Unlike my previous moves to South America, I didn’t advertise this one at all. There was no anticipatory blog or social media post revealing the bundle of nerves I usually am before such a move. No goodbye party. No tear-jerking airport send-off.
The fanfare of it all has worn off, and not just for me. My family, though they’d give anything for me to stop leaving U.S. borders and finally “settle down” like a normal 27-year-old, has even grown accustomed to my overstuffed luggage inevitably waiting by the door before yet another extended stay south of the equator.
The truth is I’m hooked. Life in a South America is an endless adventure. More than most I think, I thrive on the unknown. For me, the U.S. has become too safe, too predictable, too easy. What South America presents me is this 360-degree world of entirely unexpected experience that every single time shapes me into a better version of myself. I’ve grown so much over the past two years of living here and, until I feel like I’ve exhausted what’s here for me, I will continue to keep coming back.
This is why I’m back in the place that started it all for me: Peru. Except this time, the white-walled, volcano-ringed city of Arequipa will serve as home base.
Arequipa is a city that has always held a bit of magic and mystery for me. I could never quite put my finger on it exactly, but every time I am here, I feel this sense of feeling right at home. Like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Like there is something waiting for me here.
So, I am finally giving this city a chance to show me what it is that it’s been trying to tell me all this time. And I can not wait to find out.
I’ll be sharing every milestone of the next 5 months here on this blog. Stay tuned!
Amber Dunlap 
So glad to “hear” you, Amber, and we hope what you find is delightful!
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