How it all started…
The year was 2010; the school semester started quick with no
delay. We were all still reliving our
winter break with classmates quietly while the professor begins class. This was my third semester in the Travel and
Tourism program, after coming from a Biomedical major, and I enjoyed every
class and everyone in my classes. One
class in particular was my favorite that semester; the Travel and Tourism
Internship class. Since there were so
many possibilities for careers in this industry, I wanted to be sure I found
the one career path that was for me.
Quickly I noticed most of the internship opportunities were with
hotels. The downside about that was I
already had an inkling that the hotel side is not for me. But fate was on my side that day when I found
the only event planning internship opportunity.
South American Explorers (SAE) was the company and the internship was
located in Cusco, Peru. I remember
learning about Peru, Cusco, the Incas, and Machu Picchu in Geography of
Tourism. I knew that this was my chance
to see Cusco and see Machu Picchu. So
short from the details of how I got the internship, I began my journey to
Peru.
The Journey Begins…
Getting the internship was the easy part, the preparing and
planning was the hard part. The first
step was keeping in contact with the SAE assistant manager about dates of arrival,
possible places to live, and very useful information on Cusco. In 2007 I traveled to Salvador, Brazil for a
mission trip with my church. So I had a
little knowledge on the conditions in South America but of course there are
always those differences that can be a surprise. The second step was to book my flight once
the dates were figured out. I searched and
searched for deals then finally American Airlines posted a rate of $1000 round
trip ticket from Minneapolis, MN to Cusco, Peru from June 4 to August 24. I was happy with this price considering this
was $500 cheaper than the last rate posted for those dates. And finally the third step was to pack. Now that was a process. Even though it was our summer, in the southern
hemisphere it was winter. But in one day
you could experience the weather of all seasons. At night it was winter, morning was spring,
afternoon was summer, and night was fall.
So how do you pack for that? My
conclusion, I packed three weeks worth of clothes (laundry mats were located
everywhere) containing something for each season. The next time I go to Peru I will pack even
lighter and have a different option in clothing choice plus a backpack instead
of a suite case.
Saying Goodbye to St.
Cloud…
The week I was set to leave was a busy one. The weekend before was my going away party,
which seems silly now because I came back home after three months not to leave
forever. The 1st of June was
my one year anniversary with my boyfriend, the 2nd of June was my
mother’s birthday, and the 3rd of June had to pick my brother up
from the airport after his three week study abroad to Croatia. Then the morning came, June 4th,
2010, known to me is the last day of my old life and the beginning of my new
one. I said a sad long goodbye to my boyfriend,
my mom, and my cat Dennis. My dad and
brother brought me to the airport, it seemed only fitting for my brother to see
me off considering I was there the day before to welcome him back. First stop was Chicago, IL for an hour then
Miami, FL for five hours. That was such
a draining day for me, I have never cried so much it actually hurt to shed any
more tears in Miami. The only thought in
my head was, I am still in the US I can turn around and go back home simple as
that.
But the adventurous side of me put
that flame out pretty quick and said in a forceful tone, “Suck it up ya big baby, you talked the talk now it is time to walk the
walk. Tighten up your laces because it
is going to be a long lonely walk.
Remember though that this will be worth it in the end. Because when you
are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” And
she was right.
Saying Hello to Cusco,
My New Home…
It had been a long two days with horrible sleep, not a lot
of food, and I needed to shower! Looking
out the window as we flew over Cusco, it was so bright and beautifully breathtaking
(that meant something completely different the moment I stepped outside the
plane), definitely better looking than Lima.
However, the Cusco airport was not what I expected at all. I was
expecting this airport to be similar to Lima’s, of course not as big, but still
hold the similarities. Instead of easing
the passengers into the difference of air quality in higher altitudes, you are
sure to be hit right in the chest with immediate shortness of breath. In a way they were saying to the passengers, “Welcome to Cusco folks, the Inca capital. Now that you are unable to catch your breath
it is time to walk down the set of stairs, that let’s be honest, could collapse
at any moment. Thank you and enjoy stay.” I made
it down the stairs safely and collected my luggage. Before I left the building to meet my new
assistant manager outside, I collected my thoughts and repeated to myself, ‘remember that this will be worth it in the
end.’
Stay tuned next week for; My New Life in a New City.
Thank
you for reading!! Happy Travels!!
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