Advertisement
Published: January 11th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Emily
Overlooking Plaza de Armas on the balcony November 18, 2008
Emily
We sat at a balcony and ordered cokes and sandwiches. When I close my
eyes I can see our view of Plaza de Armas, La Catedral, Iglesia La
Compania, the Irish pubs and their balconies. At one time during the
lunch we both said "gorgeous." Emily wore a black shirt, her long,
wavy red hair down glistening in the sun. She had a few new freckles
already and we hadn't even started hiking. It's the Scottish in her.
She looked rested and healthy. Recovered after being hit with stomach
illness and altitude sickness. When we met at the Lima airport she
wasn't feeling right. It was the early morning of her 29th birthday
and she didn't look a day over 24. She was faking being healthy until
we sat down at a café and accidentally ordered a slice of cheesecake
each. Emily tried to ask the waitress what her favorite fruit drink
was and the waitress was under the impression that we wanted her
favorite meal. Not wanting to disappoint the waitress, we dug in.
Hungover from the night before, I sat at the café and stayed calm and
quiet, in need of a good meal and caffeine. Julie, Emily's new friend
she met in Lima while volunteering at an orphanage, left at six in the
morning to go to the jungle with a group that included a pet monkey.
At 19, she's ready for it all and not afraid to take any type of
chance. She's a Seattle girl with infinite energy and an aching for
adventure.
She took it easy on the alcohol the night before and pointed out that
I clearly wasn't. Too many Cuba Libres.
"It's a Montana thing," I said.
At the pub there was a guy from Red Lodge, a small town in Montana
where I saw Willie Nelson play back in August. Eric, who just finished
hiking the Inca Trail, was born and raised there and not anxious to
get back: too cold, too small, but beautiful. I feel the same way
about Big Sky country.
It's hard to think about another place in Cusco—especially while
overlooking the plaza.
"I guess that makes sense where you are in your life and all," said
Emily. "I mean, you're in the middle of a big transition. But, for me,
it's not hard at all to imagine another place."
Emily is hopelessly cute. Sometimes this is a disadvantage, like when
she's serious, annoyed or upset but comes off "adorable." Emily knows
her charm but doesn't flaunt it.
As we conversed, a local artist came up to our table like he was a
server and tried to sell us his watercolors for 75 soles. He got all
the way down to 30, but we weren't interested at the moment. He had
some good work, but bad timing.
"You gonna miss Julie?" I asked, not really sure of what else to say
after the interruption.
"No," she said quickly, cutely laughing. "I don't really miss people.
I mean, other than my family and Jake, really. But I know I'm gonna
see them again . Are you gonna miss Julie?"
Again she cackled. This time, it seemed like she was just doing it
because she already knew my answer.
"Oh, badly," I joked.
"I mean, I like Julie," Emily said quickly. "We had a lot of fun
together, but it was just this time in our lives. We both have our own
lives and are going different places and directions. Sure we'll keep
in touch for a little while, but probably not for long. Each
relationship takes so much energy. It's hard to really know someone.
There are only a few people who really know me. And I can't keep all
the ties I make. There's just not enough time."
Emily is a fast-talking, fast-walking New Yorker who used to be
Kentuckian but got it all out of her system in three years of
traveling and living in Brooklyn. Although she can be intense, she's
no agenda setter and makes for an excellent travel companion. She
cares about your experience, too, and, if she's not feeling well,
doesn't want to slow you down. At the same time, she won't allow
herself to be slowed down.
She's living free and a lot of her friends are envious. A lot of them
wish they could Machu Picchu. Sometimes Emily gets a little jealous of
them: kids, family, a home they own, but none of that screams Emily
Williams. Not now, at least. Even though she doesn't really enjoy
flying and it still makes her nervous, she's extremely passionate
about seeing the world.
"It's just turbulence," said a passenger when they saw concern
written on her face.
One time she even hyperventilated on the flight, but she's strong and
one of the most independent women I've ever met. She'll take the good
with the bad and do it her way. Her intentions are always good.
Effortlessly, Emily is a leader. She genuinely controls conversations
with eye contact and subject matter. She'll tell you what's on her
mind, she'll be direct and she'll never say "yes" when she means "no".
Her boyfriend, Jake, is back in Kentucky now and has been since
January. They used to live in Brooklyn together but it was too much
too soon.
"You ever lived with a girlfriend?" asked Emily.
"I have," I said.
"How'd it turn out?"
"A complete disaster."
"Me too. Just didn't turn out to be a good idea after all."
Despite the complications, Emily and Jake are working things out. She
moved back to Paducah a few months back while enjoying her time off
work and they've been seeing more of each other. She goes back to New
York in February and he'll stay in Kentucky.
"I can't see myself with anyone else," she said. "With Jake, things
just have a way of working out. He's young and has a lot to learn.
We've got to be independent and we both have a lot of respect for each
other."
Jake is a few years younger than Emily and, since finishing up with
film school, worked at a bookstore and is now working on a documentary
about the small town in Kentucky he grew up in and the changes its
going through. The way Emily talked about him was endearing, loving,
supportive and tough. It's obvious she wants what is best for him and
knows he's gotta get his shit together.
"What's been your longest relationship?" she asked, firing away with
an inquisitive smile. Emily is blunt and bold. She'll shoot from the
gut and is always loaded, but she never aims to harm.
"Eight months," I say honestly, knowing she'd be surprised.
"That's not very long, Charlie."
"Oh, I know."
I admitted to her I'd been a heartbreaker lately and that I'm not in
a position where a relationship would be a good idea. At 25, that's
alright with me.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.053s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 6; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0251s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb