I can’t believe
it’s time for me to start writing a final reflection of my time spent in Lima,
Peru this past semester. As cliché as it
sounds, it really does only seem like yesterday I was hauling my 3 suitcases to
the airport in Omaha. Now, those bags
are being packed back up and another chapter of my life is officially
closing. I truly can’t express in words
how bittersweet this feeling is, but I will do my best.
First, and most
important, I wouldn’t have made it through the rest of this trip without having
a stable Peruvian family by my side.
However, my trip to Peru did not start this way. When I was originally told that I was living
with a 25-year-old male and his older brother I was extremely nervous, not even
to mention my anxious family and boyfriend as well. But, I told them to give it
a chance because he hosted a female student that was my age last year from UNK.
Things started out great. We got along
really well and it seemed as if I was getting that older-brother figure that
I’ve always wanted. But after we got
more comfortable with each other, it got even harder to live with each
other. He was no longer a gentleman, I
was no longer a priority, and I wasn’t being supplied with the meal plan that I
was promised. I could go on for hours about
everything that went wrong but, long story short, I had some good Peruvian and
American friends who let me live in their spare bedroom while I awaited the
confirmation of a new Peruvian family assignment.
I cannot thank my
new family, The Patrucco’s, enough for all that they have done for me. They’ve had to deal with a broken soul---a
homesick girl whose view about Peru was pretty negative at the time. With their support, love, and good cooking my
attitude was quickly changed. It was definitely hard for us to get used to each
other and for me to adapt to their family customs, but I am so happy that they
were willing to take me in on such short notice. They’ve done all the right
things: fed me, given me a bed to sleep in, medicine when I’m sick, and even
homemade chicken soup when I was sick.
Now that I think about it, I wish they hadn’t been so welcoming so it
would be easier for me to go home. I’ve
learned that an unwelcoming Peruvian family is an oxymoron in this
country.
Life in Lima has
been a complete turn-around for me. I
had no idea what to expect. I thought
that it would be a gigantic city with huge, modern skyscrapers and air
conditioning. Boy was I wrong! Of course
there are plenty of big buildings and it is 100 times bigger than what I am
used to in Nebraska, but Lima is so big that it is split up into little
districts that I didn’t even know about.
I live in Lima, but I really haven’t seen it all. I was also completely shocked that air
conditioners really aren’t that popular unless you are in a Starbucks or a nice
restaurant. Even in cars, people usually
just roll the windows down and drive fast. You live right on the equator for
goodness sake! I will never understand this, but I guess they are saving lots
of energy.
And while I’m on
the subject of driving, that is an entirely different story in this city.
Public transportation, even transportation in your own car, is an absolute
nightmare. And to top it all off,
everyone thinks that honking their horn will cure the traffic problem. I wonder when they’ll figure out that it does
nothing but make everyone else angry.
When I walk home from school I can’t even hear myself think because cars
honking and busses switching gears block it out. This is definitely something I won’t miss
when I get back to Nebraska.
Speaking of things
that I won’t miss let me list a few more and start with the bad news and end
with the good. Not fitting in: Ahh
Nebraska, where the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls all unite as one. I can see it now! I am sick and tired of walking down the
street and getting completely stared down, most of the time even whistled at or
talked to in some nasty-Spanish-talk. I
even got my rear end squeezed by a disgusting guy on a bike. Yes, you read that right. Some gross Peruvian squeezed my butt as he
passed me on his bike. I’ve learned that
here in Peru the men are either complete gentlemen or the exact opposite.
There’s no in between. None. A few other
things I won’t miss very much for obvious reasons are 3-hour long classes, the
blazing-hot sun in the middle of the day, the smog of the city, and not being
able to see the stars at night. Other
than that, there are lots of things that I am definitely going to miss, but I
will get to that later.
There are lots of
cultural differences that I have picked up on during my time in Lima. For example, time really isn’t much of a
priority here. Life is very
go-with-the-flow. If you have a meeting
at 2pm, no worries if you show up between 2-2:30pm. My conversation teacher was at least 15
minutes late to class each week. Also,
this means that plans aren’t really ever made in advance. Are you ready to go now? Yeah, I guess. Ok, vamos! That’s how it goes every single
time.
I’ve also noticed that family
customs are a lot different here.
Usually if you are going to the university and your family lives close,
you continue to live with them. Most of
the time you will continue to live with them until you are married. Not that I don’t love being at home with my
parents, but I couldn’t imagine still living under their roof past 20 years
old. Here that is very common, and even
people in their 30’s and up still live with close family. It is very different, but very cool that they
are so family-oriented.
One major thing
that I learned (was forced to learn) was that Peruvian’s are the true night
owls of the world. On the weekends, if
you want to go out to the bars or a dance club, you don’t even think about
getting ready to leave until 10 or 11pm at the earliest. And don’t think you’ll just be out for 2-3
hours. Ohhh no. You’ll be out until the
sun comes back up and the birds are chirping, usually 5 or 6am at the
earliest. The nightlife in Peru is
amazing and so alive, but this is definitely something that I would not be able
to get used to if I was going to be here longer. This girl needs her sleep.
Well, now that
I’ve talked about some of the negatives and customs that have tested my
patience, I think it’s time to get on to all of the fun that I have had this
past semester. I was fortunate enough to
travel to four unforgettable sites in this beautiful country: Arequipa, Ica,
Iquitos, and Cusco. During each of the
trips I had the pleasure of viewing the very beautiful, historical sites of
Colca Valley, the sand dunes of Huacachina, The Amazon Jungle/River, and of
course Machu Picchu—one of the Seven Wonders of the World! How lucky am I? I could write at least five pages of details
about all of the fun I had on each of these trips, but that would be a little
much. Each trip had it’s own unique
feel, and it was impossible to decide which trip was the best because each one
had different aspects and excursions.
Our first trip to
Arequipa was awesome, especially our two day visit to Colca Valley and the city
of Chivay. The altitude was a little
much, but we all quickly got over it and had a great time. The trip to Ica was very relaxing at a very
nice resort, but of course with an excursion to go sand boarding and sand
buggy-ing in Huacachina. The trip to
Iquitos and the Amazon was extremely unique---we spent 3 nights in the jungle
in log cabins with no electricity or warm water. Although we all got eaten alive by mosquitos,
it was definitely a wildlife adventure full of fun and new experiences. Of course last, but not least, was our trip
to Cusco and the ruins at Machu Picchu.
This trip was well worth the wait, as we had to delay travels for over a
month due to kidnapping threats. The
altitude here was even harder to deal with, but the breathtaking views that the
entire city and surrounding area of Cusco contained were well worth it.
I suppose it is
time to start the water works and reflect on everything that I’m going to miss
about Peru. One of the things I will
miss the most is my host mother’s cooking…and Peruvian food in general. The food is very rich and full of flavor, and
I will definitely miss it. Of course,
along with this I will miss my Peruvian family—Luzmilla and Max, and their son
Iván who is my age. They have been
nothing but welcoming and I couldn’t have asked for a better family to stay
with. I never thought I’d say it, but
Inca Cola has really grown on me. I am
going to miss this bubble-gum flavored soda more than words can say. Also, I will miss other typical Peruvian
drinks such as Chicha Morada or the many different fruit smoothies that are
simply delightful.
I have made some
pretty great friends here in Peru, not only from Peru but also from
Nebraska. I am definitely going to miss
seeing them every day, but of course I have made some friends that I will most
likely never see again (even though I would love to and hope to one day). Everyone is so nice here and they treat you
like family. I could make a long list
right here and now with the names of all the nice Peruvians I have met and will
miss when I leave, but that list would be endless.
I have friends I
met here in Peru that I feel like I’ve known for my entire life but it’s really
only been a few months. Two Peruvians
that have shown me the most hospitality and friendship since I’ve been living
in Lima are my friends David and Kevin Salinas, who happen to be the host
brothers of one of the students from Nebraska.
When I was having issues with my first host, they took me in, helped me
pack up my stuff, and made sure I was getting fed and had a proper place to
stay. For that, I will be eternally
grateful. Yes, they are my friends, but
I truly will always call them the brothers that I never had. I don’t think I would’ve made it through the
rest of the trip if it weren’t for their kindness and support when I was in
need.
What I will miss
most about Peru and the city of Lima is the 24/7 liveliness. Everyone is so carefree and full of
life. Everyone gets up early and stays
up until it’s almost light again…whether you’re dancing your pants off at a
local club or out eating at a restaurant with your family and friends. The family atmosphere goes right along with
it. Nobody takes any thing for granted
and they are thankful for every hour and every second that they get to spend
together. Although I have absolutely
loved living with a true Peruvian, mom-and-dad family, it has really made being
away from my family that much harder. I
have grown such a bigger appreciation for the ones I love and I am fortunate
that I still have all of them in my life.
The weeks keep
passing by; days are getting crossed off the calendar quickly approaching the
day that I am returning back to “The Good Life.” My experience abroad in Lima, Peru has been
an unforgettable journey full of ups, downs, laughs, cries, and lots of
“wows.” I never in a million years
thought I’d be able to live in a foreign country on my own for an entire
semester. After much persuasion from my
family and friends, I decided to jump in with both feet. Words will never express how thankful I am
for getting that little nudge to take this adventure on. It was by no means easy, but I have learned
so much about Spanish, Peruvian culture, and life in general. For that, I am eternally thankful. I am more than ready to be home and see my
family, but Peru has really shown me an educationally and culturally awesome
time. I’m returning to “The Good Life,”
but life here has been pretty great.
Thanks for the
memories, Peru. I will forever cherish
the moments I’ve spent with you and I hope to see you again one day. ¡Hasta luego!
