LOVE

Alas my journey to Peru, where I thought I was coming to learn me some Spanish. While I've done plenty of that, I've found myself searching the deepest innards of my being. Within my soul searching, I've found myself striving to be a better person. Everyday, I want to be the newest, best version of myself. But how? Where do I start?  

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

A common bible verse, that can often be misunderstood, looked over, or heard but not listened to. 

Huh? Abby girl, sister, sweetheart... you aren't in love! You ain't gotchu a man! Doesn't matter. The love I'm seeking is the smile-at-a-stranger, be-patient-with-your-barista, everyday, simple love your neighbor kind of love. The put-it-into-context love. But what happens when we actually put it into context? What happens when we switch love with something else? 

Abby is patient, Abby is kind. Abby does not envy, Abby does not boast, Abby is not proud. Abby does not dishonor others, Abby is not self-seeking, Abby is not easily angered, Abby keeps no record of wrongs. Abby does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Abby always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Woah. I'm smiling right now because I know I have my work put out for me. When put into context, I've realized I'm still in a galaxy far far away when it comes to loving like Jesus does. When replacing love with my own name, I can pinpoint exactly what I need to work on. It's so hard sometimes to know where to start. I'm full of flaws. I get jealous, I'm selfish, I hold grudges, but with these flaws comes a perseverance to fix them.

Not wanting to get on a soapbox here (definitely not my place), my message is simply that loving others can be easy, if we know how to do it right. 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

As I write this, I'm teetering between feelings of "take me back to the homeland!" and "puuuhhhlease, I'm never coming back." I've decided that feeling homesick and never wanting to leave can happen simultaneously. I miss my bed, I miss allllll the foods, and most importantly I miss my family. At the same time, I don't want to leave. The people are so kind, class is just our excuse to be here, and sunny and 75 everyday will never get old. It's an odd mix of emotions that has hit me over and over again. Today's blog will feature the good, the bad, and the ugly of some past events here in Peru.

The Ugly

Because I love to end on a positive note, I'm going reversies on the order here. Today I was brought back to a hilarious memory of my brothers in a bathroom in Florida with a wire coat hanger. To spare some details, Lima's sewage system is subpar. I think us American girls could open up our own plumbing business when we get back. The only other "ugly" I can think of is nothing ugly at all. It was just the smell of bird poop and sea lions when we visited Isla Ballesta in Paracas this past weekend. We took a boat early Saturday morning, leaving behind our precious air conditioned rooms that our school provided for us. We were pleasantly surprised by several pods of dolphins on our way to the island, and upon arrival were greeted by the barks of numerous sea lions occupying a rocky beach. Isla Ballesta encompassed several of the most unique and breathtaking animals and scenery I've ever seen.

There was so many cool, rocky structures!

Sea Lions

I learned how to paddle board!

The Bad

If you've ever felt homesick you'll understand that no matter how much fun I'm having here, a part of me always wants to be in touch with my Nebraskan world, and I can't seem to shake it. I miss brownies and ice cream with my parents on a random weeknight. I actually MISS my brothers constantly making fun of me. However, we are pretty much at the halfway point, and I have so much more to learn and to see, so I'm pushing through. A couple of meals at the hotel this past weekend were spent doing "high-lows" which brought me peace and reminded me of home. To ease my homesickedness (not a word, english is getting harder), I've found comfort in hanging around at my CrossFit gym here. There's just something about a community that pushes you to be and do your best, day in and day out. I'll be doing the open here which makes me oooohhhh soooooo happy. I've also made a friend at my box who lives super close to me, so I'm going to start hitching a ride with her. Overall, the bad really isn't so bad.

My CrossFit Fam, celebrating a birthday together!

The Good

Last and definitely not least, there's so much good here. The people are so kind, and I almost always feel comfortable testing out my broken Spanish. They make me feel good for trying, and overall Peruvians just give off a good vibe. Several birthdays have been celebrated within the last week, and although the words to the spanish birthday song are not engraved in my general knowledge, the atmosphere is what matters. From everyone gathered around a table eating cake, coffee, and orange mimosas (YUM), to a night at the gringo bar, to burpees and cake at the gym, the birthday celebrations here are simple but so so so happy. I'm absolutely over the moon about the people here. They make me want to be a better person. Overall, my experiences here can never be replaced or replicated.

Shelby's birthday celebration! Such a fun night.

Celebrating Marki's host mom's birthday!

Sandy Cheeks

After a consistent 10 days filled with people, I'm feeling oddly at peace sitting in my room, alone, writing to my fans (hi mom and dad). The past week and a half was filled with some of my favorite days in the history of all of my being. I spent more time in my swimsuit than regular clothes, learned how to surf, maybe.... almost..... got my purse stolen (not so awesome), went scuba diving, read an entire book, and got to hang out with 9 of the chillest girls on this planet Earth.

It all started on a Thursday. I woke up super early to bid my friend Fabi adieu at our CrossFit gym. After that, I spent the morning hustling around to get everything done. I was locked, loaded and ready to take on spring break. A couple of us girls walked to school together with our suitcases, causing quite the spectacle for any onlooker. We arrived at the bus station to take an 18 hour bus ride to a place called Mancora, found in Northern Peru. This bus ride was actually pleasant compared to the previous two, as we decided to upgrade to "first class" where we had bigger seats, complementary movies, and thank the Lord... air conditioning. 

When we landed in Mancora, we immediately felt the difference in latitude as we were now only about 4 degrees south of the equator, the sun was beaming, and it was about 90 degrees outside. The second we stepped off the bus, we were flocked with drivers wanting us to ride in their mototaxis. We finally gave in, not knowing any better, and paid quite a chunk of cash (comparatively speaking) to get to the next town over. We arrived and were welcomed into our beautiful beach house, where we spent a ton of time relaxing, reading, cooking, and swimming in the pool.

The view from our deck.

The following days were long but wonderful.  We had a couple rainy days filled with nothing but good card games and laughter. A lot of my free time was spent reading Harry Potter and lounging around, so I won't fill you in on the day by day details but instead some highlights of the trip.

One of our first nights we decided to hit up the town, and get our discoteca on. Mancora is known for its night life so we were sure we couldn't be disappointed. Most of the girls weren't, however after a close call of getting my bag pulled away from me, (no worries, I had a natural instinct to karate chop the kids hand.... real tough Abby, real tough...), I decided I wasn't going to go back out in Mancora.

On a more exciting, and adventurous note: we went surfing. Yeah we did. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We showed up bright and early (8 am) to a surf school, and I met my instructor who had probably just woke up from a quick nap, as many of the locals party until about 7 in the morning. Despite my grumpy, possibly hungover instructor, he actually helped me paddle and time the waves accordingly. When I finally got the chance to stand up, I felt free and alive and a little bit awkward because I had no idea how to steer the surfboard. Anyways, I caught about 6 good waves, only crashed into the rocks once, and will absolutely be found surfing again in the future. I can see why people make a life out of being a beach bum. I could honestly surf and bum around all day... but the bills need paid you know?

Another day we went scuba diving. Wow. That was another incredible experience itself. We didn't have to take a prerequisite class or anything. We started by taking a short boat ride out to an old oil rig that hosted several sea lions. They left when we started the dive, where we were guided down a rope into two different "levels". The first, where we began our descend, was fairly green and the visibility wasn't that great. Then all of the sudden the water got cold, blue and clear as we entered the second level. Here we swam through schools of fish, saw an octopus, and our guide even put a live starfish on our hands. It was so incredible, and I only panicked once, when I forgot that I could breath when I was 35 feet underwater. Scuba diving was an amazing experience, one that I would love to happen again.

About to plop into the water to scuba.

One of our last days in Mancora, we decided to take a tour. We weren't really sure what we were getting ourselves into (but are you surprised?). It turned out to be a tour of a couple of beaches and a visit to a crocodile zoo thing that was poorly kept, and quite sad to be honest. We were so far north that we could almost touch Ecuador, and a big alligator tear (hehehe see what I did there?) was shed because I would've loved to say I went to Ecuador (even if just in a bus). I could've done without the excursion, however, but hey it was 10 bucks and I got a nice tan so I guess it wasn't terrible. 

Returning back to Lima was bittersweet. I'm going to miss the sounds of waves crashing along the beach when I go to bed, however I'm happy to have slept through the night without sweating constantly. Speaking of sleeping through the night, last night there was a little temblor (AKA earthquake) which I'm actually kind of bummed I slept right through. More adventures await, and I will try to keep you all informed and up to date.

Until next time... XOXOXO,
Abby

SO happy to have seen a good sunset. 

NEATure

It's crazy to believe it's already been a month here in Peru. Time here is quickly passing, and I'm not sure I like the speed. Everyday here has been a new adventure, a lesson learned, and everything in between.

Bringing it back to last Tuesday, the whole group got to explore historical Lima aloft a double decker bus. Of course, our group took over the upper level and off we went. Every time I see a new district, it never ceases to amaze me how different each district of the same city is. As we arrived in the historical district of Lima, the architecture transformed. The evidence of European influence was strong, as the the roofs were no longer flat, and the streets became narrower. 

Our bus stopped at the Monastery of San Fransisco, where we were immediately flooded with vendors trying to sell us a variety of knick-knacks. When we entered the church, we wandered around and looked at the preserved tiles and art. However the highlight of the day was actually found underneath of the church, as we got to tour the recently discovered catacombs. Surrounded by bones and skulls layered thick with dust, I couldn't help but think I was in some sort of creepy horror movie. I loved every second of it. We also stepped foot into a library, which immediately transported my mind to Hogwarts. Hanging chandeliers, antique textiles and those little ladder things that slide back and forth had me believing that I was somewhere magical. Although I seem to enjoy nature more than the city, this historical site had me head over heels.

Some of the architecture from El Centro!

My bus buddy and I! 

Fast forwarding to Wednesday night, a few of the girls and I took our first overnight bus to Huaraz. I was super excited to spend a night traveling in exchange for all the daylight possible to explore. Unfortunately, our beauty sleep was interrupted by a screaming child who roared for about five of the eight hour trip. When we arrived Thursday morning we groggily made our way to the hostel, where we were greeted by one of the sweetest men I've ever met. The owner of the hostel (Emilio AKA Dad) welcomed us immediately like family. Throughout the weekend I was in awe over the hospitality he provided us. From waiting with us in the rain for a taxi, to waking up at 5 AM to let us out, he treated us like 7 of his own. 

Most of Thursday morning was spent catching up on sleep. When we ventured out of bed at about noon, Emilio showed us to a little family restaurant where we enjoyed a 3 course meal for only 5 soles ($1.44). After lunch, we walked around the city for a bit. We found a lawn full of llamas, the plaza, and an abundance of stores; one where I made the best purchase of my life, a pair of hiking boots. As the day drug on, I realized I hadn't ate much and "Abby" quickly transformed into "crAbby". One of the biggest lessons of the weekend was that me + no food = bad news. Luckily, the girls took great care of me, and we stopped for supper. I ordered a cheese pizza, and didn't realize it was made with kraft singles until about the 6th slice. 

Loved the clouds over this little plaza!

These girls are the best! They handled me well when I was at my worst... AKA hangry :) 

Friday morning we actually had no idea where we were going until we got on the bus. I thought I was ready to take on whatever the day brought, until I was told we were headed to hike a glacier... and I was wearing shorts. Luckily enough, I packed a pair of sweatpants just in case. Not to toot my own horn, but I would consider myself in decent shape, however upon arrival I was humbled by the fact that the lack of oxygen in the air can really alter everything. Climbing the slightest incline took my breath away, and given that we were 16,400 feet above sea level I chose to ride a horse up most of the mountain. I felt genuine fear as my horsey decided he wanted to sprint (do horses do that?) up the side of the mountain, and my ghetto saddle was shifting and sliding around everywhere. Let's just say I was pleased when I got the chance to get off and walk again. The last leg of the hike, the weather took a turn for the worse as we were pelted with sleet. We snapped a couple photos and returned to descend the mountain. By the time we got to the bottom, the altitude and hunger mixture had gotten the best of me. I sat quickly and refueled with some Cheetos before getting back on the bus to return to Huaraz and our warm beds.

This little pond was so colorful! The picture doesn't do it justice. 

Pastoruri Glacier

The next morning, we woke up at about 4:30 AM in preparation for the infamous Laguna 69 hike. We took a bumpy bus ride through several small towns and arrived at the start of the trek. In high spirits, we began the climb up to the turquoise waters of the lake. Our hike started off very simple and flat, and we were accompanied by some cattle. We walked next to a rushing river and shortly came across our first set of switchbacks. After this first set, we were sure we were almost there. Fighting the altitude and hunger (surprise, Abby's hungry!), my state of being took a turn for the worse. I somehow managed to hit my second wind, however, and we continued on. When we finally caught a glimpse of the magnificent lake, I think I honestly shed a quick tear. I had never been so happy to sit down and rest! We enjoyed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and took in the beauty of the lake. Our descend down was equally as grueling as the way up, and I was sure I was going to lose my lunch on more than one occasion, but I pushed through the sickness and made it down. Looking back, it was the hardest hike I've ever done, but the most rewarding. The view was amazing and I learned a lot along the way.

A PB&J has never tasted so good. 

Part of the hike.... We started at the very bottom of the waterfall, and made our way up to the tippy top!

The last day in Huaraz was very relaxing. Once again we had no idea where we were going until about halfway into the bus ride. We ended up in a small town called Chavin, where we got to explore some pre-incan ruins. I was overjoyed that the day wasn't too physically taxing. We spent most of the day in the bus, but I wasn't complaining. We got back to Huaraz late, and rushed to catch our bus back to Lima. As the girls and I looked around, we were happy to see that there were no toddlers aboard. However, this bus ride lacked air conditioning which called for another sleepless bus ride. 

Greetings from: Jesus... I loved this statue that stood at the entrance of Chavin. 

A view of the underground tunnels from the Chavin ruins. 

Another week down, and several busy ones to come! February includes midterm exams, a 10 day stay at a beach house for spring break, and a trip to southern Peru. If you've made it this far into my blog, I want to thank you for taking the time to read about my adventures. Hugs, kisses, and until next time! Mwuah! 

Couldn't have made it through the hike without these girls! Thanks for staying positive and rolling with whatever came our way :) 

Mindfullness

Be where you be.

This is a phrase trademarked by my family. My parents and brothers told me this daily, maybe even hourly when I was in high school. Caught in the drama of a teenage world, I was constantly on my phone. I wasn't living in the present. This same theme has been reoccurring in my life lately.

As I hiked 15,000 feet above sea level this weekend, I kept thinking "be where you be". Why? Well, when you're sick from altitude, nothing sounds better than the bottom of the mountain. Nothing sounds better than the bus ride home. Caught up in thoughts of the future, I was constantly reminding myself to live in the present. I kept thinking, "I'm in the Andes mountains, I don't care if I'm about to throw up, I need to take this all in."

Much like a hard hike, it's easy in life to seek happiness in the future, in the destination. I am a dreamer. I am a planner. How I'd like things to go, and how they'll probably end up are two completely different stories, however I'd like to think I have an idea. I'd like to think that I'll be accepted into nursing school, living in Omaha, and maybe meet my future husband within the next couple of years. The problem with my plans are that I always think that the next thing is going to make me happier. When I live in Omaha, I'll be so happy. When I find a boyfriend, man I'm going to be on cloud 9. While the second one may hold some truth, it's hard not to think that the next best thing is coming. Someday, maybe if I'm really lucky I'll have a house, a husband, kids, a stable job, and lots of dogs...

But I don't have any of that. It's great to think about the future, but if you're caught up in the future, you'll miss the now. When you're only thinking about the top (or the bottom) of the mountain, you miss the waterfalls, blossoming plants, and mooing cows.  It's easy to think that happiness will be found somewhere else, but when your mind is set on this, you'll never really be happy where you're at. So here's to this moment, and finding happiness wherever you may be.