Miss Independent?

It's been all too easy to let my Peruvian boyfriend do all the work--choose the right bus to take, help me navigate the city or negotiate prices. But I realized that often times when I do utilize his help, I find myself waiting around. It has been making me feel powerless, like my time isn't mine.

So today I left to do my own stuff for the whole day. I went to find the National Institute of Statistics for my case study I'm doing on Peru's economic development. And I got lost. 

I read the address wrong that the university gave me. It wasn't Suite 103 at 402 Santo Domingo. It was Suite 402 at 103 Santo Domingo. The blocks aren't small here either, so it was quite the walk. By the time I got to the Institute, I was sweating bullets. 

After visiting the university library and finishing my English class, I went to find a bus home. The name of the most reliable company that heads to Miraflores, my neighborhood, is el 3 de Octubre. I waited for 20 minutes in a different spot where I knew the bus passed. Finally when it came, I realized we were going downhill, not uphill--the way home. Turns out that el 3 de Octubre has more than one route.

I asked the bus driver and he told me when to get off to take another bus. There I waited another 10 minutes until finally my bus came. I knew we were headed in the right direction, but nothing was familiar.

Then the questions starting going in my head--do I ask someone? But they might misdirect me. Should I just get off here? But our neighborhood is dangerous at night. Do I just keep riding? But who knows how long it will be.

The bus was crowded, so I just decided to wait until it emptied out and then ask the driver, as long as it took. 

But just my luck--I saw the park where we walk Marcela in the mornings! Only a few blocks away! I shouted to the driver--BAJO POR FAVOR--maybe a bit louder than I should have because I was so relieved. :)

So much for Miss Independent.