In three days time we will be on a plane flying out of Peru.  It is one year since we got here.  A year feels like a long time at the start of it but at the end of it, it really doesn’t.  Most of you would know that we had wanted to stay longer but for a number of reasons we decided not to.  I am almost at peace about it.  We have talked and prayed and thought a lot about it and we feel it is right but I am feeling pretty sad about saying goodbye to family and friends and this beautiful place.  I am also still feeling pretty disappointed that we weren’t able to stay longer and I wasn’t able to achieve more in terms of the doula stuff and there is a bit of a sense of failure.  However, I suppose two births aren’t so bad with the first man attending in Chulucanas hospital.  Although, for me  the most significant thing about the project was simply builidng relationships with women in the community and talking about their births and babies etc even if I wasn’t able to attend.  Spending time with people and building relationships has probably being the most significant thing of the year in general.  I love that I know Martin’s family really well now and thus know Martin better too.  I don’t know if I did it that well but it has been a year of ‘being’ more than doing and that has lead to an immense amount of growth I think. Confronting myself and my failures has not been easy at all, at times excruciating, but I am hoping I am a better person for it.  I also continue to be grateful for the fact it has allowed me to be more present to Nina at this crucial age.

Martin’s project went pretty well although there were some disappointments too.  He only did two rounds of workshops as opposed to five which were planned.  Even though they were well receieved and he was working with local associations who had requested them getting people to show up proved impossible in some areas.  He used the time instead to begin a project with two schools.  The public agricultural school and a private school.  The kids learned about sustainability issues and how to make compost etc.  They loved the practical aspect of it and another teacher will be continuing to make compost with them and selling it to raise money for the school.  They have also formed an ecological brigade that picks up rubbish etc around town.  Martin also did really well in his first semester of the masters and gave the results of the research project about making compost with the organic waste from the market to the municipality.  An auntie who works there mentioned they were discussing it.  Finally with the university professors he is hoping to continue to support agronomy students who wish to do their thesis in sustainability issues.  For both of us the image of the seed continues to be helpful.  We have planted a seed and who knows from here what will happen.

I am a little worried about Nina leaving here.  She loves her life here and is totally adored by the family.  She loves her cousins, her  little school, her park and plaza and pool.  She loves the constant parties and there are lots of food she likes that you can only get here.  Not to mention she only really speaks Spanish.  She seems to understand when I speak to her English but she won´t speak it unless I really ask her too and even then not always.  I hope it won’t be too unsettling for her. She sure will miss this place and the relaxed lifestlye and all the people we have come to love  I will too. Very much.

In saying that there are many things I am looking forward to about getting home.   I can´t wait to see my own family and friends.  Being away and immersed in another has made me more aware of how very blessed we are by my family and community and in the long term I think it is a healthier environment for Nina to grow up in.  I am also looking forward to getting away from the machismo here and the daily frustrations of people not doing what they say they are going to do.  I still love Peru but I think it is more the love of a long term relationship where you know the faults of a person, rather than that in love relationship in which everything about them is perfect.  So as hard as it is for me to say this as I have saved for Peru, planned for Peru and dreamed about Peru for ten years this trip has shown both Martin and I that Australia is probably better for us all.

I do look forward to visiting Peru again though, probably many more times, and who knows maybe at some stage we will feel called to stay long term again but for now it is farewell to this place I cherish and hello again soon to Alice Springs hopefully for a very long time.