Settling In

In order to know what it means to become American, you must know what it means to have been something other than American.

- Meri Nana-Ama Danquah
Becoming American

I found this book at a used book store pretty soon after arriving here in the US. It is a collection of personal essays of first generation American women. And is really interesting to read. To read what they went through/experienced their whole lives. To compare it to what I felt living in Peru and moving back. It's helpful in processing Julton and mine's own feelings about being in the US. 

We've been here a little over two weeks and very busy for all of it. Julton jumped right into his studies and I into looking for employment. Of course, we've had a lot of fun in our spare time, too :)

Julton is a natural at shooting a target with a gun!

in between

Waiting in an airport for 10 hours for your next flight is not so much fun. Especially when there's only one option for food, and their mayonnaise has no lime, and their ketchup sucks, too. That's when you know you are caught in the middle. Oh, Ecuador. 


At least there is free wifi here, they've got that going for them. And some fun earrings that I found that are made out of the seed from a palm tree. They look like the bone or elephant tusk jewelry except vegan friendly. Very cool. 


We are nearing the end of our long stay here in the airport and about to head out to Miami! Immigrations here we come, we've got a visa and we've got a sealed envelope just for you.


Since I've had plenty of time I was able to upload the pictures we have been taking the past few weeks. Meeting up with friends, visiting some new places and saying goodbyes...

There used to be enough beach there where the waves have covered, to play and lie on. They are working on it now, or are in plans to, to restore it. 

Christmas puppet show.

Christmas fireworks after Christmas dinner complete with hot chocolate at midnight on a summer night, at a friend's house. (Thank you, Rosa!)

Zanax meeting one of her new roommates. 

It rained A LOT in moyobamba. Everyday. 

But we still went fishing... and after Julton tried and tried to "help" me because he was convinced that I wouldn't know what I was doing... I caught the biggest one! 800 grams.

Our fearless guide.

Julton's little cousins pretending to be natives, playing in the yard and eating aguaje, a jungle fruit.

Father and son waiting for our luggage at the airport. Julton's dad traveled to Lima with us.

We got to meet up with and go out with our good friends from Trujillo that now live in Lima. I met Katy on my first day here, when I couldn't speak a bit of Spanish. And we have been best friends since. I wouldn't have been able to buy anything, walk anywhere or speak to anyone had it not been for her.

new year!

Happy New Year!


We brought in 2012 peacefully at home while the street outside not so peacefully celebrated the new year. The street in front of Julton´s family´s house has been built up with bars and clubs over the past few years. So even though we didn´t actually go out, we still felt like we were in the party. 


But we actually spent the night at home baking a turkey! I`m not exactly sure why but Julton´s mom was convinced that I´m an expert on turkey cooking. I´m not sure where that came from. But thankfully it all worked out! And it was my first to bake. I also made sweet potato casserole. It was Julton´s family´s first time to try, and they liked it!


It has rained every day if not two times a day here, so it is making it a little difficult to make plans. We have been trying to get out to hike up one of the popular mountains that you can see from nearly everywhere in the city, but it has been raining too much so far. i have no idea how people get their laundry done here, everytime we turn around Julton´s mom or grandmother are bringing the laundry back in because it is raining. 


But, even in the rain we went fishing yesterday. We were determined to go fishing, even though it started raining. We calmly waited for the rain to pass, which is did. But 5 minutes later we looked up and saw another wave of rain coming in our direction, literally. So we waited it out and  looked for the owner of the fish farm. which was a scavenger hunt in itself. Then we were handed our tree branches with a hook attached and a piece of styrofoam as a bobber, and set out to fish. Julton was really worried that I didn´t know what I was doing and was trying to do everything for me every few seconds. Apparently my fishing history has never come up as a topic of conversation in our relationship. He didn´t believe that I knew what I was doing, that is, until I caught the biggest fish of the day! About 2 pounds! Pictures to come soon.