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!