Please Hurry Fall...It's Way too Hot

110 degrees...that was how high the heat advisory update I received said it would get this weekend. Really? It's so hard to function in this heat, I don't know if I can handle 2 more months...it needs to start cooling off sooner.

Summer classes are over and hopefully I made an A in my gender communication class. We find out grades later this week.

Here's an update on the internship front. I had an interview this past week with Texas Monthly magazine at their Austin office. It was definitely not what I expected to be doing for an internship but it sounds really interesting. Plus the staff in the office seem really nice! I'm still waiting to hear from 2 PR firms in the Austin area. Hopefully I can get an internship settled before classes start on the 25th.

Our apartment is coming along nicely! We went to Round Rock for Ashton's birthday and decided today to stop at IKEA and get some ideas. Well we ended up buying some curtains for our downstairs living room that I love! We just need some more wall decorations and we'll be done...and I need to print pictures from my trips to Peru and New York so I can put my picture frames back up.

After my interview, which was in Austin...in the middle of the afternoon...in August in Texas...lets just say I think my AC kicked the bucket again (or I just need freon but I don't know how to see about that). I decided it is definitely time for a new vehicle, my 1997 Honda Accord still runs really good but it's just getting to old and not running as well as a newer vehicle would. I'm starting the process of really looking for a car (not brand new of course, just newer than over a decade ago)...I'm aiming for mid-semester for the new vehicle. It would be great if I could get a car for graduation but I don't think that's going to happen, so I'm taking matters into my own hands. Right now I really want an SUV...I'm tired of not being seen by other drivers. I'm jumping between an Hyundai Tucson and a Nissan Rogue (or a Murano if I can find a could price for a used one). Hopefully I'll get to do some test driving when I go home in 2 weeks to see if I really want an SUV.

Well this week should be pretty dead at work...no classes and all. But staff will start coming back! Desaree, our grad assistant, will be back Monday! She has been in Argentina all summer working on her thesis. And they might start interviews this week, so who knows how this week will be.

Hope everyone enjoys their week and a half off before fall classes begin! Wish me luck on the internship and car situations!

Where Did Summer Go?!?!

One week. That's all that is left of summer school, one week. I'm really sad I didn't do more summertime things once I got back from Peru. I understand I spent 5 weeks of my summer in a foreign country where it was winter. And I also understand I spent a total of about 2 weeks in my hometown. Fall classes start in 3 weeks, don't get me wrong I am beyond excited to start this final semester. However, I realized earlier this week that this is my last summer as a student. This is the last summer I could randomly take off for a week or longer from work and know I would have a job to come back to. Seriously only working on campus can you go to another country for 5 weeks and still have a job to come back to.

I'm slacking on keeping up with this blog. I really need to do better but it's been a crazy past week so here are some updates.

We have officially moved into our new apartment Copper Beech Townhomes in San Marcos on Mill Street! No more smelly apartment with crazy bugs because we lived by the woods. These townhomes are beyond wonderful! I am definitely spoiled living in this townhome as a college student (my student loans are paying my rent). Once I graduate and eventually move away I know I wont be able to afford to live in such a nice place so I plan on enjoying this year, maybe longer, here. It's way too nice for any college kids in my opinion.

Still waiting on word for an internship. I emailed them all last week and got basically the same response, notifications for interviews will be sent out "early to mid-August." I'm starting to get really nervous that I wont get an internship. I'm basing my entire last semester on getting an internship...that's a lot of pressure.

Well I better get back to looking for academic journals for a paper for my gender communication class. I love this class and highly recommend it to any Comm Studies majors or minors at TxSt...Dr. LU is awesome!

How Many Days Until December 17!?!

It's been about a week since I posted a new blog. Not much has really happened; school, work and packing to move have consumed my life...back to the normal routine of life as a college student.

I applied for internships about 2 weeks ago, I probably should have applied for more though. Most of the response emails said they were evaluating resumes and would do interviews at the end of the month...I really, really hope I get an internship; I've been trying to base my life around obtaining an internship. Today I talked to my mom and reality set in that I really can't plan my life anymore like I use to. I can't try to get a new job until I know if I get an internship because I don't know what my hours would be at the internship. It really is a pain because I was hoping to work a lot before fall starts to save money...guess that wont be happening.

I guess I should explain the title of this post. I haven't been extremely thrilled about graduating early since I found out that I was. Now that I decided to not attend graduate school in the spring I've realized how much of a school gets in the way of trying to find a full time job...or a job that could turn into a full time job for after graduation. Also, being in Peru was felt like I wasn't in school (even though I was taking classes). That was the first time since my freshman year of college that I wasn't on the Texas State campus either working or working and taking a class. I was spoiled with that long of a break. Now that I'm back in on campus taking a class I hate it, I'm over school...I'm ready to be done (this is not a normally response from me I know). Don't get me wrong I love my gender communication class...once I get to the class, but I'm really bitter about having to go up to campus to go to class and doing homework is not something I'm really thrilled about.

So this is my life right now...college limbo. Stuck between being a final semester senior still trying to get by a juggle a lot and a graduate.

Just FYI it's 149 days left.

Hello School, Hello Work, Hello Reality

I've been back in San Marcos for 3 days now. It was really weird driving back, I forgot how long of a drive it was (especially when it's raining...I-10 through Houston in the rain is not fun). I thought I would do a lot of a reflecting and thinking on that drive since it's 4.5 hours but I just enjoyed rocking out to my iPod and the good radio stations I could find.

Getting back to the apartment was weird because Ashton was studying for a final and Rachel was gone, so I was just left to unpack. Every few minutes Ashton and I would take a break and talk about different things that have been going on and the new apartment issues (still can't move in until August 9).
TIP* if you left for a month and closed your vents in your room...don't forget to open them before you try and sleep in your room, it gets hot if you don't.

So I decided that I had by Sunday night to complete my cover letters for my internship applications and will send them out Monday morning before my class at noon. Mission accomplished...I wrote about 9 or 10 cover letters on Saturday while my roommates were enjoying Six Flags.

Here is a break down of the order I need to accomplish things:
1) Complete cover letters and submit internship applications by Monday, July 12

2) Start summer 2 and work again

3) Start looking for a new part-time job. (Hopefully I have time to get applications in the morning before my class since I work in the afternoon)

4) Get boxes for moving

5) Start packing for stuff to go into storage...for a week while I'm in a hotel

Hopefully I will be able to add into this list "Prepare for internship interview." I know I'm cutting it really close since fall semester starts in a little over a month. I need this internship for credit so I will only have to be on campus for three classes instead of four. So my last semester might seem like it's going to be easy but I'll be taking three classes, working at least 20 hours a week and interning about 15 to 20 hours a week if all goes according to plan.

Speaking of graduation, while I was hiking up to Machu Picchu 2 weeks ago today (wow that's crazy to think about...a week ago I was just now getting back to the U.S). As I was hiking with Sierra I made a decision that has taken a huge weight off my shoulders...no graduate school for me, at least not this spring. There is no way I could study for the GRE and have my application done by the October deadline for spring with everything I need to do.

I don't think my heart is all the way in to the idea of grad school; school is safe and I can't be safe forever so why not take the risk of looking for a job like every other college grad (I think this new take a risk idea came from my study abroad, so thank you ISA for making me stop being safe). I think it's for the best. I know I want to go to grad school just not what for yet. And I think it will be good to take a semester away from school after graduation to work and get everything in order. Hopefully by next spring I'll have an idea about what I want to go to grad school for before I take the GRE and get even further into debt.

Well it's back to the Texas State campus tomorrow. The start of my last month working at the University Honors Program, I've worked here for 2 years and they have become my family here in San Marcos...it'll be hard to leave and start something new. It's also the start of my last six months at Texas State, it will be bittersweet for sure. Hope I'm ready for the roller coaster that the next few months will bring :)

158 days until graduation!

A Fresh Start, Sort Of

I've been back in Texas for four days now. It's starting to feel like my trip to Peru was a dream (one reason why I'm glad I started the blog). It was such a crazy, world-wind experience for five weeks. It was an AMAZING experience and some of the things that I did in those five weeks I will probably never have the chance to do again.

Now it's back to the reality of school, work and my crazy life that revolves around those two aspects. I've decided to continue writing on the same blog with all of my Peru blogs on it so that if someone ever comes across this blog that doesn't know me can see how that trip has changed my life, even if I don't even know how it's changed my life yet.

Here's an update since my last blog while being stuck in the Miami airport:
My mom and step-dad picked me up from the Houston airport around midnight on the 4th of July. I managed to stay awake for most of the drive but the last hour I crashed. We got to Orange close to 3am and I stayed awake long enough to eat something really quick then proceeded to go to bed expecting to sleep until late. My body, however, had other plans and I woke up around 9am. Started washing my nasty clothing, some of which still smelled like Machu Picchu. I think it was good for me to come to Orange for a few days longer than planned, I think it is easing me back in American society without being to overwhelming (my hometown is very small and very simple, not to many things to stress yourself out with here).

Finally got my car back and I drove up to the Creek where everyone was at and sat out by the river most of the afternoon. And then drove back to Orange for a peaceful night without anyone around, while I finished laundry. Then drove back the next day and proceeded to stay the entire day on the water, I no longer look like I spent five weeks of summer in a country currently in winter.

My car is now getting the windshield fixed and then I'm going to get it inspected before I leave to drive back to San Marcos tomorrow morning. My older sister and soon to be brother-in-law are on their way to Orange for the weekend (this house is big but not big enough, they are stuck on an air-mattress until I leave tomorrow). I still have to pack my clothes in a new suitcase because my blue one just is not going to cut it anymore, plus it smells.

Now I'm just getting use to having my phone going off constantly again, with messages, email, updates and all that jazz. I think that has been the biggest culture shock so far...my annoying blackberry (that I missed while in Peru but currently dislike)

So this is my new blog, about my life post Peru and pre-graduation..my fresh start with a new outlook on a lot of things. I am going to try and included useful articles and tips for other students that are in the same situation as me, graduating in six months with no clue what will happen next (it's okay though because there are a lot of us in this situation so we can stick together).

163 days until graduation on December 17, 2010 (yes this blog will include a countdown :])

Day of Goodbyes, Airports and Delays

So yesterday was my last full day in Peru. Emmi and I some how managed to get the entire program together at Senor Limon for lunch Friday. It was great to see everyone one last time and have some good cebiche again.

It didn't really hit me that I was leaving or that I was sad about leaving until we were all outside saying goodbye to each other. I'm really going to miss all the ISA kids, we've all been through this crazy, intense but AMAZING 5 weeks together. It's something that connects all of us for the rest of our lives.

Last night Emmi and I gave our host parents a picture of us with them. And in there entire house it is the only picture frame out. I think it's really hard to get pictures of Alejandra and Hector (Hector ran upstairs when Alejandra took out her camera to take pictures with us). Afterward I went straight to bed. Vicki woke me up at 3:05 this morning because I had to be at ISA by 3:30. I said bye to Emmi; it was really sad leaving her behind at the house, we did so much together over the past 5 weeks! I'm really going to miss her and we will see each other again because it would just be weird to not talk or see her sometime. Skype is a great invention!

So once we got to the airport Courtney and I had to wait in line for American Airlines for almost an hour then go straight through security and to our gate. We had enough time to grab a snack, some gum and me a book to read (Chelsea Handler's Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea). Once we got to Miami I checked my phone and received my first text messages in 5 weeks, they were not what I was expecting. Before I left Texas in May I set up notifications for my flights to my phone. That was a smart idea. My 2:55 flight to Houston was canceled because something was wrong with the plane. My mom luckily got a call while I was in the air and was able to change my flight to go to Dallas then Lake Charles, which would have been amazingly awesome if I made it there. We made it through immigration fairly quickly but then came trying to get our luggage. It took them about 30 minutes to get our luggage out of the plane, here starts my trouble. I still had to go to rebooking and get my luggage rechecked; I missed checking into my new flight by 2 minutes. The American Airline agent said she could have tried to get me on it but she didn't think my luggage would make it.

So no more flights to Lake Charles were available and I even looked into flights to Austin just in case Haley could get me and I could at least go to my apartment in San Marcos and somehow make it down to Orange to get my car. Nothing was working all the flights to Dallas and Houston at a decent time had crazy connections that weren't worth it. So I have now been sitting in the Miami airport for 3 hours and my direct flight to Houston doesn't leave until 10:30pm. I'll be in Houston by midnight and Orange by 2am...my experiences with flying back to Texas have always been interesting.

Now I have to figure out something to occupy my time and figure out a cheaper way to use wireless (Skype wi-fi is useful but expensive) and the TV at the gate I'm at is on CNN talking about the oil spill and Michael Jackson...looks like it was a good idea to buy that book.

Cusco, the Sacred Vally and Machu Picchu!

I updated to early on Friday because for dinner our family had Antequecho, also known as cow heart. It was actually pretty good. And our family gave us Mate de Cocoa, which is supposed to help with altitude sickness in preparation of our trip.

Saturday
We had to be at the ISA office at 3:30 to fly to Cusco by 5:45. It was pretty cold in Cusco when we got there because of the altitude but we left immediately for the Sacred Valley. We took an hour bus ride through Cusco to get to the Sacred Valley and made a couple of stops along the way. We went to a place called Nelly’s House in Chinchero, where they show how they hand weave alpaca and wool items. I definitely bought myself an alpaca wool blanket!!! I was excited.

We arrived in Urubamba, which is apart of the Sacred Valley and hiked through an old Incan village. We climbed Ollantaytambo ruins, which they said was preparing us for hiking around Machu Picchu the next day. My lungs could tell we were at a different altitude for sure. We had an amazing lunch buffet and went to a local bar to try Chicheria, which is beer made from different corns, and played sapo (kind of like Peru’s version of washers only way more difficult)

Our hotel in Urubamba (the Sonesta Posada Yucay) was amazing! I actually took a bubble bath for the first time in 5 weeks!

Sunday – Machu Picchu!!
We had to leave our hotel by 4:30 so we had an awesome breakfast at the hotel. We didn’t leave at 4:30 and had to get to Ollantaytambo to catch our train to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. So Michelle was telling us to prepare to sprint through the town because our big bus couldn’t make it into the town but luckily a bus for the train came and met us part of the way. From the station we had to take another 30-minute van ride to where the actual trains are and then we had an hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. It was really amazing to ride a train through that area; it was beautiful. From there we took a 20-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu!! It is so beautiful there and pictures can’t do it justice. It was a great and surreal experience to be there, it didn’t seem like it happened.

We ate lunch there and Hunter, Jacob, Sarah, Sierra, Kate and I wanted to climb the top of Machu Picchu. I almost didn’t make it up because the top of Machu Picchu is 10,000 feet above see level and my lungs felt like they were being crushed by a giant rock! So we climbed about 3,000 feet up from the ruins to the top, I think. Thank God for Sierra she really pushed me and didn’t let me turn around because she knew I would regret it. She stayed behind with me and it took us about 2 hours (probably a little more) to get up but it was SO worth it! I’m really amazed that I can say that I climbed to the top of Machu Picchu!

Me at the top of Machu Picchu with the Inca ruins and Huaynapicchu in the background (I know my hair is in my face but it doesn't matter!)

It is amazing the people you meet around the world. I had a TX State shirt on and got stopped by a group of people that went to UT while we were walking to get dinner in Aguas Calientes (by the way our food was great!). Our second hotel was pretty nice too, Inti Inn). We all crashed that night after hiking around all day.

Monday – back to Cusco
We literally traveled all day to get to Cusco and took almost every kind of transportation that day except airplane. On the train we had really good conversations with Michelle about ISA and other things (I think I might apply for an internship with ISA since their office is in Austin). And we also all talked about the different Inca facts we had learned; for example, you only see about 40% of Machu Picchu, majority of the walls are below ground and you cant see them. I know some other stuff but I need to sit down and think about them first.

Once we got to Cusco close to 4 o’clock we got to relax at our hotel for a little while then went on a walking tour of Cusco. It’s a very touristy city because people stop there on their way to or from the Sacred Valley but it’s also very pretty. Michelle was our guide and it was interesting to hear about how the Spanish destroyed all the Incan temples and built Catholic churches over the sites and that’s why there are so many churches in Cusco. After the tour we had our goodbye dinner with the entire program at a local pizza place, it was really good but I don’t think I ever imagined eating this much pizza while in Peru.

Tuesday – Free Day in Cusco
We went to the Inca ruins at the top of Cusco that was an Incan fortress. It’s also where they have their big sun festival every June and we missed it by 3 days! They were still cleaning up. You can tell the fortress was huge! We walked to a part where the rocks are like a slide and of course we had to participate in that. I think we were pretty entertaining to the locals there, we had to epic fails there (Brandon and Alex’s falls were extremely entertaining!)

That afternoon Emmi, Christa, and I went to some museums and to walk around Cusco a little more. The street vendors in Cusco are everywhere! If you go be prepared for them. We went to Qorikancha, which is a site of the Incan Sun Temple in Cusco. The Spanish had majority of the temple destroyed and a church built on top of it of course. It was also made into a convent called the Convento de Santo Del Cusco. Later we went to a local Mercado and I got some gifts buts still need to get a few more.

That night majority of the program went out to eat. It was great to sit and talk with everyone one last time since we are all leaving Saturday. And it’s always interesting to talk to Michelle and hear her experiences and advice on things.

Wednesday – Back to Lima
We traveled all morning again back to Lima. It’s kind of depressing to go from these amazing and beautiful areas of Peru and then go back to Lima. Not that Lima isn’t nice and has it’s pretty parts and days but the lack of sun and green can get depressing and bring you down. Don’t get me wrong I loved my experience in Lima but I probably wouldn’t spend more than a few days here before going somewhere else.

My thoughts ---
So the program is winding down. I have 2 full days in Lima before I fly back home. I am so excited to get back to Texas and have the sun and heat, even though I know it’s really, really hot there I still miss it. It’s going to be really weird and sad not seeing the ISA students anymore. We are going to try and get everyone together one last time on Friday since majority of us leave Saturday. Tears have already started flowing and I have a feeling Friday is not going to be any different. I’m really going to miss everyone, my host family, Emmi (my roommate) and yes I will miss Lima. This has been the best experience I could have ever had. I love that I picked Peru, even though I have moments where I don’t like Lima. And really loved my excursions to the jungle and Machu Picchu, it was definitely worth it. I appreciate this trip, the people I’ve met, the things I’ve been able to do and the 5 weeks I’ve been gone. I know I’ve changed from this trip but I guess I wont know how much until I get back home and have the reality of life and school (and graduation, ahh!) hit me.

Hopefully I can post one more time Friday before I leave, if not I will try and post Saturday when I get back home!

P.S. my new picture at the top is my PERSONAL picture of Machu Picchu :)

Update Before Cuzco!

Emmi and I managed our way to an mercado indio (indian market) earlier this week to buy some duffel bags for this weekend. There was no way our backpacks would be enough for 5 days in Cuzco and bringing back souvenirs. They are pretty cool looking, mine is a dark blue with little llamas and Inca drawings on it.

Tuesday was Courtney's 21st birthday so it was a day of cakes. Tres Leches is probably one of my favorite cakes now. Then Wednesday and today were final days. We had our pronunciation and writing final Wednesday and today was grammar and conversation finals. I think I did pretty good on all my finals so we'll see in August what my grade transfers as.

Last night our host mom showed us one way chebiche is made. Our host mom is so cute, she loves to model for our pictures when we ask :). She is definitely showing her personality more, she started to dance last night while she was teaching us, it was funny. It's really strange we wont be at their house much longer.

Tonight we are going out for Courtney and Winnie's birthdays (Winnie is another ISA student) since we were told not to go out Friday night because we have to be at the ISA office at 3:30 am Saturday to fly to Cuzco! I think Michelle said Cuzco is at 12,000 feet so pray I can handle the altitude change!

Today was pretty crazy after I got home. I was trying to take a nap and some how I received phone call from my new apartment complex (no one else has been able to get through to my phone this entire trip). They were calling to inform me that our new apartment wont be ready until August 9th instead of July 30th, not something you want to hear when you are in another country. They told me that they would put us in a hotel for the week (while we are still in summer school) and put our things in a storage unit, also not something you want to hear. And during that week Ashton (one of my roommates) has to go to California. We are definitely not thrilled about this. HOPEFULLY they are just saying the 9th for their benefit and we will get to move in earlier than that because moving on a Monday, in the heat, in between classes and work is no fun.

So my panic mode kicked in since you know I'm in another country and all I can't do anything about it so hopefully everything works out and they start building quicker (or even at night would be good too).

Other than that I am SO excited about Cuzco this weekend! We will get to spend all day Sunday at Machu Picchu! And then all day Monday and Tuesday in Cuzco. It's going to be a lot of fun with the entire ISA group and to just get out of Lima for 4 days will be nice!

Everyone have a great weekend! I'll be home in a week :)

A Week Update!

Sorry I haven’t updated since Monday, nothing was really going on until the end of the week. This post might be kind of long but I’m going to try and keep it somewhat short. By the way my forehead definitely peeled two days after getting back from Iquitos and now my shoulders are peeling…yay!

Monday –
So the family took Emmi and me to Bembos. It’s supposed to be like McDonalds but it was way better than any McDonalds I’ve been to. The burgers actually look like the pictures. We got two different ice creams, strawberry and Lucama…I like Lucama ice cream a lot more than the drink. I think Monday night was the first time I really tried speaking to my family in Spanish, granted it was very broken Spanish but I tried.

I talked to my mom Monday night; she definitely makes me feel better about being here. It is an experience most people don’t get to do or would do. Even if I don’t pursue more Spanish classes after this (even though I want to try to) I can still take a lot away from this trip.

Tuesday –
I LOVE my conversation and culture class! Even if majority of it is in Spanish we still talk in English sometimes when it’s easier to explain something. Our professor from that class lived in the U.S. for four year almost 20 years ago and he wants to go back some day. After class all the ISA students met up for the meeting, I love seeing all of ISA students together they are so much fun. We had a Lucama and chocolate cake…talk about delicious!

I finally got to talk to Ashton and Deanna (my roommates in San Marcos, minus Rachel) Tuesday night. I miss my roomies!

Emmi and I were going to go out for John’s birthday (a ISA student). But I decided I needed to be studios for once and I actually studied for a long time that night! I was proud.

Wednesday -
Emmi, Christa, Tiffany and I decided to go to Plaza San Miguel Wednesday night to go shopping for some much needed necessities. I had to go up to the UP to meet them after their 6:30 class so I had to tell my host dad what I was doing in Spanish! I was so proud of myself even if it was in the most basic way I actually did it without Emmi’s help. While I was waiting for the girls I got really bored, I memorized part of the poem I have to recite for my final and figured out I have about 180 days until I graduate from college!! (yes I was very bored).

We were definitely true Peruvians trying to get to Plaza San Miguel. We had to catch a micro (looks kind of like a school bus) and it started moving before Christa and I were fully on but we made it like pros!

Thursday –
Class has not been my favorite lately. It would have been really useful to have a textbook for class. They just give us worksheets from a book, if I had known that I would have brought my books from home to help with the tenses.

We had a salsa lesson this night with some Peruvian students. Talk about entertainment! Our teacher was really funny and extremely good! After the lesson about 13 of us decided to go see Toy Story 3 in 3D…it was in Spanglish – they spoke in English but it had Spanish subtitles and the writing in the movie was in Spanish. I definitely recommend Toy Story 3 it was really good but really dark. Before the movie we went to eat and Emmi and I ended up with Neri, Nate, and Skylar at a Chili’s in Peru, I found this very ironic but I think it was actually better than in the States. Oh and 3 of us had margaritas and 2 of the boys had a beer then a bottle of wine showed up at our table because Neri wanted to try it! I was a little tipsy before Toy Story…oops.

Friday –
Class was really rough today because I did not want to be there. Emmi and some of the other advance students went to Plaza de Armas to watch the U.S. soccer game and I wanted to go not because I like soccer just to experience it! :) oh well

We had a Cajon drum lesson and Afro dance lesson; we were not expecting the Afro dance lesson at all. It was really cool though! Our instructor was really good at the drum and I got part of him drumming on video.

Friday was going out night and I think 20 out of the 28 ISA students ended up at the same restaurant before going to different discotecas. It was a lot of fun! Some of the Peru students met up with us.

Saturday –
Emmi, Kate and I decided to go to the Museo del Nacion (Museum of the Nation). It was really big and we couldn’t see everything but we did see the floor that has all the artifacts of some of the different indigenous people like Incas and Quechuas. The other floor we went to was an exhibit called Yuyanapaq; which means To Remember in Quechua. It contains photos taken during the terrorist movement during 1980 to 2000. It was very overwhelming and sad. Emmi and I briefly talked about how our host siblings, who are around our age, who grew up during the end of this time while we were sheltered in the States. I had no clue what the Shining Path was until I got here, I knew Peru had been through really bad times but I had no idea it was for 20 years. I really want to learn more about that part of Peru’s history, as sad as it was. It makes a lot of sense now why the country is the way it is now, always a little on the defense. I understand now why my mom was a little apprehensive about me coming down here since it has only been 10 years since this ended. My professor always refers to Peru as a 3^rd world country and I didn’t really see it that way until this weekend because while it might have it’s bad parts (like any other country) it still has some really nice areas and people.

TODAY –
The family (minus Alejandra) took Emmi and me to club de abogados (lawyers club). Partly to get us out of the city and into some sun and for father’s day. It took an hour to get out of the city and it was a completely different atmosphere. The sun was out; people didn’t have on a ton of winter clothing and the SUN WAS OUT!

Emmi and me with Maciel and Vicki our host parents.

The rest of today was dedicated to studying and updating this blog.

So only 1 more week of classes, Cusco next weekend and then I’ll be heading home. It’s crazy how fast this trip has gone by!

An Amazon Adventure

Sunrise in the Amazon - this is how this picture turned out I didn't edit it at all I swear

The past three days have been so surreal! For those of you who haven't seen my past post some of the ISA students and I went on an excursion to Iquitos and the Amazon jungle. This post will be extremely long! I guess I'll break this post up into each day starting with Friday.

Friday:
We had to be at the ISA office at 4am...keep in mind our host family's house is 5 minutes by car to the office. They wanted us to leave by 3:30am to go pick the two other ISA students from down the street. Our host mom turned into a drill sergeant at 3:25, she's tiny but she is very persistent. We were definitely the first to arrive, even before our director showed up. So our flight was suppose to leave at 6:30ish and we didn't leave until close to 8 because of weather. It was awesome flying out of Lima and clearing the thick clouds that cover the city and seeing the sun for pretty much the first time in 2 weeks!! The plane ride was only an hour but we flew over the Andes! (I have some amazing pictures from this trip, 200+ to be exact) Once we got to Iquitos our tour guides Ray and Rudy met us at the airport. The weather is hot and humid but I LOVED it! One of the ISA students has been really sick so our director went with him to the hospital to get a shot to make him feel better. While they were doing that Rudy took the rest of us in the bus to tour the city of Iquitos. It's crazy the dramatic difference between Lima and the northern city of Iquitos. Hardly any cars are in Iquitos, it's all motorbikes and motorbike taxis. And some of the people in Iquitos are very pushy when it comes to selling novelty items to tourists, they are very persistent. And the buildings have two extremes in Iquitos, they were either built during the time when the economy was good because of the rubber factories or they are shacks. In the central part of the city the buildings are very nice, this is where the Casa de Fierro (Iron House) is located..it was built by the same man you designed the Eiffel Tour. Right next to this building was a restaurant we walked through and I noticed random longhorns and burnt orange colors and I finally realized it was completely decked out in UT and state of Texas things, it's called The Yellow Rose of Texas! I was beyond excited to see that, they told me a man from Texas (and I guess a UT alum) married a Peruvian and moved to Iquitos and opened the restaurant, it's won a lot of awards too. I might not go to UT but it sure made me feel like I was at home seeing that!

After we picked up our director and the other student we took our two hour bus ride to Nauta where we would get on a boat for 45 minutes to the Pacaya Samiria Lodge. We stayed in 2 story bungalows! The entire trip was beautiful, it definitely looks like all the pictures from National Geographic! Our lodge was very pretty and they were so nice. We ate lunch then immediately went on a hike in the jungle, we had to wait for 3o minutes though so the downpour of rain would stop some. It was a definitely a workout walking in the humidity and up and down muddy hills but it was very interesting.

*Just a side note if you ever go to the Amazon bring old jeans..I didn't bring my jeans for fear of having none when I got back to Lima because I didn't know when our laundry would be done. I just had some like sweatpants and I definitely got hot.

After that we had a small break and at night we took a boat into the reserve to see what kind of creatures we could find. We saw 2 baby caiman alligators and Ray actually caught them both and lets us hold them. And we also saw a couple of birds. Then we went back to the lodge for dinner and everyone was worn out and went to bed by 10 or 10:30.

*Side note 2: the lodge only turns on the power from 6pm until 10pm and for like an hour in the morning. And there is no such thing as hot water there, not that you would want a hot shower after sweating all day but extreme cold isn't fun either.

Saturday:We heard some crazy noises all night! We think at one point a monkey ran across our roof! We were spoiled throughout this trip with amazing food. We left by 9am by boat to go back in the the reserve. The sun was gorgeous and I definitely got a sunburn on my shoulders and forehead..oops! Let me say if you ever go to the Amazon I'll give you Ray's contact information because he was awesome. We would be going 20+ mph in the boat and he would spot a sloth or iguana in a tree on the bank of the rive so easily! We saw two sloths, some iguanas and a lot of birds that morning. We stopped at the checkpoint entering the reserve and it's where two rivers meet, Ray told us the river dolphins like to stay in river joints so we saw a lot of dolphins! I couldn't get a picture of a pink dolphin though, they were to fast for me. They are very big and not that cute. We eventually stopped at a small village and we rented some canoes; those long, hollowed out trees that sit extreme close to the water. It was so much fun and a couple of the students got stuck on the water when it started to rain! We left there and went to a lagoon where dolphins normally are but they weren't there. We ended up going to where a little sandbar was and there were tons of dolphins there so we got to swim with the dolphins and the sun was out and it felt so good to be in the water! It was so cool. Then we had lunch that the lodge boated out to us, we had to be at least 30+ minutes by boat away -- I said we were spoiled this weekend right?

After lunch we went piranha fishing! We used cane poles and everything, you definitely have to be patient because piranhas don't actually bite the hooks. I caught one though! We went back to the lodge and played cards until dinner. After dinner some local children came and did a performance for us of local dances that tell a story, then it turned into a dance party. That was cool but I was so tired and my sunburn was killing me by then!

The piranha I caught, it's a big one but it's fin is curled up!

Sunday:

Woke up at 5:30 to go look for birds and go to a village where they have giant lily pads. The boat ride at dawn was so pretty! The hike through the village was a little rough because it was so early. We had a really good view of the river.(*Note: If you go to the Amazon make sure where ever you are staying has high knee rainboots, they will save your life!)They told us that part of the village had been washed away last time the water was really high. The water has stopped getting as high during the rainy season as it use to, I have pictures of the water marks from this past year and 2 years ago when the water would always be high. We went back to the lodge and had breakfast which felt like lunch because we had already been up for 4 hours.Afterward we went to a village close by to buy some crafts from them (I got my little cousin an authentic blowgun! minus the real darts though--family reading this no one tell him!) The village also brought out a baby sloth! A lot of us couldn't hold her though because we had just sprayed bug spray and the chemicals in the spray can kill the sloths. Some of the ISA students and our guides played soccer with the kids, it was a close game! We went back to the lodge and had lunch then immediately left. We took a 40 minute boat ride where the two rivers meet to make the Amazon, I believe they are called Maranon and the Ucayali but I might be wrong I don't have my map with me. From there we went to a village with an observation tower and saw the entire river...it's huge and pictures don't do it justice! We went back to Nauta and took the 2 hour bus ride back to the airport. We got back to Lima around 10pm and Emmi and I crashed by 11pm because we had class the next day :(

Me, Ray (our tour guide) and the sloth I couldn't hold :(

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I'm so glad I decided to go on this excursion, it was definitely worth the extra money. Not only was it a once in a lifetime experience but the ISA group that went was awesome, I love the ISA students and our director, I wish we all lived close in the States! Well Sarah Stone goes to A&M so I think we might plan to get together one weekend once we get back home. It's sad to know that because of global warming the Amazon is changing so much and the villages along the river banks are having to rebuild constantly. The area really does remind me of Texas in some ways, not the cities in Texas but the part of Texas that I grew up in. Going to Cow Creek, not have AC or other electronics for a weekend or a week, the simple life for sure. The people are very friendly there. I love the simplicity of their living and how they survive with such basic amenities and we freak out if we can't check our email or send a text after a few hours. I really want to try and think of a way of turning this trip, and my Lima trip in general, into a topic for a thesis. I'm not sure how yet and I haven't really had time to sit and think about everything that happened in the 3 days in Iquitos and 2 weeks in Lima. We are constantly going and if we aren't we are sleeping to rest before whatever is happening next. I would love to go back to Iquitos one day, especially now that I now what to expect.

Well I better go do my Spanish homework since that is what I'm here for. We only have 9 more days of classes left. I feel like I haven't put much effort into speaking the language, I can understand well enough but I can't converse back. I'm telling myself that this will be a good base to go back home with and take classes back home to continue to learn. (Some of the ISA students here have been taking Spanish classes for 7+ years). Our family is taking us to Bembos for dinner, it's suppose to be a really good hamburger place everyone tells the ISA students to try it out.

1 day until the AMAZON!

Ok so not much has been going on the past two days but I figured I would update with things I've forgot since Friday we are leaving for Iquitos!!! and I probably wont update until Monday. We leave Friday morning at 4am and are getting back to Lima on Sunday around 9pm! I am beyond excited to be in hot weather and see the sun 3 days in a row! I will have plenty of pictures to post next week :)

I forgot to mention this on my post Monday but Sunday was my host mom's, Vicki, birthday Sunday. So since Emmi got sick I braved the family extravaganza solo. It was just Vicki's mom, sister and niece but it was crazy! Luckily the niece is fluent in English (and Portuguese as well as Spanish being her native language...wish I could learn at least one language fluently, it's so hard). It was so funny to hear them talking, I understood most of what was being said, but they way they talk reminds me of my mom's family when we were kids. Everyone would talk over everyone else and just continue to get louder. I miss my family back home and their craziness! Luckily Skype is very useful-Emmi and I have realized that Skype is definitely something very new to Peruvians. Speaking of Skype Emmi told my host mom last night that I was talking to my mom online and she said Vicki sprinted to the office and met my mom...not that their was much communication because Vicki can't speak any English but I think she got what my mom wanted to say (I tried to translate later). Emmi said she thought about coming in and translating (since Vicki talks so fast sometimes) but decided she would just let it play out!

On Monday we found out in class that part of our final is writing...in Spanish, yikes! And today we found out another portion of our writing and pronunciation class is to memorize 8 lines of a poem in Spanish and recite it properly. AND we found out that all of our classes will be done before we go to Cusco on the 26! So that means I will have almost 2 full free days before I leave! Today in my grammar class she let us finish the last of the Richard Gere movie (Hachiko: A Dog's Story) it's so sad and makes me want a puppy of my own!

Yesterday we had a meeting with Michelle who is the ISA Lima on-site director, she's great! She's very animated and funny..she'll be one of the 2 ISA staff members taking us on our excursions! After the meeting a bunch of us wanted to go to a local mercado (market), so Jose Louise (an ISA staffer) brought us to an area about 10 minutes from the school that had four different mercados! It is amazing the amount of stuff they have! I found a few things I'll probably be going back to get, I found a stuffed animal for my little cousin they call alpaca loco (crazy alpaca) it's fur is alpaca fur it's so soft and he has buck teeth and a rainbow colored beanie on --I LOVE IT! Emmi and I decided it would be good to wait a little while before we buy all our souvenirs and gifts because it's way cooler to say you got something in the Amazon than from one of the random mercados in Lima! I think we'll be going back during our free weekend or the last 2 days we have free.

A bunch of ISA students ended up going to see Prince of Persia last night in Spanish in one of the districts in Lima (San Isidro). Emmi and I wanted to go but our family eats so late and afterwards we get so tired! So we made a plan for next week to go into Larcomar again for dinner and to walk around out there at night, no worries it's a very touristy area, we'll be plenty safe.

Look for an update next week about my trip to the Amazon! Hopefully I can get the nerve to hold a sloth! :) --FYI sloths really creep me out, I think it's their face

Small Update

Yesterday I went to church with Emmi, Tiffany, Courtney, and Brandon. It was definitely different from any church I've been to (especially since it was all in Spanish, I caught most of the words). It is called Buen Pastor and the service lasted 2 1/2 hours, way different than a Catholic church. It was a very modern church like in the U.S., they sang songs and then the message was given. It was cool to experience that with the other ISA students. I really want to try and attend a Catholic service the weekend we have free, I don't necessarily have to speak the language to know what is going on in a Catholic mass - plus I really want to see a service in a big, dramatic Cathedral.

Yesterday we were going to go to Plaza San Miguel so we could get some stuff but Emmi got sick after church so we decided to skip it and she slept all day without eating which seems to be a big deal in Peru. Now our family has only given Emmi and me soup for lunch and dinner as a precaution. They told us that the food in Iquitos is really thick so I think they are letting our stomachs rest before this weekend. So today Alejandra took me to a small market close to my house and I final got some sweatpants!! I think they are a knockoff brand of Hollister, they have the seagull on them but a different name.

Class was okay..nothing big to report. We are watching parts of a Richard Gere movie in my grammar class that is called Hachiko: A Dog's Story in Spanish. The dog in the movie is a Shiba Inu!!! (just FYI this is the dog that I plan on getting when I finally graduate but my new apartment doesn't allow pets so maybe in a year!)

Tomorrow we are having a meeting with the ISA staff about some stuff (not sure what) and our excursion to Iquitos this weekend! Maybe I can post again before I leave for Iquitos on Friday morning at 4am!

First Weekend in Peru

So yesterday was pretty low key. We had class, it went okay but i got really frustrated because I was so tired I couldn't focus on Spanish. I think this weather in Lima is getting to me, it's constantly overcast. I was really hoping for some sun this weekend, hopefully when we go to Iquitos next weekend it will be sun and warm!

After class I had lunch with Emmi and our host dad and once Emmi got out of class the family took us to go get prepaid phones so we could communicate with other ISA students and in case of an emergency. Sorry guys no one can call me on that phone, since it's international and prepaid I can receive calls unless they are a Claro carrier. Afterward Emmi and I met up with the ISA students from down the road and caught a combi (the craziest type of taxi ever!) to Larcomar and ate dinner with some other ISA students. We all had our first Pisco Sours, which is the drink of choice here. Talk about strong, it tasted like a very strong top shelf margarita, really tangy (yeah I'm being that specific :]). Let's just say one was enough for each of us. After dinner our Peruvian friend Pedro took us to Barranco to go to some discotecas. It was free to get into any of the ones we were at you just needed to drink to stay, it was crazy how they try and heard you into their small clubs.
Today was really long. We had an activity with ISA and Peru students where they took us by combi to La Plaza San Martin, it was gorgeous! Then we went to Plaza de Armas, which is where Lima's large cathedral and government palace are located. We watched the changing of the guards at the palace, it was very theatrical. For lunch ISA brought us to China town in Lima (yes there are China towns everywhere). The rest of the afternoon we went to visit the catacombs of Lima and the del Convento de San Francisco. Lima is a very interesting place for sure!

Me at Plaza de Armas!

Well the rest of the night is up in the air, I think we are planning to get a group together to go get gelato at Parque Kennedy :). Not a lot of us are up for another night out after walking around all day. Tomorrow Emmi, Courtney, Tiffany and I are going to a church close by that Emmi's cousin recommended (I know me going to church is weird especially in a foreign country but hey I'm up for it) then we are going to head somewhere to go shopping, probably Plaza San Miguel, because I need some clothes.

Day 4/5

Okay guys don't freak out if you don't hear from me for a day or two, it's really hard to find time to get on and update and the internet doesn't work on my phone. Also, next week we start our excursions so I wont update on the weekends when I'm out of Lima. I'll be getting an Peru phone tomorrow with an international calling card so I can call more people and not charge my Verizon account.

For everyone who reads this I know about the Dutch guy who is being sought for murdering a Peruvian girl. He fled the country and they have caught him in Chile. Don't worry our host parents don't let us go anywhere by ourselves especially at night and I'm not trying to drawn attention to myself.

Ok so now that I've said that onto the past two days. Yesterday was an intense day, we had class all day and as soon as my class was done at 2 we walked to the ISA office, which is about 10 minutes away for two tour. My 2nd class yesterday was crazy, we have two professors for that class and they switch off days and the Monday and Wednesday professor is really fast. I'm not looking forward to class Monday with her, hopefully it gets better. After ISA and local Peruvian students took the ISA students on the bus that runs to the coast. It was crazy! The Peruvians might be the best defensive drives ever. The Peruvian students are suppose to speak to us in Spanish and after class I was really over trying to speak Spanish. The coastal district is called Miraflores, it's very pretty and is the tourist area so everything is really expensive but it's so pretty. From the coast my group of 4 ISA students and 3 Peruvian students walked into the city where the next part of our activity was. We went on a night tour bus through the city. It started in Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park) and went all the way to the historical part of Lima. I'll try and post all my pictures to facebook but it will take a while, I might do it as a weekly thing on Sundays.
This is the coast of Lima! We were at the Larcomar shopping center, which is built on the cliffs.

Today was a great day! The sun actually came out! If you know anything about Lima it has a bunch of pollution because of the mountains surrounding the city, it was nice to see the sun! Class went really well, I think I'm slowly getting the language back; it will still be hard to respond quickly though. My professors today are awesome, they are really cool. My grammar professor, Carmen, is so cute! She's really funny and likes to bring us out of the school where the language program is and show us stuff, today we went to the top of the building because it was so pretty. My second professor is Aldofo (I think that's how he spells it) he's really nice and understanding that we can't speak the language quickly. He told us he's taught this class a lot and there's always a diverse skill range from the students. At the end of class we talked about how different levels like intermediate and advance don't necessarily transfer from country to country well. Most students who are considered intermediate in the States should probably be considered beginner outside the States but since most students have taken beginner classes in the States they need higher level classes so the credit can to transfer to school.

Tomorrow I will have a phone and if you want me to call you send me an email (my email is on the sidebar). If you want to call me you're going to have to get an international calling card. Saturday we have another tour, it's a walking tour of historical Lima and Saturday afternoon or Sunday a few ISA students are going shopping maybe at Plaza de San Miguel.

Day 3 - First Day of Class!

Thanks for all the comments everyone! they make me feel better and I know people are reading this blog :)

Classes started today and I was super nervous about it but since there are only 4 other students in my class it was great! It was like we had a personal tutor, not sure what how much homework we'll have but right now it's not a lot just practice reading Spanish out loud and holding a conversation. It seems really easy in class, I just hope I can actually apply it and think quick on my feet when giving a response. There are two other ISA students that live a few blocks from mine and Emmi's (my roommate) host family and we lucked out that 2 of us can always walk with each other to campus. So this morning Courtney and I walked to our building which is a satellite campus a few blocks from the university and Emmi and Tiffany (Courtney's roommate) had class later.

After class we went to the university to have lunch and a few other ISA students were there. We did the thing that you're not suppose to do which is sit in a big group of gringos and speak English..oops :). After lunch we were going to go on another tour of the opposite side of town than the one from yesterday but Courtney and I decided to head home because the tour didn't start on time and we both wanted to go practice our Spanish. We quizzed each other on the walk back making up sentences and saying them in Spanish.

It's taking a long time to post pictures today, not sure what is going on. So tomorrows post might just be pictures. I might get a flickr account

Class again tomorrow but then we are going to Miraflores to go shopping and then we have a night tour on a double decker bus! Should be fun and I'll take lots of pictures then!

Day 2 - Orientation

Orientation was today at 10am at the ISA office which is right next to the University. Emily got in really late so I didn't see her until this morning. We got up at 7:30 and ate breakfast then started getting ready because Alejandra had class and was going to walk us to the office. Again, wish I had practiced my Spanish. For everyone back home in Spanish classes that are taught in Spanish it's nothing compared to being out in the real world, they don't prepare you for this kind of Spanish.

The ISA staff is really helpful and the campus is gorgeous; it's very small compared to TX State, I think only a few thousand students. I'll try and post pictures another time. My classes are actually on campus, they are a few blocks away at the Language Center where Peruvian students learn English. There are only 3 other ISA students in my class so hopefully we get a lot of help on holding a conversation and it helps refresh my memory. I should have brought at least one of my Spanish textbooks from home, oh well I'll just have to make due and hope they give us a book. Peruvian students can purchase photocopies of their textbooks instead of buying the expensive books, completely illegal but Michelle (our ISA director) told us there are no copyright laws in Peru.

From about 2pm until 5pm we took a tour of the area around the University...a lot of walking, you'd think walking around TX State was hard try walking on blocks in humidity, dust, and car exhaust. The humidity doesn't bother me like some of the other students, I actually can't tell there is a lot of humidity. We walked all around the Lince area and in San Isador (I think that is the district). We went into two grocery stores, a small one and a big one called Wong. It's amazing how much fresh food they have out. We also saw down the street were Starbucks, KFC and a Pizza Hut were located. Hopefully we get to go into Miraflores soon, that is where all the major shopping is :).

I have class at 9 until 2 tomorrow and then I might try going to Wong again and purchasing a local cell phone pre paid so I can text back home and make international calls for cheap. Hopefully my next post will have pictures.

Flying to Peru+ Day 1!

Before arriving to Peru...Sitting in an airport-
My first flight (to Miami) went good. Nothing to crazy, and no I didn't get to see the giant oil spill when we went over the gulf. Once I got to Miami I started to get really nervous and felt really alone (welcome the beginning of culture shock). People all around me were speaking Spanish and I definitely felt lost. Now I'm sitting at the gate for my next flight, to Lima (it's about 10p.m. in Miami). I'm starting to get worried that my Spanish isn't up to par for this trip, I really hope I'm wrong. I met these two young women not much older than me that are going to Machu Picchu just to go and don't speak any Spanish so that made me feel better, I can at least understand some of it. Then I met two extremely nice women on the plane. A woman of Korean heritage was on her way with her church for a mission trip, there seemed to be a lot of mission trip groups on my flight-it was packed by the way, who would have thought. The other woman is from Lima and was visiting with her American husband and children for the first time in 3 years.
It was really hard to leave my mom and stepdad in Houston, I am still nervous about doing this by myself. I talked to Emily (my roommate) today briefly through text. I'm really excited to meet her and my host family. I know once I actually get there everything will be alright because I will have tons of helpful people around me.

After arriving in Peru - Very early and very cloudy. I'll tell you Lima taxi drivers are way more intense than NYC. So right off the plane two ISA directors met me and Paul, speaking entirely Spanish. This is were I start getting worried. Then driving through Lima early in the morning is an experience. I arrived at my host family at around 7am and none of them speak English, Alejandra speaks some English but prefers Spanish, which I understand. So I can barely understand them and I'm extremely tired at this point. Their house is gorgeous with very large and ornate (I believe that is the word I want to use) furniture . I'll post picture tomorrow, I have to use the offices ethernet until they setup the WiFi. I ate breakfast with mi madre de Peru Victoria and mi hermana Alejandra, then attempted to try and sleep. My nerves were on edge and my phone wasn't working at this point. Eventually I fell asleep and woke up around noon, took a shower and unpacked. Then Alejandra and I figured out how to hook my computer up to the ethernet, I showed her what Skype was..she loved it. Then we had a late lunch which was very good with stuff I couldn't tell you what, but we did have some watermelon :)

I also found out my classes start Tuesday (martes - see I'm trying already) and are back to back starting at 9:30 until 2p.m. Hopefully they will go easy on us the first few days, it's suppose to be completely taught in Spanish (what was I thinking signing up for this trip, oh the once in a lifetime excursions that's right). My classes are Spanish Grammar and Culture, Composition and Conversation.Later there was music coming from outside and my host family took me out to see this shrine of Mary being carried around to different houses also with shrines to Mary. It's a religious ritual, not sure what it's called but I will find out. They paraded around the entire neighborhood and stopped at various places. Then they walked me down to the University of the Pacific and the ISA office where we have to go tomorrow. They showed me the best way to walk there and back. Then madre Victoria and I went to a fellow ISA host family that is only a few blocks away where 2 girls from the program are staying because like Victoria said "4 es better than 2" -all with hand signals mind you but I got the point, already a protective mom :). Here brought another awkward moment of not being able to converse in Spanish, I hope one of those girls can speak Spanish well. Now I'm just waiting for Emily!
This is a picture of the shrine to Mary they were carrying through the streets, it's HUGE. When I can post more pictures those will show the detail, it was very pretty. Below is a small boy next to one of the shrines in front of a house, they stopped and set the large shrine on the flower picture of Mary.
P.S. my phone finally works, so readers with my number can call BUT I'll be charged $2 per minute because of roaming...email works just as good :) and my computer is dying so no more blogging tonight!

LOVE!

Last Few Days in the States

I'm back in Orange for the week to see my parents and Saturday I'll be flying out for Peru. It's starting to set in that I'll be leaving Saturday to spend a month in a foreign country, by myself. Well I wont be by myself once I get there but the traveling down there I will be. I'm trying to think positive and not psych myself out about the flights. I'm flying out of Houston with a connection in Miami.

I've been talking to my roommate, Emily, on Facebook lately. She's from Kansas and goes to school in Nebraska. I'm excited to meet her! I think we are going to have a lot of fun and it seems like her Spanish is better than mine so hopefully I can learn from her.

The last of my errands are almost done. I got my yellow fever shot (since I'm going to the Amazon) and contacted American Airlines, turns out my checked luggage will have no cost! I still need to get another gift for my host family, I already got them a TX State magnet. I also need to get some type of raincoat or poncho for the Amazon trip.

Here's a schedule of the excursion trips:
Excursion
ISA students will enjoy a wonderful city tour of the Historic Center of Lima.
Sat. 06/05

Excursion
Overnight excursion to Iquitos (Amazon Jungle) and the beautiful Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Fri. 06/11 - Sun. 06/13

Excursion
ISA students will enjoy a multi-day excursion to Cusco and the mystical Machu Picchu.
Sat. 06/26 - Tue. 06/29

I'll try and update again on Saturday before I leave, maybe from the airport.

Shopping for Peru, the Amazon, and my Host Family

I don't think I have been this productive since school ended last week. Here is a break down of what I did today: work 8 to 12:30, lunch with Jessa (a coworker), San Marcos Municipal Court (don't worry just turning in defensive driving certificate), Jiffy Lube to have my cars oil changed and Target (where I spent way to much money). Proud to say I completed these tasks by 3:30 today!

At Target I think I managed to get everything I need for my trip, including a flashlight and a small can of OFF for the Amazon! After I posted my entry yesterday our itinerary for the Amazon excursion was sent out. We will fly from Lima to Iquitos and then to the town Nauta. From there we take a boat down the Ucayali and Maranon River, the start of the Amazon River. Like I said in a previous we are staying at the Pacaya Samiria Lodge. There we have the chance to go hiking through the rainforest, observe night animals and the "pink" dolphins. At the Japon and Plantano lakes we have the chance to go canoeing, bird watching or go piranha fishing! I am so excited right now it's hard to focus on things!



Last week my host family assignment came in. My host parents are Maria and Maciel Paz, they are both lawyers. They have two children who are students, Maria and Hector born in 1990 and 1992. They also have a maid named Elisabeth she is 21, my age. According to the papers they live in the Lince district of Lima, I looked at a Google map and they aren't that far from the Pacific Ocean! And it's 10 minute walking distance from my University, five by bus. It seems like they have a large house, it says they have five bathrooms but it says three living areas, not sure if that is the same as our bedrooms or living rooms. I'll be sure to update y'all on that one as soon as I get home. They seem like they'll be really nice people, they open their home like this because they want their children to learn about other customs and ideas.

I need to bring a gift for my host family. I was going to get a Tx State magnet for them but I want to bring something as too. If you have any suggestions let me know.


This is a pink dolphin, hopefully I can get my own picture! There is an Amazon River Folklore story that goes with the pink dolphins. I found the story on Wikipedia, I'm sure there is more details if you Google it and look. It's very interesting.

I plan on doing some major laundry and packing tomorrow. Wish me luck!

The Dreaded Packing Day

In about 4 days I'll start packing for a month in Peru. Kind of overwhelming to think about it. Actually I'm hoping to start packing a little sooner than that but we'll see how motivated I get. Not only do I have to pack for tropical winter in Peru I have to pack for a week in my hometown, Orange, TX. I'm flying out of Houston on the 29th and my dad wants to keep my car while I'm gone so next, Monday I'll be driving the 4 1/2 hours home to spend a week with the family before I leave. Packing 2 suitcases, one with jeans and jackets and the other with shorts and tank tops, is NOT fun. I hate doing this kind of packing. I had to do it when I went to New York in December because Orange, TX and NYC are completely different climates.

Tomorrow I'm going to spend my afternoon running errands. I need to get things to bring with me to Peru (first aid items, migraine medicine, hair items, contact solution...if you can't tell I'm making my list while I type this). On top of that I need to get my oil changed in my car before I go home, last thing I need is my car stopping on I-10.

Here's a little update for anyone wanting to go to Peru: flight delays out of the country into Lima are constantly being delayed, sometimes it can be hours after your scheduled departure.

Katelyn, a worker from Career Services where I interned this year, left Sunday for her study abroad in Cuzco. She messaged me on Facebook and said her flight was delayed 5 hours out of Houston and a man who travels frequently to Peru told her that was not uncommon. I found out later that's because of the fog in Lima, it causes flights into the country to be delayed for hours. Should have figured that, Lima is in a bowl surrounded by mountains, thanks Google. Perfect. At least I'll be delayed in Miami, even if I can't leave the airport.

Look for an update tomorrow on how successful my errands will be, I'm hopeful!

Summer Abroad - The Decision

Last summer I decided to finish my final two semesters of my foreign language credit abroad. Now keep in mind I'm a small town girl, that has never been out of the South (except a week one summer to Colorado) and I've NEVER flown before. So throughout the fall semester I was going back and forth with myself; can I really do this alone? can I afford to do this?

Finally I caved and started really looking at study abroad programs. There was of course the standard summer in Spain, Mexico, or Costa Rica. Then I found International Study Abroad. They offer so many different programs in areas that I never considered studying in. I turned to the South America section of my booklet. Peru, Argentina, or Chile; places I definitely never considered but was intrigued by. You don't here many students say they've studied in Peru or Argentina.

So by October 2009 I had narrowed it down to those three places. Then I started researching the different countries. I was immediately sold on Peru. The country is beautiful and it's a place that I would normally never think of traveling to for fun. To fix the "haven't flown before and I'm 20 years old" problem, I went with two of my best friends from high school on a trip in December 2009 to New York City. Let's just say a four day long trip turned into a week long stay with plenty of snow, that's right we got stuck in the first blizzard of the 2009-2010 season. Three girls from Texas and enough snow to stop any transportation out of the city deserves it's own blog to tell that story.

So back to my newest adventure; some of you might be asking what are the perks of this month long stay in Lima, Peru since I'm going for school and will be taking two Spanish classes. On top of spending a month in the historical capital of Lima this trip will have two excursions. The first excursion is to the city Cuzco where Machu Picchu, dubbed the "Lost City of the Incas" and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, is located. The second excursion that I chose is to the city Iquitos the largest city in the world that can only be accessed by boat down the Amazon. We'll be staying at the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

I am beyond excited to start this adventure. I fly out on May 29, 2010 and will arrive in Lima at 4:30 a.m. on May 30 and wont be back until July 3. It's my goal to update this blog while I'm down there, not just for my friends and family here in the States but for my own benefit. I don't want to forget any of this trip and I know I wont but this is for future reading and reflection.

I hope I don't screw this up :). Enjoy!