The New Race: Traveler or Non (please check one)

At the beginning of each month, Peru's Challenge extends a welcome to 15-20 new faces from around the world and looks to them to build school classrooms, construct chimneys, plan lessons for 140 anxious children, grow gardens and liven up the sunny yellow house on the dirt road in Larapa. The past six days have been one big welcome party with people who, although I have never met in my life, are also in search of an adventure in a foreign part of the world, who have this little part of them that wants to change the life of a child. We aren't as unknown to each other as I thought. 

There is a lot to learn about Cuzco. There is also a lot to learn about each other. So Annie and I have been walking backwards, explaining when you can go inside of the Plaza's main cathedral and why its better to get meat from this grocer while we listen to stories of the occupations left behind, of the cities traveled right before Cuzco, of the kids who will be missing their mothers for this month. 

There is an automatic bond when you throw 20 people from around the world into one house, each with the same goals of exploring Peru and wanting to see a change in our neighboring communities. Of these new friends, many have traveled. For some, this is their first adventure, but this time in Cuzco will be immediately followed by pinpoints practically covering South America. Mornings ago, we all shook hands and questioned as to each others' home countries (UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, etc.) and, finding ourselves in this new part of the world together, greeted each other like kin. 

Just as people descending from the same small town or from an ancient-old religion, travelers do this. Each knows the other has the secrets to some destination they haven't yet unraveled, and it is hard to contain the curiosity of it all. You want to grab a map and share stories, get suggestions and find the one common place you both have been to. The conversation could go on for hours. You know the other will give you the best tips, relay treasures about the sparkling cities and looming peaks and little cafes by the the sea that are, at the moment, just a dream.  

I am thankful for these world travelers and the unspoken bond that sits in a room when we all sit down to decide what to teach Grade 1, go over issues in the community when a drunk man lay in the street on our way down the mountain or discuss the must-sees of (fill in any continent here). We have worked to make sure the new visitors don't get sick or lost, but they have reached out to us just as far. Anne, Francis and I walked half-way to town for the Sunday market where they encouraged me to buy all the flowers I wanted. Brugh has promised to use his recent marketing skills/contacts to aid me in my endless-seeming quests. Kristy has given me Spanish tips and teaching advice I quickly jotted down. Anne held my hand and talked of soothing things when I recently had to get blood taken, and Keith hugs me after inquiring about my health. Erin plays me Britney Spears on her ukulele, and Heather and Chelsea couldn't be better people to just talk to. It's only been a few days.

It isn't often you get to live with a group from around the world, all eager to write their own travel book. I am going to soak in this traveler bond; I want to hear about these people's experiences so I know where to go next. I'll store their travels in my head and relish the time we'll have similar ones, all about a place called Cuzco.