This Must Be The Place: Living and Working in Lima

You get comfortable in a country after two months. Argentina had started to feel like home and with all the wonderful locals I met it was carving a larger place in my heart by the day (see Once Upon Another Time, The Way You Make Me Feel). So from the warm bosom of Argentina, I made my way into the unknown for the ninth time.

Next stop: Lima, Peru. I didn’t know what to expect, yet at the same time, I was anticipating it to be a hard month. I thought things might be harder to find in Lima. I have never been to Lima or Peru, so where I was gathering this notion from I have no idea.

I am pleased to report that Lima was nothing like I expected. Lima was one of the easiest cities to live in thus far, vying for the top slot with Valencia, Spain. I knew I was living on easy street the first time I went to the grocery store. I stepped inside Tutto to find American name brands on every aisle! I realize for some this might defeat the whole purpose of traveling and trying new things, but nine months into this journey, it felt like a sweet, sweet victory of comfort and convenience. It also didn’t hurt that Tutto was one of the nicest grocery stores I have come across thus far: clean and well stocked with lots of variety.

I lived two blocks from Tutto in one of my nicest RY apartments. From the minute I stepped off the elevator - directly into the unit - our apartment exceeded my expectations. I thought direct elevator access only happened in the movies. I found myself in a spacious, beautiful, newer, three bed, three and a half bath that I shared with Kristina and Mary. If RY has taught me one thing about living with roommates after a 15 year hiatus, it’s that you can live with anyone if you have your own bathroom. We had a half bath to spare and if that wasn’t enough, a balcony with a gorgeous view of the city, the cathedral, and the water in the distance.

Lima was coming at me with all the comforts! My apartment put me in close proximity to my trifecta of needs: the grocery store, the gym, and the workspace. The gym was two blocks away, conveniently located in the same shopping plaza as the grocery story. The shopping plaza gave me 40 Year Old Virgin vibes, so it managed to put Michael McDonald in my head just about every time I approached (jury is still out on whether that’s a good or bad thing). I’ll tell you what was good though, being so close to the gym.

Lima was my first month back in the gym after breaking my ribs and the subsequent two and half month gym hiatus. Proximity was working in my favor as it gave me no excuse not to go, and it definitely made getting up early to get a workout in before the workday easier. True story: I enjoy working out. It simultaneously energizes me and helps me sleep better. Plus it makes me feel good. I attribute a lot of my feelings of depression in Argentina (See A Sort of Homecoming) to being off the workout wagon. My workout is my release: I process a lot of my feelings and thoughts during that time. I didn’t realize just how much I missed it until I joined the local Body Tech.

The final jewel in my trifecta of needs is my proximity to the workspace. Without a doubt, the months where I get placed closer to the workspace, my quality of life is heightened. I had a ten minute walk that took me past a park along the way. I enjoyed working at Comunal. It was comfortable and had plenty of seating options and call-booths. Certain workspaces invite productivity and Comunal was one of them.

I am one of those people who enjoy having a routine. Better still, I thrive when I have one established. It was easy to establish and maintain one in Lima around my 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. work hours. On workout days, that extra hour in the morning was to my benefit. Ending the day between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. was still early enough to take advantage of the evening.

And when I say take advantage of the evening, I mean food. Lima is for eaters. There is no shortage of good food to find, no matter your budget. One of my favorite affordable options was Mercado 28, an upscale food court, which I know sounds like an oxymoron, but work with me. Your options were plentiful on the the high end too. I even found myself at Astrid y Gastón twice, because I figured when in Lima, why not?

In addition to its bountiful food scene, Lima has another natural resource of note, a waterfront. Lima is the only South American capital city on the water. The first thing that drew me in is its location on the Pacific Ocean. From the first time I spied the water from my balcony, I couldn’t wait to get there.

So the day after we arrived, I headed west, and walked to the water. Along the waterfront, my eyes were gifted with one beautiful view after the next and the first of many stunning sunsets. On that walk I knew I was in for a good month ahead: if for no other reason than the fact that I was within walking distance of such beauty. There is a feeling I get being near water that I don’t get anywhere else, and I love it, no matter how indescribable it may be.

What I can describe is how much I enjoyed my month living in Lima. It was one of my best months on RY. Hands down my most adventurous as well (See Adventure of a Lifetime). Besides the many things I have already mentioned, Lima was a people positive month. Friends came to visit and I had great roommates. I lived with Kristina for the first time and my girl Mary for the second time. Having easy and agreeable ladies to live with added to an already pleasant month.

I can’t talk about living in Lima without talking about Gaby, our jubilant RY experience manager. When talking about Gaby, “showing great joy” is not an exaggeration. She has a joy and energy all her own that is positively contagious. Gaby was genuinely excited to share her city and her time with us. She was constantly suggesting things for us do together. It was such a bonus to experience the city with a local - I even include my one club experience in that statement.

I was persuaded to go to a club past my bedtime to celebrate one of our Ohana birthdays, knowing Gaby would be there. She brought her joy and some of her friends to the club inside the famous Larcomar shopping mall. If you’re from the Chicago suburbs, wipe the image of Pacific Club from your memory.

Larcomar, besides being the number one tourist destination in Peru, putting Machu Picchu at number two, is an outdoor mall built into the side of a cliff with views for days (A mall then Machu Picchu, let that sink in). Inside the mall is a club. The Rolling Stones were playing as we descended the stairs. The DJ proceeded to play more classic rock and I thought I would go to clubs more often if they played this music. Apparently that’s what they play when you get to the club early. After midnight the music changed to what I expected, but I was already having a good time so I rolled with it.

And maybe that’s why I had such a great month in Lima. I was in such a positive space that I was willing to roll with a lot of things, including eating guinea pig for the first time (and last - still can’t wipe the sensation from my brain). For all of the routine Lima gave me that I craved, it gave me just as much unpredictability. Lima brought me out of my comfort zone and into a state of prolonged happiness.