It's Only Up From Here

 3 Days.... I am finally finished packing for my trip to Peru! As I sit on the couch watching Big Brother 16 I can't help but think about the packing that I have just completed and my approaching departure date. There are many things on my mind including, but not limited to the upcoming World Cup matches and the next month of big brother I will miss. However none of this is that big of a deal to me considering I am taking the trip of a lifetime to the "Land of the Incas." This experience thus far has made me realize even more how much our lives are centered on technology and entertainment which makes it a little weird to imagine my life for the next month without my computer, tablet, or the blue LED light that blinks when my phone gets a notification. I cannot predict what my feelings will be during my layover in Florida (the sunshine state) knowing I am so close to my best friends yet I will not be able to see them. On the flip side of things, ever since I received a pos...

                PDO! This week I received my flight itinerary for my organization’s Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO for short). Around 60 of us will fly from our respective airports to Chicago where we will then take a bus to some town in Michigan. I also found out that I will have two flight buddies so chances are we will be able to share our excitement with one another during the flight before we meet up with the rest of the group. I have no idea what FLAG (my organization) has in store for us, but it should be a fun-filled weekend getting to know and spend time with the group I will be travelling and spending my year abroad with.

Hello, and once again I would like to thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. I have been pretty occupied since my last post and here's why:             Last week: I began going through my packing list for my Peru trip and I’m glad I decided to begin early because as usual I was missing a few items including, but not limited to:  gloves, wool socks, and out of all things sunscreen and bug-spray! I definitely don’t want to be sunburnt, so long as I can help it, and although it’s inevitable that I will get bitten by critters, I want some protection, especially from the pesky gnats and mosquitoes I am bound to encounter.             Last Thursday: I had my Pulmonary Breathing Test which checked to make sure my lungs are healthy and in good condition for the high altitude I will be living in. During the test I had to breathe normally into a tube, then ta...

Crossing this imaginary line has always been on my bucket list and this summer I will be able to check it off, why? Voy a  Perú! Not only am I excited to see llamas and alpacas, taste ceviche and coy, and visit ruins like Machu and Huayna Picchu along with other touristy things; For about 1 month I will be living in a host village along with the rest of my group where we will engage in various community service projects. The host village is said to be in Peru's Sacred Valley which is located in the Andes at an astonishing altitude around 10,000 feet! Also, because Perú is south of the Equator it will be winter when I am there. During my trip I will have ample time to work on and improve my Spanish and may even learn some Quechua which is the language spoken by the Incas and many indigenous people; currently 45% of Peru’s population is American Indian and around 37% are mestizo (people of combined European and Native American descent.) To prepare ...