Ugh...packing.

The bed is a disaster. I am now in round 3 of packing...i.e. I started two other times and ultimately pushed it all to the side. I'm flying out this evening so this is it.

Packing for 3 weeks is an art. In my case, I have the option to do laundry while I'm down there, so I really only need to bring 10 days worth of clothing. But what about that pretty dress? Not something I'll use every day but it's good to have, just in case. So really it's 10 days of clothes I know I'll ACTUALLY wear plus a few extra outfits for good measure in case I go out, have to dress up, meet the President, etc.

In case you don't know me well, I'm risk averse. I have been raised to plan for worst case scenarios. Have to bring a change of clothes in my carry-on, JUST IN CASE the airline loses my luggage. Have to put all my liquids in baggies, JUST IN CASE the pressure causes bottles to explode. The friends that have traveled with me probably think I'm insane but have been nice enough not to say so... Doug has traveled with me many times but never internationally. Over the past two weeks, he has seen my procrastination progress to planning mode and travel day anxiety. I dropped him off at work this morning and he, knowing me, made some friendly jabs at my ridiculousness.

"Do you have your passport?!"
"I have to get it out of my 'Personal' folder in my file box. But I have an Excel spreadsheet with my packing list so I'll remember to grab it."

Actually, he was really just trying to help me focus on the fact that in 24 hours I would be in sunny Peru. I was already sad about leaving him for two weeks. :( Ugh.

So anyway, my travel madness really starts at 2pm today when I begin walking to Kendall Square to take the T to the airport. BOS to MIA flight is at 5:40pm. I leave MIA for LIM shortly before midnight, arrive in LIM at 5:30AM tomorrow and then hop on the last leg of my journey at 7:25AM, arriving in Piura, Peru at 9AM.

I am very much looking forward to this vacation and am particularly excited about my first week. I haven't been to this part of the country since I was 12 years old. My great grandmother, Abuelita Maria, used to have a house right on the beach of Colán (see pictures). I was lucky enough to visit quite a bit as a little girl but as our trips back to Lima became fewer and farther in between, so did the extra trips to Colán. Luckily, Tio Lucho (my mom's brother) is up there quite a bit now for work and decided to rent a house for the summer. It took 14 years to go back and I'm sure a lot has changed, but I have only one request for "unchanged" and it is this - please let there still be a woman who visits the houses every morning with a basket full of fresh bread and meringues with sprinkles.