leaving again

ok, i know its been awhile since my last blog, but, whatever. there´s a lot that i havent blogged about that i would like to one day blog about (the rest of colombia, the jungle, carnaval, visits from ant´s folx and carly, and many other things). in the meantime, however, is that we are leaving cuenca. were off tonight on a 3am-er to guayaquil. then tomorrow at 1130 we will board an ormeño bus to lima (27 hours, if all runs smoothly). we´ll get into lima sunday afternoon, and maybe go chill in miraflores (starbucks there.) and then go sleep in the airport. on monday morning we will catch our flight to buenos aires, via santiago, if all goes well, BA being our intended destination.

so. so cuenca is a strange city to say goodbye to. we came here for the first time on july 7, and have been returning to cuenca again and again ever since. its not that cuenca is so great - its really quite flawed in inpardonable ways - but that its easy to make a life here and still feel like you are living the andean experience. meaning, yes in some ways it does cater to your average american trying to live with the comforts of home (coffee) (theres even a place here that has coffee TO GO, in paper cups and everything - anamoly) but, theres tons of markets and churches and low clouds and cooked guinea pigs. anyway, so i guess thats why we chose to come back and live here. as you probably know, we found a job here which started last september, left in mid december to travel to colombia, then begrudgingly dragged ourselves back here to spend 2 1/2 more months. its been good in many ways, and it has become home. but there are other, bigger, places to go.

but here we have cats, students, friends, favorite cafes and restauarants, and a coffee pot. these things can be hard to leave, and in all the last minute craziness and goodbyes im reminded of how it felt in july when i left ny. i know i want to leave, im leaving for many reasons, i cant wait to get to where im going, but part of me wants to crazy glue myself to one of the cats and stay. the truth is that sometimes even now, 8 months into it, i am scared to be here in south america, so far from my family and friends. but here in cuenca im never scared. i know where to go and what to do, i recognize people i see in the street and even say hi, and when i get tired i go home and bother the cats and brew some coffee. its home, and i want to stay.

but i wont. and when i get to buenos aires, i´ll let you know how it is. i mean it this time.