The house was empty, and would be so for quite some time.  At best, the ship with all our furniture would arrive in six weeks. Until then, we would sleep on the floor. During  the  day, we would sit on some makeshift chairs and have our first meals on a card board box that served as a table.

These were our first days in Peru five years ago. An exciting time. My wife, our  daughter and me. They, returning to the land of their birth. For me, a new country

Looking back I realize that  it was not all that uncomfortable. The eight suitcases we  brought with us, carefully packed, contained much that we needed to start up our new life.

For example, we had  a nice air mattress to recline on at night. The kitchen was rapidly supplied with a coffee maker and microwave. All sorts of things appeared magically from the suitcases . We had the essentials. So we could survive and actually survive quite well.

 In a way  it  was a special time. We had to make do, but it  was like camping out.  We were sharing an adventure, and it was bringing us closer.  Later we would laugh together recounting all the funny things that happened during that time.

 The hustle and bustle we experienced in preparing to leave California was over. In fact  we were exhausted from all the garage sales , farewells, packing and last minute arrangements that are involved in moving from one country to another.

 Certainly it was wrenching to say goodbye to all our friends and family. As a result, we were physically and emotionally drained. Therefore, It was a relief to get on that  plane in Los Angeles and head for Lima.

Now in our new home,  there was no hurry. All we had to do was settle in.There was no  set schedule. In fact, the shift from the frenzy of the last few weeks was somewhat jarring.

 My daughter and wife had selected the house on a previous trip. I had seen photos, but  still did not  have a clear idea of what it was like. Of course,  I had complete confidence in their judgement. Even so, I was anxious to see it myself. Now, looking back five years, I thank them silently every day for finding such a beautiful and comfortable place for us to live in.

Of course there was much to do. Phone service, internet connection, and other services had to be started. We found that all this would take plenty of time.  Much patience was required.

The prevous owner of our home was an artist. Looking at the kitchen, however, it was clear that she was not much interested in cooking. So, within a short time, we had some one who started remodeling the kitchen and the bathrooms. Crews of workers came , pounding all day long, bringing noise and clouds of dust to break the peace.

Thus, those magical first days were gone. Our new life began, and much has happened since then.

Still, I look back with pleasure on those first days. They were special.