SIX MONTHS

Today marks six entire months in Peru.  My how the time has flown.  There were days when I never thought I’d even make it this far, and then there were days when I couldn’t believe how awesome my life was.  I have tons of things to update on (ie: Thanksgiving, EIST, the past couple weeks), but I’m going to dedicate this post to six things I’ve learned in Peru.

1) Spanish is hard.  When I first arrived in Peru, I knew that my Spanish wasn’t amazing.  I knew I was going to have troubles.  But I never thought that the language itself could frustrate me to the point of tears and exhaustion.  There were times when I thought that not a single person could understand a word that I said, and I was probably right.  But here I am, six months later, and I feel completely different.  I’m nowhere near fluent, and I still have daily troubles, but I feel confident enough that I can hold my own in a conversation, and I am constantly surprising myself.  The weird and funny Spanish blunders that I make on a daily basis definitely make things more bearable.  I’ve managed to survive the past six months with my Spanish level, so I know I can do it for another 21.

2) Waiting is just a fact of life in Peru.  As Americans, we are of the state of mind that “time is money and money is time.”  Take that thought and completely disregard it, and you know what it is like to live in Peru.  When I have a meeting at 3:00, I am ALWAYS there at 3:00, sometimes even earlier.  But I’ve learned that a meeting that is supposed to start at 3:00 will most likely start at 3:30 or even 4:00.  It has taken me a long time to accustom myself to la hora peruana, but I’m finally getting used to it.  I’ve learned to never leave my house without a book, my ipod, or something to work on.  I could write an entire blog post about how my butt is forever sore because all I do is sit and wait.

3) Seeing a man pee on the side of the road/watching a mom breastfeed her child in any setting is not at all out of the ordinary.  I remember the first time I saw a woman whip out her breasts in the middle of a busy market- I was absolutely horrified.  Now I can carry on an entire conversation in the exact same scenario without even flinching.  And seeing a guy pee on the side of the road- actually anywhere- doesn’t make me think twice.

4) Dogs aren’t really a man’s best friend.  Muffin, the world’s best dog, definitely spoiled me my entire life.  She was the picture-perfect dog.  Calm yet energetic, fun, playful; everything you could ask for in a pet.  In the United States, pets are part of the family, sometimes even considered an extra kid.  In Peru, dogs are looked at very differently.  They are allowed to roam the streets, are malnourished, and are often times dangerous.  In Training they taught us to pick up a rock and throw it when we were walking around in case a dog tried to attack us.  It’s strange that my love for dogs has diminished right before my eyes.  But hopefully when I get back to the USA my love will resurface.

5) Peru has more to offer than just Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.  This country is incredibly beautiful and is fullll of awesome things.  From the coast, to the Sierra mountains, to the Amazon rainforest, Peru has something to offer just about any adventure-seeking person.  You want to snorkel and surf?  Come to Peru.  You want to see pink dolphins and meet with a witch doctor in the jungle?  Head to Peru.  You want to hike in the mountains or swim underneath a waterfall?  Come on down to Peru.  You want to check out some ruins or visit an island community?  Peru’s your place.  Peru has it all.  On top of all that, the people (for the most part) are incredibly nice.  Once they realize that you aren’t a tourist and are living in their country, learning their culture, helping their people; they are so warm and welcoming.  This country is an incredible place to visit and an even better place to live.

6) Family and friends are so important.  I’ve always been a very family-oriented person because of the way I was brought up.  I love spending time with my family, and (I hope) they like spending time with me, too.  And obviously my friends mean the world to me.  But since I’ve been in Peru, I’ve realized that life is not worth living without friends and family.  I wouldn’t still be here in Peru, living out my dream, without the constant love and support from back home.  My poor mom- I’ve called her too many times crying about how much I want to be home, and she always has something to say that makes me realize how lucky I am to be here.  The emails, phone calls, skype dates, letters, packages, facebook posts, and every encouraging word from home keeps me grounded and has confirmed that I know the greatest people in the entire world.  I am so lucky.

Peru has changed me; opened my eyes to new things, and broadened my horizons.  I’ve learned a million things about Peru and its people, and a million and one things about myself.  The past six months have made such an impact on my life; I can’t even imagine what the next 21 months have in store for me.

“Over the mountains, across the seas
Who knows what will be waiting for me?”
                             -- “The Gold It’s In The…” Pink Floyd