I am really going to miss Peru

I'm buying souvenirs for the folks back in the U.S. I'm saying goodbye to my Peruvian friends. I'm leaving the wonderful city of Arequipa and confounding country of Peru this Sunday with extremely mixed emotions. A bittersweet time, as one teacher said to me. I can't wait to see my family and friends in the U.S., of course, but this place has found its way into my heart. Cliched, but so very true. The awesome food and weather, Colca Canyon, Machu Picchu, even that damn San Camilo market. The fireworks, blaring horns, rude pedestrians, prostitutes, and stoic faces on the combis.  Juan's 5 a.m. opera, the cold showers, the battles over change in the shops and markets. All unforgettable. Of course, the highlight was the friendships I made with the teachers (a big shout-out to Jon, Vanessa, Anna and Chloe and whoever else I'm forgetting), with Juan & Co., with the shop owners and street vendors (and especially the Anticuchos Lady and her sidekick Guadalupe), and best of all, with THE STUDENTS. Some of them actually learned a little English from me along the way -- key words and phrases like: Clear as mud (Claro como baro y agua), Chuckleheads, Easy Peasy Weasy. Sometimes, I feel like I learned more Spanish from the students than they learned English from me. But I think it's fair to say we learned a lot from each other. These overworked students always came to class cheerful, if somewhat tired, and were respectful, attentive, and a joy to teach. There's Oscar, Jose, Ana Patricia, Karen, Emanuel, Diego, Rolly, Karem, Karina, Claudia, Carlos, Julio, Grace, Diana Ruth and on and on. There's so many, and all such wonderful people. And they were ALL my favorite student (an inside joke). The time flew by -- I've been here more than 6-and-a-half months -- and that's a tribute to the classes I had. Winners one and all. I also want to mention my employer, Extreme, which ignored my age, hired me, and gave me a wonderful opportunity. I learned more English grammar here in six months than I did in 30 years in the newspaper business. I have no idea what I'll do next, but I'm not really concerned. This was an experience I'll treasure forever. It'll be tough to top. One can only hope.