Hello, hello, hello! Greetings from Peru!

My time here so far has been absolutely incredible! I have met so many wonderful from countless countries. I have explored some parts of Lima and taken a trip to a nearby city. I have tasted food that have opened my eyes to the wonders of Peruvian cuisine and have tasted things that haven’t been my favorite. I have been learning more Spanish, learning how to interpret English accents from all over the world, and have been teaching others English. I have had days where I never want to leave and I have had days where I miss a lot of things about home. I have made new friends and acquaintances and have also met people that I don’t particularly like. I have began to form a bond with my host family and the other students living here with me. This has all been so truly incredible for me to experience.

Throughout my time here I have been noting down thoughts that I have along the way, both about the things I miss and the things I am curious about. I have not made a list of things I have enjoyed because that list would probably be a novel. Here are some of the things I’ve jotted down so far:

I miss breathing clean air. I don’t think there are any environmental regulations here. I wonder how bad the toxins in the air are for our lungs and our skin. I wonder if Peruvians who live in cities have higher chances of lung disease.

Why do so many of the billboards, commercials, and other advertisements I see have white people in them? I was expecting to see people from here in advertisements here. I later found out that the most likely reason is that companies are targeting to the types of people who can afford their product. A majority of the white people here are more wealthy than the rest.

I miss the sun! Lima is covered in clouds most of the time during the winter season (the current season) and parts of the rest of the year as well. We took a two day trip to a city called Lunahuana and were able to soak up some sun in that time. Lunahuana is south and a bit more inland from the coast, so there were no clouds. Apparently there is sun there every day of the year! As we drove back under the blanket of clouds on our way home, we all felt a wave of depression hit us. We didn’t know when the next time we would see sun was. Besides our trip to Lunahuana we have seen 3 partial days of sun in the 16 days that we’ve been here. That’s a big change coming from Oregon’s unusually warm summer.

Also related to the weather, I miss being warm. Not only is it winter and almost always cloudy, Peruvian windows don’t have seals at all. That means we spend a lot of time bundled up in warm clothes and wishing for sun and warmth.

I’ll let you in one one other cultural difference. Peruvian social interactions are very different. I miss hugs. A lot. I come from a family and a friend group that hugs a lot, so coming to Peru where hugs aren’t very common was a bit saddening at times. Peruvians greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. For some reason that seems less affectionate than a hand shake or hug. Anyways, I am so glad to have become closer with those living with me, as some of us have started hugging each other. Thank goodness! Another interesting thing about social interactions is that when you walk around town you’re not really supposed to smile or say hi or make eye contact with others except for the group you are with. Especially the first two. This was also weird with coming from a friendly culture. It’s not that Peruvians are unfriendly, it’s just not necessarily the safest idea to be friendly with someone you don’t know. I have met so many friendly Peruvians so far and enjoy their company very much.

Anyways, that is all I will share for today. I’ll check bak in in a few days if I have time. My best to you all!

Ciao,

Abby

A panorama view of the river and the beautiful blue skies at Lunahuana.

The gray Lima skies on one of our beach days.