UPDATES

Holy crap, I don't remember the last time I sat down and wrote in this blog. A lot has happened in the past two weeks and it has honestly been pretty rough to say the least. I don't really have any pictures to share with you, and I don't have much to say about the events that have taken place in the last few weeks, so here it goes.

For starters, UNK gave us the no-go on our trip to Macchu Pichu. I was really hoping that this blog post would be chalked full of beautiful pictures and experiences to share with everyone, but I guess I will have to save it for another time. There has been a kidnapping warning that went out to all American travelers through the Embassy here in Peru and they advised that it isn't safe to travel to Cusco and the area until after February. So, unfortunately we had to cancel. We are all hoping and praying that we can reschedule it for little or no cost during the month of April..so I will update on this situation when I know more later in the month! 

To make matters even worse, my debit card number somehow got hacked, so when I tried to get money with my card through the ATM, it ATE my card and left me with nothing. So, I had no cash and no credit card that allows cash withdrawal. And I am in South America. Ahh. Luckily I have another card coming in the mail hopefully soon, and a friend had some money to spare that I could borrow from them until I have a card of my own. Thank God! 

Another big even that occurred this last week was that I decided to move host families. I very much enjoyed my time living with Fabricio, but I found that living with two men in their late twenties and early thirties was not so easy for a 20 year old girl like me. It was not an easy decision to make, and it was a struggle living out of bags for almost a week, but what I am about to describe about my new home life will definitely prove that it was worth the trouble.

I talked with Cynthia in the International Office and she helped me find another family that possibly wanted to be my new host. We visited them after I had class on Wednesday and I instantly fell in love with the house and the people who could potentially be my new family. I was excited to hear that they accepted me into their home and I just recently moved in this Sunday. Besides the fact that I have an awesome mom, dad, and brother here....I think my favorite part has been the AIR CONDITIONING! I feel so spoiled. I am so very thankful to the Patrucco's for taking me in at such late notice and for treating me like one of the family after being in the house for the first 20 minutes. I've only been here for 3 days and I've been served some of the best meals I've tasted in Peru. I go to bed at night now finally feeling like I have a home and I belong somewhere. Sometimes I get teary because I can finally be at peace and have the consistency of home life here in Peru.

One fun thing that happened yesterday was the birthday celebration for my new Peruvian brother, Iván. He turned 20 yesterday, so there was a big supper with lots of family members that lasted from about 8 until midnight. It was so fun to meet everybody and experience some amazing Peruvian food. I think I'm going to have to go on a run or two this week to make up for the amount of food I ate yesterday! 

This new family life I've experienced this week has really helped sooth the homesickness that has become worse since these issues have arose. I miss my puppies, my boyfriend, my family, and my friends so much it hurts. These last few weeks were really rough for me, especially without all of those wonderful people here physically to support me. However, I can't thank all of my friends here that have lent a hand. Whether is was lending me money, giving me a place to stay, or simply asking me how I was holding up, I will forever appreciate it. I have gained some great friends here in Peru, both from Nebraska and Lima as well. Everyone has been so willing to help and support me, no matter what it was that I needed. 

This week is pretty packed with exams, homework, and lots of tasks to do for my two online classes. So, this is why my blog post is pretty straight and to the point. On that note, I better go finish up my studying for my literature exam. Adios!