Three weeks ago, I went on a late afternoon/early evening walk with 3 neighbors and my 5-year-old host niece. We crossed the Old Pan Am Highway and walked through fields of mango, maracuya, banana, and a variety of other produce. The chacras seemed to stretch on for miles and the site of green everything was very refreshing.
As we walked home, the sun quickly fell behind the mountains and the winds picked up. I could feel myself growing chilly and urged the group to walk quickly home.
The next day, I woke up congested and coughing.
Now, I know when I’m getting sick. I had actually started to feel it a few days before. The tell-tale sign is that I begin sneezing. But, try telling that to Peruvians who firmly hold their beliefs—
“Oh, you’re coughing because there’s a lot more wind and dust on that side of the highway” I heard for a few days.
Then, when I wasn’t getting better, I got a lot of the following –
“You’re not taking care of yourself because you’re drinking cold drinks”
“You shouldn’t bathe so early” (and by early, we’re talking between 7am and 8am)
“I saw you eating that ice cream, that won’t help you get better”
“I would invite you to some gelatin, but it’s cold and you shouldn’t eat it”
“You should avoid spicy foods.”
For these to have become beliefs, held by many people- some who don’t know each other, someone somewhere must’ve been pretty sick and blamed all of the above. Or there were individual cases in which someone stopped doing one of the above, and became better.
I have now been coughing and congested for three weeks and I have seen two different doctors in the regional capital. The Peace Corps medical staff has been really responsive, and whenever I call they’ve worked to make same-day appointments for me.
What has been my downfall and why have I not gotten better? I’m actually more inclined to blame myself for not taking the time to recover as opposed to my care, eating or bathing habits.
I am a workaholic.
I am a perfectionist
Admittedly, I am also a procrastinator. But, that’s another story.
I always have been. Whether those traits are learned or inherent is debatable, but I know I exhibited those traits as I strove for perfect attendance in elementary school, got frustrated over grades in middle school, and worked relentlessly on the newspaper in high school.
I’ve worked myself sick, on multiple occasions. Worked while legitimately sick. I’ve chosen to work late nights, early mornings and long hours. Chosen to work over spending time with friends, family and significant others. The combination leads to a lot of stress, and for years, I have mismanaged stress.
But something about Peru has made me change, slowly.
Whether it’s the laid back culture, or the culture that emphasizes relationships more than working, I couldn’t tell you. It’s probably actually a combination.
I can’t remember the last time I took a legitimate sick day, but that’s exactly what I did. Okay, make that I’ve now taken two sick days in a row. I put myself on quarantine, slept in my room, only answered my phone when I knew it was urgent, read a few articles, and watched a few episodes of New Girl.
It’s amazing how powerful truly resting can be. Not worrying about how projects are going. I feel SO rejuvenated (though still congested) and not stressed.
And I owe that to my time in Peru.
It didn’t take getting sick to realize that I’ve slowly been changing, it just was the perfect anecdote to describe it. I’ve found myself learning to react differently, becoming much more flexible, and learning that even if things didn’t go perfectly – they still went well or how they needed to go. I’m taking the time to talk to people, build relationships and cherish little moments. I’m constantly learning and constantly growing, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.
Here’s to another 22 months! And hopefully kicking this cold’s butt soon.
Brittany McGee 