Beautiful World

After months, I'm back to blogging...I'm sorry for those who tended to peek here to read about my adventuring in Peru and didn't get any result. I feel bad about not sharing all my adventures at the time being. I just got wrapped up in my daily life there and found it a lot easier to just write in my journal, mainly because there were always long lines to use the computer. Anyways, I figure I should try to blog some now and then. For those who are wondering, Peru was AMAZING! I honestly had the best summer I could ever imagine. After being there two weeks I remember thinking that I had to have been there at least a month. It didn't take too long to get into my new and exciting lifestyle there. Which usually consisted of waking up at 8:30 and getting dress real quick to gobble down some breakfast before heading to the community center where I was volunteering with a preschool class of 2-4 year olds. When I got there I had to help the kids take their shoes off and put on their classroom shoes. The teacher would then do songs and prayers with them. After a couple of weeks I was able to get most of them down. They would usually have a lesson afterwards and then an assignment following. Which were usually paper cutting or coloring... simple things. They would usually have some free time in the room before lunch. I would usually color or work out puzzles with them or simply sit there and let them jump on me. They were crazy kids. The teacher didn't really care what they did to each other. I honestly don't think 10 minutes went by where I kid wasn't crying. They were all really sweet to me but were so mean towards one another. They would hit and kick and bit one another. There were instances where there would be nose bleeds from hitting. CRAAAZZZZY. Oh, haha an example of how clean Peru is that were a couple of times where some kids would end up peeing their pants in the classroom, obviously going through their clothes...Well the teacher didn't pay any attention to it. I ended up going on a couple searches through the building looking for paper-towels because I couldn't handle seeing puddles in the middle of the classroom. Anyways, after some free time they would go eat lunch and I would have to help feed them and at times make sure they didn't die while doing so. The mothers of the kids would take turns cooking and sometimes they cooked things 2-4 shouldn't be eating. Like fish with tons of little bones still in it! TALK ABOUT STRESSFUL! After lunch they would have recess outside on their playground. We'd play soccer or jumprope or play with chalk. OR they would usually just torture me by jumping on my back constantly or sitting on me all at once. Then all the cuties would be picked up from their parents or siblings around 1. I was very fortunate because the location of the school was only a 10 minute walk there and back. I'd get home and eat lunch real quick, shower, possibly nap for a bit, and then leave for spanish class. I only took spanish for a month but when I was taking it I went from 3-5. After I'd come back and hangout with the rest of the volunteers in my house until dinner. I really feel in love with my house mates and the staff who cooked our meals and cleaned our rooms. We were really spoiled. But we definitely appreciated their hard-work and commitment to us. The workers really fell in love with us and we REALLY fell in love with them. There was a big group of us that left at the same time and the workers cried and told us how much they would miss and loved us. I didn't cry until I had gotten on the plane for Lima. Seeing Cusco for the last time in the plan hit be really hard...not knowing when I'd be back. It'll be a month here since I've been gone here real soon and I still feel like something is missing. Peru was such an amazing country and I'm so proud to have been born there. I wish I was better at finding the right words to explain how much this trip meant to me. How much the people I met touched me, not to mention will be missed by me dearly. I guess what is keeping me going here in Blacksburg is just knowing that this trip was my first independent trip, making it the first of many more to come. There are just so many beautiful countries and so many different kinds people to meet and their cultures discovered. I can't see myself ever being content in not exposing myself to as many new places as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if I never spent another summer in Blacksburg...at least that's what I'm hoping for! One more quick thing; For those who haven't traveled anywhere alone I would definitely recommend it. You WILL learn a lot about yourself. No question about it.