Home Sweet Home.

Hey loves.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm home.

My time in Peru was an amazing, eye-opening, challenging, and growing experience and I couldn't be more thankful. The traveling was amazing, the work was overall rewarding, and I was able to come out of it with a decent amount of Spanish, but by far, my favorite thing about my trip was my home-stay family. They were my family for 9 weeks and still are. I feel connected. And they were amazing. By the 7th or 8th week of my trip I was ready to be home, but the challenge was expected. God taught me a lot in this time and it definitely gave me room to grow.

I want to thank you all for your prayer and support. You are all amazing. And it was definitely felt.

For now, this is the end. I am no longer a gringa. I am home.

=]

Las estrellas.

Thursday, on our way to Cusco, Lara pointed out that the Big Dipper is upside down here. It's pretty cool to think about. I mean, we see the same stars, in the same formation, but from a totally different point of view. The complete opposite actually.

It's kinda like life here. I mean, past all the cultural differences, past a lot of the shuffled up priorities - the base of life is the same.

They are more offended when a person leaves food on their plate than they are when called "negro" or "gordo". They place more importance on their personal lives, than customer service or business. Peruvians live in a culture where kids aren't hushed and order isn't common.

But, in all reality, we are the same. We experience the same joy and love, the same hurt and pain. The same broken relationships and the same exciting adventures or experiences.

Coming here I honestly thought that I would fall in love with their slow-paced, family oriented, chill culture, but really, I haven't. I mean, it's sweet, but it has just as many flaws as our own. Through the awesomely unique and eye-opening relationships I've been building here, I've had quite a few good conversations.

I've realized: it's the same stars, the same formation, we just have a different view.

Andale!

Real. Super. Quick.

1. Track is going well, except the kids need more discipline.
2. With the kids at Kanchay Wasi started a literacy program which is pretty exciting.
3. Thursday night I kinda went to a Peruvian boyband concert, it was packed and we watched from outside.
4. I pet a monkey the other day, in the street.
5. My parasites should be dead now. Yes, I had parasites. 2 of them actually.
6. Saturday I went to Cusco and hung out with my mom and her family, I feel really connected.
7. I've had some sweet conversations lately in Spanish, relationships are really being built.
8. I love it here.
9. But I'm a bit homesick and I will definitely be ready to be back.
10. With that, I probably miss you.

11. I almost forgot, yesterday, I ate soup with a chicken tallon in it. And yes, I made myself try it. Interesting for sure.
12. I'll be trying to update again soon.
13. Tomorrow, is the 2nd biggest fiesta in South America annually, and I'm going to be there.

14. Estoy a punto de practicar!
15. CHOW!

Saturday was fun! A whole lot more fun than I expected it to be at least. I had to wake up early (Friday is usually my sleep-in day) and head over to the stadium to prepare the track for tomorrow's meet. It's a dirt track so we had to mark the lanes with "yeso" (powdered chalk-ish stuff). It took forever! For about half the time I had the help of two other awesome volunteers and Julio, one of the ProPeru staffers. We messed around a bit and it was fun to joke around with the kids. I acted like I was gonna throw chalk at one of them and he replied with something along the lines of "then I'd look like you" (because he'd be white...haha). It sounded better in spanish. Lol.

The last thing we had to do Friday was dig up all the grass around the shotput/discus pit. We did a bit but the ground was really hard and Lucillo and Hector decided they had a better idea. They started lighting it on fire! It spread pretty quick becuase it was mostly dead, dry grass, and then we got to stomp it out. My flip-flops are pretty black. It was fun though, nothing we'd really do in the states.

I feel like I've really been building some relationships these past 2 weeks, even though it's been a lot of fun and games. This week I've really felt pretty good about what I'm doing here. Like I'm getting somewhere with it all. And I felt pretty accomplished today when we were done with the track on Friday. It looked good. And it is our track. And our first meet there.

The meet on Saturday was pretty cool. I got to do a bunch of coaching before, during, and after the races and it felt good. I hung out with the girls quite a bit and I loved it. Our kids did pretty well. =] I left at "refreshment time" around 1for lunch and returned a little after 2 to find the place completely cleared out! I guess they actually ended at 1 and decided to continue on Sunday.

I unfortunately missed the end of the track meet on Sunday because we had a trip to some small "pueblo" with ProPeru. I got to know some of the new volunteers a bit better though which was pretty cool.

After returning Sunday, mid-day, a few of us "oldies" decided to go to Cusco for dinner. We hit up this little bar where I enjoyed an amazing smoothie and we sat around and talked for awhile. We totally splurged on dinner at this delicious restaurant called Incan Grill. It was definitely a good decision. I tried Alpaca (in the llama family) and loved it and was convinced to spend even more money on one of the best desserts I think I've ever had. It was really cool just to be there.

This week's been good. Monday we had 3 kids show up for morning practice and afternoon practice was cancelled. Probably the worst thing you can do after a meet, but the kids here need to spend more time with their families, working and stuff. I was told that the meet took up a lot of time and they kinda had to make it up in their homes. Yesterday, Josh and I got to ran practice ourselves. I really wanted to make them do a ladder but we decided to be nice and just ran some normal races. It was pretty awesome. During the afternoon practice I was really missing my camera. We were practicing high jump with these little middle schoolers and it was hilarious. To practice approaches and jumping I was standing on top of our "mat" (bags of wood-chips and a couple thin mattresses) with my hands up and they had to touch them. Halfway through practice the school who owned the mattresses came to get them and we practiced jumping by holding my hoodie in front of the bags and when they jumped over (or through) it, Hector would catch them/cushion their fall. It was pretty entertaining. I'm really not sure how he made it out of practice without any injuries.

...to be continued...

I was doing so well with this too. For like a whole month! But I managed to get behind once again. Leave it to me to get busy.

Hmm...last week and this week we've had food! Well, bread, a slice of ham, and some amazing fruit smoothie at least. They go and get it in the morning because I have class right after practice but then for the afternoons I get to get it and prepare it all. It's a bit of work but I like having a little bit more responsibility. The high jump we had last week was definitely not cool. Lol. It was like 5-6 bags of mulch-ish type of stuff and some wood, dangerously nailed together. It was horrible. Luckily, they just practiced run-ups so I didn't have to freak out too much, but when Hector (the coach) jumped, I could barely watch. Yikes. More kids have been coming and I'm pretty excited. Especially with the afternoon group. I really like it. We have a meet on Saturday and I'm the volunteer-coordinator for it. Yes! Lol, it should be interesting. But then again, what here hasn't been? =]

This past weekend was full of dropped plans for me. It was all me though. I was invited to go to Cusco Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night and bailed last minute on both of the last two. It would of been fun, I just wasn't feeling the tiny group that was going both times. It was good though. Friday night I ended up hanging out at this little Peruvian bar with one other gringo and like 6 Peruvians. It was awesome! I really didn't talk a whole lot but I felt oh-so-accomplished by just being there and being able to understand the majority of the conversation. It was a lot of concentrating for a relaxing night out.

Saturday morning I went to Cusco with my family. We split up as they headed off to shop for Vale's bday party and I went travel-agency hopping. I was pretty excited once again. I left them from probably 10 minutes away from the plaza and found it all by myself, spent about 3 hours walking around Cusco, and then returned to them for the ride home. It was a pretty cool sense of accomplishment. Just that I could be in this huge, spanish-speaking city, by myself, and be confident. I was so relaxed. =] It was sweet.

Saturday night, after deciding not to go to Cusco, I went and hung out with Aja at her family's bar. We sat around a little outdoor fire and talked. I met some girl from Scotland and another from the Dominican Republic and a bunch of us just sat around and talked in a huge mix of Spanish and English. It was a good night.

Sunday was Vale´s bday party. I was up at a decent time and helped out pretty much all day. As the party was starting quite slowly I was helping this random Peruvian guy put up balloons and decorate and we got to talking. He talked about his family in the states and where he's lived and lived now and about 10-15 minutes into our conversation he was like, "I'll be right back, I gotta go turn into a clown." Yeah, he was the party clown. Lol. The party was definitely interesting. This crazy clown included the adults a lot and I had to get up and take part in a singing contest and dancing in the middle of the circle twice. I'm glad we don't have many clowns in the states. It was really fun though, and really different. Vale is so stinkin spoiled, lol.

Sunday also happened to me my dad's birthday and my 6 month anniversary with Jon. As much as I would've loved to spend more time talking with both of them, I think it was really good that I was so busy. It helped me from being too incredibly homesick. I think I'm doing a lot better now. Although I still do miss the states a lot!

This week something around 25 new volunteers have come in. It's an overwhelming amount! I haven't really gotten to know any of them yet, but some of them seem really cool. We're still supposed to get a group from Duke of like 15-20. They're definitely not getting the same experience that we did. I have 4 new volunteers spread out throughout my programs and it'll be pretty sweet getting to know them. It's weird though seeing the difference between our baby group and their gigantic one.

But, I've run out of time once again. Chow for now. =]

Music of the Heart

Okay, okay, cheesy title, I know. But it was the first thing that came to mind when I was thinking about this blog post, and I think it fits.

I brought my iPod here with me, but because I was in such a hurry and my portable drive wasn't working, I only have a few songs on it. Some of my favorite worship songs, a few upbeat, fun songs, and a few mellow, somewhat meaningful songs. I used it for the second time last night, not because I don't love music, but because I have barely any battery left, it lacks a variety of songs, and most importantly, because I feel like a jerk using it around Peruvians. I sat in my bed and just listened. I let it take me back to church, SpringHill, YoungLife, home, just comfort really. I remembered the meaning I first got out of many of the songs and the excitement and energy I have felt every time I hear them once again. It's really cool how much feeling a simple song can dig up or uncover.

The other day, Vale was singing a song, "...No voy a dudar, voy a confiar en Dios..." ("I'm not going to doubt, I'm going to trust in God"). It made me smile. It's really the only lines I could pick out of the song, but it really hit me. I needed it. That simple reminder, from a 5 year old girl, in another culture, another language, another country. So comforting. It was like a hint of familiarity in this world full of differences. Once again, music, a simple song (not even a song, a line from a song), reinforced so many things, quieted so many doubts and feelings, and refocused my thoughts.

It's just another one of those things, one of those gifts from God, that is so unbelievably powerful. And of course it comes, exactly when you need it the most.

The other mini-insight I gained from this, or more so was reminded of in this, is the fact that God is everywhere. He penetrates language barriers, cultural differences, time, and distance. I trust in the same God as believers all over the world. The same unchanging, all-powerful, infinitely loving Lord. I read the same Bible and feel the same love.

It's pretty cool.

Hey guys! I finally feel like I'm getting back on track a little. Finally posted my pictures, caught up on my sleep, and hopefully getting my blog back up to date now.

Last week was tiring. I'm still sick on and off and I've been pretty dead tired since Machu Pichu last Monday. We're still messing around with the Municipality about the food and drinks for the track kids and hopefully it's going somewhere; we'll find out this week. I helped write up a new document and did some calling/running around. I'm getting to know the kids in both Kanchay Wasi and track a bit better and they make me laugh a lot. It's non-stop joking around with the kids from track and they are quite entertaining. Hector didn't show up for practice again on Thursday and this time I really wasn't feeling it. Practice didn't go as well as the last time he left me alone, but it definitely worked out alright.

On Wednesday night Tiffany and I hosted trivia night at the Muse which was a lot of fun. We included in there some fun categories including Disney, quotes, and Boy Bands and it seemed like everyone enjoyed it. I felt like we really got to know some people from the other two volunteer groups by doing it which was really cool. We also got free dinner which was a huge bonus. I ordered a super-hamburger. I'm getting pretty sick of the loads of potatoes and rice here and I definitely enjoy having a meal that I'm not forced to overeat.

Thursday night I stayed in and had a couple really good conversations with Marta (the mom). It was really cool. And I found out we're not getting another volunteer in the house so I have my family all to myself for my last month. Yes! Marta and Jose went out a bit later and I felt pretty good about that because I don't think they get to do it very often. It made me smile.

Friday night a bunch of us went out to eat for a kind of good-bye dinner for 2 of the other volunteers. They just so happen to be the two I went to Machu Pichu with, so that kinda stinks, but it's okay. I was brave and got this combination platter with a bunch of different things on it. I tried cow heart (and actually liked it)! Unfortunately, I chickened out on the cuy (guinea pig). I just couldn't do it with its four little paws cleanched together, waiting for me. I had some stuffed pepper thing which was pretty fun too. It made me cry when I had a biteful of the seeds. Not like tear-up either, like tears streaming down my face crying. The rest of the table got a kick out of it.

That night four of us headed to Cusco for the night where we started the night off at a Hookah bar. I still haven't tried it. It was fun though and I got to know the other girls pretty well. We danced quite a bit until around 4 when we stopped at some little sandwhich place. It was fun but definitely more mellow than the last time in Cusco.

I woke up around 9 the next morning in time to meet my family at some little plaza about a 10 minute walk away from my hostal. There Marta and Vale picked me up and we did a little bit of running around before we met Jose and his mom's house. It was a mini-family reunion with Jose's sister and Marta's brother and girlfriend. I helped make the food, played with their puppy, and just hung out for awhile. It was really cool. A bit uncomfortable, but for the most part it was awesome.

Sunday I went to church with Marta and Vale. It's pretty hard to understand the pastor, but I caught on that we were studying Job and so I picked up quite a bit from context. It was cool. And somewhat what I needed. =]

We also went to the Peruvian circus on Sunday night. Haha. They had a tiger, a monkey, and a duck. But the tiger never came out. We sat like 10 feet away from the ring so I was pretty excited. The clowns were kinda funny, kinda weird, really spanish, lol. I could understand quite a bit but I think I probably missed some of the jokes. They were joking about smoking marijuana at one point and I think that one caught me off guard a bit. There were also some acrobats and a dancer. One of the acrobats actually saw me on the street today and stopped me to talk for a minute. It entertained me probably more than it should of. This guy is probably like 5'2" or so, super-built, and pretty good at swinging himself around and floating through the air. I don't know, just the idea of meeting and talking to a Peruvian circus man made me laugh at least half way to the ProPeru house.

On a similar note, walking home from spanish class yesterday, Aja and I spotted this monkey running from roof to roof. A monkey! And no, it wasn't the same monkey as the circus one. It was this little spider-monkey looking thing. We like stopped some little girl and told her to look and she was pretty darn non-chalant about it. But then we turned the corner, and a couple other Peruvians seemed a bit interested. That made us feel better. We asked some guy whose reaction was probably in between the two and he's like, aw, yeah, that's totally normal. That's Franco. From what I understand, monkeys in Uru aren't normal, but Franco is. He's like a pet or something. Anyway, another entertaining moment/thought.

Ummm, the rest of the week has been pretty chill. We're supposed to have food on Thursday for the track kids. We'll see how true that is. We're also supposed to have a high jump which would be pretty exciting.

I've been pretty homesick this week: just missing the states in general and really being there with and for people I care about. It's been alright though, I'm sticking it through! Yesterday I met "mi primo" here, which just so happens to be the one in a previous blog post. The chef who's travelled around a bunch. He's back in Uru/Cusco for now and seemed like a lot of fun. His friend from the states also just moved in below me. It was a bit of a surprise when I returned home after class and there was a white guy messing with the door. They both seem pretty cool though. Today I also felt a lot better. I really felt like I was getting somewhere in my spanish class today and later I ran into Nicia (our young empleada) and that circus guy. I practiced a bit with both of them. =] And I really like my family. A lot. I'm really feeling pretty comfortable with Marta and Jose now.

But, it's time to eat. Sorry, no crazy insights this week, just trying to catch up. Next time. =]

Chow!