And So It Begins…

Hola from Peru!  It’s been a chaotic 48 hours of transit and orientation to our new life as Limeños.  I had forgotten how humbling it is to struggle with communication and completing basic tasks.  That being said, small wins (like successfully ordering a latte), make you feel like a million bucks.

So, Ms. Nia gets a C- for her first international flight.  She had her first blow-out of the day while we were going through the security line in DC.  I had a spare outfit thankfully, but started to fret because I didn’t have any additional ones beyond that in our carry-ons.  Blow-out 2 came mid-flight and Daddy got the honors of changing it in the restroom.  He told me that the outfit was fine but upon further inspection later we probably shouldn’t have let her keep wearing it.  Oops.

Nia was enthralled with all the action going on around her and refused to sleep.  She made eyes at anyone who’d look at her and did a fair amount of joyful shouting (note: this is different than screaming).  As the trip wore on and she became grossly overtired we moved into the not-so-pleasant state of intermittent wailing.  Unfortunately we were seated behind the young, childless couple who shot us no less than 20 death looks.

We eventually got her down, but not without creating a tent structure over our row to block out the lights and having Nick and I simultaneously shush in her right and left ears for half an hour.  Oh the things you’ll do as a parent…

We got into Lima around 9:30 Wednesday night and were met by Nick’s office sponsor.  They helped us collect our baggage and get safely to our new home.  Unfortunately, getting into the house was another story.  We have no less than 24 keys to our place.  I swear, every door in the place has a key.  And then there’s the alarm system and the bars that cover the glass windows and doors (oh, and did I mention it has a concrete perimeter surrounding the whole place – very moat-like, minus the water of course!)  So no worries, our safety is being well taken care of.  Never mind that we have no idea how to open the bars to get into our backyard… that’s tomorrow’s project!

I intend to do a full photo tour of the house in the next day or two, so please watch the blog for that.  Today I’ll leave you with a few observations I’ve had during my first day at post:

1. I need to work on my Spanish, STAT.  There is next to no English spoken here!
2. Nia’s blue eyes and fair skin are a magnet for Peruvian baby-lovers.  At one point there were 5 people bent over the stroller pinching her cheeks  and making faces at her.
3. This is not Manila.  It’s really hard not to compare each and every aspect of life, especially when I’m longing for the comfort I had there.
4. I must be on high alert when we’re out on walks – drivers don’t care one bit about pedestrians.  It’s going to take some serious effort not to get hit!

That’s all for now.  Adiós amigos!