Looking back on my trip I am torn—did the months feel like days or did the months feel like years? On one hand it feels like I was just hugging my parents goodbye in Omaha and climbing onto a plane to a foreign land. On the other hand, it feels as though I’ve been living in this foreign land forever. This semester was full of ups and downs but I think that from each experience I gained something. Being thrown out of your comfort zone is the easiest way to learn about yourself and I think that is the greatest thing I will take away from this. If I had any doubts about my values, feelings, and opinions before I came, I am definitely more confident in them now.
Over these past four months I gained many new friends and created relationships with people I never would have had the opportunity to before. I learned the importance of kindness and just how deep of an impact generosity can make. I learned that most people are willing to have a conversation if you start it—and that Peruvians are especially patient when it comes to trying to understand a white girl stumbling through her Spanish. I learned that salsa dancing until 4 am is more fun than I ever could have imagined. I also learned that sometimes a night curled up in bed with netflix is just what you need as well. If anything, I learned that balance is the key to living a happy, stable life.
While I can go on and on about the little things I learned every day, I know that most of these will remain in my mind forever. I hope to return home and maintain the skills I have aquired—how to make nice small talk with strangers without feeling awkward, how to be extra considerate with people working around you, how to make a pisco sour, and how to always eat with a fork and knife in each hand. I am so grateful to Peru for giving me so many breathtaking sunsets, a great tan, and true friends.
Over these past four months I gained many new friends and created relationships with people I never would have had the opportunity to before. I learned the importance of kindness and just how deep of an impact generosity can make. I learned that most people are willing to have a conversation if you start it—and that Peruvians are especially patient when it comes to trying to understand a white girl stumbling through her Spanish. I learned that salsa dancing until 4 am is more fun than I ever could have imagined. I also learned that sometimes a night curled up in bed with netflix is just what you need as well. If anything, I learned that balance is the key to living a happy, stable life.
While I can go on and on about the little things I learned every day, I know that most of these will remain in my mind forever. I hope to return home and maintain the skills I have aquired—how to make nice small talk with strangers without feeling awkward, how to be extra considerate with people working around you, how to make a pisco sour, and how to always eat with a fork and knife in each hand. I am so grateful to Peru for giving me so many breathtaking sunsets, a great tan, and true friends.