I <3 Lima

Lima is the best city ever. I'm convinced : ) This weekend has been amazing.

My host family is AWESOME. I couldn't ask for a better or more welcoming family. They constantly make sure I have everything I need, and I'm so grateful for that. At the same time, they let me have as much independence as I want which is also very nice : ) My host siblings are so much fun and yesterday was the day of the national drink, pisco sour, so we all made drinks and had them together...some good sibling bonding!

Thursday was the first day of classes, and I'll admit, I was wondering "why the heck did I come here? I can't understand anything." I had absolutely no idea what was going on for about 75% of the time. I know it will get better, but it was just a little frustrating. After class, we all went to get cell phones together, so we can finally make calls to each other! Then we had our first experiences in a "combi" by ourselves. I don't exactly know how to explain the combi situation...but they are basically these vans that scrunch TONS of people in them, go really really fast and follow absolutely no traffic rules. So...they're pretty fun! HA. I was just happy I made it home alive!

On Friday, my friends and I decided to Larcomar, which is right on the beach. They have nice stores with some BEAUTIFUL shoes...my heart is content! And, I got some Starbucks which also made my life a lot better. Ha. After shopping, Starbucks, and the beach, we all went to a casino for some food, drinks, and dancing! It was definitely a good time : ) I love all the other students on this trip and am SO grateful to have them here. Doing this alone would be much too scary for me!

Here, I'm learning that life doesn't always have to be so fast-paced. People are in general much more laid-back here. They don't seem to stress about anything. Which is quite a change from life in the U.S. In Lima, people walk slower, eat slower, and just seem to take more time savoring every bit of life without worrying and stressing about what's coming next. I think that's a good philosophy for me to adopt: enjoy each moment and don't stress about the future...it will happen, and I think that's all I really need to know right now. Tomorrow I start my first full week of classes...wish me luck!

Love and miss you all! Besos y abrazos (hugs and kisses)!!!
Chelsea

doce días...

So...it’s officially less than two weeks until I leave for PERU! Aaaahh! I’m getting extremely excited, and I’ll admit, a little nervous too. I’ve been anticipating this moment for such a long time and can’t believe it’s finally here. As I’ve seen other friends go off to their study abroad countries, it just makes me even more ready to leave here and embark on my own adventure : )

Last week we found out host family information, which made me SO happy and relieved! I am staying with a family of five, with a 24-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 18 and 13. Apparently they live in a 3 story house with 6 bedrooms, and each has their own bathroom! So it sounds like I’ll be living in a very nice place! Plus, they have an internet connection in their house–major bonus!!!

As I start my adventure in Peru, I’m going to try to keep everything in perspective. I know it’s going to be rough at times, but it is so worth it. I’ve never been outside of the country before, and I’ve definitely never been away from home this long before, so this whole experience is really going to be out of my comfort zone...and I'm actually really looking forward to that. I feel like in order to discover more about who I am and how I relate to others, stepping a little bit beyond my level of comfort is necessary. So, even when I’m sitting in a Peruvian restaurant surrounded by people eating guinea pig (a delicacy in Peru...eek!), I just have to remember it’s all a part of the experience. My goal for the semester is to soak up as much of the culture and language as I can and stay open-minded about things. I’m ready...bring it on!