Lima Tender Moment Alone.

Lima, Peru – Tucked into niches between suitcases cobbled together like Incan ruins, several members of Team Esperanza lie under purloined airplane blankets, using the layover to catch up on sleep after a long day of travel. 

Though we have not yet seen any of it, we have arrived in Peru. 

At 5 a.m., we again take to the air, flying to Cusco before making our way to Urubamba by bus. Jared has draped his Canadian flag proudly at the entrance of our temporary Mustang commune on the second floor of Lima’s airport. Our distinctive purple Esperanza t-shirts are attracting curious looks from passersby. 

Shannon’s Western bandana provides a handy covering for some shut-eye. Perhaps best prepared of all, Carling lays cocooned inside a sleeping bag. Other team members poke at mysterious tropical fruit left for us in goodie bags by Nexos Voluntarios – the NGO with whom we will be working. 

Quaffing their first Inca Kola, still more convert dollars into soles. Others read, write or type. All the while, Enya is piped over the speakers in a continuous loop. Oh, Oronoco Flow. 

 Add all of this to the spontaneous games of hide-and-seek and cards that broke out in the terminal in Atlanta and you have an industrious team that can find ways to fill the time during our many layovers. 

But we’re here. 

And grateful to be.

Esperanza (Reprise).

Atlanta, GA – As we pulled out of Elgin Hall at 5:41 this morning, the sky maintained a murky darkness; unlike our first attempt in February, however, the forecast was not overshadowed by snow in every state.

Instead, rain drew Etch-a-Sketch patterns on the bus windows as the team settled, contorted in sleep. So much silence, despite the excitement.

Border guards at Windsor grilled us, asking, “What’s the point of doing this?” Wisely, we resisted the urge to offer detailed explanations of the value of service learning. 

By not turning back at the border, we had made it farther than our first foray, and felt a bit of satisfaction.Anisha, Alison, Carling, Cassandra C., Cassandra F., Deanna, Doris, Douglas, Ellie, Jared, Jessie, John, Kelly, Larissa, Mike, Nina, Saman, Shannon, Sunitha, Vivek: Team Esperanza (II). And a special hello to Jenny, Gillian and Fabio, who were unable to participate in the rescheduled experience, but remain Esperanzites in our hearts.

Upon boarding the Atlanta-bound plane in Detroit, the captain’s voice sparked over the loudspeaker, saying: “I noticed a number of service personnel, veterans and a large contingent of humanitarian-bound students on board, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and thank you for your service.”

Throughout the plane, people clapped. And several of us got chills. 

End of Transmission.

London, ON – Like a present that has already been ripped open, the journey home is, naturally, far less fun.

As much as I still love being on the road, most of the mystery and anticipation has by then seeped out the window. Of course, heading back into Ohio and Michigan isn't much of a draw, either.

Just past Cincinnati, Ohio, a car accident shut down the highway for a half hour and the power steering became obstinate again. Twice. The temperature continued to drop the farther north we went, dipping to six degrees. So much for sandals.

Yup, we're home. And Easter turkey awaits.

Vitals:

• Time: 12 hours
• Distance: 1,113.7 kms
• Weather: Hazy, with sun
• States/Provinces: Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Ontario
• Wildlife: None
  

Homeward Bound.

Athens, TN – I feel a kinship with the sparking red taillights that dot the fog like fireflies.

Passing through the veil that hangs over the highway, we all have our own adventures, stories and destinations – similar, but unknown. License plates pass as name badges for points across the continent and generate knowing waves from someone sharing a home, still far away.

Working through northern Florida and into Georgia, colourful signs advertised oranges, pecans and peaches. The fog eventually burned off, giving way to ethereal clouds of yellow pollen that hung languidly in the air. Magnolia season is upon us.

The road before us continued to stretch through Atlanta, where planes swooped low like hawks with talons exposed. Unclear signage carried us in a loop around the airport. Four times. With the day drawing to a close, we were greeted by rust-coloured hills in Tennessee and a date watching the Final Four.

Go Butler.

Vitals:

• Time: 13 hours
• Distance: 959.5 kms
• Weather: Foggy, giving way to a mix of sun and cloud
• States: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee
• Wildlife: None
  

Time Warp.

Daytona Shores, FL – Heading south along secondary roads lined in neon and pastel this morning, the calendar page seemed mired in 1957.

We were greeted by faded cupcake-coloured buildings draped in etchings of dolphins, flamingos and palm trees. Vintage drive-in, Dairy Queen and Krispy Kreme signs sparked like rainbow bug zappers. 

Most could afford to buy a vowel.

It was such a time warp, you almost expected an old convertible Chevy to roar up with leather jacket-clad youth sitting atop the back seat, hair slicked back with Brylcreem. The car did eventually round the corner, cautiously climbing the curb – but driven by a man with hair as white as a starched business shirt.

In New Smyrna Beach, a diner sign proclaimed, “Let’s bring back the good ol’ days,” but at first blush, it seemed nothing had changed in the area for more than forty years. The economy has suffered a tremendous blow – an amazing number of decrepit gas stations, seaside motels and even churches sat for sale, crying for new owners. What is the price of salvation? (On average, a couple million, it seems.)

Given the area's history as a notorious Bible belt, perhaps some things have indeed changed.

Vitals:

• Time: 12 hours
• Distance: 311.9 kms
• Weather: Sunny and warm
• States: Florida
• Wildlife: Alligators, countless shorebirds, including hornbills
  

Space Cadets.

Kennedy Space Centre, FL – Really, the Space Shuttle Discovery is sitting right there. 

 

Right there.

Okay, ‘right there’ is in fact still a couple miles away from the observation platform at Launch Complex 39, and the launch pad’s metal framework cloaks the Shuttle itself, revealing only the tips of its boosters. 

 

But it’s right there.

Having grown up watching the Shuttle program’s early voyages on television, including the ill-fated 73-second Challenger flight in 1986, I have long been enamoured by the thought of space travel. Given my love of discovery (pun intended), travel and new experiences, this likely comes as little surprise.

We had considered staying to witness Monday’s third-last Shuttle launch, but likely won’t given the extra time and uncertain launch conditions. Instead, we made our way to the Kennedy Space Centre today and were shuttled (yes, again, pun intended) around the facility by retired NASA staff sporting brush cuts that hearkened back to the golden era of space travel.

Moving past the Vehicle Assembly Building, which was once the world's largest building by volume (and is now the fourth-largest) and houses the three other Shuttles, we proceeded to Launch Complex 39 to see Discovery. From there, we visited the Apoll0/Saturn V Center, where the world's largest-ever rocket hangs from the ceiling. Our tour concluded with the Space Station Processing Facility, where you can see modules of the International Space Station tested.

T-4 until (anticipated) lift-off.

Fit to be Tide.

Flagler Beach, FL – I carved this into the sand free form this evening, knowing the words would soon be drowned out, all traces of them erased from the history of Flagler Beach.

My memories of a great evening sitting quietly as dusk and increasing waves rolled in, however, will last far longer.

sands of time
Toes, curled in the sand, | the dancing waves trip over themselves | encroaching on the footprints | we have left behind. | The sky sighs at memories lost | but not forgotten, | stolen by the tide | but not from the mind.