Beaches, Burritos, and Brats.

Another week of exploring and encountering more of Peru is in the books, and I'm happy to have established somewhat of a routine here. Everyday I'm discovering something new about myself, which sounds very cliché but it couldn't be more true. I'm feel like I'm figuring out who I am as a person and the direction God has me going in life. Everyday I'm making an effort to be mindful, and more aware and engaged with those around me. Now I'm done being a hippy because... that was like, really, totally far-out, dude.

The adventures of this previous week have been nothing but spectacular. On Thursday night, I tried chifa for the first time. Chifa is basically the Peruvian's spin on Chinese food, or in other words God's gift to Peru. Seriously it was scrumptious. Although most of the menu was not comprehendible, I managed to order a great chicken?? dish.

Friday was my favorite day of the trip by far. We started the day early, meeting the entire group on campus to load the bus and head off to Matucana. The ride there was quite interesting, as we were told to close the windows so people can't reach in and steal our stuff. Comforting. We also had to make several pit stops to cool down the brakes. Cue the nervous sweats. We finally arrived safely in the town square of Matucana, where several of the locals were hanging out, looking at the lot of us like some sort of circus act. Before we started the hike, we bought some toilet paper and paid our entrance fee for the bathroom (yes, you read that correctly). When we were finally ready to begin the trek, we took off towards the mountain. The ascent was fun and challenging, filled with all sorts of different views (see pictures below). When we finally reached the waterfall, we took lots of pictures, and made some burgers for lunch. We hung out for a while, made some new four-legged friends, and then made our way back down. The descent proved to be challenging due to lots of loose gravel, causing a "holy shi...mokes!" moment every now and then. Once we arrived back in Lima, a few of us treated ourselves to a milkshake.

All of Saturday was spent in the hippyish district of Barranco. When we arrived it was like a whole different city filled with tourists, a beautiful park and a great ocean view. We were told we couldn't leave Barranco without trying The Burrito Bar, which turned out to be the best little hole-in-the-wall restaurant I've ever been to. We waited outside until it opened, around 1:20. (Another thing I have yet to get used to: lunch is late, supper is even later). I had a burrito the size of a newborn baby, and the best margarita I've ever had. The Burrito Bar is definitely going to be revisited. The rest of the day was spent walking around all sides of the district, and down to the ocean. By the ocean, we met the brattiest little girls. They told me I was fea AKA ugly AKA get-out-of-my-face-you-little-snot-nose. Just kidding, they weren't that bad, I was just hungry. After the beach we had supper and some sangria at a restaurant right on the coast. We were there for probably four hours, and stayed to watch the sunset over the ocean. We ended the night at El Gringo Bar (we felt inclined to go), and had a great night of dancing.

Monday came along, and I woke up early to finally try the CrossFit gym here. I'm so glad I've found a place that feels a little like home. It's a great way for me to not only continue training, but also to practice my Spanish and surround myself with like-minded people. I've gone everyday since and I'm so happy I've reestablished a routine of some sort. My first day there I was not-so-gently humbled by the fact that training in 78 degrees is a lot different than the "bring your layers and warm up for 20 minutes" theme of Nebraska. Also, taking two weeks off is never ideal.

The rest of the week has been pretty laid back, although our classes are starting to pick up the pace. I've spent the week battling a cold (how does that happen?), but I'm finally feeling better today. We spent yesterday in the district of Miraflores, where I finally saw cat park, found a cute little coffee shop, and had some Burger King chicken nuggets which I had been craving for a while. The next couple weeks are busy, as we're planning a trip to the Andes and our spring break, which will be spent in a beach house on the white sand of Mancora. I heard Nebraska is getting some snow, so I'll be thinking about ya ;) Stay tuned for more adventures and as always, lots of love! Mwuah!

The Burrito Bar

I always thought the entrance to Narnia was through a door, we must've taken the alternate route :)

One of the couple of pit stops we took.

The happiest, most photogenic pup. I miss him. 

Patience

What an adventure these past 6 days have been. I am already in love with this country and the people here. Maybe I'm just in the honeymoon stage but so far my experiences have been tremendous. However, learning a new language can be frustrating. There are days where you feel like you could talk for hours, and there are others that you can't even conjugate a verb in the present tense. I've realized this all for the hundredth time in the past couple of days that I've spent in Peru.

Walking out of the airport and leaving with my host mama was so welcoming, yet so stressful. It's like there's a switch in your brain that you have to flip from English to Spanish, and when I met my host family my switch was definitely not flipped. Most of the car ride consisted of my host family saying something to me, and me responding with a simple "sí". I remember being so overwhelmed on the drive home, not only from my lack of ability to speak, but also from the awful driving here. I was certain I was doomed.

The following days were long (but much better than my first), consisting of a trip to the mall and school orientation. The mall here is hu-mon-gous. I worked two jobs last semester for a reason, right? A three-story Forever 21, hundreds of shops and a line of food trucks were just a few of the amazing things included in el Jockey (soft J) Plaza.

School orientation was on Friday and we were welcomed to our BEAUTIFUL campus. There's a man made river running through the middle, everything is modern and it's extremely secure. After a couple of meetings, we had lunch in a room that I swear was designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines.

After orientation, I left with Mariah and her host family to go to the beach. On the way there, Mariah and I shared several looks of terror, for the driving here is that of a 12 year old. high. on cocaine. I don't even know how to explain it. It's just bad.

Once we arrived (all in one piece), we were welcomed to a nice little beach house and we immediately took a nap. Lots of traveling and not a lot of sleep called for two tired gringas. The beach was relaxing, and the people were great. We tried ceviche, a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of raw fish marinated/cooked using lime juice, and served in an oniony sauce. Not being a big fan of fish, I was surprised to find that I liked it! We also tried a Peruvian original: the pisco sour. Aside from the food and new vocabulary words, the most powerful lesson of the weekend was that I am definitely a caucasian female that hasn't seen the sun since August. This whole week I've been told over and over from strangers, my host family, and others that I need to wear sunscreen, as if 1) I wasn't wearing any, or 2) I didn't already know this.

Classes started this Monday, and so far so good. I have class for 3 hours a day, Monday through Thursday. I'm also taking an online class, but I have so much free time that sometimes I don't know what to do with myself. I have been debating whether I should check out a CrossFit gym here because it's so far away, but I've decided Monday I am going to go check it out. There's only so many bodyweight movements that I can do on the roof. Speaking of the roof, it's a place I really like to be here. It's flat and gives me a great view of the mountains, it's also where I do my laundry.

Throughout the week I've practiced more Spanish than I have in my whole life, and today as a write this I feel like my switch has been flipped. I've started thinking more in Spanish and am understanding more and more as time goes on. Although sometimes it's frustrating, I'm learning little by little that it takes effort and time for good things to get better.

This past week has been a lesson when it comes to the significance of patience. From the language aspect, I know that as time goes on it will get easier and easier to speak and understand what's going on. From the sun aspect, I know that a good base tan is a gradual thing and to be very persistent about wearing sunscreen. And from the aspect of everyday life, I'm constantly reminding myself that good things take time. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

All of the chicas (and Steve) on campus!

 Just a pretty green wall found on our campus

 San Bartolo Beach

 Ceviche

 Pisco Sour, I love you. 

 :(

 A curvy sidewalk we take to school. I just love the way it looks!

Food trucks at Jockey Plaza