There is no word in Spanish for Awkward.

When I first arrived at my host family's house, I was so awkward.

I mean, I'm usually somewhat awkward, but compound that times 5 when I am in a foreign country and foreign language trying to make this new place my home.

I unpacked my stuff in my room and sat, awkwardly, on my bed. Alone. My host dad popped his head in and said (and I'm translating here) "You don't have to sit in there! Come! You can be out here too!" And he lead me into the breakfast room and showed me all the magazines and sat with me, for an hour, reading Peruvian celebrity gossip magazines.

It was one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me.

He didn't want to read those magazines and had no interest in who was dating who. But he so badly wanted me to be comfortable, my kind, quiet Peruvian Dad, that he sat with me and read about how Jorge was caught with Jessica in the bar the other night.

I hope I will be that welcoming for anyone I run into who is alone and awkward and confused.

In other news, I just returned from Trujillo, which I adored! It looked like this and it was beautiful:

Fiestas Patrias are coming soon (the big holidays of Peru)!

{I leave in 13 days}

Mixed Feelings.

Right now, fear of stopping, of not getting back on a bus, of not traveling.

In two seconds, it will likely change.