Week 2: I'm Learning Some Things

Hi everyone! It's me again. I am now into week three of the semester and the number of days I have left in Peru is into double digits. I'm starting to develop a bit of a routine, which has been nice. Almost every morning my host mom brings me breakfast in bed, which might be one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. She is the best. As far as activities go since my last post, the main one was hiking in Matucana to a waterfall called Catarata de Antankallo. It was beautiful, but I'll always be a little biased toward my hometown's waterfalls. :) The main takeaway from this experience is that I need to put a little more emphasis on exercise in my daily life because hiking is HARD and I thought on at least three separate occasions that I was going to have a heart attack right there on the trail.

This is a photo of me during the hike, pre-sunburn, pretending I wasn't having trouble breathing.

Which brings me to my next experience. With an increase in temperature comes an increase in responsibility, and I failed myself miserably this day. The back of my neck and shoulders got fried to the point of blisters and has now reached the "snake shedding its skin" phase. It was a bummer, but I'm sure everyone back home battling cold temperatures and snow aren't feeling much sympathy for me right now. :) BUT YOU SHOULD!

Probably the most...humbling...experience that I have had thus far is the process of doing laundry. My host family's washing machine is currently not working, so I have to wash each item of clothing by hand. The first week was a bit of a doozy when somewhere in translation between Spanish and English I missed that I needed to rinse my clothes after I washed them and before I hung them on the line. I know, probably common sense, but then again have you ever washed your clothes by hand?! Once I went to get my dried clothes off the line, they were a little crusty and I was afraid if I sweat bubbles might start coming off my clothes, but it all worked out and I now have some confidence in my laundry abilities. I will also never take a washing machine for granted ever again. Another fun fact is that most homes in Peru have their laundry room outdoors and on their rooftop, which makes it a fairly scenic experience (see photo).

A view of the clothing line on our rooftop.

A few other awesome experiences that I've had over the past week: We visited the district in Lima called "Barannco" and I touched the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life (!!!), then watched the sunset while eating dinner oceanside. I went to my host mom's brother's house and we cooked tequeños with guacamole, which has become one of my favorite foods in Peru, drank coffee, and chatted. I made a dish with my host mom called ceviche which is chunks of raw fish, lime juice, onions, peppers, and garlic. Apparently the lime juice "cooks" the raw fish, but let's just say you would never know. I've learned that when it comes to food here, you just have to go for it and try it and to my surprise, I loved it. I honestly haven't had anything here yet that I didn't like. At some point I am going to write an entire post about the food so stay tuned. Other than that, it was a fairly laid back week before the next two weeks which will be a whirlwind of classes, traveling, and spring break (yes, already). Until next time!

Week 1: Missed the Alabama/Clemson Game, Gained More Culture

It's official: I have survived my first week in Lima, Peru, and it's been even more amazing than I could have imagined. After arriving at the airport in Lima my first night, I met my host family and they drove me home. Their house is beautiful and I have my own suite with a full bathroom and beautiful view of the mountains. I consider them mountains because I'm from Nebraska. Others may refer to them as "hills." Regardless, I have enjoyed sleeping with my windows open every night and the 70-80 degree weather.
As far as my daily activities go, my first day was spent organizing my room and catching up on sleep. Friday I ventured out into Lima for school orientation and our group went to a local shopping mall to eat supper and have celebratory drinks because we survived our first day and totally deserved it. My main takeaway from this experience is that as festive as the drink "Machu Picchu" sounds because HELLO we're in Peru, it's awful unless you enjoy drinking mints. Lesson learned, stick with the national drink of Pisco. I am a fan of Pisco. Saturday we went to Miraflores where our sponsors from UNK live to explore a different part of the city. This is when I truly fell in love with Lima. A majority of the day was spent walking around the area (and tracking a respectable 13.4 miles of walking) before a majority of the girls and I went out on the town for the evening. Sunday was spent at a shopping center where Shelby and I went to set up our phones. Thank the heavens for a brownie salesman who asked us where we were from (IN ENGLISH) and then proceeded to help us get our Peruvian cell phones set up. Also, if a really strange number texts you sometime within the next few months, it's me. Hi. Anyway, Shelby and I then met Emi, Danielle, and Claire at Claire's house to see for ourselves this whole "rooftop pool" she talks about. It was amazing and we had an incredible view of the city with the ocean in the distance. Quite the deal.
The next day we started school and after that my life isn't as glamorous so I'll spare everyone the details but campus is beautiful and I have actually enjoyed being back in the classroom. My only complaint so far is I had to miss the Alabama/Clemson national championship game, but life has continued. I am so blessed for this opportunity and want to thank everyone for checking on me from time to time and if you're still out there, for reading my blog. God Bless all of you!

Calm Before the Storm

As I sit in my hotel room the night before I leave on my trip to Peru, I can't help but wonder if I've gotten myself in over my head. My stomach is in knots, there's a lump in my throat, and I can't stop looking up at my dad and brother, knowing I won't be able to see them for the next four months. Also, I have to wake up at 4:00 A.M., which honestly may be the worst part of all. At this time tomorrow, I will no longer be in the United States. I've yet to wrap my mind around that fact. I guess it's easier to watch Nebrasketball (go Huskers) and pretend it's just another night with my family. I read a quote at one time, though, that has been a constant reminder in my head every time I ask myself why I'm doing this. WHY would I leave my family, friends, university, home, and basically everything familiar to go to Peru? And for a whole semester?! AND DO I EVEN KNOW SPANISH?! As Neale Donald Walsch said, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." Leaving all of those things listed above? It's scary. Terrifying, even. But one day, I'll only regret the chances I didn't take. Someday this trip will be nothing but a memory, but the things that I learn along the way will stick with me for the rest of my life. Hopefully one of those will be learning how to keep track of my phone and debit/credit cards all by myself, but that's a whole different issue. Over the next few months, there will be overwhelming highs where I feel so confident in my decision to study abroad, and there will be crushing lows when I wonder why I ever thought this was a good idea. In the end, though, I will become a better version of myself because of it. I can't wait to see where this adventure takes me but in the meantime, I'll enjoy the calm before the storm (and by storm I mostly mean my trip, but also the mood my brother will be in tomorrow at 4:30 in the morning. Sorry, bud). ¡Adiós Nebraska y hasta pronto Lima!