home again.

Well I flew into Chicago early Tuesday morning and since then it's all been a whirlwind. But let's back up. For one, leaving Lima was by far one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I'm pretty sure I cried for at least an hour in the taxi, boarding the plane and then during the flight. I felt a little ridiculous but I couldn't help it. The flight was alright and didn't seem too long. I didn't sleep at all (surprising, no?) mostly just watched the movies and tried to get my stuff together, and by stuff I mean emotions. I had been so ready to go home, but I definitely wasn't ready for the unknown.

I was welcomed home by my parents and my sister. It was wonderful to see them but I was not prepared for the winter. It was odd to see snow and to have gone from wearing summer clothes to winter clothes after one day of traveling. We stayed in Chicago for a bit and first things first, my mom and I made cinnamon rolls. I sure had missed her cooking/baking :) and then we headed for Iowa. Tiffany was driving through Chicago from Maryland, so she stopped by and picked me up and we drove to Iowa City. First stop was campus and lunch at the old capital mall. It was quite the adjustment not to speak in Spanish to everyone but it was good to be in a familiar place with friends that I hadn't seen for quite a while.

It should be an interesting semester. My last semester, I'm taking 18 semester hours and then off into the real world. Here goes nothing :)

lago titicaca.

The trip to Puno was very agriducle (bittersweet). It was wonderful to see the southern most part of Peru and yet I knew that I would be heading home very soon once the trip was over.

On our way to Puno, we stopped in Arequipa again. This time around we were able to see more of Arequipa and say goodbye to a couple of the girls from our program. We took a tour of the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, and it is beautiful! I'm so glad we were able to fit that into our trip!

The weather was rainy and cold when we got to Puno. We took a tour out to the floating islands on the lake. Lake Titicaca is on the boarder between Peru and Bolivia. The tour guide shared with us that the titi (chest) is from Peru and the caca (poop) is from Bolivia. Everyone got quite a laugh from that. It was crazy to believe the Uros people lived on these islands made of reeds. They shared their homes, stories and songs with us. After visiting the Uros, we took reed boats to the island of Taquile. There we ate lunch and hiked around the island to see the lake from above, and also ran into a few other ladies from our program.

We stayed the night in Puno and then headed back to Arequipa to catch a flight back to Lima. Hard to believe that I fly home tomorrow. I'm excited to go home, but I'm also sad because I don't know when or if I'll ever be able to come back to this country that has shared so much with me over the last few months. I've grown quite a bit because of this trip and I am excited to see what it is store for my future.

see you soon los estados unidos,
aj

deporte y vida.

Well today I had to say goodbye to the kids and the 2 teachers that I volunteered with all semester at Deporte y Vida. It was definitely one of the hardest goodbyes I will make leaving Peru. I have learned so much from them, probably more than they learned from me, and it was really hard getting into the taxi knowing I may never see any of them ever again. Overall, I think that is going to be the hardest part about leaving Peru: not knowing when I will get to come back to the country that I have grown to love, and also not knowing when I will see all the friends I have made again.

They all are amazing people. The kids are so happy with life and what they have, which really isn't that much and it makes me think about how much I complain about the littlest things. Their part of Lima doesn't have running water and they have to go everyday to get their portion, and I complain when the water is too hot or too cold. Another thing I admire is how important their families are to them. Almost all of them start working pretty young and they do it because their families need them too and they don’t question it. I want to be more like them. I really want to spend more time with my family and try not to always be bothered by the stupid little things. And the teachers are the nicest women I have met in Peru. They barely knew me and yet they treated me like we had known each other for years. They thanked me for coming and spending my time there with them and, of course, I couldn’t stop crying long enough to thank them for being such wonderful people but I hope they know and that I wish them all the best.

We had a party today as a Christmas celebration and kind of as a farewell party for us volunteers. We got t-shirts made for the kids as their Christmas presents that say deporte y vida and then there is a sun. And there were extras so each of us girls got one too. I am really excited to have it to always remind me of what amazing kids they were. And Norma, one of the teachers, gave us a typical Peruvian keychain, super excited to put it on my keys when I get home, hopefully it will help to remind me to think of the kids every day.

A Peruvian friend told me last night “you will only be 3800 miles away, nothing more”, to which I replied 3800 millas es un montón, and he just laughed at me. Then he said, “no es un adios, es solo un hasta luego”, but that one is a little harder for me since I really don’t know when later will be, “pero así es la vida, no?”.

Gonna be a tough week of goodbyes and/or see you laters. I am really excited to come home, but also extremely sad to leave this place and its people. I am headed out of town on Tuesday to Arequipa/Puno/Lake Titicaca so I will blog when I get back.

hasta luego,
<3 aj

p.s. Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! It was a great birthday and one that I will never forget. I have the greatest friends and family a girl could ask for. I love you all very much!

an assignment from class.

So today in class we got an assignment and I wanted to share it with everyone because I think it will be helpful for you to know.

1. I know I have changed since my arrival here because.....
.....now I feel like I am able to make decisions more efficiently and instead of judging someone or something I step back and think about the situation before jumping to conclusions. ->which I know I definitely haven't done before. I usually just make judgment or stereotype right away without really thinking about it.

2. My friends at home understand ________, but they don't really know.....
.....how an experience like this could change me but I feel they don't really know how different I really am now. I am not saying all my friends fail at understanding me, I am just worried that it will be difficult for me to portray in words how this experience has affected me.

3. I would feel better about going home if I knew.....
.....I could continue to use, learn and hear Spanish every day. I know I will still have my Spanish classes next semester but I am going to miss being completely surrounded in the language and having to use it in everyday situations.

4. I wish I could bring these things home with me....
.....chifles, jugo de maracuya, the ocean, the flowers, ají, my friends (Peruvian and American), the bread from Vivanda and the kids I volunteer with (yep ALL of them) because I am going to miss them VERY much. Of course there is a long list of things I miss from home but these are the things I really don’t want to leave in Peru.

5. Since coming here I have learned....
.....that if I am able to support myself while being in a foreign country without my main comfort/support system I should be better at handling situations when I get home. Especially because this experience has been an emotional rollercoaster, an experience I am very thankful for but one that on some days was quite difficult.

Hope this helps to understand me a bit. More to come on what I have been up to soon. Maybe after finals at the end of next week. <3 aj

Center of Lima and Sea Lions.

Thursday night was Jordy’s Santo and her host family threw her quite the bash. We ate soo much food and drank and danced, it was definitely a Peruvian style birthday party. Also, Jordan’s mom was in Lima so we got to see her (and she brought homemade sugar cookies! =]) and it was fun to see how one of our parents actually thought of Peru and how we had been living for fourish months.

Friday I went to the Center of Lima to explore with Jonathan. It is always an adventure trying to find the right bus that will take you downtown but I'm a big fan of this experience. Jonathan pays more attention to the routes than I do so he got us there without any troubles (although getting home by myself is another story). Mostly we just walked around to see the area of the center, Plaza de Armas, Plaza San Martín and Jirón de la Unión. And of course, I bought some movies…too many probably but I just can’t help it. We did find the mighty Rímac River that Lima was founded around, although it doesn’t seem so mighty that day.

Then yesterday we went to swim with the sea lions. We rode a bus to the port in Callao to get on the boat for our ride out to the Islas Palomino. Along the way we were able to view some other islands and some of us even took a siesta (it was quite a long ride, a cold and windy one at that). Finally we reached los lobos marinos, and there were sooo many. It was ridiculous. And they smelled. Terribly. Seriously they were everywhere and I don’t even know how they function, or reproduce, or stand to be so close and/or laying on top of each other. It was quite a sight. So anyway after we got there I decided not to swim with them. It was just too smelly and cold for me. The students that got it (whom you can see in my foto) had a lot of fun, but in the end I was ok with not joining in.

Tonight a few of us girls went to see the Spanish version of RENT. It was amazing. I loved it. I’m really happy I went and I can’t stop smiling. I only know the songs in English so it was cool to experience how it was translated.

Alright well that’s all for tonight. Only 22 days left and a lot to do, so I’ll try to stay updated but y’all know how I am.

hasta pronto,
<3 aj

Taller de Cocina.

On Saturday we went to D'Gallia for a cooking workshop. It was really interesting and we learned how to cook quite a few Peruvian dishes. We broke up into groups of 4 and each took turns cooking. First we made one of my favorites, Ají de Gallina. It is chicken with garlic, onion, ají (a pepper that Peruvians use a lot), liquidized bread, and other minor ingredients. After that it was my turn and I made Lomo Saltado, another favorite. It was terrifying but it was fun. I didn’t write down how to make it since I was cooking but I know it is made of beef, slices of onion, tomato, and pepper, and then you cook it all up kind of like stir fry and at the end you had French fries…it’s super rico. Then we made the two main dishes of fish in Peru (:p) not going to lie I didn’t pay attention much but the presentation of them was very pretty. They all seemed kind of difficult to make so I don’t know if I’ll be cooking them when I get home but I hope I can experiment a little. After the cooking we took a tour of the building and the chef told us about the courses offered and about her life. It was really fun and I do honestly hope that I try the easier ones out.

Then Sunday was my host cousin’s 8th birthday. It was my first party I had gone to with my host family and it was an interesting experience meeting more of the family and trying to remember everyone's names and how they are all related. He had his birthday party at Kentucky (KFC in other words) and it was pretty much like every other child’s birthday party that I have been to. One of the other students in my program is living with my host mom’s brother so she was there too and that was helpful. I don’t think I would have liked to have been there without her there just because then I would have been the only American and I always feel awkward in those situations. Valentino, my sort of host brother, had fun and he was super cute all dressed up. His birthday is the 29th of this month and I am really excited to be here to celebrate his 3rd birthday.

Tonight I register for my last semester of undergrad. I can’t believe the time has finally come. I thought I might prolong it a little longer but I am kind of getting sick of school, well the work anyway. Hopefully I will get into all the classes I need and then be able to graduate in May. Weird. Alright well this next weekend our cultural event is swimming with sea lions so I’ll have more to share then.

hasta luego,
aj

We Run Lima 10k.

Not much happened this week besides doing homework, catching up with family and friends on skype and then getting ready for the run.

This was my first 10k run ever and it definitely won't be my last. It seriously was soooo much fun! Never thought I would say that about running but there you go. I ran with some of my closest friends Jordan, Claire and Bridget, the girls from left to right in the picture. There were more than 10,000 people who signed up and it was super crazy. Every 2-3k there was a band or music playing and that definitely kept us going. I ran the whole 10k with my friend Claire because we had trained together so it was just like we were running for fun. We thought we weren't going to be able to do it without walking but we did and were very proud of ourselves for it! At about 5k, our friend Jonathan was there to cheer us on, and we were very excited to see him. Afterwards we received free t-shirts, a medal and a gatorade for completing the race, it was pretty sweet.

Then we went to La Lucha for the best sandwiches in the world and then crashed. It was a great night :)

More to come later,
<3 aj

Arequipa and Colca Canyon.

This past weekend I went to Arequipa. It is the second largest city in Perú and is in the southern part of the country. I went with my friends Claire and Sam. We flew down after classes on Thursday and stayed until yesterday afternoon. Upon arrival we needed to find a tour group and a hostel. We ended up finding a hostel and then they found a tour group for us (win). The tour was for Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. After we were settled in we went to explore the city. We found a Mexican restaurant and also ended up running into a procession for Señor de los Milagros (for more information on this event click on this link -> http://www.livinginperu.com/blogs/features/181). It was a great experience to stumble upon it.

The tour agency picked us up at 3:30 am, yep 3:30 AM. The reason? Because it took 3 hours to drive to the canyon and then we stopped at some tourist places before we started our hike down the canyon. The picture is from the Cruz del condor in the Colca Valley. You may not be able to see it well but there is a condor flying, a little below center of the picture. Fun fact: the Andean condor has the largest wing span of any land bird. This time of year is supposed to be when they are a little sparse, because of breeding and what not, but we were able to see almost ten of them, and they were amazing!

After that stop, we headed to the top of the trail and waited for our guides, Sandro and Renzo, to show us the way. There were 12 of us in the trekking group: the 3 of us from the US, 1 girl from Argentina, 2 girls from Austria, 2 girls from Switzerland, 1 girl from England, and 1 guy and a couple from Germany. We were very lucky and had a really great group to spend 2 days trekking with. We spent 7 hours the first day trekking down the mountain to get to the Oasis where we spent the night. After 4 hours, we reached our stop for lunch and then rested a bit before heading out again. By the time we reached the Oasis my feet were covered in blisters and my body hated me, but there was a pool so we cleaned up and then rested until dinner. After dinner I slept because I was exhausted and we had to be up at 5 am to start the trek back up the canyon. Getting to the top was the best and we were able to meet up with 2 boys, Jonathan and Sean, from our program that were on a different tour. We ate breakfast and headed on our way back to Arequipa, with stops at some hot springs, a national park to see alpacas and vicuñas, and a lookout to see all the volcanoes in the area. It was quite an experience and an exhausting one at that. Oh and the food they served us during these 2 days is probably the best food I have ever had in my life, at least it felt that way at the time since we were so drained.

Once back at our hostel we showered and went out again for more Mexican food. Next day we lounged around chatting with other Americans we met and then flew back here to Lima. I wanted to walk around Arequipa and take pictures but that didn’t happen, good thing I’ll be stopping through there again at the end of the semester on my way to Puno and Lake Titicaca. Anyway that is all for now. Pretty busy week this week and then I have a 10k race on Saturday. I’ll let you know how it goes. <3 aj

Huacachina

Well instead of studying and doing homework we decided to jump town for another weekend to soak up some more sun. It was a last minute trip but it was definitely a great idea. I went with my friends Jonathan, Jordan and Claire. We left early Friday morning for Ica and it took about 5 hours on a bus. This was my first public bus ride and it was quite interesting. Thank goodness I am able to fall asleep anywhere and at any time. Once we arrived in Ica, one could still see the damage that was left from the earthquake in 2007. The city still has a lot of life but many of the buildings have not been fixed and need repaired. I talked to my host mother about it and she said the government tried to help but then the big businesses just bought everyone out to rebuild and everything else was left the way it was. We stopped at the supermarket to save money on food and then took a taxi for the 5 km ride to Huacachina.

Huacachina is a beautiful place. There is an oasis in the middle of town and then it is surrounded by sand dunes. Our hostel was nice and it was so great just to chill and hang out by the pool. Friday night there was a BBQ at our hostel so we ate a TON of food and then danced all night. Saturday we walked around town and then set up our time to go sand boarding. Jordan and Claire had already been there before so it was just Jonathan and I that needed to go. It was amazing. The dune buggy drivers were crazy, but in a fun crazy way. I tried taking videos but that didn’t really work out. The sand dunes were HUGE. I only went down on my stomach because I was too scared to go down on my feet but everyone else in my group tried it. I had never seen so much sand in my life, and I am pretty sure I still have a lot of it in my clothes and shoes. It was fun and I am really glad I went.

Sunday we spent the day by the pool trying to get some more sun before returning to Lima. The bus ride back seemed like it took forever but finally we were back to our cloudy city. This next weekend some of us are headed to Arequipa, it should be a great time. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get back.

<3 aj

Midterms and Lunahuaná

Midterms were last week and besides not having any of my notes, which I will explain in a moment, I think I did pretty well. The reason I didn't have any notes is because my bag was stolen while I was studying with friends at a Starbucks. No worries, I am ok it was just quite an experience. Thank goodness I had friends with me when it happened because I forgot how to speak in Spanish and I was a mess. Anyway, we have insurance through my study abroad program so everything will get replaced, it was just the studying for my midterms part that really wasn’t fun. Luckily, I have friends in all of my classes so I was able to get copies of their notes and now all is well.

After midterm week, my program went on a two day trip. We went to a town called Lunahuaná. It is a small town about 3 hours south of Lima. We went river rafting, wine and honey tasting, trekking, rode horses, and got to soak up some sun. I had never been rafting before and it was really fun! We were only on a level one river, but that was totally fine with me. The picture on this post is from the winery. It was pretty sweet and I actually liked one of the samples they gave us. On Sunday, we woke up and went trekking. At the end of our trek there was a mummy. A real one. It was wicked and kind of gross. The rest of the day we didn’t want to do anything except for lay by the pool because it was very sunny and this is something we aren’t used to being in Lima because of the clouds. Speaking of sun, I got real sun burnt. And yes Dad I put sun block on, don’t ask me what happened.

This week it’s back to classes and homework. A few of us might be headed out of town this weekend but I am not for sure yet, if so I'll be sure to take some good pictures.

Hasta luego,
<3 aj

Halfway There

Well this last Monday marked my halfway point in my program. As of tomorrow, I will have been here for 11 weeks and I have 9 weeks left. I am not really sure how I feel about time flying by so fast. Also, midterms are this week, and I’m not ready for those either. So, needless to say, there is a lot of uncertainty in my life.

We went to a cultural event last week called La Dama Juana. It is a restaurant where you eat a dinner buffet and then there is a showcase of the traditional dances of Peru. It was fun and interesting to see all the dances instead of watching them on youtube vidoes, and some of the people from my program even got pulled up to dance on stage. Last weekend were the elections for governors of districts and the provinces. Explanation: Peru is divided into departments, which are then divided into provinces and those then are divided into districts. So the house I live in is in the district of Miraflores, in the province of Lima, in the department of Lima, in the country Peru. Took me awhile to figure that all out but I think I finally got it. So anyway, elections were last Sunday and because of the elections there is a dry law. No one is allowed to sell or buy alcohol for 3 days. It was pretty crazy to witness, a lot of places shut down for the weekend because it cost more to stay open. Anyway, I was just happy the sports bar stayed open so that I could watch the Iowa Homecoming game. I met some fellow Hawkeyes at the bar and it was nice to have other people there to support the Hawks. I really wasn’t expecting anyone else, outside of my program anyway, from Iowa to be in Peru, it really is a small world.

On Friday, a bunch of us went to an international friendly soccer game between Peru and Costa Rica. It was a lot more fun than the last game and definitely not as scary. I got to see my first goal ever and Peru won 2-0. I think I might actually be starting to enjoy soccer. Oh and I signed up for We Run Lima 10k. It should be interesting and a bunch of people from my program are doing it so I thought I would too. Not sure if I can run the whole thing but I think it'll still be fun. The rest of my weekend has been full of resting and studying. Speaking of studying, I should get back to it. I have midterms on Tuesday and Thursday, and then we are headed to Lunahuaná on Saturday morning for a weekend excursion.

Hasta pronto,
<3 aj

The Classic

Well, I went to my first ever soccer game yesterday and it was intense. It is called the Classic and it is between two club teams from Lima; Alianza and Universitaria. These two teams are big rivals and so it was a pretty important game. It took us an hour to get there because the traffic was so crazy and no taxi driver actually wanted to take us, but we finally found one that would and then we started to realize how crazy this game was going to be. I went with five other girls, three from my program and two from PUCP. There were about 3000 police there to control everything and everyone but there were still some fights and a few fires, nowhere near the section where we sat though. We left 20 minutes early because we had heard stories about what happens after the game, so we missed the end, which wasn’t that great afterall because it was 0-0, but we got out safely and it was a lot easier to find a taxi. Overall, it was a great experience and I am happy I went but I would prefer that my next soccer game is much calmer.

Otherwise life has been pretty chill. I had a test last week and I think it went well but won’t get the results until Tuesday. I have another test this coming week in the same class and then midterms start the first full week in October. Last Saturday, I went to The Corner, an American Bar near my house, for the Iowa @ Arizona game and even though Iowa lost, it was nice to actually be able to see the game. It made me feel like I am not completely missing Iowa Football this season. Every Tuesday at the movie theater near my house we can see movies for 6.50 soles, which is a little over $2, so I went last week and saw Amor a Distancia, or Going the Distance in English. It was really funny and cute. Plus, it was nice to hang out with a couple friends from another study abroad program who are in my International Relations class. Also, volunteering is going really well. The kids are adorable and they love having us there to help them.

Today I went to church again with my friend Abby. It is called Alianza Cristiana Misionera and it is a very nice service. During today's service, we got to see members get baptized and it was awesome to experience this with them. We sang Amazing Grace in Spanish last week but we haven’t sung any other songs that I know yet. But it is still nice to be singing in church again. Alright well I better go start on my homework that is due tomorrow, because we all know how much I love to procrastinate.

<3 aj

Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Well it has been almost two weeks since I went to Cusco and Machu Picchu and I haven't written about anything...whoops! But it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life and I honestly don't even know where to begin describing it.

We left Lima at 7:30 am to fly to Cusco and once we got to Cusco we could see the sun and enjoy fresh air! Also, I could definitely notice the altitude change between Lima and Cusco (450 ft to 11,000 ft) but I didn't get sick or anything like a few others in my program, I kept hydrated and took it easy just wandering around Cusco. Cusco is an amazing town and our hotel was beautiful as well. On Saturday we did a tour of the Sacred Valley and then headed to Aguas Calientes which is the town closest to Machu Picchu. We woke up early Sunday morning and headed up the mountain, and by early I mean like 6, because some of the kids in my program got up at 3 to climb Huayna Picchu but I was not up for that challenge. We spent about 5 hours there and it was awesome. I got some sun and some time to think. And I was able to spend some quality time with people from my program.

Anyway, now it has been 4 weeks since classes started and everything is going pretty well. I was supposed to have a test today but it got postponed until next Thursday, which is fine with me because I can definitely use the extra time to study. I have been making Peruvian friends in my classes and they are pretty helpful in correcting my Spanish, so it is slowly getting better. Tomorrow I start volunteering at a place called Deporte y Vida. It is kind of like an after school program that helps kids with homework and then we just hang out with them. We went there once already to get orientated and it seems like it will be a fun time.

More to come later!
<3 aj

Classes

So tomorrow begins the first week of real classes. International students have to be there early in the morning for registration because it is first come, first serve. I am heading to campus around 5:45 so hopefully I get there by early enough to get the classes I want..which are: International Relations and History of Peru in the Modern Times. I'm pretty excited for them and I hope there is enough room for me. Then besides those 2 classes there are 2 required classes through the program and they are to work on our Spanish abilites; an Advanced Writing Workshop and Peruvian Social Reality. They seem pretty cool and it’s only the people in our program so at least we get more bonding time :)

Tonight there was a mass for my host mother's uncle who died one year ago and she wanted me to go so that I could meet most of her family for the first time. The church was huge and very beautiful! It was hard to understand everything that was said or sung but the sermon was about Salvation and I am pretty sure I was able to catch most of it (which I was pretty excited about!). My host mother's mother had 8 sisters and 1 brother and there are 5 sisters left and the brother, so I got to meet them. It is nice being a part of a big family while I am here and they were all very nice.

On our way home we drove by a Methodist Church that is closer to my house than a few others that I had seen. I am going to have to try and stop by there and see what time services are and see what it is like. Oh! and today I got to talk to my brother, Jason, his wife, Wendy, their daughter, Mara, and my other brother's kids, Allyson and Jacob, and it was amazing seeing them all again (well on skype anyway) and it made me realize that without everyone's support I would definitely not be here :) Any who I need to finish my homework and then get some sleep since tomorrow is going to be a loonnnggg day.

<3 aj

First 2 Weeks at the University

So Friday we finished our Intensive Spanish Class and boy was it a tough couple weeks. 6 hours of Spanish everyday and there was a lot of information to cram into those 10 days, but it brought us closer together as a program and I have made some really great friends. Oh and I’m able to get to school by myself now. I prefer to ride with 2 girls that live close to me but if it was necessary I would totally be able to get there and back alone and I am definitely proud of that fact. It takes about an hour bus ride to get there and it is not like a normal bus ride, the route is random and you never know it because it’s not set in stone. Needless to say it’s crazy and you never know how long it’s going to take you because of traffic. It’s terrifying but I have only seen one accident and I would definitely expect there to be more.

The University is called Pontificia Universidad Católica Del Perú. It’s a beautiful campus and now I am working on trying to find my way around. I think I look silly having a map with me everywhere I go though. Classes start tomorrow and the first week is kind of like a try it before you buy it thing. We get to go to classes and see what they are like all week and then we decide which ones we want to take on the 23rd. It should be interesting but I am pretty excited for it.

Last week we went on a 3 hour bus tour of the city and it was freezing because it was a night but it was fun and we got to see a lot of the city. We stopped at a park full of fountains and it was amazing! I loved it and we had fun taking pictures. Then yesterday we went to the Huaca Pucllana. It is a pre-Incan ruin site literally in the middle of Lima. It’s pretty crazy that they have been able to restore it and keep it in such good condition considering it is so big and so old. Besides stuff through the program I haven’t been anywhere yet but I have a long list of places I want to visit.

Ok well I have to figure out what classes I want to attend this week and go eat some lunch so that is all for today. <3 aj.

Orientation and My Host Family

Well Friday was the beginning of orientation and it was a long 2 days. There are 27 people in the program..4 boys and 23 girls.

We went on a bus tour of Lima and saw a lot of places. We went out to eat both days and it was buffet...but not like the buffets in the States because 1. I didn't know what stuff was and 2. The layout was beautiful. I'm happy it was a buffet because then I was able to figure out what dishes I really liked and ones that I didn't care for so much.

The students in the program are really cool and I think we're all going to have fun together. We've been thrown a lot of information and it's nice that when you don't catch something someone else is able to help.

Yesterday, Sunday, I met my host family. My Peruvian mother is Maritza and my father is German and his name is Walter. They have two empleadas named Jacky and Neci. Jacky has a son named Valentino and he is 2 1/2 years old, and he is quite a talker. I just wish I knew what he was saying all the time! Also, Jacky's brother is the gardener and handyman around the house, and I am not sure how to spell it but I think it is Rolo. The house is very nice and I have my own room and bathroom. They are wonderful people and I'm very excited to be here!

Today we took the placement exams and found out more about how the classes work at the university..nothing really exciting though. There will be more news at the end of the week because we have some cultural events.

buenas noches!
<3 aj

¡Estoy en Lima!

So after getting to O'hare at midnight and boarding at 3 am I got into Lima at 2 pm. It was long day and I am very tired. I slept most of the way but once I got to San Salvador I met two college age Peruvians that were very helpful in briefing me on what to expect once I got here. After landing they also helped me get my luggage and find my ride to my hotel. I am very lucky to have found such wonderful people that would go out of their way to help a lost foreigner. Whelp that's all for today because I'm going to go to bed. Tomorrow is the Peruvian Independence Day so I hope it's eventful!

buenas noches!

current temp: 59 degrees F/15 degrees C

5 hours to Departure

Well mom and dad drove me to Chicago today after staying over with Jasons' in Iowa City. Now we're hanging out with the Paisley's until it's time to go to O'hare. Flight leaves at 3 am and I get into Lima around 2 pm. I will be in the same time zone so no jet lag :) I will try to get on the Internet as soon as I get there to let everyone know I'm safe.

it's not goodbye, it's see you later :)
<3 aj