I lived a middle class lifestyle as well; but somehow it all seemed much easier to attain.  I didn't need a car because I did well with public transportation, Cellphones were affordable, and not completely necessary because a lot of communication is still *gasp* face to face. Housing is affordable, and health insurance, though helpful for the big stuff, wasn't necessary to receive treatment at an affordable cost. I didn't have a television, and food was the least of my concerns as you could eat a 2 course meal with drink for as low as 4 soles ($1.33).

Now that I'm back in the states, getting ready to take on the challenges of finding a job/car/insurance etc.  I'm finding myself feeling like one of the Lost Boys in Peter Pan- all of it just makes me want to stay young forever and never grow up.  Is it immature to flinch at the thought of getting sucked into all the paperwork and confusion of life in the states?  Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily want to be living on the side of a mountain herding 25 goats while weaving my own clothes and making my own cheese, but what is the balance between that and being up to my eyeballs in paperwork and legal jargon?

Is there a balance for me?

Am I getting that old???

So today, I went with my dad to get a cellphone...my first step into truly admitting that I'm here in the US to stay...for awhile at least.

We went to AT&T to get signed up for a plan and get a phone.  Now, I don't necessarily consider myself a communications expert, but I don't necessarily think that I'm living in the dark ages as far as technology goes...at least I didn't think that until today.  As I was looking at the phones, I found myself getting a little overstimulated by all the touchscreens, keypads, music features, apps, etc.  So I decided just to relax, and let the worker point me to the simplest (and cheapest) phone available.

Well...she did point me to the cheapest phone.

What crazy advanced modern age did I just enter where a 14 dollar phone "simple" phone looks like THIS!

Call me old-fashioned, but goodness.  I can't figure out all that technology!  If this phone were in Peru, it would cost a heck of a lot more than 14 dollars!

Sigh...I'm not sure I'm cut out for the 21st century...

Traveling with the Magoos

Oh man, I am wiped out.  As of 5:30pm (MST) my life in Colorado began.  
This of course only began after making it from Lima, Peru to Toronto, Canada to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to Detroit, Michigan to Denver, Colorado. 

The travel was fine, but tiresome...and not just because I was traveling with my parents. And mom, I know you're reading this, so I'm just going to have to mention today's major travel highlights with you guys-Baggage Confusion, rental car confusion, security hold-ups...Sorry Mom, but it's the truth, and thus the reason for the blog title.

Anyway, things I think are starting to seem a little brighter for my future in the US.  I still don't know exactly where my place in this world is yet, but heck, there was a time when I didn't know where my place in Peru was either.  I've been reading alot lately about what some people refer to as "re-entry shock" or "reverse culture shock." 

 In a nutshell, it's the feelings of shock that you experience after moving back to your homeland/state/etc. after being in a different culture or environment for awhile.  It's really interesting to read about...well, it is to me anyway, and actually it has been quite helpful for validating all the feelings I've had these past 5 days.  Anyway, one of the most helpful parts has been the suggestion to think about moving back as if you were beginning on another new cultural experience.  In other words, attack the United States as if it were a completely new country. 

So in my new country, I have learned that I have no idea how to work an HD television.  I'm quite bad at it actually.  Also, I get overwhelmed with all the food/drink options.  All I really want is chicha morada and lomo saltado. But I do appreciate the fact that I will be sleeping on an incredibly comfortable mattress tonight after a very tumultuous week.  Sweet Dreams!

Babylandia

Day 4 of life up North (of the equator)...it's been...
Well, anyway.

My almost one-month old niece got baptized today. And this weekend has been full of conversations that go a little something like this.

"Who wants to Hold the baby?! Gillian! Do you want to hold the Baby??"
 

"Oh...um, no thanks, you're doing just fine holding the baby yourself"
 

"Oh come on! She's your niece....and a Baby! Of course you want to hold her!"
 

"No really, it's fine...I'm sure someone else wants to hold her"
 

"So you want to hold the baby?? Let me start walking over to you with the purpose of handing you a baby"
 

"No really, it's fine...oh umm...you're coming over to me now...errrr."

And then suddenly I find a very wobbly baby in my lap.

And then I am very much reminded of my natural aversion to babies.  I'm sorry.  Maybe you think I'm a terrible person, maybe you think I have no heart...maybe I don't, who knows, all I know is that I don't think I'm ever going to feel comfortable around tiny human beings. But I'm ok with that.

Anyway,  the point is, my niece was baptized and I'm sure was the world's cutest baptism baby, and there should be some photos coming up soon of all the awkward time with Aunt Gillian.  By the way, I will be back in Denver on Monday night.   No word about any of the jobs I've applied to yet, but here's hoping!

My new leaf...

And thus begins my most recent change.  I, Gillian Dawn Baikie, am beginning my new chapter, turning over my new leaf, and cultural-shockedly entering life in the United States once more after three enchantingly fantastic years of living life as a Peruvian in Trujillo, Peru. 

So far, I know this much- I have been in North America for over 12 hours, and already feel like a) I want to go back immediately and b) I don't know if I can do this.  However, try I must, and try I shall.

This blog will be my adjustment journal, my most current life-chapter's chronicles of how surprisingly hard or easy it might be to move back to the States, back into my old house, find a job in my old profession, make new friends and get in touch with the old ones, and basically start all over again....just in time for my 25th birthday.

I make no promises about this blog, because I have no idea what sort of form it will even begin to take, but I will try to write often, try to write wittily, and try to keep the grammatical errors to a minimum

Well...what do you think? Shall we give it a go?