Sometimes I wonder if I've had my fill of Iqaluit; if the adventure is becoming less of an adventure and more of a daily normality. There are select reasons why I stay, the first being my closest friend, and neighbor, Katie, and her family. I cannot imagine my life without them. I'm listening to her baby girl cry through the wall as I type. The second would be the small parts of my job that keep me engaged. We have a fairly new assistant store manager. I believe I have mentioned him in this blog in the past. He is an exuberant man, full of drive and excitement. Its by surrounding myself with people like this that I keep myself going.
Lately, we've had a little bit of 'seperation of church and state,' syndrome in the workplace. Where the senior managers seem to be pulling back their relationship boundaries with the rest of the management team.
At the end of the day, I am feeling entirely unengaged, unmotivated and uninterested. I go home, happy to get away and I wake up dreading my destination.
I need a break, and a break I will have. In five short days (I know this doesn't compare to the 130 day count down of my last vacation) I will be on a plane from Iqaluit to Ottawa. Thursday I will attempt to get into a travel clinic for shots to help me avoid typhoid fever, and I will be doing some last minute shopping for miniature toiletries from walmart. Friday I fly from Ottawa to Chicago to Miami. I've been keeping this a secret because my family, aunts, uncles, cousins... even my Grandma will be in Miami. They are going on a 5 day cruise from Florida to Jamaica to the Cayman Islands. On March 13th, they will be in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. March 13th is special for me, not only because it's my birthday, but because it's my Grandmothers birthday. Being her first grandchild and being able to share the day with her for all these years has been wonderful.
This year, I told Grandma that I couldn't get vacation time. I could hear the disappointment in her voice. It tore my heart apart to lie to her, but it's all in the name of keeping an important surprise. I bought my tickets for the same cruise that my family is on, booked my flights and am going to show up and spend Grams' 80th birthday with her. (If you know my Grandmother, PLEASE don't tell her)
I'd also like to spend part of this birthday scuba diving, I hear they have an excellent beginners course there.
When the boat pulls back into Miami on the 15th, I am heading straight back to the airport, to board a plane to Atlanta and then to Lima, Peru. Where I will start my 21 day Peruvian adventure...
29 Days, 10 major flights...
Iqaluit - Ottawa - Chicago - Miami - Jamaica - Cayman Islands - Miami - Atlanta - Lima - Pisco - Nazca - Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Lake Titicaca - Puno - Cuzco - Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu - The Amazon Jungle - Lima - Atlanta - Toronto - Ottawa - Iqaluit
I will not be starving for adventure after this trip. My Peru itinerary includes some incredible stops, some of which have been on my bucket list since I was old enough to know what a bucket list was.
I have the option to fly a small plane over the famous Nazca lines, see incredible cemeteries and monasteries. I'll see Colca Canyon where we will hopefully be able to see Condors. I'll bathe in hot springs and visit the floating islands of Uros. I will experience a homestay with locals after a tour of Lake Titicaca. We will spend four days hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and encounter the chance to go white water rafting, horseback riding and mountain biking. (which I may avoid after my last encounter) I will spend two nights in a lodge in the middle of the Amazon jungle, an incredible opportunity to spot wildlife that we certainly don't encounter in the Arctic.
When I get back, I will probably be tanned, and definitely be exhausted. Regardless, I am looking forward to the experience, I'm going alone with a group of other G Adventurers, so I'm excited to make some new friends. Life is too short not to take advantage of the chances that will shape us.
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| Photo from G Adventures - Absolute Peru |
