Arrival/ Day 1

     After departing from family and friends, I began my embarkment to La Paz, Bolivia where I planned to spend the next year of my life teaching English as a Second Language.  I saw some stunning displays of God's glory in creativity and humor throughout my time in the air.

               

 

 *My Aunt and Grandmother came up to see me off as well.  Though we didn't take a group photo, the lovingly meaningful weight of their hugs and words (Grand Jean kept saying something along the lines of, "If you hold on to someone long enough, you eventually stick to them like glue, so they can never leave you.").

*I found a way to travel to/ from the airport bathrooms without donning the backpack a 50th time; Yoda (the carry-on roller) is so good!  These pieces held books, daily supplies and at least a day's worth of clothing, just in case--love you, Mom!

*I also got overly excited about seeing a rainbow in midst of the clouds in the stratosphere, among other beautiful shapes and arrangements.  It was truly amazing.

Awaiting my arrival, Michael Niemann was an excellent, at tentative host who was very conscientious of my every need and kindled, even farther, my excitement for this new adventure from the moment I stepped off the plane (and went through customs, of course--with no difficulty).
      Michael met me, with the kindly taxi driver sent by my school, immediately when I emerged from customs.  (Keep in mind, he was up at 4:00 this morning, preparing to greet me and left La Paz around 4:30 to be at El Alto when my flight arrived around the anticipated 5:15.)  My flight landed around 5:20, so I did not get out of customs until around 5:40--praise God for his patience in the wee hours because I know some who would not be as excited to see me if they were in that predicament, simply because of the situation (love you anyway).
      After eating "dinner" on the plane around 12am, sleeping on-and-off until about 4:30am, when I became so nervously excited that I began to feel physically ill, I realized we had begun our descent to La Paz.  The last jerky bout of erectly-seated sleep left my mouth once again agape, so I popped in a piece of gum in the hopes that it would at least make me somewhat bearable after a full day of traveling.  In the blur that was the man who grabbed my bulky suitcases and began walking them to the exit (a valet... I had expected to be offered the service, but I'll know for next time), I saw Michael smiling my way and plant a kiss on my cheek as I was rapidly introduced to the taxi driver, who took my carry-on bag (yoda) and Michael slipped on my backpack.  I was glad for it, though, because what I had thought was my heart that had flown out of the open airplane doors turned out to be insufficient oxygen (based on what I was used to using).  Though, I kept waiting for the sucker-punch that would be the altitude shift (I was now at 14,000 feet above sea level.), nothing drastic happened. I was just a little more fatigued when I wore my backpack (which easily weighed 10-15 pounds alone--books and laptop and things...); granted, I may have been fatigued in the states with as little sleep and amount of stress/ anticipation as I experienced while traveling.
     Anyway, La Paz is a starlit sky laid down in a basin surrounded by craggy mountains at night.  The city twinkled as the taxi descended from El Alto to La Paz; it could be likened to the light in Michael's eyes as he informed me about the different suburbs and factoids about El Alto and La Paz, respectively.  He was equally excited for me to be there.
    When we reached the Gravity house, Michael lead me to the room in which I would be staying for now and promptly retrieved a vase of pinky-purple mini tiger lilies (mom would correct me on the type) and I was gracious for his kindness and awed by the beauty of the view from the window of the apartment: a blanket of midnight blue backdrop for a city of starlight and eminent sunrise against the outline of an all-too-close mountain range.  It is surreal.

*Unfortunately, I was prompted to take a picture after the sun had begun to rise and after a half hour or so of leaving the taxi, but it is still lovely.

Though he encouraged me to sleep, I was much too excited, so instead I began to unpack some items I had brought for Gravity and watch the sunrise in my new home for the first time.  Eventually, I was able to fall asleep as he read beside of me... for about an hour before a alarm that was preset in my phone went off (this was 8:00am).  After this, I let Michael make me some Matte de Cocoa (to help with altitude adjustment) and quinoa and yogurt.  It was the lightest, most perfect breakfast I could have eaten.
 

Michael

     After unpacking some more, Michael and I went to drop off items and meet people at the Gravity mechanic shop, stop for an early lunch (chicken and guacamole sandwich on a baguette), exchange some money (no USA airport will exchange for Boliviano's unless you call ahead--who knew?), went  to the downtown Gravity office drop off items and meet people, and finally, to my school, so I would know how to get there and could introduce myself.  It was great to walk around the city and meet everyone!  After these errands, we went back to the apartment, so I could rest some.  I ended up talking to a room-mate there, who is from Australia and a fascinating, adventurous person and attempting to rest, but listened to Michael play guitar and organized my things a bit more before we left to go on a free city tour.
    Now, the city tour is free, extensive, charming, bold, and entirely worth every penny of any tip you leave the guide.  Guides do not pressure, provoke, or react to tips (or lack of tips) and strive to do the best job to earn their tips.  (Two March's ago, the group that went to France participated in a tour like this in Paris--COMPLETELY worth it--same concept.)  We learned more about the local prison (fascinating), the primary local outdoor market (AMAZING, fresh variety), indoor market (terrible aesthetics, but wonderful shops and amazing smoothies), witch's market (perhaps not surprisingly, the people there are not as kind as elsewhere in La Paz; a little eerie), and the local native people and why they still dress in traditional garb.  They are an incredible race of women (we discussed the women primarily).  The tour ended in a 5-star hotel that hosts an activity called Urban Rush (more on this later, I hope!); it is terrifyingly awesome.  As it turns out, the tour guide is friends with the English teacher who will train  me at my school, is friends with Gravity workers (who have apparently given Michael the nickname, "gospel singer"), and leads a food tour that Mike and I are interested in participating, so we will likely see each other again.
     The Free City Tour lasted from 2-5pm and took us all around the city, so needless to say, I was pretty tired.  As we walked back to the apartment, Mike and I stopped in at the Gravity office again, and headed home, so I could give my momma a FaceTime call.  I was so tired that I began to fall asleep toward the end of her call, and after she graciously and gracefully allowed the conversation to end, I did conk out until around 7pm, when Mike and I were going to go to dinner--he wanted to take me to a fancy place for the first night and, though I protested, I donned my new maxi skirt (thanks Mom and Cassie!) and we walked back down the cobblestone, hilly alleys of La Paz.

     *These pictures were taken retro-actively, hence the afternoon sun.

 

     I am entirely glad I decided to be dragged from the bed for this meal because it was perhaps THE BEST llama and duck (I tried a bite of Mike's duck dish) I will ever put to my taste buds.  It included three types of potatoes and a pepper mix.  It was succulent.  At one point, though, Mike asked me if I felt bad for the llama (I must have made some face in the conversation.) and I quickly replied, "Only when I think of the llama [when it was a living llama]."  Mike compared the taste to deer, but I thought it was quite of its own, but it did have the texture of deer, so I took some comfort in that, too.  I also remember saying, immediately after our waitress had left the table smiling, that I was SO thankful for people who smiled at my haggard attempts at speaking their language with confidence.  (That sentiment, I'm sure will be the theme of the first few months of this trip.)
     To top off the impressive dinner, Mike got creme brûlée and I got, essentially, an apple pie al la mode, and while the creme brûlée was heavenly, I must say that the apple pie and ice cream doesn't have anything on what my mom has back in West Virginia!  (Boom.) Overall, this candlelit, gourmet dinner cost us around $30, total.  While we won't be eating like this nightly, it was definitely a nice treat for the first evening in La Paz.

    Finally, the few pictures I took for today's adventures are utterly insufficient, but I will take more pictures in the future.  For the first time in La Paz, good night!