I'm Moving to Peru. Don't Give Me That Look.

Ever feel inexplicably drawn to something? It happens to me every day -- I might linger around one of my students because of the happy vibes I get when I'm close to them, I might play a song over and over again or I might choose to wear a particular oil that day because its scent and therapeutic properties resonate with me. The need to move to Peru is similar, only the pull was about a million times stronger than an urge to listen to a song on my iPod. The only answer I can give to those who ask me why I'm going is this: I'm supposed to.

I spent February 2010 in Cusco volunteering my services as a massage therapist in a children's clinic. Mornings were spent in the clinic and my afternoons were reserved for one-on-one Spanish lessons with Alfredo, a local teacher who quickly became a close friend. He showed me a Cusco I never would have found on my own and became the key to unlocking a few doors that had been closed for a long, long time.

And on my last day, as the plane took off from the runway, something latched itself to my gut and began pulling me back to Peru. The ache was something fierce, like a part of my soul had been left behind. Within two weeks (and some intense energy work from Katherine), I knew I had to go back. And not just for a quick visit.

During that time, my cousin, Rebecca, was also questioning her path and the decisions she had made over the past couple of years. As a teacher, she wasn't sure if her current job was still a good fit and seemed to be searching for change. So I invited her to come with me. Completely out of character, she said yes. You could hear our family's collective *GASP* from New England (where my mother lives) all the way down to Florida (where her mother lives).

After a couple of days of research, we settled on Bridge TEFL's Cusco teaching certification program and Rebecca and I bought our plane tickets and enrolled. We leave on June 20, 2010.

Won't you join us?