Learning to Laugh at Life

Stood up, in my new fave coffee shop. Chillin, jammin to the classic rock music, and enjoying my day.

Sometime in July our director, Professor Zandstra, e-mailed our group to see who would be interested in being a conversation group leader. This would entail having 2-4 peruvian students meet with you once a week for 1 hour speaking spanish for 1/2 and english for the other half. I am a rather introverted person so I thought leading a convo group would be a good way to force myself to make Peruvian friends. I replied with a "YES! Sign me up!" 

So then we got here in August. We asked about convo groups but Prof. Zandstra said the university was a little slow on setting this up and we'd just have to wait. 2 months later I was meeting my convo group guys for the first time (of course, I would end up with 4 guys...) We set up a time on Tuesday for me to meet with 2 of them and a time on thursday for the other two. The next week was midterms and I was in the states so clearly we did not meet. The next week I sent e-mail upon e-mail upon facebook message upon text to try to figure out where I was meeting these guys. 2 of the 4 responded and on the both days only 1 of 2 showed up. (and believe it or not, the guy who hadn't responded to a single one of my messages was one of the ones to show up!) My Tuesday convo guy, Jackson, took me to a place called Cusco coffee which is now my new favorite homework spot. We had a really good conversation and I was looking forward to 7 more weeks of it. 

Long story short, these men are the hardest to get a hold of and many times (even after we have confirmed a place and time) I get stood up. Like right now for instance... At first I was super frustrated. In the states 4 means 4 and if you're not going to be there right at 4 or perhaps not coming at all you call the other person out of courtesy. Those rules don't apply here. I have learned to embrace the time I have alone and drink as much coffee as possible.

Things here don't always go my way. Correction: things here typically don't go my way. So now I am learning to expect the unexpected, embrace the unpredicted, and smile when I get stood up repeatedly in a coffee shop by myself. Have you ever heard the phrase "I have to laugh at this situation or else I'll cry!"? That is often how I feel here. Sometimes at the end of a terribly awful, no good, very bad day I just look in the mirror and laugh. Such is life, no? Why get frustrated over things you cannot change? Besides, despite the occasional frustration I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I was talking to a friend from the states the other day and she said she thinks I am the happiest she has ever seem me; that I glow from the sheer delight of waking up every day in this foreign place that is slowly becoming my own. And I think she's right. Something about being here just makes me smile. I think about all the crazy fun things I've done here and I just laugh. My only hope is that this happiness lasts : )