Packing, finishing work, goodbyes, and Peruvian hot chocolate…. This is just a short list of some of the things on my mind as I’m getting ready to study abroad in Lima, Peru in T minus 2.3 weeks! (That’s about 16 days for all you non-math folks). It’s odd to think that this is my last week in Madison, as this summer has flown by, it seems to always do that though. My apartment is slowly getting emptier as I put my life in boxes, two of which I designated “Peru.” I’m having a difficult time deciding what to take as I’m not used to having a limited wardrobe and fashion is definitely one of my hobbies (and yes, that counts as a hobby.) I’ve quite enjoyed packing though because it’s exciting to be moving to a new place. Last summer was exciting to move out of the dorms into an apartment, but it’s a bit more exciting moving out of my apartment in Madison to an apartment in a city the size of New York City (fun fact: Lima has a population of about 9 million people, almost twice the population of Wisconsin!)
Finishing work is also on my mind this week, as that’s pretty much all I’ve done this summer and the thought of having some time to sit and chill sounds heavenly. I’ve been busy and productive this summer working a part time job at a coffee shop in Madison about 10-15 hours per week and then a full time job for Wisconsin Environment, about 45-50 hours per week. It’s been crazy working that much, and my feet can attest to that, but it’ll be worth it having spending/traveling money in Peru when I won’t be working for a year.
Saying goodbyes is something inevitable about traveling, whether it’s for a month or a year. I’ve said a few goodbyes to people in Madison and it’s very odd, knowing that I won’t be seeing people for at least a year. It’s good to know that it’s easy to stay in touch though. I can’t imagine going on a year long trip without Facebook , Skype, and email! While goodbyes are never easy, I’m glad that I’ll be able to keep in touch easily with my fellow Badgers, my family, and friends.
Lastly, Peruvian hot chocolate (and other things about Peru that I’ve experienced) are in my thoughts as I think about where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing in two weeks. I traveled to Peru in 2008 for two weeks, which was definitely not a lot of time but I was at least able to dip my toes into the culture and have a taste of the Peruvian experience, including their yummy hot chocolate. It’s made with cinnamon and some really good chocolate and probably some secret ingredients. I’m excited to have it again as well as a lot more Peruvian cuisine. Because I’ve been to Lima before, I can kind of picture the city in my head when I think about being there. It was a mission’s trip, so we were mostly in the slums, but one day we went downtown to Miraflores (the neighborhood where I’ll be living in Lima). There are lots of flowers (flores) and a beautiful view of the ocean. There’s also palm trees and mountains, all of landscape-y things we don’t have in Wisconsin that I love! this is a picture I took while I was in Miraflores in 2008.
I enjoy having somewhat of an idea of where I’ll be living, but obviously I won’t be in the exact area that I keep picturing. By the way, I’ll be living with a single lady who’s in her 40s and Peruvian and even though I’m in the nicest part of town, my rent is half as cheap as in Madison. Crazy right? So I know the essentials: that I’ll be eating some amazing food, living in an awesome downtown apartment, and going to a great school about 2 kilometers from the ocean, oh yeah and I’ll be keeping a sweet blog about all my crazy adventures, but you probably already knew that.
Amor y paz.
Finishing work is also on my mind this week, as that’s pretty much all I’ve done this summer and the thought of having some time to sit and chill sounds heavenly. I’ve been busy and productive this summer working a part time job at a coffee shop in Madison about 10-15 hours per week and then a full time job for Wisconsin Environment, about 45-50 hours per week. It’s been crazy working that much, and my feet can attest to that, but it’ll be worth it having spending/traveling money in Peru when I won’t be working for a year.
Saying goodbyes is something inevitable about traveling, whether it’s for a month or a year. I’ve said a few goodbyes to people in Madison and it’s very odd, knowing that I won’t be seeing people for at least a year. It’s good to know that it’s easy to stay in touch though. I can’t imagine going on a year long trip without Facebook , Skype, and email! While goodbyes are never easy, I’m glad that I’ll be able to keep in touch easily with my fellow Badgers, my family, and friends.
Lastly, Peruvian hot chocolate (and other things about Peru that I’ve experienced) are in my thoughts as I think about where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing in two weeks. I traveled to Peru in 2008 for two weeks, which was definitely not a lot of time but I was at least able to dip my toes into the culture and have a taste of the Peruvian experience, including their yummy hot chocolate. It’s made with cinnamon and some really good chocolate and probably some secret ingredients. I’m excited to have it again as well as a lot more Peruvian cuisine. Because I’ve been to Lima before, I can kind of picture the city in my head when I think about being there. It was a mission’s trip, so we were mostly in the slums, but one day we went downtown to Miraflores (the neighborhood where I’ll be living in Lima). There are lots of flowers (flores) and a beautiful view of the ocean. There’s also palm trees and mountains, all of landscape-y things we don’t have in Wisconsin that I love! this is a picture I took while I was in Miraflores in 2008.
I enjoy having somewhat of an idea of where I’ll be living, but obviously I won’t be in the exact area that I keep picturing. By the way, I’ll be living with a single lady who’s in her 40s and Peruvian and even though I’m in the nicest part of town, my rent is half as cheap as in Madison. Crazy right? So I know the essentials: that I’ll be eating some amazing food, living in an awesome downtown apartment, and going to a great school about 2 kilometers from the ocean, oh yeah and I’ll be keeping a sweet blog about all my crazy adventures, but you probably already knew that.
Amor y paz.
