Let me go home

I'm sitting in the Miami airport eating peanut M&Ms, reading Vanity Fair magazine, and experiencing strong feelings of disbelief. What has happened? It's more than obvious that I am not in Cusco anymore and in five short (but they seem very long) hours I will be reunited with my family.

My last days of study abroad have been a complete whirlwind of packing, presenting my research, and hitting all my favorite spots in my favorite Peruvian city. Yesterday my friends brought me to the airport and it became clear that these people are not just any normal friends. We have been there for each other in sickness and in health (literally, we were hospitalized together), and saying goodbye to these people was incredibly hard.

One of the strangest feelings I have had was leaving Cusco. It was my home for three and a half months. For us college students, it felt like going home after finals, but without knowing that I will ever be back. Hopefully one day.

I don't think I have any life changing wisdom about study abroad yet, but I cannot fully comprehend that it is over. I'm going to be honest, when I was in freezing Colca canyon in my sod house there were times when I wanted to go home so badly. When I was sick in the jungle some of the days seemed to crawl by. But it's over. The only thing that isn't over right now is my EIGHT hour layover. In the spirit of re-integration into the United States I think I am going to go to Starbucks now. Peace!